pre-reading activities background information main idea of the text expressions & patterns

Pre-reading Activities

Background Information

Main Idea of the Text

Expressions & Patterns

Exercises

Pre-reading Questions

1. When and Where was Einstein born?

2. Was he very bright in his early childhood?

3. In what way did Einstein get a good education in science?

Pre-reading Questions

4. Was his theory of relativity accepted by many scientists as soon as it was formulated?

5. When did he win the Nobel Prize in physics?

Suggestions for pre-reading Qs

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany in 1879. In his early childhood he was slow to learn to talk and did not seem to be very bright. But by the time he was 14, he had taught himself advanced mathematics from textbooks. After his graduation from a technical school in Switzerland, he went to work first as a teacher, then in a government office.

Suggestions for pre-reading Qs

With the pay he received, he was able to continue his education at the university of Zurich. In 1905, when he was 25, he advanced his theory of relativity. The theory was unheard of and so complicated that very few scientists could understand it at that time. In 1921 Einstein won the Nobel Prize for his work in photoelectric theory.

Background information

1 Albert Einstein Albert Einstein is one of the theoretical physicists of alltime. He is best known for his theory of relativity, which hefirst advanced in 1905 when he was only 25. In 1921 Einsteinwon the Nobel Prize in physics for his pioneer work inphotoelectric theory. Einstein is one of the few scientists whose work has

changedman’s view of world. During the first half of the centuryEinstein set forth a number of theories about the physicalworld. These theories dealt with everything from the inside ofthe atoms to the farthest region of the universe. They

showedthat such things as gravity, energy, matter, light, space andtime are all related.

2 Yo-Yo

The Yo-Yo is a simple toy consisting of a grooved double disk with a string about the center. The player holds the end of the string which unwinds itself as the disk is dropped. Then by a slight jerk on the string, the player causes it to wind itself, and to reel up back to the hand. The toy is said to have been originated in the Philippines, and Yo-Yo is actually a trade-mark.

3 Woolworth’s Woolworth’s is a chain store in the US founded by F.W.Woolworth( 1852-1919). The original Woolworth’s sold itemsfor five and ten cents. Woolworth’s today is known as avariety store. The chain stores no longer sell items for onlyfive and ten cents, but they do offer inexpensivemerchandise for everyday use such as toothpaste, razors,sunglasses, cosmetics, school supplies, kitchen utensils,

gamesand puzzles, magazines and best-selling paperbacks. The point in our story is that Einstein does not buy hisstationery at a fancy department store or at an expensivestationery store; instead he shops at Woolworth’s.

Main ideaEinstein is one of the greatest scientists of all time. Hisideas and theories have, directly or indirectly, influencedmany areas of the world-science, art, and philosophy. Inspite of his great achievements and fame, he alwaysremained a simple man: he was honest and open, very

easyto get along with; he lived a plain life and had simplehabits, caring very little for material well-being. Thetext, whose author is the son of a close friend ofEinstein’s, sheds more light on Einstein’s personality.

Expressions and Patterns

modest

a) having, showing, a not too high opinion of one’s merits, abilities, etc.

---The general was modest about his military career.

a) Moderate; not large in size or amount

---They bought a modest house in the northern suburb.


At ease

free from mental stress; relaxed and comfortable.

---The doctors soon made the worried patient feel at ease.

---Donald was ill at ease at such a big party.


display

a) (v.), show

---The body-builder displayed his muscles through various poses.

a) (n.) displaying; show or exhibition

---Are you interested in anything on display ？ ---a display of fear/ courage/ bad temper


impress

a) Have a strong effect on the mind or feelings of

---I was deeply impressed by him.

---He impressed me as a modest scholar.

a) Press, make a mark by pressing

---Yang Bailao was forced to impress his fingerprint on his daughter’s indenture.


come to terms with

accept( sth. usu. disagreeable) as it is; reach an agreement with

---It has taken me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I’ll never be a good writer.

---It seems that the two sides will never come to terms with each other.


function

a) (v.) work

---Both high and low temperature affect computers’ functioning.

a) (n.) special purpose or activity of a person or a thing

---As one grows older, there is usually something wrong with body functions.


frustrate

cause to have feelings f of annoyed disappointment; defeat

---He was frustrated when the girl he loved announced her marriage.

