Leonardo da Vinci

Meet a man who changed the way the world thinks. 达文西- 一探这位改变世人思考方式的人。

Yesterday marked the 560the anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest minds to ever live. Leonardo da Vinci was born in the small Italian town of Vinci on April 15, 1452. As a Young man, he was apprenticed to Andrea del Verrocchio, one of the famous artists of his day.

Da Vinci Excelled at the arts and created a number of famous works during his career, including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. But he is also known for his notebooks that detail much of his research and contain his many fantastical inventions.

Though he lacked a formal, academic education, da Vinci had a strong desire to better understand the world around him. That thirst for knowledge would impact both his work and the world in many ways.

Before da Vinci, for instance, artists painted pictures that looked a lot like flat cartoons. By studying light and shadow,  da Vinci realized that things were not just two-dimensional outlines but three-dimensional. Consequently, he learned to give his paintings the soft, lifelike quality seen in his most famous painting, the Mona Lisa.

Much of da Vinci's work in science and engineering bridged the gap between medieval and modern thinking. Unlike his predecessors, he sought to answer questions with a combination of close observation, repeated testing, and detailed illustrations and descriptions. In fact, da Vinci's observational methods were so successful that his approach remained the principal method of scientific investigation until the development of the modern scientific method during the 19th century.

His understanding of the world also opened doors to new careers for him in engineering and architecture. Da Vinci made extensive studies of fluids and simple machines like gears and levers. This allowed him to design bridges, canals, dams and new ways to defend cities from attack.

His understanding of the water in all its different forms enabled him to propose a steam-powered cannon and all kinds of water-powered industrial machines. Da Vinci also designed a hood that allowed people to breathe under water, a double-hulled ship and even a device to measure humidity.

While most of his inventions were not built during his lifetime, his forward thinking changed the way people looked at the world. By doing that, Leonardo da Vinci contributed far more to humanity than just paintings and inventions.


Grammar Tips:
His understanding of the world also opened doors to new careers for him in engineering and architecture.
"to open doors to something"-
"to open doors "-
He opened the door and walked into the room.
"to open doors to something"- to create a chance to participate or be part of something that greater or better.
Ellen's ability to speak four languages opened doors to many job opportunities overseas.
Sandy's internship at the company opened doors for her to meet and connect with other experts in the industry.


Vocabulary Tips:
apprentice (n)- 学徒，门生
*Alan is lucky to be the apprentice of this skillful carpenter.
apprentice (v)-当学徒，作门生。
*Janet was apprenticed to a famous fashion designer in New York.
thirst for knowledge-求知若渴，强烈的求知欲
thirst- 渴，口渴，渴望。
*Ben's innate thirst for knowledge led him to pursue a lifelong career of studying mathematics.
dimension-某度空间。
dimensional-某度空间的. two-dimensional二度空间的。
*This three-dimensional film became last year's hit movie.三度空间的
* A three-dimensional model of the space shuttle.
fantastical- very imaginative, very creative.
predecessors-people before you,  "pre"-在“前”的，
*The new mayor's performance e前辈，前任，先前的xceeds his predecessors'.
*Julie's predecessor was sued for taking bribes.贿赂
*The latest Android phone is not only smarter than its predecessors but also cheaper.
fluid-液体，流质
*The doctor advised the patient to drink a lot of fluids.
*After exercise, make sure you take a lot of fluids.
fluid (adj)-流质的，液体的，流动的。流畅的。
*The author's fluid writing style is very recognizable.
hood-斗蓬，连在衣服上的帽子。盖子，罩子。
*My jacket has a detachable hood. 可分离，可拆开，可取下的。
*The mechanic opened the hood of the car to check the engine.车盖子
*The hood of the stroller was pulled down because the baby was sleeping. 婴儿车的蓬。


Chat Room:
Andrea del Verrocchio-one of the famous artists of his day. 当时的著名艺术家。
his day- 虽用的是单数，但不是指“一天”，而是指“时代”
present day-不是指“今天”而是指“现代”
every dog has its day- 指“每个人都有他愿望实现的一天。”
Don't worry. Every dog has its day. Just keep on trying. 别担心，每人都有他发达（发迹）的一天。
day in the sun - 在阳光中的一天，意指“受到大众肯定的一天
He's finally getting his day in the sun. 他终于受到大众的肯定与支持。
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Much of da Vinci's work in science and engineering bridged the gap between medieval and modern thinking. （work (n.) 不可数）
work - 工作（通常是不可数的名词，但是有时也可用来当可数的名词）。
Da Vinci excelled at the arts and created a number of famous works.
works of art- 艺术的作品。
in the works- 还在酝酿，开发筹划当中。（可数n.）
the works- 所有的。
with the works.-加上所有的料。with everything on it.
order a pizza with the works = order a pizza with everything on it.



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