Legend has it that an apple which fell from its branches was the inspiration for Sir Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity(引力). But now history’s famous fruit tree is paying the price of fame.
The thousands of visitors drawn to Sir Isaac’s childhood home each year could be damaging the tree. A willow barrier(圍欄)has been put around the tree. It means visitors to the 17
th century Woolsthorpe Manor, near Grantham, Lincolnshire, will no longer be able to sit under its branches as Newton was said to have been doing in 1665 when “the notion of gravitation came to mind.”
The National Trust, which owns the small manor(莊園)where Newton was born in 1642, said the 2ft-high barrier was designed to
preserve the tree. Official Ann Moynihan said there had been no damage so far but warned that there could soon be a problem.“Visitor numbers have gone up by around 50 percent, to 33,000 a year in three years. The more people who visit, the more the earth will become compacted(壓實) around the tree and over the roots. We just want to
preserve the tree for another 400 years if we can.”She said visitors will still be able to take apples from the tree.
Visitor Chris Gwyther,37,said,“I suppose it is a pity that you can’t sit under the tree like Newton. But you can still see it and the tree is 400 years old, it needs saving for the future.”
Newton left no information saying he had been inspired by a falling apple. The story appeared in a book by French philosopher Voltaire published in 1727, the year Newton died at the age of 84.
小題1:Why do people go to Woolsthorpe Manor to see the apple tree?
| A．Because of the story about the apple tree. |
| B．Because of the long history of the apple tree. |
| C．Because of the sweetness of the apple. |
| D．Because of the unusual flower of the apple tree. |
小題2:What is the reason that people can’t sit under the tree like Newton?
| A．The manor is too crowded to sit around. |
| B．Their heads will be hit by the apples. |
| C．A willow barrier has been put around the tree. |
| D．There is something wrong with the apple tree. |
小題3:The underlined word
preserve means “_____”.
| A．keep something safe | B．make something grow |
| C．leave something as it is | D．let something be |
小題4:When did Newton have the inspiration for the discovery of gravity?
| A．In 1642. | B．In 1665. | C．In 1820. | D．In 1727. |
小題5:Which of the following sentences is true?
| A．Newton himself wrote a letter about the story of the apple tree. |
| B．Newton’s family owes Woolsthorpe Manor and tells the story. |
| C．Visitor numbers have gone up to 32,000 every year. |
| D．A French philosopher wrote the apple tree story in a book. |
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