metric system microscope thermometer telescope




In this module you will

ü learn how to make a poster presentation

ü talk about scientific discoveries and inventions

ü learn how to express opinions in arguments and discussions

ü describe fact and opinion in writing

ü distinguish international words from ‘false friends’ words

ü revisit Past Tenses

 

Unit 1 Necessity is the Mother of Invention
  Lead In  
     

1. Think of the difference between the words ‘ discovery ’ and ‘ invention ’. Work with a partner and write down a definition for each of these words.

 

2. Sort out the inventions and discoveries into two columns. Compare and discuss your lists with a partner.

e. g. X-rays e. g. telescope

 

 


3. Which areas of scientific study or technology do they belong to? Which of

them are used in more than one natural science?

 
 


Reading

1. Work with a partner. Name any accidental discoveries

or inventions you have ever heard about.

§ How did people benefit from them?

§ Did they cause any problems?

 

2. The words in column A are in the text you are going to read. Match them with the words in column B which are similar in meaning.

A B
1) wire a) mix
2) spark b) to move suddenly
3) to jerk c) to vaccinate
4) to inoculate d) flash
5) compound e) covered
6) coated f) cable

3. Read the text about four unexpected scientific discoveries. How did they change the world?

Unexpected Discoveries

As Archimedes settled into his evening bath and noticed that the water level rose, he accidentally realized that water displacement relates to volume. He proclaimed "Eureka!". Since that day and more regularly in modern times, some of the most impactful scientific discoveries have occurred by accident.

Let's review just a few of the important discoveries of the past couple of centuries that were made entirely by chance.

In 1791 Luigi Galvani was an anatomist at the University of Bologna. Galvani was investigating the nerves in frog legs, and had threaded* some legs on copper wire hanging from a balcony. Once a puff of wind caused the legs to touch the iron railing. A spark snapped* and the legs jerked violently (even today, we speak of being "galvanized" into action). In one unintentional step, Galvani had observed a closed electrical circuit, and related electricity to nerve impulses. So he is typically credited with the discovery of bioelectricity.

In 1879, Louis Pasteur inoculated some chickens with cholera bacteria. It was supposed to kill them, but Pasteur or one of his assistants had accidentally used a culture from an old jar and the chickens merely got sick and recovered. Later, Pasteur inoculated them again with a fresh culture that he knew to be dangerous, and the chickens didn't even get sick. Chance had led him to discover the principle of vaccination for disease prevention.

Wilhelm Roentgen was experimenting with electrical discharges one evening at the University of Wurzburg in 1895. There was a screen coated with a barium compound lying to one side, and Roentgen noticed that it would fluoresce when an electrical discharge would occur in the tube he was watching. On reaching for the screen, Roentgen got his hand between the discharge tube* and the screen and saw the bones of his own hand through the shadow of his skin. In 1901, Roentgen received the Nobel Prize for his accidental discovery of X-rays.

Alexander Fleming was a young bacteriologist at St. Mary's Hospital in London in 1928. One day in his cluttered laboratory, he noticed that a culture dish of bacteria had been invaded by a mould* whose spore must have drifted in through an open window. Under the microscope, he saw that, all around the mould, the individual bacteria that he had been growing had burst. He saved the mould, and from it produced the first penicillin.

Although the mad scientists or eccentric inventors so often portrayed in old movies are still good for laughs, that's not what we're talking about here. Surely the need still exists for the imaginative and inventive experimenter.

(Adapted from “Unexpected scientific discoveries are often the most important” by Larry Gedney. Alaska Science Forum, 1985)

---------------------------------------

*to thread - здесь нанизывать

*a spark snapped – здесь проскочила искра

*a discharge tube – здесь газоразрядная трубка

*mould - здесь плесень

 

4. Explain what the highlighted words and expressions mean. Use a dictionary or consult your teacher if necessary.

 

5. Here are some answers. What are the questions?

Example: Q ___ When and where was Luigi Galvani doing his investigations?

A In 1791 at the University of Bologna.

a) Q __________________________________________________________?

