高中三年级英语(人教版)全一册 Unit 4 Reading

　　Linnaeus" system soon conquered the world. In 1759, Linnaeus" student, Daniel Solander, traveled to England to promote the new system. In London, Solander developed a lifelong friendship with Joseph Banks, who would later ask him to join his team of botanical explorers on the Endeavour in 1768.

　　Born into a life of privilege, Joseph Banks was the son of a wealthy family. When his father died in 1761, Banks was only eighteen years old. Many young men in his position would lead a cosy life, but young Banks had an appetite for knowledge. Despite his wealth, he worked to make a career in science. He made a first journey to study wild plants in 1766. His next expedition was the great voyage with James Cook to Oceania.

　　In 1768, the Royal Navy appointed James Cook as the commander of the Endeavour to take members of the Royal Society on an expedition to Tahiti. According to the instructions given to Captain Cook, the expedition had three goals. The primary goal was to study the passing of the planet Venus across the sun. This would give astronomers a chance to calculate the distance between the earth and the sun. Secondly, the purpose of the expedition was to record, classify and describe all plant and animal life observed during the trip. Thirdly, Captain Cook received secret instructions to search for an unknown southern continent.

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