2015-08-21
897
Magistrate
Orleans
Toulouse
E Comprehension
Read the text and choose the correct answer.
1 Despite having little of his work published while alive, de Fermat
A had a successful career in law.
B is seen as a great mathematician.
C held an important position.
2 De Fermat's work on modern numbers
A was influenced by Newton's work.
B helped him develop a branch of calculus.
C had an effect on calculus.
3 Pascal and de Fermat
A are recognised as the fathers of Probabality Theory.
B communicated about analytical geometry.
C produced work more advanced than Descartes'.
4 De Fermat's methods and results
A were never proven in his lifetime.
B were ahead of their time.
C suffered as he never provided proof.
5 We know about de Fermat's work nowadays because
A his work was published.
B learned people researched his claims.
C he left behind a correspondence.
Before you read
Discuss these questions with your partner.
à In what fields do you think mathematics is useful?
à How many kinds of mathematics can you think of?
A Vocabulary
A. Match these words with their definitions.
1 enable A to make something easier to do or understand
2 arise B to make better
3 refine C to allow
4 exclude D to occur
5 simplify E to leave out
6 adjustments F understandable
7comprehensible G small changes
