IELTS Mini-Readings, 4 of 25: Who’s the most famous scientists of the old times?

Isaac Newton.png

Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton was born in 1642 in England, and died there in 1726, at the age of 84. He is one of the most famous scientists of all time. This is because he was the first to realise many of the basic laws of the natural world. His discoveries, in this and in maths, changed people’s thinking, and it would take another 300 years before another scientist (Albert Einstein) could do this.

Before Newton, no one realised that the movement of the planets and stars was controlled by laws. People thought it was all done by God, and something which no one could understand. However, Newton realised the concept of ‘gravity’ – that is, that all solid things attract other things. This is why an apple falls to the earth. Newton used mathematics to work out the ideas behind motion, and used this maths with the planets and stars. He was able to make many predictions, and most of them were proven to be true.

Newton also built telescopes, and developed a theory of colour, and made many mathematical discoveries. For all this, he was given money and a good job by the government and, even in his lifetime, considered by everyone to be a great scientist. However, Newton was never a happy man. He never married, and he had no children, and he found it difficult to make friends. He sometimes behaved strangely, particularly in his later life. Maybe he was a lonely man, who preferred books and thinking – but we are lucky that he did this, right?

Question Time

Why is Newton so famous? ……………………………………………………..…….……

How long did it take for another scientist to become as famous? ………………….…..

What important concept did Newton realise? …………………………………….……….

What other discoveries did he make? …………………………….……………………….

Was he a happy man? Why (not)? …………………………………………………………

Word-Learning Time

Do you know the meaning of the underlined words?

Basic

Concept

Gravity          

Motion

Prediction

Lonely           

By the way, you can find out more about me at www.aisielts.com .