专题01 人与自我（人物）时文阅读与题型训练
语篇原文
Just as many of us are struck by the beauty of symmetrical patterns in nature and art, Chen-Ning Yang had a deep
feeling for beauty and the role of symmetry in physics. It was work on a breakdown of symmetry that brought Yang
fame. In 1956, he and theorist Tsung-Dao Lee dared to propose that there is a fundamental difference between left and
right in the realm of physics. They predicted that the results of experiments in the real world and in a mirror one could
sometimes be different. Experiments in subatomic physics soon confirmed this theory and, in 1957, the pair was
awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, making them the first Chinese-born Nobel laureates.
Yang’s interest in the role of symmetry in physics and chemistry began during his childhood in China. His father,
who had a PhD from the University of Chicago, Illinois, was a professor of mathematics at Tsinghua University in
Beijing and introduced his son to the maths of symmetry. After war broke out between China and Japan in 1937, the
family settled in Kunming in southwestern China, to which people working at Tsinghua and other universities in Beijing
had been evacuated and where the institutions had merged temporarily.
Yang gained a bachelor’s from this amalgamated university, working on symmetry in molecules. A fellowship from
Tsinghua then gave him the opportunity in 1945 to leave China and follow in his father’s footsteps to the University of
Chicago, drawn by the reputation of nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi, winner of the 1938 physics Nobel prize. In
particular, he appreciated how Fermi’s theoretical work was guided by observations in physics.
This was a trait that Yang followed throughout his own research, as he moved from Chicago to the Institute for
Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Indeed, it was a puzzle in the physics of unstable subatomic particles
discovered in cosmic radiation that set Yang and Lee, who had first worked together at Chicago, on the road to their
Nobel prize.
They realized that they could solve the puzzle if the process through which the short-lived particles changed to more
stable ones broke a symmetry called parity, which is related to reflection and inversion in space. Although this idea was
contrary to long-standing thinking, the two theoreticians realized that it had never been tested properly. So they wrote a
paper suggesting how this could be done by measuring the decay of radioactive atomic nuclei or short-lived subatomic
particles. By early 1957, three experiments confirmed that such types of decay did indeed break parity symmetry and,
therefore, left–right symmetry – much to everyone’s surprise.
But this was not the work of which Yang later claimed to be most proud. In 1954, he and physicist Robert Mills
used ideas of symmetry to derive a theory that described some of the most basic behaviour of subatomic particles. Their
results seemed interesting although not entirely realistic, because they seemed to predict subatomic particles that were
unlikely to exist. Yang decided to publish the work, because he could not resist the beauty of the underlying ideas. Over
the subsequent decade, the study’s relevance became apparent. Since the 1970s, the Yang–Mills theory has underpinned
what is known as the standard model of particle physics – the theory that describes how the fundamental building blocks
of matter behave.
Yang was a quiet and hard-working physicist. He did not necessarily work on fashionable topics but followed his
own intuition. The breadth of his research was illustrated in a 90th birthday present from Tsinghua University: a marble
cube with four of its faces engraved with 13 of his major contributions to four areas of physics. He leaves a great legacy.
时文阅读
核心词汇
publish /ˈpʌblɪʃ/v. 发表；出版
decline /dɪˈklaɪn/n. 下降；衰退；v. 减少；谢绝
participant /pɑːˈtɪsɪpənt/n. 参与者；参加者
proportion /prəˈpɔːʃn/n. 比例；部分
rural /ˈrʊərəl/adj. 农村的；乡村的
benefit /ˈbenɪfɪt/v. 受益；得益于；n. 益处；福利
peak /piːk/v. 达到顶峰；n. 顶峰；顶点
literacy /ˈlɪtərəsi/n. 读写能力；识字
academic /ˌækəˈdemɪk/adj. 学术的；学业的；n. 学者
attribute /əˈtrɪbjuːt/v. 把…… 归因于；/ˈætrɪbjuːt/n. 属性；特征
pressure /ˈpreʃə(r)/n. 压力；压迫；v. 施压
emphasize /ˈemfəsaɪz/v. 强调；着重
短语积累
1. be struck by 被……打动
2. bring sb. fame 给某人带来声誉
3. dare to do sth. 敢于做某事
4. in the realm of 在……领域
5. be different from 与……不同
6. confirm a theory 证实一个理论
7. be awarded sth. 被授予……
8. follow in one’s footsteps 追随某人的脚步
9. contrary to 与……相反
10. leave a legacy 留下（学术/精神）遗产
阅读理解
难度
阅读时间
适中
7 分钟
Just as many of us are struck by the beauty of symmetrical patterns in nature and art, Chen-Ning Yang had a
deep feeling for beauty and the role of symmetry in physics. Yang’s interest in the role of symmetry in physics and
chemistry began during his childhood in China. His father, who had a PhD from the University of Chicago,was a
professor of mathematics at Tsinghua University and introduced his son to the maths of symmetry.