A A puff of wind.

b) Q _________________________________________________________?

A To nerve impulses.

c) Q __________________________________________________________?

A Louis Pasteur.

d) Q ___________________________________________________________?

A With electrical discharges.

e) Q ___________________________________________________________?

A Barium compound.

f) Q ___________________________________________________________?

A The bones of his own hand.

g) Q __________________________________________________________?

A The Nobel Prize.

h) Q ___________________________________________________________?

A Bacteriologist.

i) Q ___________________________________________________________?

A The first penicillin.

 

6. Sum up in your own words how these discoveries were made.

a) bioelectricity c) X-rays
b) vaccination d) penicillin

 

Discuss

Ø Do you think these discoveries were absolutely unexpected? Why?/Why not?

Ø Why are scientists often portrayed as mad or eccentric experimenters?

Ø How many joint discoveries or inventions can you name?

Ø Who made them? Did they find any application?

Ø Which would you prefer: working in collaboration with other scientists and making a joint discovery or competing with others and working on your own? Why? Give reasons.

Ø Comment on the saying by Louis Pasteur “Chance favors the prepared mind”.

       
   
 

 


Focus on language

1. Read the sentences. What grammar tenses are used?

§ We were tired because we had been experimenting all day long.

§ After I had worked in the lab for a few weeks, I felt I knew the equipment

very well.

§ They were making observations of the night sky for several years hoping todiscover the planet they had calculated.

§ First students had a short talk with a lab instructor about safety in the lab and then they were allowed to work with some chemicals.

§ The lecture had already finished before we got there.

Past Tenses   § We use Past Simple talk about an activity or situation that began and ended at a particular time in the past. § We use Past Progressiveto say that something was going on around a particular time in the past or a longer background action or situation which was interrupted by a shorter action. § We use Past Perfect to speak about an action which happened before another past action. § We use Past Perfect Progressive to talk about an action or event continuing up to a specific time in the past. We put the emphasis on ‘how long’.

 

2. List time expressions under the correct tense heading. Some expressions can be used more than once.

· for · before · already · first
· since · after · ago · until
· when · while · as soon as · during

Past Past Past Past

Simple Progressive Perfect Perfect Progressive

……….. ………… …………

……….. ………… ………. …………

……….. ………… ………. …………

 

3. Complete the sentences with the correct Past tenses.

a) Class (begin, already) ___________ by the time I (get) ___________ there, so I (take, quietly) __________ a seat in the back.

b) My group mate (discuss) ___________ something with professor when I (walk) ____________ into the room.

c) It was midnight. I (study) ____________ for five straight hours. No wonder I (get tired).

d) Millions of years ago, dinosaurs (roam) _____________ the earth, but they (become) ____________ extinct by the time humankind first (appear) ____________.

e) I (call) Kate at nine last night, but she (be, not) ____________ at home. She (study) _____________ at the library.

f) Kevin suddenly realized that the teacher (ask) him a question. He couldn’t answer because he (daydream) _____________ for the last ten minutes.

g) I (see, never) __________ any of Picasso’s paintings before I (visit) ___________ the art museum.

h) The anthropologists (leave) ___________ the village when they (collect) ____________ enough data.

i) While Roger (write) ___________ an essay his roommate (clean) ___________ the room, so Roger (cannot) ____________ concentrate and (get) ____________ angry.

j) As I (pass) _____________ the hardest exam and (get) _____________ an excellent mark I (feel) ____________ a know-it-all.

 

Speaking

1. Look at the pictures of the inventions and label them.

А В C D

metric system microscope thermometer telescope

2. These words are used to describe the inventions above. Check if you know their meaning. How are they related to these inventions?

to contain to determine image
concave magnification to observe
direction liquid to multiply
to measure constellations volume
angle decimal unit
component to expand  
mercury to focus  

 

3. Work with a partner. Take turns to describe the purpose of each invention.

Follow the model below.

