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1.1. What do you think makes a successful scientist?What do you think makes a successful scientist?

Curiosity, patience, determination, genius, persistence, Curiosity, patience, determination, genius, persistence, hardworking …hardworking …

Reference:Reference:

2.2. What kind of boy was Einstein in his parents’ eyes?What kind of boy was Einstein in his parents’ eyes?


They might have thought him slow because he hardly They might have thought him slow because he hardly spoke until he was almost three years old.spoke until he was almost three years old.

3.3. Einstein once said: “Curiosity has its own reason for Einstein once said: “Curiosity has its own reason for existence.” How do you understand this statement?existence.” How do you understand this statement?


Einstein was right because he himself was passionately Einstein was right because he himself was passionately curious when he was young. His curiosity sparked by curious when he was young. His curiosity sparked by wanting to know what controlled the compass needle led wanting to know what controlled the compass needle led to his later success. to his later success.

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Einstein’s Compass

Young Albert was a quiet boy. “Perhaps too quiet”, thought Hermann and Pauline Einstein. He spoke hardly at all until age 3. They might have thought him slow, but there was something else evident. When he did speak, he’d say the most unusual things. At age 2, Pauline promised him a surprise. Albert was excited, thinking she was bringing him some new fascinating toy. But when his mother presented him with his new baby sister Maja, all Albert could do is stare with questioning eyes. Finally he responded, “Where are the wheels?”

When Albert was 5 years old and sick in bed, Hermann Einstein

brought him a device that did stir his intellect. It was the first time he had

seen a compass. He lay there shaking and twisting the odd thing, certain

he could fool it into pointing off in a new direction. But try as he might, the

compass needle would always find its way back to pointing in the direction

of north. “A wonder,” he thought.

The invisible force that guided the compass needle was evidence to Albert

that there was more to our world that meets the eye.

There was “something behind things, something deeply hidden.”

So began Albert Einstein’s journey down a road of exploration tha

t he would follow the rest of his life. “I have no special gift,” he would

say, “I am only passionately curious.”

Albert Einstein was more than just curious though. He had the pat

ience and determination that kept him at things longer than most othe

rs. Other children would build houses of card up to 4 stories tall befor

e the cards would lose balance and the whole structure would come f

alling down. Maja watched in wonder as her brother Albert

methodically built his card buildings to 14 stories. Later he would say,

“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

One advantage Albert Einstein’s developing mind enjoyed was the opportunity to communicate with adults in an intellectual way. His uncle, an engineer, would come to the house, and Albert would join in the discussions. His thinking was also stimulated by a medical student who came over once a week for dinner and lively chats.

At age 12, Albert Einstein came upon a set of ideas that impressed him as “holy.” It was a little book on Euclidean plane geometry. The concept that one could prove theorems of angles and lines that were in no way obvious made an “indescribable impression” on the young student. He adopted mathematics as the tool he would use to pursue his curiosity and prove what he would discover about the behavior of the universe.

He was convinced that beauty lies in the simplistic. Perhaps this insight was the real power of his genius. Albert Einstein looked for the beauty of simplicity in the apparently complex nature and saw truths that escaped others. While the expression of his mathematics might be accessible to only a few sharp minds in the science, Albert could condense the essence of his thoughts so anyone could understand.

For instance, his theories of relativity revolutionized science and unseated the laws of Newton that were believed to be a complete description of nature for hundreds of years. Yet when pressed for an example that people could relate to, he came up with this: “Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. THAT’s relativity.”

Albert Einstein’s wealth of new ideas peaked while he was still a young man of 26. In 1905 he wrote 3 fundamental papers on the nature of light, a proof of atoms, the special theory of relativity and the famous equation of atomic power: E=mc2. For the next 20 years, the curiosity that was sparked by wanting to know what controlled the compass needle and his persistence to keep pushing for the simple answers led him to connect space and time and find a new state of matter.

What was his ultimate quest?

“I want to know how God created this world.... I want to know His thoughts; the rest are details.”