After war broke out between China and Japan in 1937, the family settled in Kunming. Yang gained a bachelor’s
from this amalgamated university, working on symmetry in molecules. A fellowship from Tsinghua then gave him
the opportunity in 1945 to leave China and follow in his father’s footsteps to the University of Chicago.
题型训练
This was a trait that Yang followed throughout his own research. Indeed, it was a puzzle in the physics of
unstable subatomic particles discovered in cosmic radiation that set Yang and Lee, who had first worked together at
Chicago, on the road to their Nobel prize.
They realized that they could solve the puzzle if the process through which the short-lived particles changed to
more stable ones broke a symmetry called parity, which is related to reflection and inversion in space. Although
this idea was contrary to long-standing thinking, the two theoreticians realized that it had never been tested
properly.
By early 1957, three experiments confirmed that such types of decay did indeed break parity symmetry and,
therefore, left–right symmetry – much to everyone’s surprise.
But this was not the work of which Yang later claimed to be most proud. In 1954, he and physicist Robert Mills
used ideas of symmetry to derive a theory that described some of the most basic behaviour of subatomic particles.
Their results seemed interesting although not entirely realistic, but Yang decided to publish the work, because he
could not resist the beauty of the underlying ideas. Over the subsequent decade, the study’s relevance became
apparent.
Yang’s work in theoretical physics spanned more than six decades. Proud of his Chinese heritage and grateful to
the United States for enabling him to realize his potential, Yang was ultimately able to promote scientific
cooperation between the two countries.
1.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Chen-Ning Yang’s early education and family background in China.
B. The discovery of parity symmetry and its impact on physics.
C. Chen-Ning Yang’s contributions to physics and scientific cooperation.
D. The development of symmetrical theories in modern physics.
2.What can be inferred that Yang chose the University of Chicago partly?
A. his father’s academic background and a famous physicist’s influence
B. the urgent demand for solving cosmic radiation puzzles
C. the superior research resources only available in the US
D. his desire to avoid the wartime environment in China
3.What does the author imply about Yang’s role between China and the United States?
A. He prioritized his scientific research over international cooperation.
B. His background enabled him to bridge the two nations in science.
C. He rarely involved himself in cross-cultural scientific projects.
D. His contributions were only recognized in the United States.
4.Which of the following statements about Yang’s work is consistent with the passage?
A. The parity symmetry research was the most significant work in his career.
B. His interest in symmetry originated from his university education.
C. The theory with Mills might have been underestimated initially.
D. He spent most of his life in the United States without returning to China.
【答案】1. C 2. A 3. B 4. C
1.主旨大意题。文章围绕杨振宁的物理贡献、科研经历及国际影响展开，选项 C “杨振宁的科学贡献与跨
文化影响” 全面覆盖核心内容。A 仅涉及早期教育，B 局限于宇称理论，D 侧重对称理论发展，均片面。
故选 C。
2.细节理解题。根据原文 “follow in his father’s footsteps to the University of Chicago”“drawn by the
reputation of nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi”，可知择校原因是父亲经历和费米声誉，选项 A 正确。B 是后
续研究内容，C 表述绝对，D 无依据。故选 A。
3.推理判断题。由 “Proud of his Chinese heritage and grateful to the United States... promote scientific
cooperation between the two countries” 可推知，他的双重背景助力中美科学合作，选项 B 正确。A 与原文
矛盾，C 与 “promote cooperation” 不符，D “仅在美国被认可” 错误。故选 B。
4.细节理解题。原文提到杨 - 米尔斯理论最初 “seemed interesting although not entirely realistic” 且 “over
the subsequent decade, the study’s relevance became apparent”，说明最初可能被低估，选项 C 正确。A 与
“not the work of which Yang later claimed to be most proud” 矛盾，B 兴趣源于童年而非大学，D 无 “未返
回中国” 依据。故选 C。
完形填空
难度
阅读时间
适中
16 分钟
Just as many of us are
1
by the beauty of symmetrical patterns in nature and art, Chen-Ning Yang had a
deep feeling for beauty and the role of symmetry in physics. Yang’s interest in symmetry began during his
childhood in China. His father, a math professor at Tsinghua University,
2
him to the maths of symmetry.
