A．A solution to the Michelson-Morley experiment.B．The m……
In this section there are six reading passages followed by a
total of 20 multiple-choice questions. Read the passages and then mark your
answers on your coloured answer sheet.
TEXT A
Prior to 1905, space and
time were comfortable absolutes. Over 250 years of practical experience and
experimentation had firmly established the supremacy of the physics of Sir Isaac
Newton. The picture of the universe painted by Newton was one of amazing clarity
and practical value. The motions of projectiles, pendulums, steam engines, and
even distant planets could be readily explained using the brilliant
17th century physicist’s theories. However, certain phenomena,
including how light was able to travel in a vacuum and the exact nature of
gravity continued to elude satisfactory scientific explanation.
While searching for a solution to the failure of the now famous
Michelson-Morey experiment, Albert Einstein( who left Germany when the Nazis
took power, and became an American citizen in 1940 ) discovered his Special
Theory of Relativity. A few years later, he expanded his theory into an
all-encompassing grand view of the universe. His General Theory of Relativity
was the first to describe the nature of gravity. The General Theory describes a
four dimensional universe in which the three spatial dimensions are coupled with
a fourth, time. Any object in the universe with mass is described as causing a
warp, or curve into the very structure of spacetime itself. Gravity is
shown to be a result, not of some unforeseen, mysterious force, but as a
function of the curvature of space itself. All matter, from the tiniest
sub-atomic particle to the most massive of galaxies, will induce this
curvature.
This idea is frequently explained by describing space
as a rubber sheet, and a body such as the sun as a bowling hall. If the hall is
placed on the rubber sheet, the sheet will bend under the weight of the ball,
forming a gravity well. Thus, the orbits of the planets can be seen to result
from them "rolling" around the mouth of the sun’s gravity well. Of course, this
analogy is but a shadow of the tree nature of space. In reality, this gravity
well is a four dimensional structure. Shortly after publication of the General
Theory, physicists began to explore this strange new world.
According to the passage, which of the following phenomena did Einstein describe in his General Theory of Relativity, that was not explained by Newton’s theory
A．A solution to the Michelson-Morley experiment.
B．The motions of distant planets.
C．How light could travel in a vacuum.
D．The nature of gravity.
