大学体验英语三（综合教程）
Unit 2 Nobel Prize Winners
Listen and Talk
Lead in
Each year the respective Nobel committees send 1) to thousands of scientists, members of academies and university professors 2) , asking them to nominate (提名) candidates for the Nobel Prizes for the coming year.
These prize nominations must3) the respective Nobel Committees of the prize-awarding institutions before February 1 of the year for which the nomination is being made. The prize-awarding4) for the Physics and Chemistry awards is the Swedish Academy of Sciences.
The nominations received by each committee are then evaluated with the help of 5) . When the committees have presented their recommendations to the prize-awarding institutions, a 6) is taken for the final choice of Laureates (获奖者). The choice of that year's Laureates is announced immediately after the vote in October each year.
The prizes are awarded at the Prize Awarding Ceremony at the Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 10 (the Anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death). At the Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm, the King of Sweden hands each Laureate a7) and a 8) . The Ceremony 9) a banquet at the Stockholm City Hall for about 1,300 people, 10) 250 students.
Key:1. invitations; 2. around the world; 3. reach; 4. institution; 5. specially appointed experts;
6. vote;
7. diploma;
8. medal;
9. is followed by; 10. including Passage A: Einstein's Compass
2. Answer the following questions with the information from the passage.
1) Why did Einstein look puzzled when his baby sister was first presented to him?
Because his baby sister was totally different from a toy he believed his mother would give him.
2) How did the compass arouse Einstein's curiosity?
It revealed to him that what the eyes could see of the world was but a very small part, most of it was hidden somewhere and was to be explored.
3) What impressed Einstein as "holy" when he was 12?
The concept to prove theorems of invisible angles and lines.
4) Why did Einstein believe that beauty lies in the simplistic?
Because in this way he could see truths of the apparently complex nature.
5) What made Einstein successful in his exploration of the universe?
His passionate curiosity, patience and determination.
3. Choose the best answer to each question based on the information you obtain from the passage.
1. The compass Einstein got at the age of five is especially worth mentioning, because it ______.
A) started his research on relativity
B) gave him the insight of its structure
C) sparked his curiosity in exploring the universe
D) helped him recover soon from the disease
2. We can safely conclude that Einstein's achievements are mainly due to his ______.
A) curiosity, humor and passion
B) patience, humor and determination
C) determination, patience and passion
D) persistence, determination and curiosity
3. In the course of Einstein's intellectual development, he benefited much from ______.
A) communicating intellectually with adults
B) playing with other children
C) dining with medical students
D) building houses of cards
4. Einstein's ability to explain profound theories in simple words shows that ______.
A) he was good at condensing the essence of his thoughts
B) he had a good command of communication skills
C) he believed that beauty exists in simple things
D) he was an expert in organizing ideas
5. Mathematics performed a very important function in Einstein's scientific career in that ______.
A) it helped him to stay with problems longer
B) it helped uncover the mysteries of the universe
C) it greatly enriched his childhood
D) it enabled him to prove the laws of Newton
Anwser: 1.C, 2.D, 3.A, 4.C, 5.B
4.Fill in each of the blanks with an appropriate word.
It seems the young Albert Einstein was never exactly an ordinary child. When he was given a c___at the age of five, it ignited his i ___. Not only was the young Albert passionately c___, he was also remarkably p___and would not easily give up on a problem. Al bert’s development was also s___by the company of intelligent adults such as an uncle of his who was an engineer and a medical student who was a friend of the family. Einstein was i___to take up mathematics by Euclidean geometry. His true g___lay in his ability to express c____ideas in simple language. By the age of twenty-six Einstein had already produced his most famous work, although he never stopped looking for answers.
