首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Northern lights is the name of a light phenomenon often seen in the northern regions. The lights have been around since Earth fo
Northern lights is the name of a light phenomenon often seen in the northern regions. The lights have been around since Earth fo
admin
2014-01-07
59
问题
Northern lights is the name of a light phenomenon often seen in the northern regions. The lights have been around since Earth formed an atmosphere—the dinosaurs saw it, early humans saw it and our descendants will see it. The scientific name for the phenomenon is "Aurora Borealis", aurora for short.
An aurora is a sporadic, generally faint, atmospheric phenomenon usually seen in the night sky from locations at high latitudes. More commonly known as the "northern lights," it may first appear as a faint, milky glow low in the north, too dim for the human eye to detect any color but bright enough to silhouette clouds near the horizon. It may develop into steady greenish arcs or form glaring, swirling curtains of yellow-green light. During the most dramatic displays visible from regions at middle latitudes, such as central Europe and the United States, a crimson glow fills much of the sky. It was this form that inspired European scientists of the 1600s to call the phenomenon aurora borealis, literally "northern dawn," but it also occurs at high southern latitudes, where it is formally called aurora australis, "southern dawn." The same processes are at work in both hemispheres—not just on Earth, but on other planets as well—and today, scientists simply refer to this phenomenon as an aurora. The ghostly forms of an aurora include quiescent patches, veils, and arcs, and rapidly moving rays and curtains.
Many historical accounts of the northern lights from areas far south of its usual location exist. An early Chinese record describes it as a "red cloud spreading all over the sky." The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote that an aurora in A.D. 37 tricked the emperor into sending troops to aid what he thought was the burning seaport of Ostia, "when the glowing of the sky lasted through a great part of the night, shining dimly like a vast and smoking fire." In 1583, similar "fires in the air" mobilized thousands of French pilgrims, who prayed to avert the wrath of God. On September 15, 1839, an intense aurora dispatched firefighters throughout London.
What causes the showers of charged particles that create the northern lights? Ultimately, the source lies in the solar wind, a fast-moving stream of particles constantly flowing from the Sun that carries the Sun’s magnetic field out into space. The solar wind, typically moving at 250 miles(400 kilometers)per second, flows past Earth’s magnetic field and molds it into an elongated bubble or cavity, compressing its sunward side and stretching its night side far beyond the Moon’s orbit. Under certain conditions, the solar wind’s magnetic field can merge with Earth’s, creating electrical currents that drive protons and electrons into the polar atmosphere. Powerful events occurring on the Sun can drive enormous changes in the solar wind, increasing both its speed and density and enhancing its effect on Earth.
It has been recorded that once in France, the northern lights were believed to be
选项
A、a fire set by the enemy troops.
B、punishment to humans by God.
C、crimes which would enrage God.
D、an indication of the doomsday.
答案
B
解析
第3段倒数第2句中的the wrath of God常表示“上帝的怒火”,wrath通常暗示上帝因为愤怒而要惩罚世人,由此可见,本题应选B。本题最具干扰性的是D,doomsday是“世界末日”的意思,从原文的wrath可以知道上帝将要惩罚世人,但以什么方式惩罚却是不明确的,D说得过于绝对了。
转载请注明原文地址:https://www.kaotiyun.com/show/1yFK777K
0
专业英语四级
相关试题推荐
BlogOnestudyfoundthatmorethanonehundredeightymillionpeoplearoundtheworldhavestartedablog./Andmorethant
LongitudeandLatitudeThemeridiansoflongitudeareimaginarygreatcirclesdrawnfrompoletopolearoundtheearth.By
LongitudeandLatitudeThemeridiansoflongitudeareimaginarygreatcirclesdrawnfrompoletopolearoundtheearth.By
ThoughhavingbeenlivinginShanghaifor20years,hestillhasa______northernaccent.
Aroundoneinahundreddeathsworldwideisduetopassivesmoking,whichkillsanestimated600,000peopleayear,WorldHealth
Aroundoneinahundreddeathsworldwideisduetopassivesmoking,whichkillsanestimated600,000peopleayear,WorldHealth
Aroundoneinahundreddeathsworldwideisduetopassivesmoking,whichkillsanestimated600,000peopleayear,WorldHealth
随机试题
气相色谱标准试剂主要用于()。
在国际经济领域中,下列属于专门性国际公约的是()
某电力工程中的220kV配电装置有3回架空出线,其中两回同塔架设,采用无间隙金属氧化物避雷器作为雷电过电压保护,其雷电冲击全波耐受电压为850kV。土壤电阻率为50Ω·m。为防直击雷装设了独立避雷针,避雷针的工频冲击接地电阻为10Ω,请根据上述条件回答下列
遥感图像可归纳为几何特征、物理特征和时间特征,其对于表现特征表述正确的是()。
甲企业与乙银行签订借款合同,借款金额为10万元人民币,借款期限为1年,由丙企业作为保证人。合同签订3个月后,甲企业因扩大生产规模急需资金,遂与乙银行协商,将贷款金额增加到15万元,甲企业和乙银行通知了丙企业,丙企业未予答复。后甲企业到期不能偿还债务。根据合
用生命周期法开发系统时,其在系统分析阶段的主要任务有()。
采用公允价值模式计量的投资性房地产转换为自用房地产时,应当以其转换当日的公允价值作为自用房地产的账面价值,若公允价值大于原账面价值的差额计入资本公积。()
某住宅小区王女士凌晨1点回家搭乘电梯,由于电梯不能停靠开门,被困其中。王女士通过轿厢呼叫按钮向小区监控中心求救,由于监控中心值班人员不懂如何进行施救,随即联系已下班的物业服务企业专业人员前往处理。在此过程中,王女士由于一时等不来施救人员,多次呼叫监控中心,
在绩效管理中,通过对下属员工采取惩罚的手段,以防止和克服它们绩效低下的行为,属于绩效改进策略的()。[2013年5月三级真题]
出租车队去机场接某会议的参会者,如果每车坐3名参会者,则需另外安排一辆大巴送走余下的50人;如每车坐4名参会者,则最后正好多出3辆空车。则该车队有多少辆出租车?
最新回复
(
0
)