A
Make the Best of a Bad Situation
Since Covid-19 spreads all over the world, many people have to stay indoors and work from home. For most of us, it greatly challenges our lives and brings boredom. But for a few people, working at home brings more creativity. Here are three famous historical figures who let their creativity flow during past pandemics.
Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375)
When a plague (瘟疫) hit Florence in 1348, Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio lost his father and stepmother. In order to survive, he left the city and hid in the countryside. Inspired by the experience, Boccaccio wrote The Decameron (《十日谈》), a collection of short novels framed as stories told by a group of friends, while he was quarantined (隔离) inside a house during the plague.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
In the early 17th century, a plague hit London, UK. When the number of deaths grew, the government postponed many celebrations and closed all the theaters. This meant that the entertainment industry at the time was paralyzed (瘫痪) for much of 1606. As an actor and dramatist, Shakespeare had to stop working in the playhouse. But he didn't waste a second of his time off. Instead, he used the time productively and wrote some of his most famous plays. Before the year was over, Shakespeare completed three plays—King Lear, Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra.
Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
In 1665, when English mathematician Isaac Newton was in his early 20s, one of the last major outbreaks of the plague hit the UK, and many classes were canceled. Newton, as a student, went back home to continue his studies.
He devoted himself to his studies. The young mathematician produced some of his best works during his year in quarantine, writing the papers that would later become early calculus (微积分学), and developing his theories on physics in his bedroom. While working, an apple dropped from the apple tree outside his window and hit him or the head, which may inspired his theory of gravity.
1. What did Boccaccio do during the plague?
A. He left Italy and hid away
B. He stayed indoors and read books.
C. He finished the great work: The Decameron.
D. He told his friends many interesting stories.
2. How did the plague affect Shakespeare?
A. He got more entertainment.
B. He got more free time to write plays.
C. He began to show interest in acting.
D. He was inspired to evaluate history.
3. What can we learn about Issac Newton in quarantine?
A. He had to stop his study on math.
B. He put the focus on physics study.
C. He got an idea for the theory of gravity.
D. He worked hard and completed his last work.
【答案】1. C 2. B 3. C
【解析】
【分析】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了历史上在流行病爆发期间创造力惊人的名人。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据Giovanni Boccaccio部分中“Inspired by the experience, Boccaccio wrote The Decameron (《十日谈》), a collection of short novels framed as stories told by a group of friends, while he was quarantined (隔离) inside a house during the plague. (受这段经历的启发，Boccaccio在瘟疫期间被隔离在一所房子里，写了一本短篇小说集《十日谈》，小说叙述的是一群朋友给彼此讲的故事)”可知，Boccaccio在瘟疫期间完成了这部伟大的著作：The Decameron。故选C。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据William Shakespeare部分中“This meant that the entertainment industry at the time was paralyzed (瘫痪) for much of 1606. As an actor and dramatist, Shakespeare had to stop working in the playhouse. But he didn't waste a second of his time off. Instead, he used the time productively and wrote some of his most famous plays. (这意味着当时的娱乐业在1606年的大部分时间里陷入瘫痪。作为一名演员和剧作家，Shakespeare不得不停止在剧院工作。但他没有浪费一秒钟的休息时间。相反，他有效地利用了时间，写了一些他最著名的戏剧)”可知，由于瘟疫的发生，Shakespeare暂时没法在剧院工作，他有了很多休息的时间，他利用这些自由的时间写了一些著名的戏剧。故选B。
【3题详解】
细节理解题。根据Isaac Newton部分中“While working, an apple dropped from the apple tree outside his window and hit him or the head, which may inspired his theory of gravity. (在工作时，一个苹果从他窗外的苹果树上掉下来，砸到了他或他的头，这可能启发了他的引力理论)”可知，隔离期间，窗外苹果的掉落，启发了Newton的引力理论，也就是让他对引力理论有了最初的想法。故选C。