 

Metric system (decimal, system, to measure, meters, hours, kilograms, etc.)

a) b)

 

c)

 

a) Microscope (device, to magnify, small objects, to examine, lenses, scientifically)

b) Compass (tool/device, to find, magnetic north, suspended needle, to point to direction)

c) Thermometer (device, to measure, to rise, to fall, graduated glass cylinder, line, water, temperature, air, mercury, people’s body, to move up or down, coloured alcohol, to contain)

d) Telescope (instrument, cylindrical, to enlarge, to observe, stars, planets, lenses, mirrors)

 

Focus on language

1. Translate these sentences into your native language. Do you need a dictionary to translate them correctly?

§ I’m sure she will make a good physician.

§ The climate model developed by the climatologists forecasts dramatic changes in Europe as well as the US.

International words vs “False friends” The words mostly of Greek and Latin origin that are used in many other languages especially in different areas of science and technology are called international words, e.g. geometry, atom, mathematics, radio, integral, theorem, structure, etc. Knowledge of such words helps a lot in reading and translation. However, there are so called ‘false friends”. These are words that look like international but have different meanings in English and in Russian, e.g. to reclaim (to take back something that was yours), actual(real, existing in fact), spectacles(a pair of eyeglasses), etc.

 

 

2. Sort out the words below into categories. Use the dictionary if necessary.

 

 

International words “False Friends”
lecture control

 

 

 

 


3. Can you name the English words we use in our daily life? What words in your native language have become international?

 

Writing

 

Work in groups. Choose one of the most important inventions you have discussed

in this unit. Write a paragraph about it. Give at least three reasons to prove its

significance. Make use of these expressions.

Study help It is important when reading or writing to recognize and understand the relationship in which sentences and groups of sentences combine to present information. Here are the signal words that can be used to show the order in which things are to be said: firstly, in the first place, secondly, also, thirdly, in addition to, what is more, above all, etc.

It made it possible to …

It became easy to …

It was a breakthrough in…

It made an important contribution to sth

It laid the foundation for…

It gave rise to…/It gave birth to…

It helped to…/ It allowed scientists to …

It made a revolution in…

It enabled people to do…

It found a widespread application in…

 
 

 

 


Get real

 

Search websites or popular science magazines to find information about two significant discoveries or inventions in your field of science made before the 20th century. Make notes on what

you have found. Be sure to include

§ description

§ inventor / discoverer

§ scientific significance

Make a poster presentation. Use the guidelines in the box.

 

Study help: Making a Poster Presentation - Brainstorm the ideas on what points to highlight in your poster. - Go online to find the information to include in your poster. - Develop the information you have found into separate paragraphs. Write each paragraph on a separate piece of paper. - Structure your text. Think of the order and place of each paragraph on your poster. - Proofread the material checking the spelling, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary. - Add necessary photos, diagrams, timelines, etc. to make your poster more comprehensible and attractive. - Pin the poster on the wall of the classroom and make your presentation.

 

Reading

 

1. You are going to read about famous scientists I. Pavlov, L. Fibonacci, E. Halley and their research work. With a partner check if you know:

· What fields did they work in?

· What did they discover or invent?

 

2. As you read complete the chart.

Name Country Field of science Accomplishments
Pavlov      
Fibonacci        
Halley      

 

Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849 - 1936)
Ivan Pavlov was a Russian scientist most famous for describing the psychological phenomenon referred to as a "conditioned response"*. Pavlov made a number of other very important discoveries in the realm of physiology, particularly related to digestion*. Indeed, it was while studying the secretion of digestive enzymes that he became interested in the integration of the body and the brain. Pavlov's first independent work focused on the physiology of the circulation of the blood. He studied the influence of variations in blood volume on blood pressure. He also investigated the nervous control of the heart.

For about 20 years starting from 1879 he studied how digestion works, revolutionizing our understanding of the process and the role of nervous system in nutrition. He discovered how different ferments and acids act on various stages of digestion to transform food into simpler components absorbed by the organism.

In 1897, Pavlov published his results and generalizations in a book called " Work of the Digestive Glands "*. For this work, he was the first Russian and physiologist to receive the Nobel Prize, which was awarded in 1904.

