Comprehension

Possible answers to content questions :  

1. He worked as a “Technical Expert, Third Class”. He needed the job to support his young family.

2. He published five of the most important papers in the history of science. This is because they proved that atoms and molecules existed, laid the foundation for quantum mechanics, described the theory of special relativity, and advanced the famous equation: E=mc².

3. Because he developed the Theory of Universal Gravitation then.

4. Because his ideas were far ahead of other scientists of his time.

5. He meant that like other scientists Einstein was a man of his time. If he hadn’t been born, his 1905 papers would eventually have been written in some form by others.

6. What was remarkable about 1905 is that in that year a single person authored five of the  most important papers in science. Einstein proposed in 1905 that light is particulate and for this he won the Nobel Prize in 1921.

7. Because if you did so you would find yourself disagreeing with physicist James Clerk Maxwell, an Authority Figure who had proved that light was an electromagnetic wave.

8. He was not at all concerned about authority. He hated being told what was true.

9. Science was dinner-table conversation in the Einstein household when he was young. His interest in science came naturally.

10. He credited his discoveries to imagination and endless questioning more so than orthodox intelligence.

11. He struggled to produce a unified field theory, combining gravity with other forces of nature, but he failed.

12. He found Einstein’s brain looked much like any other.

Text Organization

1.  

Parts    Paragraphs      Main Ideas

Part One            Paras 1-3 A young husband and father, Albert Einstein had to work hard to support his family.

Part Two            Paras 4-11 Einstein made astonishing achievements in physics and thus revolutionized the field.

Part Three           Paras 12-20 Einstein’s discoveries were attributable to his imagination, questioning, disregard for authority, powers of concentration, and interest in science.

Part Four    Paras 21-22  Einstein was not a space alien.

.

2.  

1) He felt all the pressure and responsibility of any young husband and father.

2) Galison: If Einstein hadn’t been born, his 1905 papers would have been written in some form by others.

3) Other physicists like Max Planck, more senior and experienced than Einstein, were closing in on the answer, but he got there first.

4) Einstein himself credited his discoveries to imagination and questioning more so than orthodox intelligence.

5) He failed in producing a unified field theory.

6) His brain looked much like any other.

Language Sense Enhancement

1) concentration     2) lie down

3) balance      4) engross himself in

5) stimulated      6) more so

7) curious      8) assessment

9) credited         10) intelligence

Vocabulary

I. 1. 1) accordingly   2) loose

   3) concentration  4) stimulating

   5) fabric    6) if anything

   7) reality    8) intuition

   9) trifle      10) at the turn of the century  

11) mess      12) undermine

2. 1) approve of   2) slow down

3) taken in   4) sucked into

5) set …apart   6) dozed off

7) call forth   8) stretch into

9) keep up with    10) believe in

3.  1) The beautiful Malvern Hills have provided inspiration for many artists and musicians over the decades.

2) Much of his success is credited to his powers of imagination.

3) The industrial revolution was firmly built on the foundations of an agricultural revolution.

4) Alexander was determined not to make any complaints in the presence of the nurse.

5) September 1939 saw the outbreak of the Second World War.

4. 1) At school Einstein thought about questions which his teachers did not ask. They considered his constant doubting and questioning as a character flaw, so much so that they came to the conclusion that he would get nowhere in life.

2) For the third night in a row, I was awakened by the shrieking of car alarms at midnight. Without a decent night’s sleep, I dozed off while I was at work in the daytime. Consequently, I made a mess of my job.

3) Economists are examining two reports capturing the bleak economic picture. One shows that the outbreak of the world financial crisis has undermined consumer confidence, which is now down in its lowest levels since 1992. The other shows that unemployment rate has risen by 10%, which has strained many families’ finances.

II. Collocation

1. With Christmas only a week away

2. With his physical condition improving day by day

3. With our GDP growing steadily

4. With all the shops closed

5. with her eyes closed

6. With the fog lifting during the night

III. Usage

1. like/as  2. as  3. like  4. like/as  5. as/like  6. as

7. like  8. as

Comprehensive Exercises

I. Cloze

1.

1) caution     2) came to the conclusion

3) never get anywhere   4) undermining

5) not give/care a fig   6) flaw

7) beyond any doubt   8) foundation

9) remarkable/impressive  10) imagination

2.

1) extent      2) inventions

3) bet      4) manages

5) vision      6) eventually

7) achievement    8) poverty

9) utilized     10) breakthrough

II. Translation

1. 

1) The volunteers sent/assigned by the Red Cross disinfected, with great caution, the drinking water in the village so as to avoid an outbreak of plague. (caution, outbreak)

2) Einstein spent many years trying to unify the theories of electromagnetism and gravity but failed.

3) Professor Wang received/won the Presidential Award for his excellence in stimulating students’ creative imagination.

4) As there were some major design flaws, the board of directors didn’t approve of the economic stimulus package.

5) Having realized that nobody could help him, Jordan finally came to the conclusion that he had to face reality and take up/meet the challenge by himself.

2.

What was remarkable about 2005 was perhaps that the United Nations declared it “The World Year of Physics”. It was the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s theory of relativity and the 50th anniversary of his death. In 1905 Einstein published five highly important essays in the history of science, thus revolutionizing physics. His great achievements can be credited to his impressive powers of imagination，constant questioning and not caring a fig for authority. It is beyond doubt that Einstein was the greatest scientist in the 20th century.