【加练半小时】2020版高考英语（全国）一轮练习：组合练 第3练 .docxVIP

Ⅰ.阅读理解 A (2018·陕西西安地区八校联考) Babbage，born in London in 1791，was a great mathematical genius.He was a natural inventor. When he finished school，he went to study mathematics at Cambridge University.Later，he got a job teaching at the university.While working there，he designed his “first difference engine”．This was，basically，a hand-operated mechanical calculator. He took nine years to build a part of the machine.This machine can make complex mathematical calculations.It’s a basic mechanical computer. Babbage dreamed，however，of more complicated machines.In fact，he didn’t only dream; he began to design them.The result was a series of “analytical engines” which were in fact powerful computers! His designs contained processors，control units，a memory and an input/output system.These are the four essential parts of a modern mathematical computer! Alas! His “second difference engine” couldn’t use electricity since this hadn’t yet become a usable source of power，so Babbage had to make do with mechanical systems.For this reason，the machine was big，complicated and expensive.Though Babbage produced complete plans for the machine，he couldn’t build it.It was too advanced for its age! It was not until almost 160 years later that Babbage’s “second difference engine” was finally manufactured.The first working version of this machine was built by the Science Museum in London，for the Babbage bicentenary in 1991.A second machine was then built for an American high-tech millionaire，who put it in the Computer History Museum，in California. Babbage’s analytical engines would have used “programs” like those used in the textile(纺织) industry to make complicated patterns，but they were never built.This brilliant mathematician really was too far ahead of his time! 1．Where did Babbage plan his “first difference engine”？ A．In London. B．At high school. C．At Cambridge. D．In Science Museum. 2．What do we know about his “second difference engine”？ A．It took him nine years to build it. B．It was far ahea