Unit 4 Was Einstein a Space Alien?

Text A

Content Questions （P.99）

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, describe the theory of special relativity, and advanced the famous equation: E=mc2 3. 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 year a single person authored five of the most

improtant 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 phisicist James Clerk

Maxwell, an Authority Figure who had proved that light was an electomagnetic 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 that otthodox

intelligence.

11. He struggled to produce a unified field theory, combinging gravity with other forces of

nature, but he failed.

12. He found Einstein’s brain looked much like any other. Text Organization （P.100） 1. (P.100) Parts Part One Part Two Paragraphs Paras. 1-3 Paras. 4-12 Main Ideas A young husband and father, Albert Einstein had to work hard to support his family. Einstein made astonishing achievements in physics and thus revolutionized the field. Part Three Paras. 13-21 Einstein’s discoveries were attributable to his imagination, questioning, disregard for authority, powers of concentration, and interest in science. Part Four 2. (P.100) Paras. 22-23 Einstein was not space alien. 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 (P.101)

I. 1) concentration 2) lie down

3) balance 4) engross himself in

5) stimulated 6) more so 7) curious 8) assessment 9) credited 10) intelligence

Language Focus (P.103)

Vocabulary 1. (P. 104)

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. (P. 105)

1) approve of 2) slow down

3) take in 4) sucked into

5) set … apart 6) dozed off 7) call forth 8) stretch into 9) keep up with 10) believe 3. (P. 105—106) 1) The beautiful Malvern Hills have provided inspiration for many artistis and musicians over the decades. 2) Much of his success is credited to his power 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. (P. 106) 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 examing 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 (P. 106-105) 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 (P. 107-108) 1. like/as 2. as 3. like 4. like/as 5. as/ like 6. as 7. like 8. as Comprehensive Exercises I. Cloze (P. 108-109) (A) 1. caution 3. never get anywhere 2. came to the conclusion 4. undermining