A
Stephen Hawking is perhaps one of the world’s most famous physicist. To the public, he’s best known as an author of bestsellers such as The Universe in a Nutshell and A Brief History of Time, which have brought an appreciation of theoretical (理论上的) physics to millions. He is regarded as having one of the brightest minds on the planet. But outstanding astrophysicist (天体物理学家) Stephen Hawking has admitted that he did not learn to read until he was eight years old.
In a public lecture at the Royal Albert Hall, Professor Hawking also admitted that he was not active in studying while at Oxford University, where he studied physics, and that only the news that he might die young from motor neurone (运动神经元) disease made him focus on his work.
Professor Hawking said, “My sister Philippa could read by the age of 4 but then she was brighter than me.” He said that he was common at school and was never further than halfway up his class. “My classwork was very untidy, and my handwriting was very bad in the teachers’ eyes,” he said. “But my classmates gave me the name Einstein, so probably they saw signs of something better.”
But he said that it was when doctors told him that he probably only had a few years to live at the age of 21 that he began to focus on his work, which resulted in some of his early achievements. He said, “When you are faced with the possibility of an early death, it makes you realize that life is worth living and there are lots of things you want to do.” Hawking served as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, where he continued to contribute to both high-level physics and the popular understanding of our universe.
21. What made Stephen Hawking devote himself to his work?
A. Patience. B. Knowledge. C. Disease. D. Laziness.
22. From whom did Hawking get a fair judgment when he was at school?
A. His sister. B. His classmates. C. His teachers. D. His parents.
23. What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Hawking didn’t realize his dreams in physics.
B. Hawking succeeded in overcoming the fear of an early death.
C. The purpose of the doctor was to encourage him to work hard.
D. The doctor warned Hawking that his life might be taken away by hard work.