(700 words)

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein

German-American physicist who German-American physicist who contributed more than any other contributed more than any other scientist to the 20th-century visioscientist to the 20th-century vision of physical reality. His special an of physical reality. His special and general theories of relativity rnd general theories of relativity revolutionized modern thought on evolutionized modern thought on the nature of space and time and the nature of space and time and formed a theoretical basis for the formed a theoretical basis for the exploitation of atomic energy. He exploitation of atomic energy. He won a 1921 Nobel Prize for his exwon a 1921 Nobel Prize for his explanation of the photoelectricplanation of the photoelectric（光电的）（光电的） effect. effect.

Einstein, Albert Einstein, Albert

(1879-1955)(1879-1955)

They might have thought him slow, but there was something They might have thought him slow, but there was something else else evidentevident..

ExamplesExamples

• The threat of inflation is already The threat of inflation is already evidentevident in bond in bond prices.prices.

• The audience waited with The audience waited with evidentevident excitement for the excitement for the performance to begin.performance to begin.

evidentevident aa. . — — easily seen or understood; obvious easily seen or understood; obvious

More to learnMore to learn

They might have thought him slow, but there was something They might have thought him slow, but there was something else evident.else evident.

If there had been no other evidence, they might have If there had been no other evidence, they might have thought him slow (not quick to learn). thought him slow (not quick to learn).

ParaphraseParaphrase

respondrespond v.v. — — to say or do something as a reaction to something that to say or do something as a reaction to something that

has been said or donehas been said or done

ExamplesExamples

• To every question the police officer asked, he To every question the police officer asked, he respondedresponded “I don’t know.” “I don’t know.”

• For patients who do not For patients who do not respond torespond to drug treatment, drug treatment, surgery is a possible option. surgery is a possible option.


respondrespond v.v. — — to say or do something as a reaction to something that to say or do something as a reaction to something that

has been said or donehas been said or done

Try to GuessTry to Guess

What is the meaning of What is the meaning of correspondcorrespond in the following in the following sentence?sentence?

He He correspondscorresponds with me regularly. with me regularly.

KeyKey

to communicate with a person by exchange of letters to communicate with a person by exchange of letters

stirstir v.v. — — 1)1) to excite to excite

2)2) to be roused to be roused

ExamplesExamples

• Henry Porter has Henry Porter has stirredstirred children’s imagination. children’s imagination. • The mother’s grief The mother’s grief stirredstirred when she saw the photo of when she saw the photo of

her son, who died in a traffic accident. her son, who died in a traffic accident. TranslateTranslate

他深为这项消息所激动。他深为这项消息所激动。KeyKey

He was deeply stirred by the news.He was deeply stirred by the news.

intellectintellect n.n. — — 1)1) the ability to use the power of reason the ability to use the power of reason 2)2) a person of great intellectual ability a person of great intellectual ability

ExamplesExamples

• Gates is a man noted more for his Gates is a man noted more for his intellectintellect than his than his charm.charm.

• Maria Gomez, historian, socialist and Maria Gomez, historian, socialist and intellectintellect, has , has died at the age of eighty-nine. died at the age of eighty-nine.


intellectintellect n.n. — — 1)1) the ability to use the power of reason the ability to use the power of reason 2)2) a person of great intellectual ability a person of great intellectual ability

CompareCompare

intelligenceintelligence n.n.

—— the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations or trying situations

e.g.e.g. • intelligence quotient (IQ)intelligence quotient (IQ)

• intelligence testintelligence test

fool …into … (doing)fool …into … (doing)— — deceive somebody into doing somethingdeceive somebody into doing something

ExamplesExamples

• Tim was Tim was fooled intofooled into believing that he’d won the believing that he’d won the lottery.lottery.

• It was not right for Jean to It was not right for Jean to foolfool Robert Robert intointo believing believing that she was in love with him.that she was in love with him.

The The invisibleinvisible force that guided the compass needle was force that guided the compass needle was evidence to Albert that there was more to our world that meets evidence to Albert that there was more to our world that meets the eye.the eye.

ExamplesExamples

• InvisibleInvisible marks on the bank note make it almost marks on the bank note make it almost impossible to fake.impossible to fake.

