Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was born in Germany on the 14th March

1879. Einstein was slow in learning how to speak. His
parents even consulted a doctor. He didn’t really talk until
he was four years old. In fact, his grandmother thought he
was stupid! His slow verbal development made him curious
about ordinary things — such as space and time — that
most adults take for granted.
Einstein showed he had a great mind for math and science from a young
age. When he was just five years old, his father bought him a compass. His curious
mind immediately started trying to work out just why the needle always pointed
north! At the age of ten, he set up a program of study for himself, reading
extensively about science. In primary school, he was at the top of his class in math.
By age 12, his sister recalled, "he already had a predilection for solving
complicated problems in applied arithmetic," and he decided to see if he could
jump ahead by learning geometry and algebra on his own. His parents bought him
the textbooks in advance so that he could master them over summer vacation.
Einstein said, "Before I was fifteen, I had mastered differential and integral
calculus."
In 1900, Einstein graduated from the prestigious Polytechnic Academy in
the Swiss city of Zurich with a degree in math and physics. The following year,
Einstein gained Swiss citizenship. He was awarded a Ph.D. by the University of
Zurich in 1905.
Einstein probably remains most famous for his ‘theory of relativity’ and
perhaps the most famous mathematical equation ever written, E = mc² – which means
Energy (e) equals mass (m) times the speed of light, squared (c²). In 1921, Einstein
was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
In 1933 Einstein moved to America. This was because it was very difficult
to be a Jewish man living in Germany as Hitler and the Nazi Party were very much
against Jewish people. He accepted a position at the Institute of Advanced Study at
Princeton University and took US citizenship.
Einstein died on April 18, 1955. He was 76 years old. After he died,
scientists decided to study Einstein’s brain. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they found that
the part that was responsible for mathematical thought was 15% bigger than average.
In 1999, Einstein was named ‘Person of the Century’ by Time magazine.
A. Identify whether the sentences below are true (T) or false (F).

1. Einstein was quick in learning how to speak.

2. When he was just five years old, his father bought him a compass.

3. Einstein’s parents did not buy him any books for him because he could not read.

4. In 1921, Einstein won the Nobel Prize in Mathematic.

5. Einstein was named ‘Person of the Century’ by Time Magazine in 1999.

6. E = mc² is Einstein’s most famous equation.

7. He emigrated to the United States to escape the dangers of Nazi Germany.

8. He took up a position at Harvard University.

9. Einstein had Swiss and US citizenship.

10. After he died, Einstein’s brain was removed and preserved for research purpose.

B. Match the words with their appropriate meaning.

curious very much respected and admired
ordinary hate, dislike
take for granted not special or interesting
prestigious having a desire to learn or know more about something
against fail to appreciate the value of something