The final 35 years of Pavlov's research were devoted to the investigation of the conditioned reflex and the study of the brain. In the late 1920's, he began working with clinical patients, trying to understand the qualitative differences between the higher nervous processes of animals and of people.

The 'conditioning' model presented by Pavlov had an enormous influence on western behavioral psychology. For Pavlov, the assumption was that the unconscious processes that existed were simple reflexes which could be conditioned to affect behavioral change.

Ivan Petrovich Pavlov can be thanked for maintaining the purity of observational science and striving to keep the standards for experimental methodology at its highest level. Although he is most remembered for his groundbreaking work in behavioral psychology, the inspiring research that led Pavlov to these observations cannot be forgotten. He was a truly great scientist and researcher.

_____________________

*conditioned response – условный рефлекс

*digestion -пищеварение, переваривание пищи; усвоение пищи

*gland –железа

*unconscious - бессознательный, неосознанный

 

 

Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci (13th century)
Fibonacci was an Italian number theorist often referred to as Leonard of Pisa. Very little is known about him or his family and there are no photographs or drawings of him. Fibonacci was born in Italy but received education in North Africa. Through his experiences in North Africa, which no doubt included meeting merchants and learning their systems of applied arithmetic, he was introduced to the "Hindu-Arabic" system of numerals, the same one we all use today.

So when he returned to Pisa, he wrote a book about it that he finished in 1202. Titled Liber abbaci, meaning "Book of Calculating," the work dealt with the methods of arithmetic in the decimal system (now taught to all elementary school children) and it eventually persuaded European mathematicians to drop the old way in favor of the new one.

Fibonacci is considered to be one of the most talented mathematicians for the Middle Ages. He made many original contributions to complex calculations, algebra, and geometry, and pioneered number theory and indeterminate* analysis, discovering the Fibonacci series or Fibonacci sequence.

The series is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55... This sequence shows that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers. It is a sequence that is seen and used in many different areas of mathematics and science. The series is an example of a recursive (characterized by recurrence or repetition) sequence. The Fibonacci Series defines the curvature* of naturally occurring spirals, such as snail shells and even the pattern of seeds in flowering plants.

 

_____________________

*indeterminate – неизвестный, неопределенный

*curvature - выгиб, изгиб, искривление, кривизна

 

Edmond Halley (1656–1742)
Halley was a bold and restless prodigy, born to a wealthy family, who published three papers on astronomical subjects while still a college undergraduate. At the age of 20 he spent a year on the remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena, observing the skies of the southern hemisphere*. He returned to England and published the first catalogue of the southern stars. That achievement had earned him membership in the Royal Society by the age of 22.

In 1699 he sailed HMS* Paramour around the South Atlantic Ocean, taking readings of magnetic north wherever he went. That cruise was the first voyage ever made for a purely scientific purpose. From the data he collected, Halley produced the first map showing the variation of the Earth's magnetic field in 1700. So with that voyage he established not just new science, but a new way of doing science.

His interest in planetary motions led him to Isaac Newton whose new mathematics of the calculus, laws of physics, and theory of gravitation were being widely scorned and disputed. Halley was so convinced that he financed the publication of Newton's book Principia Mathematica in 1687 which put physics, astronomy, and science itself on a foundation that lasted until Einstein's modifications more than 200 years later.

Edmond Halley was the first man to recognize the recurring astronomical visitor now known as Halley's Comet. In 1705 he published Synopsis on Cometary Astronomy, in which he argued that prominent comets observed in 1531, 1607 and 1682 had all been the same comet, returning to pass Earth on a cycle of about 76 years. He was proven correct when the comet returned on Christmas Day of 1758 (though Halley himself had died in 1742), and the comet has since been known as Halley's Comet.

Halley became a professor at Oxford in 1704. Multitalented and exceedingly brainy, Halley also contributed to other scientific fields during his long career; he is especially known for inventing the diving bell*.

