精读20170227（20min）

1.perpetual

adj. [usually before noun]continuing for a long period of time without interruption           synonym    continuous

  the perpetual noise of traffic

  We lived for years in a perpetual state of fear.(literary)mountain peaks covered with perpetual snows and ice

2.empirical

adj. based on experiments or experience rather than ideas or theories

empirical evidence/knowledge/research

an empirical study

3.comet

a mass of ice and dust that moves around the sun and looks like a bright star with a tail

4.orbit

n.[countable,uncountable]a curved path followed by a planet or an object as it moves around another planet, star, moon, etc.

the earth’s orbit around the suna space station

in orbit   round the moonA new satellite has been

put into orbit  around the earth.

5.compelling

that makes you pay attention to it because it is so interesting and exciting

Her latest book makes compelling reading.

6.phlogiston

n.a hypothetical substance once believed to be present in all combustible

materials and to be released during burning

7.aether

personification of the sky or upper air breathed by the Olympians; son of Erebus and night or of Chaos and darkness

a medium that was once supposed to fill all space and to support the propagation of electromagnetic waves

ether

8.electron

a very small piece of matter(=a substance)with a negative electric charge, found in all atoms

9.cathode

th eelectrode in an electrical device where reduction occurs; the negative electrodein an electrolytic cell and the positive electrode in a battery

10.vacuum

a space that is completely empty of all substances, including all air or other gasa vacuum pump(=one that creates avacuum)vacuum-packed foods(=in a package from which most of the air has been removed)

11.eclipse

[countable]an occasion when the moon passes between the earth and the sun so that you cannot see all or part of the sun for a time; an occasion when the earth passes between the moon and the sun so that you cannot see all or part of the moon for a time an eclipse of the sun/moonatotal/partial eclipse

12.supenova

a star that suddenly becomes much brighter because it is exploding

13.caliphate

the era of Islam's ascendancy from the death of Mohammed until the 13th

century; some Moslems still maintain that the Moslem world must always have a

calif as head of the community

the territorial jurisdiction of a caliph

the office of a caliph

14.astrolabe

a device used in the past for measuring the distances of stars, planets etc. and for calculating the position of a ship

15.alchemy

a form of chemistry studied in the Middle Ages which involved trying to discover how to change ordinary metals into gold

(literary)a mysterious power or magic that can change things

16.monopoly

monopoly(in/of/on something)(business)the complete control of trade in particular goods or the supply of a particular service; a type of goods or a service that is controlled in this way

In the past central government had a monopoly on television broadcasting.

Electricity, gas and water were considered to be natural monopolies.

17.flea

a very small jumping insect without wings, that bites animals and humans and sucks their blood

The dog has fleas.

18.combustion

the process of burning Poisonous gases are produced during fossil fuel combustion.

(specialist)a chemical process in which substances combine with the oxygenin the air to produce heat and light

The ratio must be correct in order to achieve complete combustion.

19.strata

one of several parallel layers of material arranged one on top of another

(such as a layer of tissue or cells in an organism or a layer of sedimentary rock)

an abstract place usually conceived as having depth

20.daunting

making somebody feel nervous and less confident about doing something; likely to make somebody feel this way

synonym intimidating

She has the daunting task of cooking for 20 people every day.

Starting a new job can be adaunting prospect.

图片发自App

1.作者讲述的语气比较生动，经常会有对比，比如柏拉图那一段

2.逻辑结构不是简单的时间顺序，是以时间加事件的顺序交叉讲述，比较有趣味性，比单纯用一种方式生动。

3.作者讲述事情的时候是以发展性的角度来阐释的。

虽然很多单词看不懂，但总体而言挺好看的。至少了解了科学进步的大致方向。但是具体内容理解起来就比较吃力，缺乏相关的背景知识