After the war broke out in 1937, the family
3
in Kunming. Yang got a bachelor’s degree there, focusing
on molecular symmetry. A fellowship from Tsinghua then
4
him the chance to study at the University of
Chicago in 1945, following his father’s footsteps.
This passion for symmetry was a trait Yang
5
throughout his research. It was a puzzle about unstable
subatomic particles that
6
Yang and Lee on the road to their Nobel Prize.
They realized the puzzle could be solved if the particles’ decay process
7
a symmetry called parity.
8
this idea went against long-held beliefs, it had never been properly tested.
By 1957, experiments confirmed the decay broke parity symmetry—much to everyone’s surprise. But Yang later
9
he was most proud of another work: in 1954, he and Robert Mills used symmetry ideas to
10
a
theory about subatomic particles. The results were interesting but not fully
11
, yet Yang published it for
the beauty of the ideas.
Yang’s work in theoretical physics
12
more than six decades. Proud of his Chinese heritage and
13
to the US for supporting his potential, he promoted scientific cooperation
14
the two countries.
His pursuit of beauty in symmetry not only brought great achievements but also
15
the way for future
research.
1.A. confused
B. impressed
C. annoyed
D. disappointed
2.A. introduced
B. forced
C. limited
D. invited
3.A. hid
B. worked
C. settled
D. traveled
4.A. lent
B. gave
C. cost
D. owed
5.A. abandoned
B. followed
C. forgot
D. changed
6.A. set
B. pushed
C. pulled
D. stopped
7.A. respected
B. created
C. broke
D. protected
8.A. Because
B. Although
C. Unless
D. Since
9.A. claimed
B. refused
C. pretended
D. hesitated
10.A. destroy
B. test
C. derive
D. ignore
11.A. realistic
B. complex
C. simple
D. abstract
12.A. wasted
B. spanned
C. saved
D. missed
13.A. grateful
B. harmful
C. regretful
D. useful
14.A. within
B. between
C. among
D. beyond
15.A. blocked
B. closed
C. paved
D. covered
【答案】1. B 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. B 6. A 7. C 8. B 9. A 10. C 11. A 12. B 13. A 14. B 15. C
语法填空
难度
阅读时间
容易
8 分钟
Just as many of us are struck by 1.____ beauty of symmetrical patterns in nature and art, Chen-Ning Yang had a
deep feeling for beauty and the role of symmetry in physics. Yang’s interest in the role of symmetry in physics and
chemistry began during his childhood in China. His father, who had a PhD in 2.____ (mathematical) from the
University of Chicago, was a professor of mathematics at Tsinghua University and 3.____ (introduction) his son to
the maths of symmetry.
4.____ the family settled in Kunming in 1937 after the war broke out between China and Japan, Yang gained a
bachelor’s from this amalgamated university, 5.____ (work) on symmetry in 6.____ (molecule). A fellowship from
Tsinghua then gave him the opportunity in 1945 to leave China and follow in his father’s footsteps to the
University of Chicago.
This was a trait that Yang followed throughout his own research. Indeed, it was a puzzle in the physics of
unstable subatomic particles 7.____ (discover) in cosmic radiation that set Yang and Lee, who had first worked
together at Chicago, on the road to 8.____ (win) the Nobel prize.
They realized that they could solve the puzzle if the process through which the short-lived particles changed to
more stable ones broke a symmetry called parity, which relates to reflection and inversion in space. Although this
idea was contrary to long-standing thinking, the two theoreticians realized that it had never been tested 9.____
(proper).
By early 1957, three experiments confirmed that such types of decay did indeed break parity symmetry and,
therefore, left–right symmetry – much to everyone’s surprise. But this was not the work of which Yang later
claimed to be 10.____ (proud).
【答案】1. the 2. mathematics 3. introduced 4. When/As 5. working 6. molecules 7. discovered 8. winning 9.
properly 10. proudest
