my friend, albert einstein
he was one of the greatest scientists the world has ever known, yet if i had to convey the essence of albert einstein in a single word, i would choose simplicity. perhaps an anecdote will help. once, caught in a downpour, he took off his hat and held it under his coat. asked why, he explained, with admirable logic , that the rain would damage the hat, but his hair would be none the worse for its wetting. this knack for going instinctively to the heart of a matter was the secret of his major scientific discoveries — this and his extraordinary feeling for beauty.
i first met albert einstein in 1935 , at the famous institute for advanced study in princeton, n. j. he had been among the first to be invited to the institute, and was offered carte blanche as to salary. to the director’s dismay, einstein asked for an impossible sum: it was far too small. the director had to plead with him to accept a larger salary.
i was in awe of einstein, and hesitated before approaching him about some ideas i had been working on. when i finally knocked on his door, a gentle voice said, 「come 」—with a rising inflection that made the single word both a welcome and a question. i entered his office and found him seated at a table, calculating and smoking his pipe. dressed in ill-fitting clothes, his hair characteristically awry , he smiled a warm welcome . his utter naturalness at once set me at ease.
as i began to explain my ideas, he asked me to write the equations on the blackboard so he could see how they developed. then came the staggering — and altogether endearing — request:「 please go slowly. i do not understand things quickly. 」this from einstein! he said it gently, and i laughed. from then on, all vestiges of fear were gone .
閱讀自測
Ⅰ. fill in the blanks with proper words of the passage:
1. if i have to describe albert einstein in a single word, i would choose_______ ( 單 純) .
2. caught in a_______ ( 傾盆大雨) , i have got a bad cough.
3. in the hometown of emperor zhu yuanzhang, there are many _______ ( 軼事) about him.
4. to my _______ ( 沮喪) , my father doesn’t buy me the walkman i like best. 5. helen keller is so strong-minded a person that i am _______ ( 敬畏) her.
Ⅱ. questions :
after reading this passage , do you have a new understanding of this famous person, albert einstein? if yes, then what is it?
參考答案
Ⅰ.
1. simplicity 2. downpour 3. anecdotes 4. dismay 5 . in awe of
Ⅱ.
yes, i have a new understanding of him. i find he is not only a great scientist but also a simple man. he is polite and kind to the young people. also he is a little humorous.