• The Stealth fighter is an aircraft designed to be The Stealth fighter is an aircraft designed to be invisibleinvisible to radar. to radar.

invisibleinvisible a.a. — — that can not be seenthat can not be seen


ExampleExample

• His novel focused on the social His novel focused on the social invisibilityinvisibility of black of black people. people.

The The invisibleinvisible force that guided the compass needle was force that guided the compass needle was evidence to Albert that there was more to our world that meets evidence to Albert that there was more to our world that meets the eye.the eye.

invisibilityinvisibility n.n.


The invisible force that guided the compass needle The invisible force that guided the compass needle made Albert believe that there were things we couldn’t made Albert believe that there were things we couldn’t see.see.

The invisible force that guided the compass needle was The invisible force that guided the compass needle was evidence to Albert that there was more to our world that meets evidence to Albert that there was more to our world that meets the eye.the eye.

up toup to— — as a maximum number of amountas a maximum number of amount

ExamplesExamples

• This language lab can hold This language lab can hold up toup to about 40 people. about 40 people.• Up toUp to two hundred people died in the air crash. two hundred people died in the air crash.

methodicallymethodically ad.ad. — — in a very ordered, careful wayin a very ordered, careful way

ExamplesExamples

• Joan Joan methodicallymethodically put the things into her suitcase. put the things into her suitcase.• Could you arrange the files Could you arrange the files methodicallymethodically so that it will so that it will

be convenient when you need them?be convenient when you need them?

““It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”longer.”

I can do this not because I’m very smart, but because I I can do this not because I’m very smart, but because I pursue problems longer. pursue problems longer.

come overcome over— — to make a short informal visitto make a short informal visit

ExamplesExamples

• Whenever in trouble she would Whenever in trouble she would come overcome over to us for to us for help.help.

• I’ll I’ll come overcome over to see you on my next day off. to see you on my next day off.

come uponcome upon— — to meet, find, or discover esp. by chance to meet, find, or discover esp. by chance

ExamplesExamples

• Believe it or not, John Believe it or not, John came uponcame upon his wife to be in a his wife to be in a flight to China.flight to China.

• I I came uponcame upon this cool cap in a small store in Paris. this cool cap in a small store in Paris.

Euclidean plane geometry (Euclidean plane geometry ( 欧几里得平面几何欧几里得平面几何 ))

A branch of geometry dealing with the properties of A branch of geometry dealing with the properties of flat surfaces and of planar figures, such as the triangle flat surfaces and of planar figures, such as the triangle or the circle. Greek mathematician Euclid first studied or the circle. Greek mathematician Euclid first studied the subject in the 4th century BC.the subject in the 4th century BC.

in no wayin no way— — not at allnot at all

ExamplesExamples

• Theory can Theory can in no wayin no way be separated from practice. be separated from practice.• Alcohol will Alcohol will in no wayin no way ease your miseries. ease your miseries.TranslateTranslate

这些变化绝不是一种进步。这些变化绝不是一种进步。KeyKey

The changes are The changes are in no wayin no way an improvement. an improvement.

curiosity curiosity n.n.— — the desire to know or learnthe desire to know or learn

ExamplesExamples

• It is important to develop the natural It is important to develop the natural curiositycuriosity of each of each child.child.

• I’m burning with I’m burning with curiositycuriosity ― you must tell me who’s ― you must tell me who’s won!won!

insight insight n.n.— — (the ability to have) a clear, deep understanding of a (the ability to have) a clear, deep understanding of a complicated problem or situationcomplicated problem or situation

ExamplesExamples

• He was a brilliant actor who brought deep He was a brilliant actor who brought deep psychological psychological insightinsight to many of his roles. to many of his roles.

• Professor Becker offered some interesting Professor Becker offered some interesting insightsinsights into into the human society.the human society.

