Keys to exercises of Text A
Curiosity and scientific breakthroughs
The history of science shows very clearly that curiosity-driven research is an irreplaceable way of scientific progress. Curiosity is the secret to scientific breakthroughs because it sparks questions and enables people to stick to their work.
Curiosity sparks questions which are important in scientific discoveries. Asking the right questions and following them up with research is the start of new discoveries. Li Siguang, a famous Chinese geologist, was interested in a big stone he often saw in his childhood. His teacher guessed that the stone might be a meteorite that fell from the sky. Li pondered for a while and said, “If the big stone had fallen from the sky, it would have made a deep pit. But why is the ground around it flat?” The question remained in Li’s mind. When Li grew up, he had more knowledge and went back to his hometown to study the stone again. Finally he found the stone was brought there by glaciers. He played a crucial role in formulating the Quaternary Glacial Theory of China, and it all started when he became curious about a big stone as a child.
Curiosity also gives people the persistence to look for scientific discoveries. Curiosity, the hunger for knowledge, drives people to continuously push the boundaries of what’s known with persistence. Michael Faraday, curious about electricity from an early age, dedicated himself to numerous experiments and finally invented the first electric motor and made great contributions to the field of electricity and magnetism. Similarly, Tu Youyou’s interest, curiosity, and desire to seek new medicines drove her to study pharmacy and devote herself to this field. Her curiosity about traditional Chinese medicine and her persistent exploration of it led to the discovery of artemisinin, which earned her a place in scientific history.
Curiosity is a natural human trait that leads to exploration, investigation, and learning. It brings questions which are to be answered with persistent research. Without doubt, curiosity plays a key role in important scientific breakthroughs.
