文章大意:这是一篇记叙文。2017年7月14日,斯坦福大学数学教授、菲尔兹数学奖章第一位女性得主Maryam Mirzakhani去世,享年40岁。文章讲述了这位伟大的女数学家的传奇一生和优秀品质。
On July 14, 2017, Maryam Mirzakhani, Stanford professor of mathematics, died at the age of 40. She is recognized as the first female winner of the Fields Medal in Mathematics internationally.
The news was especially hard-hitting for a generation of younger academics who have always held Maryam as a role model whose example is helping redefine women’s status in science and especially mathematics. What was fun was that Maryam always tried to avoid and resisted the media’s spotlight (聚光灯). Her modesty and simplicity despite being the first woman to gain such high status in the world of mathematics — winning what’s often called the “Nobel Prize of math” — stood out to those who knew her.
Maryam originally wanted to be a writer, a passion of hers that never faded away even during her postgraduate studies. However, she found an even greater joy in how rewarding it felt to solve mathematical problems. As a student, she was the first female member of Iran’s (伊朗) national team to participate in the International Math Olympiad (IMO), and she won two gold medals in two years — still a record.
She received her bachelor’s degree in Iran and later studied at Harvard. In 2014, Maryam was recognized with the Fields Medal, the highest-ranking award in mathematics. Her work focused on curved surfaces like spheres (球体). Her achievements have applications in other scientific fields including engineering and material science. Unfortunately, at that time she was already tackling the breast cancer.
Maryam’s legend (传奇) may continue to grow after her early death. Still only 20 percent of full-time math teachers at U. S. universities are women. The example of a woman who rose to the top of this still very male field may help inspire math’s next generation.
In the same way people think of Marie Curie or Jane Goodall as scientific pioneers, Maryam Mirzakhani will go down in history as a trailblazer as well as a mathematical genius.
4. What makes Maryam internationally recognized?
A.Her unfading passion for writing. | B.Fighting against sexual discrimination. |
C.Being the first female Fields Medal winner. | D.Coming under the media’s spotlight frequently. |
5. What’s Maryam’s attitude towards spotlight?
A.Resistant. | B.Realistic. | C.Enthusiastic. | D.Doubtful. |
6. What can we know about Maryam?
A.She won gold medals for Iran in IMO. | B.She got her bachelor’s degree at Harvard. |
C.She applied mathematics to environmental science. | D.She instructed some female students to reach the top. |
7. What does the underlined word “
trailblazer” mean in the last paragraph?
A.Talent. | B.Model. | C.Follower. | D.Pioneer. |