B
You may feel that Maths is hard and boring. Is it possible that you've been looking at Maths in the wrong way? With International Day of Mathematics coming on March 14, we interviewed Li Xing, a Maths professor (教授) at Ningxia University. We asked if Maths can be beautiful and fun. Here's what Li said.
Numbers are beautiful
Many people today want to have beautiful looks. But there is Maths hidden in beautiful human bodies. Measure (
量
) the length from your head to your belly button (肚脐眼) and from your belly button to your feet. The ratio (比例) of these two numbers is always around 0.618. This is the golden ratio, which can be seen everywhere, like in nature, music and paintings.
In Chinese poems, we can also see the beauty of numbers. As Li Bai wrote, "I've sailed a thousand miles through Gorges in a day." "My boat has left ten thousand mountains far away." — the numbers in the lines show how fast Li Bai travelled and how happy he felt. Numbers give us the freedom to imagine.
Curves are beautiful
Sine curves (正弦曲线) are beautiful. They go towards the two opposite directions on and on without ever ending. When you look at them, you may feel like standing by the sea and watching the waves slowly moving. The tangent curve (正切曲线) is like a waterfall. That's really "dashing down three thousand feet from on high". If you do a Maths problem and get that curve, you'll feel amazed!
Formulas (公式) are beautiful
In a right-angled triangle ( ), the square of the longest side is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides, neither more nor less. How neat! Just as Chinese-American mathematician Shiing-shen Chern said, "Maths is fun!"
(
C
) 5. If the ratio of two numbers is around 0.618, ______.
A. it may show us a golden colour
B. it will look like a human body
C. it might bring people a sense of beauty
D. it is as long as the length from a man's belly button to his feet
(
B
) 6. From the poem of Li Bai in this text, we can know that Li Bai ______.
A. was good at counting numbers
B. used numbers to show his feelings
C. succeeded in solving Maths problems
D. loved travelling by boat along the river
(
C
) 7. What does a waterfall usually look like in a Maths way?
A.
B.
C.
D.
(
C
) 8. What is the text mainly about?
A. The life of a Maths professor.
B. The International Day of Mathematics.
C. Why Maths is beautiful and fun.
D. How Maths helps us live a better life.
