Isaac Newton was born in Lincolnshire, England in 1643, where he grew up on a farm. When he was a boy, he made lots of excellent inventions like a windmill to grind corn (磨玉米面), a water clock and a sundial (日晷). However, Isaac didn’t get good marks at school. 

    When he was 18, Isaac went to study at Cambridge University. He was very interested in physics, mathematics and astronomy. But in 1665, the Great Plague, which was a terrible disease, spread in England, and Cambridge University had to close down. Isaac returned home to the farm. Isaac continued studying and experimenting at home. One day he was drinking a cup of tea in the garden. He saw an apple fall from a tree. “Why do apples fall down instead of up?” From this, he formed the theory of gravity. Gravity is an invisible force. Nobody can see it. But it pulls objects towards the Earth and keeps the planets moving around the Sun.

    Isaac was fascinated by light. He discovered that white light is in fact made up of all the colours of the rainbow. Isaac also invented a special reflecting telescope, using mirrors. It was much more powerful than other telescopes. Isaac made another very important discovery, which he called his “Three Laws of Motion”. These laws explain how objects move. Isaac’s laws are still used today for sending rockets into space.

    Thanks to his discoveries, Isaac became rich and famous. However, he had a bad temper and often argued with other scientists. “You stole my discovery!”

    Sir Isaac Newton died in 1727. He was buried along with English kings and queens in Westminster Abbey in London. He was one of the greatest scientists and mathematicians who has ever lived.

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1.1.What can we know about Isaac Newton as a boy?

A He was very smart.

B He was born in a park.

C He didn’t go to school.

D He did well at school.

解析：选A。细节理解题。根据第一段内容可知，牛顿出生在并成长在一个农场上，他做出了许多出色的发明，比如磨玉米的风车、水钟和日晷，由此可知他很聪明；但是他在学校的学习成绩不好。故选A。

2.2.How old was Isaac Newton when the Great Plague broke out in England?

A 16.

B 18.

C 22.

D 26.

解析：选C。数字计算题。根据第一段第一句可知牛顿出生于1643年；根据第二段第三句的“But in 1665, the Great Plague, which was a terrible disease, spread in England”但在1665年，一场可怕的瘟疫在英国蔓延，由此可计算出，牛顿当时22岁。故选C。

3.3.What does the underlined word “invisible” mean in Chinese?

A 常见的.

B 有帮助的.

C 迷人的.

D 看不见的.

解析：选D。词义猜测题。根据划线词所在句的后一句“Nobody can see it.”没有人能看到它，可知invisible表示“看不见的，隐形的”。故选D。

4.4.Which of the following achievements does not belong to Isaac Newton?

A Forming the theory of gravity.

B Sending the first rocket into space.

C Making a special reflecting telescope.

D Discovering “Three Laws of Motion”

解析：选B。细节理解题。根据全文内容可知，牛顿的成就包括：提出万有引力定律，发明了反射式望远镜，发现三大运动定律，但是他并没有向太空发射火箭。故选B。

5.5.In which part of a magazine can we read the text?

A Celebrity Stories.

B Useful Inventions.

C Great Discoveries.

D Interesting Studies.

解析：选A。推理判断题。本文主要介绍了伟大的物理学家牛顿的生平，以及他的成就，结合选项可知本文最有可能出现在杂志的“名人故事”部分。故选A。