 

(Adapted from the Internet sites)

__________________________

*hemisphere - полушарие

*heavenly – небесный

*HMS - сокр. от His (Her) Majesty's Ship - английский военный корабль

*recurring – периодический, повторяющийся, частый

*diving bell - водолазный колокол

 

Focus on language

1. Look back in the text to find noun phrases connected with research. Write them down in the appropriate group. Translate them

 
 

into your native language.

Example: the secretion of digestive enzymes

секреция пищеварительных ферментов

Example: the Fibonacci Series Example: nervous system

последовательность Фибоначчи нервная система

 

2. Read the sentence from the text. What other adjectives can go with the noun contribution?

§ Fibonacci made many original contributions to complex calculations, algebra, and geometry.

Collocation Collocation is the way words combine in a language to produce natural-sounding speech and writing. E.g., in English you say strong wind and heavy rain. It would be not normal to say * heavy wind or * strong rain.   Collocation runs through the whole of the English language. No piece of natural spoken or written English is totally free of collocation. For the student, choosing the right collocation will make his speech and writing more natural, more native-speaker-like.

3. The adjectives in the lists below often go with the words invention and discovery. See how many collocations you can make with these words.

Scientific Archaeological Medical

 

Great Brilliant Amazing World-shaking Significant Unexpected

 

Latest New Recent Accidental Chance

 

           
   
   
 
 

 

 


INVENTION /DISCOVERY

 

4. Use an English-English dictionary and write out the collocations with the

words: investigation, contribution and observation. Compare your results as a class.

 

In the Realm of Science

 

1. Words like volt and watt have become part of our language, e.g. a volt is the unit of electrical potential. A watt is a unit of electrical power. However, we sometimes forget that these are the names of famous scientists. A volt is named after Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), the Italian physicist. A watt is named after James Watt (1736-1819), the English inventor of a steam engine. Do you know what these terms mean and who they are named after?

ampere ['æmpɛə] kelvin ['kelvin] Fahrenheit ['fær(ə)nhait]
bel [bel] curie ['kju(ə)ri] pascal [pæ'skæl]
coulomb ['ku:lɔm] Celsius ['selsiəs] hertz [hə:ts]
roentgen ['rʌntjən; 'rʌntgən] farad ['færəd] ohm [əum]
weber ['webər; 'veibər] newton ['nju:t(ə)n] darwin ['dɑwɪn]

 

2. Remember how to say the names of some well-known scientists:

Babbage ['bæbiʤ] Avogadro [ˏævə'ga:drəu] Isaac Newton ['aizək 'nju:t(ə)n]
Curie ['kju(ə)ri] Descartes [dei'ka:t] Pythagoras [pə'θægərəs; pai-]
Bohr [bɔ:r] Aristotle ['æriˏstɔt(ə)l] Hippocrates [hi'pa:krəˏti:z]
Plato ['pleitəu] Archimedes [ˏa:kə'mi:diz] Aristarchus [ˏæri'sta:rkəs]
Euclid ['ju:klid] Einstein ['ainstain] Roentgen ['rʌntjən; 'rʌntgən]

 

3. Arithmetic operation is a mathematical expression involving numbers.

Division (:) 21: 3=7 twenty one divided by three is/equals seven
Multiplication or times (×) 4×3=12 - the multiplication of four by three gives twelve - four times three equals twelve
Subtraction or minus (–) 4–3=1 - the subtraction of three from four leaves one - four minus three equals one
Summation,addition/plus (+) 4+3=7 - the summation of four and three gives seven - four plus three equals seven
Equality (=) 25:5=5 - twenty five divided by five is/equals five
      - twenty five divided by five is equal to five

 

4. Read and remember some mathematical symbols.

is not equal to ray AB
< is less than AB the length of
> is greater than triangle
is less than or equal to is approximately equal to
is greater than or equal to is similar to
() Parentheses (grouping symbol) is parallel to
[ ] Brackets (grouping symbol) infinity
{ } Braces (grouping symbol) pi, 3.14159
| | Absolute Value Bars is congruent to
is an element of therefore
is not an element of square root
or is a subset of right angle
or is not a subset ! factorial
e numeric constant 2.71828 the sum of
the intersection of the set of
angle perpendicular
line AB degree(s)
segment AB    

