首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
The British philosopher and logician Bertrand Russell once wrote: " Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but s
The British philosopher and logician Bertrand Russell once wrote: " Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but s
admin
2022-08-25
36
问题
The British philosopher and logician Bertrand Russell once wrote: " Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty—a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture. "
【R1】________
This seems curious, since it is clear that artists have long found inspiration in mathematics. Greek architects appear to have used a number known as the golden ratio when designing the Parthenon, and Leonardo De Vinci’ s Vitruvian Man, which depicts an outstretched figure encompassed by square and a circle, is an attempt to link human beauty with geometry.
And in the 20th century, artists have been exposed even more to mathematical ideas, initially because Victorian mathematicians found ways of visualizing formulae and functions in physical form. Now computers have made it possible to visualize even more complex functions such as fractal patterns, and then mathematical objects like the Mandelbrot set have become a household image.
【R2】________
What, then, constitutes beautiful mathematics? This is rarely debated among mathematicians, but there are some generally accepted tests that a piece of work must pass to be deemed beautiful— it must employ a minimal number of assumptions, for example, or give some original and important insight, or throw other work into new perspective. Elegance is perhaps a better term for it. There is a flip side, of course, a piece of mathematics laden with unnecessary assumptions and offering no new insights is deemed ugly.
The most famous example of a function that meets all the requirements of beauty is Euler’ s formula (e
m
+1=0), which links some of the most fundamental concepts in mathematics and draws together two entirely separate branches of the science—geometry, the study of space, and algebra, the study of structure and quantity. I have never seen a physical model of Euler’ s formula, but it would be impossible to get a sense of the function’ s power and majesty from such a thing.
【R3】________
Yet it need not be like that ten years ago, I began assembling the most beautiful examples of mathematics and exhibiting them as digital prints. My latest exhibition opens next week in London. I imagined the task an intellectual diversion, like hunting for shells on the seashore. Instead, I have found it a profoundly creative experience, and laden with emotional undertones.
【R4】________
Most people’ s reaction to all this is fascination. They ask questions and demand explanations and answers. I cannot tell them what to think, but now when I display the images I write a commentary for each exhibit—not an explanation of the mathematics, but a snapshot of the ideas and emotions that the mathematics inspires me.
【R5】________
Which is why I have come to disagree with Russell. The beauty of mathematics can be cold and austere, when viewed in a particular way. But viewed in another, it can be rich and warm, funny and sad, romantic and profound. Just like sculpture—he was right about that.
A. But mathematicians are not usually thinking of images, models and sculptures when they talk about beauty. Mathematical beauty is not a visual quality. Judging a piece of mathematics by the way it looks when printed on paper is like judging a book by its typeface—it is an absurd notion.
B. For example, it is hard not to be awestruck by the language of symmetry, a branch of mathematics called group theory. Likewise, who could fail to be inspired by the mathematical description of the birth of stars? There are rich veins of inspiration wherever you look. And thus, for me, mathematical photography has become an art.
C. It is the equation that everybody knows, but it is just part of a theory. How you go about proving E really does equal mc
2
? The short answer is, with a great deal of care. A multinational team has just published the most accurate ever test of Einstein’ s equation.
D. The best way I can describe it is to compare it with photography. Just as an ordinary photograph is a snapshot of natural beauty, an equation is a snapshot of mathematical beauty, or indeed ugliness or some other aesthetic. My "photographs" are simply mathematical statements that I have chosen. But like conventional images, making the choice can imbue them with emotion.
E. Sculpture is widely admired in our societies—there is hardly a public space in our cities that does not boast a sculpture of some sort. But mathematical beauty is barely recognized beyond the confines of academia, and it is never celebrated.
F. So why has mathematical beauty failed to make a cultural impact? One reason could be that this spectrum of aesthetics, with beauty at one end and ugliness at the other, sounds horribly one-dimensional. And having rules for mathematical beauty feels, as Russell put it, cold and austere: this is beauty devoid of emotion, profoundly different to that which we experience and admire in the physical world.
【R1】
选项
答案
E
解析
根据文章第一段中“Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty—a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture. ”可知,数学,正确地看,不仅拥有真理,而且拥有至上的美——这种美冷酷而严厉,犹如雕塑的美一样。由此看来第一段主要是在强调教学之关并把它与雕塑之美比较,之后的话题应是围绕两者展开,故选E。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/R1Pd777K
本试题收录于:
公共英语五级笔试题库公共英语(PETS)分类
0
公共英语五级笔试
公共英语(PETS)
相关试题推荐
InBritain,theHouseofCommonsisarepresentativeassemblyelectedbyvotersorelectorsthroughageneralelectionandby-el
Theauthorthinksthatpeople’sattitudetowarddrugsresemblearollercoasterbecausebothcases______.Accordingtothepas
Whatarethetwopeopletalkingabout?
Oldpeoplearealwayssayingthattheyoungpeoplearenot(31)theywere.Thesamecommentismade(32)generationtogeneratio
Accordingtothewoman,whywomenaremuchbetteratdealingwithmorethanonethingatatime?
AnswerQuestionsbyreferringtotheselectionaboutfourAmericanwritersinthefollowingarticle.Note:Whenmorethanon
Wherewastheletterprobablyplacedmanyyearsago?
Opinionpollsarenowbeginningtoshowthat,whoeveristoblameandwhateverhappensfromnowon,highunemploymentisprobably
A=RotherhitheB=BarnesC=WillesdenD=King’sCrossWhichcity…usedtohavelotofproblemssuchasdrugs,streetcrime,
Therearetwobasicwaystoseegrowth:oneasaproduct,theotherasaprocess.Peoplehavegenerallyviewedpersonalgrowtha
随机试题
A、脐疝B、腹股沟斜疝C、股疝D、腹股沟直疝E、切口疝患者男性,46岁,发现右腹股沟肿块2年,术中发现腹壁下动脉在疝囊颈外侧,应考虑为
患者女,44岁,左侧鼻塞,多清涕2年余,不伴鼻痒及打喷嚏,鼻腔检查见鼻中隔明显左偏,左中鼻道少许分泌物。鼻窦CT示:鼻中隔左偏,左侧上颌窦黏膜稍增厚,最适当的治疗是
下列肋骨中可称为假肋的是
孕妇,36岁。妊娠10周,休息时仍感胸闷、气急。查体:脉搏120次/分,呼吸22次/分,心界向左侧扩大,心尖区有Ⅱ级收缩期杂音,肺底有湿啰音,应采取的处理措施是
对工程项目进行全面管理的中心的是()
在民事诉讼程序中,下列情形可以缺席判决的有()。
在销售与收款循环的审计中,丙注册会计师确定的审计目标是“所有销售交易均已登记入账”,针对这一审计目标,下列说法中错误的是()。在生产与存货循环的审计中,丙注册会计师实施监盘程序,无法实现的审计目标是()。
一般资料:求助者,女性,35岁,已婚,工厂普通工人。案例介绍:有一次求助者上班时眼看就要迟到,就急匆匆地往车间里跑,不小心与公司男领导撞了个满怀,同事们顿时都笑起来,还有人吹起口哨,大家事后还总拿他们开玩笑。以后求助者每次去车间都会紧张,觉得同事
水仙(清)李渔水仙一花,予之命也。予有四命,各司一时:春以水仙兰花为命;夏以莲为命;秋以秋海棠为命;冬以腊梅为命。无此四花,是无命也。一季夺予一花,是夺予一季之命也。水仙以秣陵①为最,
[*]
最新回复
(
0
)