B Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born on July 4, 1869, in Massachusetts. Little is known about her private life. As a college student, she studied a number of subjects and fell in love with astronomy. Leavitt never married and was considered a serious woman with little time to waste on unimportant aspects of life. Her co­workers described her as pleasant and friendly, and much focused on the importance of the work she was doing. She began to lose her hearing as a young woman due to a condition that only worsened with time. In 1893, she began working at Harvard College Observatory under the direction of astronomer E.C. Pickering. He directed a group of women, who were called “computers” . These “computers” conducted important astronomy research by studying photographic plates ( 照相底片 ) of the sky and cataloging ( 编 目 录 ) characteristics of stars. The women were not allowed to operate telescopes,which limited their ability to conduct their own research. They lived at a time when women’s contributions were undervalued or ignored. Henrietta Leavitt continued her research until just before her death, always thinking of herself as an astronomer, despite her start as a nameless “computer” in Pickering’s department. While Leavittwas not officially recognized during her life for her work, Harlow Shapley, the astronomer who was the Harvard College Observatory director, did recognize her worth and made her head of Stellar Photometry in 1921. At that time Leavitt was suffering from cancer, and she died at the same year. This prevented her from being recognized as a Nobel Prize owner for her contributions. After her death, her name was placed on a lunar crater ( 月球陨石坑 ), and asteroid ( 小行星 ) 5383 Leavitt carries her name . At least one book has been published about her and her name is usually mentioned as part of the history of astronomical contributions. 1. What can we learn about Leavitt? A. She was hard to get along with. B. She suffered from cancer in childhood. C. She never regarded herself as an astronomer. D. She became interested in astronomy at college. 2. Why were the women regarded as “computers” ? A. They devoted themselves to science. B. They were looked down upon by others. C. They used to serve as working computers. D. They knew nothing but photographic plates. 3. What happened after Leavitt’s death? A. She was honored in a special way. B. A Nobel Prize was awarded to her. C. One of her books was published. D. Her achievements were ignored. 4. Which of the following can best describe Leavitt? A. Devoted. B. Generous. C. Reliable. D. Energetic.