 

 

Unit 1 Progress Monitoring In this unit you have worked on the following vocabulary related to the topic “Evolution of Natural Sciences”
to make a discovery/invention   to develop an idea/theory/principle  
to measure time/distance/mass   scientific accomplishments  
to examine/study/investigate sth   theoretical/experimental science  
to determine/observe sth.   to make a contribution to science  
to count/calculate/compute sth.   to lead to a discovery of sth.  
addition/summation/plus   accidental/unexpected discovery  
subtraction/minus   joint/shared/independent invention  
multiplication/division   to revolutionize understanding of sth  
to equal sth./to be equal to sth   to conduct/make experiments  
to make observations   to be awarded a Nobel Prize  

 

Tick (V) the points you are confident about and cross (X) the ones you need to revise.

 

 

Unit 2 A Giant Leap
  Lead In  
     

1. The most revolutionary and important

discoveries in science are often called

breakthroughs. Work with a partner.

Make a list of breakthroughs and inventions

made in the 20th century.

2. Discuss your lists as a class and agree on five

breakthroughs and inventions that you think

have changed the world we live in.

 

Reading

 

1. Read the text about the breakthroughs of the 20th century. Find out what changes they have brought about. Complete the chart.

BREAKTHROUGH IMPLICATION
Computers, World Wide Web ü new ways of gathering information, communicating, etc; ü the spread of programmable electronic devices
……………………………………….. ………………………………………………………
………………………………………… …………………………………………………………

 

Breakthroughs of the 20th century

An unprecedented explosion of creativity, insight, and breakthrough occurred in every field of science in the last century. It started without airplanes, television and computers and ended with spacecraft on Mars and a walk on the Moon along the way, the structure of DNA and a model of the atom, advances in particle physics and cosmology as well as wireless Internet. These discoveries profoundly changed the way we understand the world and our place in it.

However, choosing the most important breakthroughs and inventions of the last 100 years is like choosing the most beautiful flower in a garden of roses. When one invention leads to the next, which is more important, the chicken or the egg? Some breakthroughs, like Einstein’s theory of relativity, redefined our understanding of the universe, while others had more impact on everyday life.

Since the 1940s, computers have provided a way to solve complex problems and penetrated nearly every aspect of our lives. The rise in the 1990s of the Internet, the World Wide Web and e-mail is changing the way we gather information, communicate and shop. Programmable electronic devices of all sorts have come to influence modern society to such a degree that future generations may well characterize the 20th century as the Computer Age.

Francis Crick and James Watson won a Nobel Prize after solving mystery of the human genetic coding called DNA in 1953. They discovered how the genes for recreating life were arranged in a double helix (spiral). Existing in every cell, DNA controls what we look like and our susceptibility and resistance to disease and tells our cells how to act to keep our bodies functioning.

The first entirely synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was invented – by accident, as it happened – by American chemist Leo Baekeland in 1909. Early uses included radios, light sockets, jewelry, telephones, washing machines, fishing reels and guns. Later synthetics, like cellophane, nylon and Teflon, brought revolution of their own.

From the launching of the first satellite in 1957 – Sputnik – to man’s walk on the moon 12 years later to today’s sophisticated telescopes, shuttles and trips to Mars, space exploration has opened a new frontier. Lessons learned in space also have had implications for some very earthbound problems.

Technology that allowed images to be transmitted over wires was being developed in the 1920s. In 1932 the heart of the TV, the electron scanning tube was patented under the name of an iconoscope. Since that time TV has transformed how much and how quickly we see the world, and – more than radio or motion pictures – how we spend our leisure time.

Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity was another great 20th century breakthrough. It provides deep insights into the nature of gravity as well as the world’s understanding of itself. For the first time, his work proved that space can be curved and that time could differ from point to point. His theory also led to the conclusion that all the galaxies and the whole Universe had originated in a Big Bang, thousands of millions of years in the past. And so the modern science of cosmology was born. By describing how light moves, Einstein created principles that led us to lasers and transistors. And his suggestions, via his special theory of relativity, that a little mass of matter could create tremendous energy led to the atomic bomb and the Nuclear Age. It is often claimed that no breakthrough has shown more negative and positive potential.

Three American physicists received the 1956 Physics Nobel Prize for their joint invention of a transistor. Transistors played a key role in the advancement of electronics. Today’s computer microchips are tens or even hundreds of millions of transistors and derivative devices on a single wafer* of silicon. Without transistors we wouldn’t have personal computers, cell phones, fax machines, modems or most other modern electronic devices.

(Adapted from the Internet sites)

_______________________

*a wafer of silicon - здесь: тех. кремневая плата, подложка

2. Explain what the highlighted words and expressions mean. Use a dictionary or consult your teacher if necessary.

 

Discuss

Ø Do you agree with the choice of the most significant discoveries and inventions given in the text? Why?/Why not?

Ø Have these scientific and technological achievements made the world a better place to live? Give reasons for your opinion.

Ø Which of them would you ban? Why?

 

Focus on language

1. Read the sentence from the text and decide what parts of speech the words in bold are.

§ The first entirely synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was invented by American chemist Leo Baekeland in 1909.

ü Noun Suffixes

-ity means condition or quality of sth; e.g. capability
-sion, -tion means act of sth; state of sth; e.g. position
-er, -or means one who; that/which; e.g. programmer
-ist means one who; that/which; e.g. biologist
-ance, -ence means act of sth; state of sth; quality of sth; e.g. assistance
-ness means state of sth; e.g. toughness
-ment means act of sth; state of sth; result of sth; e.g. placement
-dom means: - state or condition; domain, position, rank; a group with position, rank; e.g. wisdom

 

ü Adjective Suffixes

-ic means characteristic of sth; like sth e.g. heroic
-al means relating to sth; e.g. manual
-able means able; or giving; e.g. portable
-ous means full of; having. e.g. gaseous
-ful means full of; having. e.g. careful
-less means without; e.g. useless
-en means made of; e.g. wooden

 

ü Adverb Suffixes

-ly at the end of a word almost always makes an adverb; occasionally it will make an adjective. e.g. quickly

 

ü Verb Suffixes

-en means to make; e.g. soften
-ize means to make; e.g. categorize
-ate means to have or be characterized by; e.g. activate
-ify or -fy means to cause to become or to make; e.g. simplify

 

2. Using the suffixes from the table above make different parts of speech with the words from the box. Make up five sentences of your own with the derived words.

 
 

 


3. Prefix, stem and suffix are three parts of the word. It is possible to guess the meaning of the word if you know the meaning of the prefix or suffix. Refer the prefixes below to the categories:

 

Size Location Time and order Number Other

 

 

trans- multy- peri- mega- semi-
bi- dec- micro- auto pre-
mini- mono- super- post- inter-
tri- oct- tele- sub- extra-.
hydro- photo- aero- co- fore-

 

4. Match each word in column A with the meaning of its prefix in column B.

Translate the words into your native language. Use a dictionary if necessary.

A B
1) semiconductor a) under
2) extraordinary b) two
3) monologue c) before
4) transmission d) very small
5) submarine e) half, partly
6) bilingual f) beyond
7) microchip g) across
8) prefix h) one

 

 

Speaking

Every discovery or invention has its downside. Work in teams. Choose one of the discoveries/inventions and write down two or more negative effects you can think of. Back up your opinion with real life examples. Share your ideas with the class.

 

Writing

‘For’ and ‘Against’

1. Work in pairs. Think of the arguments in favour of or against the statement:

“Scientific and technological achievements have made the world a better place to live.” Make brief notes under ‘for’ and ‘ against’ headings.

