Scientific community, netizens pay tribute to late Nobel laureate Yang Chen-Ning
Tributes(悼念) are pouring in from universities and scientific institutions across China and heartfelt messages are flooding social media following the passing of renowned physicist and China's first Nobel laureate Yang Chen-Ning, who died in Beijing on Saturday at the age of 103.The nation remembered with pride the profound legacy of Yang, who was celebrated not only for his monumental contributions to physics, but also for his unwavering patriotism.
Yang was born in Hefei, Anhui province, in 1922. His father was a mathematics professor at Tsinghua University. A young Yang grew up on the campus, surrounded by books and ideas that would shape his future.In the 1940s, he went to the United States to pursue academic studies and subsequently held teaching positions.Recognized as one of the most eminent scientists of the 20th century, Yang, along with his Chinese-American colleague Tsung-Dao Lee, proposed the "nonconservation of parity in weak interactions", a revolutionary theory that reshaped human understanding of nature's laws and won them he Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957.Yang's later works continued to influence the very structure of modern physics. The Yang-Mills theory, developed together with American physicist Robert Mills, laid the foundation for the Standard Model in particle physics, comparable in significance to James Clerk Maxwell's equations and Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity.
Following his demise on Saturday, the Institute for Advanced Study at Tsinghua University, where Yang served as honorary director, set up a memorial room. By 8:50 am on Sunday, a line of mourners had formed, waiting to pay their last respects to the brilliant scientist. The memorial room, which will be open until Friday, features a display board honoring Yang and his groundbreaking work in physics.Speaking to Beijing Daily after bowing and laying flowers in the memorial room, Chen Yuxuan, a third-year PhD scholar at Tsinghua's School of Physics, said: "I am in the field of quantum information research. It's a great regret that I never had the chance to meet Mr Yang on campus, but his name is known to everyone in the physics school. He is a role model for all teachers and students."
Tsinghua University released an obituary on Saturday, calling Yang "an immortal legend in exploring the unknown". His life stands as a timeless chapter in human history — one that shines not only for China, but for the global community of thinkers and innovators, it said.
"His life stands as a profound contribution to the rejuvenation of our nation, the strength of our country and the progress of humanity — a legacy etched in the annals of history," she said in an article published in Guangming Daily on Sunday.
"I trust that whenever we look up at the starry sky at night, we will find Professor Yang smiling down upon us from one of those stars."
Questions:
1. What is the main purpose of the passage
A. To explain the complex details of Yang's physics theories
B. To report Yang's passing and honor his life achievements
C. To compare Chinese and American scientific research
D. To discuss the development of Tsinghua University
2. Which of the following was NOT mentioned as an area of Yang's scientific achievements
A. Particle physics B. Quantum field theory
C. Computer science D. Statistical physics
3. The word "profound" in the passage most nearly means:
A. Deep and important B. Medium C. Simple D. Common
4. What can be inferred about Yang's career path from the passage
A. He spent his entire career at Tsinghua University
B. His career involved international education and collaboration
C. He focused only on theoretical research without teaching
D. He abandoned physics later in his career
5. Based on the passage, what does the mention of Deng Jiaxian's letter primarily serve to illustrate
A. Yang's personal friendships and his commitment to national service
B. Yang's disagreements with other scientists
C. The technical details of nuclear physics research
D. Yang's preference for written communication over public speaking
核心词汇解读
1. Tributes (n. 悼念,致敬)
词义解释: 为了向某人(尤其是已故的人)表达尊敬、感谢或爱戴而做出的行动或言语。
例句展示: After the great scientist passed away, people from all over the world paid tributes to him.(在这位伟大的科学家去世后,世界各地的人们都向他表示悼念。)
2. Renowned (adj. 著名的,有声望的)
词义解释: 因某种特质或成就而被许多人知道和敬佩的。
例句展示: Yang Chen-Ning was a renowned physicist who won the Nobel Prize.
(杨振宁是一位曾获得诺贝尔奖的著名物理学家。)
3. Monumental (adj. 巨大的,意义深远的)
词义解释: 非常伟大、重要或巨大的。
例句展示: The scientist made monumental contributions to the field of physics.
(这位科学家为物理学领域做出了意义深远的贡献。)