PIONEERS OF SCIENCE
If you had to choose the single most important discovery of the 20th century, you would have a real dilemma① on your hands. In just 100 years, the world changed completely. Amazing discoveries were made② in medicine, communications③ and transport, not to mention④ our knowledge⑤ of the world and space. Medical advances ranged⑥ from discovering the causes of diseases under microscopes⑦ to surgical procedures⑧ replacing diseased organs with donated⑨ ones. Communications changed with the introduction of mobile phones and the way we correspond⑩ went from writing letters to emailing. We started flying around the world and meanwhile?， scientists figured out? how to split? the atom, previously thought to be the smallest particle of matter in the universe?.
Although it is impossible to choose the most important discovery, it is possible to single out? a few pioneers of the 20th century. Here are five of them.
[读文清障]
①dilemma/dI'lem?/n.困境，进退两难的窘境
in a dilemma处于进退两难的境地
②make a discovery发现
③communication n．通讯
④not to mention更不用说
⑤knowledge n．知识，学问
⑥range vi.(在一定范围内)变动，变化
range from ... to ...从……到……不等
⑦microscope/'maIkr?sk??p/n.显微镜
⑧procedure/pr?'si?d??/n.步骤；程序
⑨organ/'??ɡ?n/n.器官
donate/d??'neIt/vt.捐赠；赠送
replacing diseased organs with donated ones是现在分词短语作定语，修饰surgical procedures。
⑩correspond/?k?rI'sp?nd/vi.通信；符合
?meanwhile/'mi?nwaIl/adv.同时(＝meantime)
?figure out弄清楚，弄懂
?split/splIt/vi.分开，分离
?过去分词短语作定语，修饰the atom。
?single out挑选出，选拔出(～for/as)