TranslateTranslate

He is a person of insight.He is a person of insight.KeyKey

他是一个有洞察力的人。他是一个有洞察力的人。

genius genius n.n.—— 1) 1) great and rare power of thought, skill, orgreat and rare power of thought, skill, orimaginationimagination

2) 2) a person of very great ability or very high a person of very great ability or very high intelligenceintelligence

ExamplesExamples

• He has a spark of He has a spark of geniusgenius that distinguishes him from that distinguishes him from the other actors.the other actors.

• Chaplin was not just a Chaplin was not just a geniusgenius; he was among the most ; he was among the most influential figures in film history. influential figures in film history.

apparentlyapparently ad.ad.—— 1)1) according to what seems to be true according to what seems to be true

2)2) actually actually

ExamplesExamples

• Well, Well, apparentlyapparently she’s had enough of her major and she’s had enough of her major and she’s heading off to finance.she’s heading off to finance.

• The window had The window had apparentlyapparently been forced open. been forced open.

• I thought they were married but I thought they were married but apparentlyapparently not. not.• She looks about 12 but She looks about 12 but apparentlyapparently she’s 14. she’s 14.

While the expression of his mathematics might be accessible While the expression of his mathematics might be accessible to only a few sharp minds in the science, …to only a few sharp minds in the science, …

While the expression of his mathematics might be While the expression of his mathematics might be understood by only a few perceptive scientists, … understood by only a few perceptive scientists, …

condensecondense v.v.—— to reduce in sizeto reduce in size

ExamplesExamples

• You should rewrite your thesis and You should rewrite your thesis and condensecondense 120 120 pages into 50.pages into 50.

• All the suggestions put forward will be All the suggestions put forward will be condensedcondensed into into a single plan of action. a single plan of action.

TranslateTranslate

蒸气接触到冷的表面而凝结成水珠。蒸气接触到冷的表面而凝结成水珠。KeyKey

Steam Steam condensescondenses//is condensed intois condensed into water when it water when it touches a cold surface.touches a cold surface.

essenceessence n.n.—— the central or most important quality of a thingthe central or most important quality of a thing

ExamplesExamples

• The The essenceessence of his argument was that education should of his argument was that education should continue throughout life.continue throughout life.

• A sharp rise in income tax is the A sharp rise in income tax is the essenceessence of the new of the new policy. policy.


essenceessence n.n.—— the central or most important quality of a thingthe central or most important quality of a thing

in essencein essence—— by nature; essentiallyby nature; essentiallyExampleExample

• He is He is in essencein essence a fighter, and enjoys competition. a fighter, and enjoys competition.

Make a sentence by using “in essence”Make a sentence by using “in essence”

??

ExamplesExamples

• Many parents find it hard to Many parents find it hard to relate torelate to their children their children when they are teenagers.when they are teenagers.

• She cannot She cannot relate torelate to the idea of working with the idea of working with computers. computers.

relate to relate to —— to understand and acceptto understand and accept

ExamplesExamples

• Scientists will have to Scientists will have to come up withcome up with new methods of new methods of increasing the world’s food supply.increasing the world’s food supply.

• Many net service companies haven’t Many net service companies haven’t come up withcome up with an an effective way to bring profits. effective way to bring profits.

come up with come up with —— to think of (a plan, reply, etc.); produceto think of (a plan, reply, etc.); produce


ExampleExample

• We expect to We expect to come up againstcome up against a lot of opposition to the a lot of opposition to the scheme. scheme.


come up against (sb./sth.)come up against (sb./sth.)—— to be faced with or apposed by sb./sth.to be faced with or apposed by sb./sth.


ExamplesExamples

• The water The water came up tocame up to my neck. my neck.• Their holiday in Korea didn’t Their holiday in Korea didn’t come up tocome up to expectations. expectations.


come up to (sth.)come up to (sth.)—— 1)1) to reach up as far as (a specified point)to reach up as far as (a specified point)

2)2) to reach (an acceptable level or standard)to reach (an acceptable level or standard)

ExamplesExamples

• Official figures show that unemployment Official figures show that unemployment peakedpeaked in in November and then fell slowly over the next two November and then fell slowly over the next two months.months.

