ALBERT EINSTEIN

 
Albert Einstein is one of the greatest scientists who ever lived. He
was born in 1879 in Ulm, Germany. When he was 10, Albert began
reading maths and science books, he built models and mechanical
devices for fun and showed a talent for mathematics. He was excited
about the things he learned.

Albert's intellectual growth was strongly fostered at home. His

mother, a talented pianist, gave the children musical education. So
Einstein took music lessons, playing both the piano and violin. His
father regularly read aloud to the family. Uncle Jakob challenged
Albert with mathematical problems, which he solved with “a deep feeling of happiness”.

Later he became more and more interested in Maths and Physics. He wanted to find the answers to
questions about the universe. He wrote a lot of works and papers about his ideas. At first, other
scientists laughed at them. But Einstein’s theory of relativity changed the world. Scientists looked
at the universe in a new way. Thanks to Einstein, we have such things as computers, TV, and space
travels today. 

Einstein quickly became famous. He travelled around the world and talked about his ideas. In 1921,
he received the Nobel Prize in Physics. In 1922, he travelled to Asia as a part of his six-month
excursion and speaking tour. His travels included Singapore, Ceylon, and Japan, where he gave a
series of lectures to thousands of Japanese. His first lecture in Tokyo lasted four hours, after
which he met the emperor and empress at the Imperial Palace where thousands came to watch.
Einstein later gave his impressions of the Japanese in a letter to his sons: "Of all the people I have
met, I like the Japanese most, as they are modest, intelligent, and have a feel for art.

In 1933 he moved to America when Adolf Hitler came to power. He lived and taught in Princeton,
New Jersey, for 22 years until he died in 1955. Einstein was so well known in the USA that people
stopped him on the street and wanted him to explain "that theory". But he answered "Pardon me,
sorry! Always people mistake me for Professor Einstein.

He once said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning.” And he never did. His great
intelligence and originality have made the word "Einstein" a synonym for genius.

1. Answer the questions to the text.

1. What was Einstein interested in?

2. How did his family help him in his childhood?
3. Why did he become famous all over the world?
4. How old was he when he won the Nobel Prize?
5. What was Einstein’s opinion about the Japanese?
6. When did he go to the USA?
7. Did he have a job in the USA?
8. How long did Einstein teach in Princeton?
2. Write TRUE (T) or FALSE (F) for each sentence.

___1. Einstein was born in England.

___2. As a child, he was interested in Chemistry.
___3. Einstein invented computers, TV and space travels.
___4. Einstein received the Nobel Prize in Maths.
___5. He lived and taught in Cambridge.
___6. He became famous only after his death.
___7. Einstein died in Germany.

5. Think of some Albert Einstein’s quotes.

1. I believe in intuition and inspiration. Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Knowledge is limited and imagination embraces the entire world.

2. I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.

3. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.

4. Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing.

5. Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

6. Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it.

7. Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.

8. Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.

9. A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?

10. The devil has put a penalty on all things we enjoy in life. Either we suffer in health or we
suffer in soul or we get fat.

11. Love is a better teacher than duty.

12. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle requires
creative imagination and marks real advance in science.

13. Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.

14. I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.

15. Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to
stop questioning.