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1 SPEAKING Work in pairs. Discuss the questions. What do the following famous people have in common? Match their names (1-3) with their famous ideas (a-c).1 Rene Descartes a x + y = z 2 Johann Heinrich Lambert b hyperbolic functions into trigonometry 3 Pierre De Fermat c The saying "I think, therefore I am" 2 Read the text and match the paragraphs (A-C) with headings (1-3).1. A challenge 2. Well-known mathematician 3. Different interests 🔊3.13 A Pierre de Fermat was born on August 17 in 1601 in Beaumont-de-Lomagne, France. He was a famous French mathematician who is often called the founder of the modern theory of numbers. Fermat was one of the two leading mathematicians of the first half of the 17th century (the other was René Descart). 1______He was also regarded as the inventor of differential calculus, and a co-founder of the theory of probability. B What strikes as a surprise is that Fermat never considered doing research in Mathematics his job. Although Fermat studied law when he was at college, he developed strong love for foreign languages, literature and mathematics. He read a lot of documents and taught himself in many fields. As early as 1629 Fermat began a lot of research on mathematical theories including algebra and geometry. 2______ He served in the local parliament at Toulouse, becoming councillor in 1634. In 1638 he was named to the Criminal Court. Despite his busy work at the court, Fermat never stopped learning and doing mathematics. In 1679, he published Introduction to Loci in which he presented that the study of loci, or sets of points with certain characteristics, could be facilitated by the application of algebra to geometry through a coordinate system. C The most interesting story about Fermat should be his last theorem, which is also known as Fermat's great theorem. It is a statement that there are no natural numbers x, y, z such that xn + yn = zn, in which nis a natural number greater than 2. In 1636, Fermat, the distinguished mathematician, wrote in his copy of the Arithmetica that he had discovered a truly proof of this theorem, but the margin of the book was too small for him to write it down. 3______ No one could prove or disprove Fermat's last theorem. Not until 1993 could the English mathematician Andrew Wiles devise a proof of this theorem. 4______ Andrew Wiles had been interested in Fermat's last theorem since the age of ten. His years of searching for an answer finally became successful. | 3 Four sentences (A-D) have been removed from the text. Put them back in the blanks (1-4).A He then presented the proof in the journal Annals of Mathematics in 1995. B Fermat discovered the fundamental principle of analytic geometry. C In 1631 Fermat received the degree in law from the University of Orléans. D For centuries, so many mathematicians all over the world were puzzled by this statement 4 Check if the following information from the text is True or False. Write T or F.1 Fermat was the only founder of theory of probability 2 Besides law, Fermat was interested in different fields. 3 Introduction to Loci published in 1679 was related to Fermat's work at the Criminal Court. 4 Fermat had never stated that he could provide a proof of his last theorem. 5 It took Andrew Wiles nearly ten years to search for the proof of Fermat's last theorem. 5 🔊3.14 Listen to a small talk on lifelong learning and complete the text with appropriate information.Lifelong learning is following 1______ and developing particular skills which are necessary for one person's job or life. Lifelong learning can only be effective if the learner is self-motivated, 2______ and focused. The learner should set his own goal on his own interests. He is also willing to gain more skills though it may take time. He is persistent enough 3______ his plans of leaning step by step. He is the one who decides his long journey. No one else can decide what he needs to improve, which course he has to take and 4______ for it. Lifelong learning is regarded as one of important characteristics that the employers nowadays look for. It is essential for the employees to seek ways to grow personally and 5______ this helps them to stand out in the job market. Employers are happy to have lifelong learners at work because they are likely to pick up skills at time, anywhere, train themselves in order to meet the work demands. 6 SPEAKING Work in pairs. Discuss the following question.Can you guess why Fermat never considered doing research his job? |