• Temperatures have Temperatures have peakedpeaked at over 40 . ℃ at over 40 . ℃• Holiday flights reach a Holiday flights reach a peakpeak before the Spring before the Spring

Festival.Festival.• At the At the peakpeak of her career she startled us all with a of her career she startled us all with a

decision to retire. decision to retire.

peak peak —— 1) 1) v.v. to reach the highest point or level to reach the highest point or level

2) 2) n. n. the highest point or level the highest point or level

ExamplesExamples

• Some understanding of grammar is Some understanding of grammar is fundamentalfundamental to to learning a language.learning a language.

• We need to make We need to make fundamentalfundamental changes to the way in changes to the way in which we treat our environment.which we treat our environment.

fundamental fundamental a.a. —— forming the base, from which everything else forming the base, from which everything else originates; more important than anything else originates; more important than anything else

TranslateTranslate

空气新鲜是身体健康之必需。空气新鲜是身体健康之必需。KeyKey

Fresh air is Fresh air is fundamentalfundamental to good health. to good health.

ExamplesExamples

• The proposals are expected to The proposals are expected to sparkspark heated debate. heated debate.• The writer’s aim was to The writer’s aim was to sparkspark the readers into action. the readers into action.

spark spark v.v. —— to be the cause of; lead toto be the cause of; lead to

ExamplesExamples

• Skill comes only with practice, patience and Skill comes only with practice, patience and persistencepersistence..

• Most financial analysts didn’t foresee the Most financial analysts didn’t foresee the persistencepersistence of the recession. of the recession.

persistence persistence n.n. —— the ability of continuing in a course of action or way of the ability of continuing in a course of action or way of

behavingbehaving


persistence persistence n.n. —— the ability of continuing in a course of action or way of the ability of continuing in a course of action or way of

behavingbehaving

Try to GuessTry to Guess

Do you know the words Do you know the words — — ““insistenceinsistence”, ”, ““resistanceresistance”?”?

KeyKey

persist persist

insistinsist

resistresist

persistence persistence

insistenceinsistence

resistanceresistance

ExamplesExamples

• Britain’s health experts are Britain’s health experts are pushing forpushing for a ban on all a ban on all cigarette advertising.cigarette advertising.

• The union leaders of that country are The union leaders of that country are pushing forpushing for two two things: higher wages and earlier retirement.things: higher wages and earlier retirement.

push for push for —— to try very hard to achieve or getto try very hard to achieve or get

ExamplesExamples

• Although other people can advise him, the Although other people can advise him, the ultimateultimate decision about who is to be employed lies with the decision about who is to be employed lies with the personnel director.personnel director.

• His His ultimateultimate goal as an athlete is to represent his goal as an athlete is to represent his country.country.

ultimateultimate a.a. —— being or happening at the end of a process or course of being or happening at the end of a process or course of

action action

I want to know how God I want to know how God createdcreated this world ... I want to know this world ... I want to know His thoughts; the rest are details.His thoughts; the rest are details.

ExamplesExamples

• The new government is expected to The new government is expected to createcreate more jobs. more jobs.

• It’s important to It’s important to createcreate a good impression when you a good impression when you meet a client.meet a client.

createcreate v.v. —— to cause something new to existto cause something new to exist


I want to know how God created this world ... I want to know I want to know how God created this world ... I want to know His thoughts; the rest are His thoughts; the rest are detailsdetails..

ExamplesExamples

• Could you skip the Could you skip the detailsdetails to get to the main point? to get to the main point?• A police officer took down the A police officer took down the detailsdetails of what of what

happened.happened.

detaildetail n.n. —— 1)1) an unimportant part of somethingan unimportant part of something

2)2) a single point or fact about sth. a single point or fact about sth.


I want to know how God created this world ... I want to know I want to know how God created this world ... I want to know His thoughts; the rest are details.His thoughts; the rest are details.

TranslateTranslate

我想知道上帝是怎样创造世界的……我想知道他的思路；我想知道上帝是怎样创造世界的……我想知道他的思路；其余的就都是细枝末节了其余的就都是细枝末节了。。

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Passage A Think About It Read About It Talk About It Write About It