---Heavy rain frustrated their plan.


ambition

strong desire for success, power, riches, etc.

---His political ambition still burns.

---A frustrated parent frequently has great ambitions for the child.

---His ambition to become a millionaire has come true.


Be immune to

be free from or unaffected by

---Vaccination makes people immune to smallpox.

---It seems to me that few people are immune to vanity or jealousy.


Correspond with

exchange letters with

---Will you correspond with me while I am away?

---We have corresponded with each other for years.


Mean nothing/ everything to

be of no/ great importance or value

---Material things meant nothing to Einstein, but to some people they mean everything.

---Your friendship means everything to me


So much so that

to such an extent that

---He longed to visit Paris, so much so that he often dreamt about it.

---I was worn out , so much so that I thought I would never recover.


argue

a) Give reasons for or against something

---The Pope argued against divorce while many others argued for it.

a) persuade

---she was argued into accepting the award.

---they argued the ailing Pope out of taking a long journey.


finally

at last

---The Red Army finally reached the end of their Long March.

---The detective finally tracked down the suspect.


present

give

---She presented the Queen with a bouquet on behalf of the girl students.

---It is my honor to present you the token of our thanks.


Beam( with)

smile happily or cheerfully( because of)

---Our teacher beamed with satisfaction at the prizes the students won.

---The young girl beamed with joy in anticipation of the Christmas party.


Revert to

go back to( a former condition or habit)

---The stress he felt made him revert to his old habit of smoking.

---My thought reverted to my childhood days.


exclusively

only, completely

---Eton College is an exclusive male public school in Britain.

---The report was written exclusively for the country’s top leaders.


application

a) Putting to practical use

---Researchers now pay more attention to their research outcome.

a) Making of a request

---Why was my application for visa rejected?

---They signed the application for grants.


pursuea) Work at; be busy with ---John will pursue graduate studies after

obtaining his B.A. degree.a) Go after ---It is illegal for hunters to pursue extremely

young animals. ---How the police pursued the criminals was

broadcast live on TV.


Take apart

separate into parts

---The professor spent the whole afternoon taking apart his old car.

---Nick took apart the clock and spread the bits all over the carpet.


approach(n.) method of doing sth. ---It is up to the manager to decide which approach to

the problem is more cost effective. way; path ---All approaches to the park were blocked after the ex

plosion. coming near( to) ---The squirrel jumped away at our approach. ---The pop star is easy/ difficult of approach.


approach

(v.) come near( to)

---As night approaches, nightingales start singing.

---Hush! I heard someone approaching.


Work out

solve, find the answer to

---John worked out his math problems all by himself.

---You seemed to have the problem nicely worked out.


profound

deep; needing much thought or study to understand.

---Philosophy is profound and beyond the reach of ordinary people.

---The Bermuda Triangle holds one of the world’s most profound mysteries.


Capable of

having the ability or power for

---He is capable of doing such a difficult job.

---I didn’t expect him to be capable of such mean things.

---This computer is capable of storing millions of bits of information.


fortune

(1) luck

---He considers it his good fortune to win her love.

---The young son went out west to try his fortune.

(2) wealth

---He came into a fortune when he was 18.

---There is a story on today’s newspaper about how he made his fortune.


Single out

separate or choose from a group for special treatment or notice

---All of us did a good job but the teacher singled him out for praise.

---He considered it an honor to have been singled out to represent the school on the celebration ceremony.

Exercises Fill the blanks with the words or expressions given below.Change the form where necessary. ambition argue at ease modest work out application pursue observe approach take apart fortune single out a series of come to terms with

1. I now have a better understanding of Einstein’s special theory of relativity after attending _____lectures on the topic.

