外研版英语必修4 Module4 Great Scientists--Background reading.doc

用心爱心专心Module4GreatScientistsPartTwoTeachingResourcesSection1Backgroundreadings1.cashcropInagricultureacashcropisacropwhichissoldformoney.Thetermisusedtodifferentiatefromsubsistencecropswhicharethosefedtotheproducer'sownlivestockorgrownasfoodfortheproducer'sfamily.2.hybridhybridtermappliedbyplantandanimalbreederstotheoffspringofacrossbetweentwodifferentsubspeciesorspeciesandbygeneticiststotheoffspringofparentsdifferinginanygeneticcharacteristic.3.cosmologyCosmologyisthestudyoftheuniverseinitstotalityandbyextensionman'splaceinit.ThoughthewordcosmologyisitselfoffairlyrecentoriginfirstusedinChristianWolff'sCosmologiaGeneralis(1730)thestudyoftheuniversehasalonghistoryinvolvingsciencephilosophyesotericismandreligion.4.CambridgeThecityofCambridgeisanoldEnglishUniversitytownandtheadministrativecenterofthecountyofCambridgeshire.Itliesapproximately50miles(80km)north-northeastofLondonandissurroundedbyanumberofsmallertownsandvillages.ItisalsoattheheartofSiliconFenwhichhasareputationastheleadinghigh-technologycenterofBritainandisoneofthemajorconstituentpartsoftheOxford-CambridgeArc.5.OxfordOxfordisacityandlocalgovernmentdistrictinOxfordshireEnglandwithapopulationof134248(2001census).ItishometotheUniversityofOxfordtheoldestuniversityintheEnglish-speakingworld.6.relativityrelativityphysicaltheoryintroducedbyAlbertEinsteinthatdiscardstheconceptofabsolutemotionandinsteadtreatsonlyrelativemotionbetweentwosystemsorframesofreference.Oneconsequenceofthetheoryisthatspaceandtimearenolongerviewedasseparateindependententitiesbutratherareseentoformafour-dimensionalcontinuumcalledspace-time.7.ResearchfieldsofHawkingHawking’sprincipalfieldsofresearcharetheoreticalcosmologyandq