Things You Didn't Know About Stephen Hawking
Even if you don't keep a close eye on new developments in physics, you've probably heard of the famous physicist Stephen Hawking.
These days, we know Hawking as a brilliant mind whose theories are difficult for a nonscientific mind to grasp. This is why it may come as a shock to learn that Hawking was a slacker when it came to his school studies.
With a little more effort, he brought those grades up to about average, but not much better. However, from an early age he was interested in how things worked. He has talked about how he was known to take apart clocks and radios. However, he admits he wasn't very good at putting them back together so they could work again.
Stephen Hawking took a liking to mathematics from an early age, and he would have liked to have majored in it.He hoped Stephen would instead study medicine.
But, for all his interest in science, Stephen didn't care for biology. He has said that he found it to be “too inexact, too descriptive (叙述的)”
One problem, however, was that Oxford didn't have mathematics as a major. The result was that Stephen would attend Oxford and major in physics. That's why he chose to study universe.
A. His father wanted to send him to Oxford.
B. His father, Frank, however, had different ideas.
C. Actually, he focused on the bigger questions.
D. He would have rather devoted his mind to more precise concepts.
E. In fact, when he was 9, his grades ranked among the worst in his class.
F. However, there're many interesting facts you might not know about him.
G. Both his teachers and peers seemed to understand that they had a future genius.
Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 21, 1833 but moved to Russia with his parents in 1842, where his father made a strong position for (he) in the engineering industry. After his father went bankrupt, most of the family returned to Sweden in 1859. Alfred Nobel had never been to middle school university, but had studied (private) and by the time he was twenty, he was a skilful chemist and excellent linguist, (speak) Swedish, Russian, German, French and English. Like his father, he was imaginative and inventive, but he had better luck in business and showed more (finance) sense. He was quick to see industrial chances for his scientific inventions and (build) up over eighty companies in twenty different countries.
But Nobel's main concern was never with making money or even with making scientific (discover). Instead, he was always searching for a meaning for life, and from his youth he had taken serious interest in Literature and Philosophy. He also cared deeply about the whole of mankind. His greatest wish was to see an end to wars and the peace between nations. In 1896, Nobel died in Italy. In his will, he left money (provide) prizes for outstanding work in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology, Medicine, Literature and Peace. And so, the man who felt he should have died at birth is remembered and respected long his death.
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be linked to; work together; as well; refer to; for convenience; break away from |
1）介绍写邮件的目的;
2）晚会的时间和地点：9月30日晚6点、学校报告厅;
3）晚会内容：同学们表演节目、吃月饼和赏月。
注意:
1）词数100左右；
2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3）开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Mr. Henry,
……
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
Each year, the women of Olney, England, and Liberal, Kansas, have an unusual "pancake racing". This tradition is said to have started on Shrove Tuesday, 1445, in Olney. Shrove Tuesday is the day before the Christian season of Lent begins.
It is said that in 1445, an Olney woman was making pancakes. She suddenly heard the church (教堂) bells ring, signaling the beginning of the Shrove Tuesday service. Realizing that she was going to be late for church, she raced out the door still wearing her apron (围裙) and headscarf and holding her frying pan (锅) with a pancake in it. Olney women continue this tradition more than 500 years later.
In 1950, a person of Liberal wanted his town to join in Olney Pancake Race. He made some phone calls to Olney to set up a friendly competition, and the people of Olney accepted the challenge.
The rules are simple. Racers must wear the traditional headscarf and apron. They have to flip (抛) the pancake in the air so that it flips and lands back in the pan on the other side. After the race, there are Shrove Tuesday church services. Then Liberal and Olney connect through a video call to compare race times and announce a winner.
In both towns, the races have grown into larger festivals. Olney's festival is an all-day event starting with a big pancake breakfast. Liberal's festival lasts four days and includes a parade, a great show, and eating competitions.
Although the women's race is still the main event, both towns now hold races for boys and girls of all ages. Emma Evans, 14, was the winner of her age group's race in Liberal last year. She wore an apron that her grandma made for her and used a pan passed down to her from her older brother. Her family cheered her on from the sidelines.
"It's a family tradition, "Emma says." And there are only two places in the world that compete against each other in a race like this, so it feels special."