A series of2. Many educators are giving up traditional methods of

teaching in favor of more modern ________. approaches

Exercises 3. Both of her daughters _____ their studies abroad now,

one in German the other in China.

are pursuing

4. This boy is very intelligent, but his lack of ________ prevents his success.

ambition

5. She _____logically that the new regulations would harm the poor.

argued

6. He found it quite difficult to ____ his parents’ death.

come to terms with

Exercises 7. I consider it proper to leave it to the committee to _____

the details of the plan.

work out

8. Philip is good at writing. Last week his composition was once again ________ for special praise.

singled out

9. As far as I am concerned, some days are lucky while others seem marked by bad _____.

fortune

10. This machine is very complicated indeed. Once ____, it can hardly be put together again.

taken apart

Exercises

11. Tom felt quite _____ when he stayed with his aunt, a

good-natured old lady.

at ease

12. The ability to _____ keenly and in detail is necessary for anyone who wishes to be a scientist.

observe

13. He was a _____ person in spite of his great success.

modest

14. The ____ of scientific reasoning to study of human behavior is one of the major principles of psychology.

application

Exercises Rewrite each of the following sentences, using the words

given in brackets.

1. He doesn’t write for any newspaper except the Washington Post. (exclusively)

He writes exclusively for the Washington Post

2. The friendship your people have for our people made a deep impression on me during my visit in your country. (impress)

The friendship your people have for our people impressed me deeply during my visit in your country.

Exercises

3. Joe would no longer be able to go sailing again, and it took him a long time to accept this reality. (come to terms with, the fact that)

It took Joe a long time to come to terms with the fact that would no longer be able to go sailing again.

4. Jim’s grandfather feels certain that fresh air and exercise are more valuable than medicine.

(believe in)

Jim’s grandfather believes more in fresh air and exercise

than in medicine.

Exercises

5. He failed in his attempt to find a good job owing to his poor education.

(frustrate)

Owing to his poor education he was frustrated in his attempt to find a good job

6. In terms of population most American cities are not as large as Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing.

(relatively, when compared to)

Most American cities are relatively small in terms of population when compared to Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing.

Exercises

Turn the following sentences into passive

structures.

Model: What the professor said made me

feel at ease.

I was made to feel at ease.

1. They saw John’s father return after dark.

John’s father was seen to return after dark.

Exercises

2. I heard the wind roar through the trees.

The wind was heard to roar through the trees.

3. I don’t think the boss can made Tom take his orders.

I don’t think Tom can be made to take the boss’s orders.

4. People saw the young man enter the building next to the bank.

The young man was seen to enter the building next to the bank

Exercises

5. When she was in Shanghai we heard the actress say she had long thought the city as her second home.

When she was in Shanghai the actress was heard to say she had long thought the city as her second home

Exercises

6. After the minister of education had finished speaking at the press conference, they made him answer all kinds of questions.

After the minister of education had finished speaking at the press conference, he was made to answer all kinds of questions.

Exercises

Translate the following sentences into English.

1. 那小女孩跑得太快，身体一下子失去平衡，跌倒了。 The little girl ran so fast that she was thrown off

balance and fell over/ down.

2. 他致力于研究工作的精神给我留下了深刻的印象，但我对他那些深奥的理论丝毫不感兴趣。

I was impressed by his devotion to his research but I have the slightest interest in his profound theories.

Exercises

Translate the following sentences intoEnglish. 3. 千万别说可能会被别人误解的话。 Be sure not to say anything capable of bei

ng misunderstood.

4. 我被他们互相矛盾的意见搞糊涂了，不知如何去做才是。

I was so bewildered by their conflicting advice that I did not know how to act.

Exercises Translate the following sentences into English. 5. 起初这个复杂问题让他们感到灰心丧气，但究竟过仔细思考他们终于研究出了解决方法。

At first this complicated problem frustrated them, but after thinking it over carefully they finally worked out a solution.

6. 体育代表团团长在少先队员向他献上一束鲜花的时候愉快的笑了。

The head of the sports delegation beamed with delight when a young pioneer presented him with a bunch of flowers.

Exercises Translate the following sentences into English. 7. 这学期我们都学习的不错，我真不明白我们英语老师为什么单单表扬了我们班长一个人。

I really don’t see why our English teacher should single out our monitor for praise since we have all done quite well this term.

8. 我相信比较高级的动物是由比较低级的动物进化而来的这一学说。

I believe in the theory that the higher animals developed from the lower ones.

pre-reading activities background information main idea of the text expressions & patterns

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