A
Incredible Women You Didn't Learn About in History Class
Here are the stories of women you may not know about, but definitely should
◆Maria Sibylla Merian
Born in Germany in 1647, Merian was fascinated by insects, and she began collecting, studying, and drawing them when she was as young as 13. She was one of the few naturalists of her time to actually study live insects. It was through her study of caterpillars(毛毛虫) that she discovered the truth about their life cycles. Her work provided major contributions to the field of entomology（昆虫学）。
◆ Murasaki Shikibu
Murasaki Shikibu, a Japanese woman, was widely considered to be the world’s first novelist. She was a noble woman living in Japan around the year 1000 AD. She wrote a two-part novel called The Tale of Genji, which tells a riches-to-rags story about the son of a Japanese emperor forced to live as a common man. The Tale of Genji is widely considered to be a masterpiece of Japanese literature.
◆ Ada Lovelace
Ada was working to design early computing machines that she hoped would be able to quickly solve math problems. In addition to designing this early computer program, she also was first to suggest that these computers might be able to do more than, well, calculate. She imagined them doing everything, from producing images to composing music.
◆ Lucy Stone
Born in 1818, Stone married a fellow activist and changed her name, but decided to change it back a year later. She held the belief that "a wife should no more take her husband's name than hers." She became the first American married woman to keep her maiden name for her entire life. Stone was also one of the founding members of the American Equal Rights Association and fought for the ending of slavery.
1. What can readers learn about from The Tale of Genji?
A. Ancient Japanese culture.
B. Development of computer.
C. Research on living things.
D. Modern life of Japanese women.
2. What do Maria Sibylla Merian and Ada Lovelace have in common?
A. They were pioneers in computer.
B. They devoted themselves to science.
C. They created masterpieces of literature.
D. They made progress in studying Insects
3. Which of the following women fought for human rights?
A. Lucy Stone B. Ada Lovelace
C. Murasaki Shikibu D. Maria Sibylla Merlan
【答案】1. A 2. B 3. A
【解析】
本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了四位在世界上不太为人所知却拥有非凡成就的女性。她们分别是：研究活体昆虫的德国博物学家Merian；世界第一位女性小说家Murasaki Shikibu；早期电脑设计师Ada Lovelace；美国第一位保留自己婚前姓氏的女性 Lucy Stone。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据第二则信息She wrote a two-part novel called The Tale of Genji, which tells a riches-to-rags story about the son of a Japanese emperor forced to live as a common man.（她写了《源氏物语》，这部小说分为两部分，讲述了一位日本王子被迫像一个普通人一样生活。）可知，从这部小说中我们可以了解到当时日本人的文化、生活等各方面知识。故选A。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。从文章中可以得知，Merian是极少数研究活体昆虫的博物学家，并为昆虫学做出了巨大贡献；Ada Lovelace是早期解决电脑运算问题的电脑设计师；由此，可知Sibylla Merian和Ada Lovelace的共同之处在于她们两个都致力于科学研究。故选B。
【3题详解】
细节理解题。根据第四则信息中Stone was also one of the founding members of the American Equal Rights Association and fought for the ending of slavery.（斯通也是美国平等权利协会的创建者之一，并为结束奴隶制而战。）可知，美国第一位保留自己婚前姓氏的女性 Lucy Stone也在为争取人权而战。故选A。