 

Example:

For Against
…has made our life more comfortable …is used to kill people
…improves communication, etc… …spoils nature, etc…

 

2. Write a composition of 200-250 words discussing the statement above. Make use of the Study Help and the Functional languageboxes.     Study help: Outline Introduction Paragraph 1 - Introduce the subject of the composition. State why it is an important issue at the present time.   Main body Paragraph 2 - Give the argument in favour of the statement.   Paragraph 3 - Give the argument against the statement   Conclusion Paragraph 4 - Conclude by giving a well-balanced opinion

 

 

Functional language
It is often said that… Firstly / Another point is that…
However, in my opinion, … Also/ besides/ what is more, …
While it is true that…, on the other hand, … As a result…
At the same time… Finally, it is important to remember that…
For example, for instance, … To sum up / All in all, …

 

Reading

 

1. Work with a partner. Give definitions to the words.

       
   
 
 

 

               
   
   
       
 
 
 
 

 

 


2. Match the names of the scientists and researchers with their achievements.

Discuss as a class.

1)Alfred Nobel a) structure of DNA
2) Alexander Kolmogorov b) digital compact disk
3) Norbert Wiener c) dynamite
4) Watson & Crick d) MS disk operating system
5) Edwin Hubble e) 1st personal computer
6) Tim Berners-Lee f) underwater exploration
7) Bill Gates g) proof of expanding universe
8) Albert Einstein h) Linux operating system
9) Ed Roberts i) theory of relativity
10) Alfred Wagener j) cybernetics
11) Reynold Johnson k) algorithmic complexity theory
12) Linus Torvalds l) magnetic disk drive
13) James Russell m) continental drift
14) Jacques-Yves Cousteau n) the World Wide Web

 

3. Read the text to learn more about Alfred Nobel’s life and work.

Double-edged sword

The double-edged sword of discovery is exemplified by the life of Swedish chemist and inventor Alfred Nobel, who left instructions in his will to recognize people whose work was of the greatest benefit to mankind.

Nobel made a fortune by inventing dynamite, which greatly improved the safety of explosives. He initially hoped that his invention would put an end to war, by making it so horrible that no one would want to engage in it. He was wrong – fundamentally wrong -- but the wealth generated from his invention did create the Nobel Peace Prize.

A meeting with Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero, inventor of nitroglycerine, led to Nobel's invention of dynamite. Because nitroglycerine and its production were difficult to control - an explosion killed Nobel's brother Emil in 1864 - Nobel tried adding different substances to make it safer. He eventually mixed it with silica, making a paste that could be shaped into rods and inserted into drilling holes. In 1867, he patented this material, calling it dynamite.

His invention was a boon* during the era of rapidly growing industries and cities, because dynamite reduced the cost of blasting rock and drilling tunnels. It was a profitable one, too, and Nobel became a very wealthy man. In fact, Nobel held the patent for some 600 inventions, including dynamite.

He died in Italy on December 10, 1896. In his will, he directed that his estate - about $4 million, the equivalent to about $173 million today -- be used for prizes in chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature and peacekeeping.

With the exception of the Peace Prize, all Nobel Prizes are awarded at the

Stockholm Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden.

Nobel specified that prizes in science and literature were to be awarded by a Swedish committee, while the peace prize was to be given out by a Norwegian panel. So it has been more than a century since Nobel issued his orders.

Each year, thousands of international experts and research institutes are invited to nominate candidates, and previous Nobel Prize winners also may submit nominations. The nominations are carefully investigated. Then, the committees present a selection of possible candidates to the prize-awarding institutions, and a vote is taken. The year's laureates are announced immediately after the vote.

The Nobel Prizes have tremendous prestige and offer significant financial rewards. The annual Nobel Prize ceremonies last for a week in December in Stockholm and Oslo, culminating on December 10th - the anniversary of Nobel's death.

(Adapted form https://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/nobel.100/overview.html)

----------------------

*a boon – благо, благодеяние

 

4. Answer the questions.

a) How many inventions did Nobel register?

b) Who inspired Nobel to invent dynamite?

c) How did the world benefit from Nobel’s invention of dynamite?

d) What problems did this invention bring about?

e) Who awards Nobel Prizes in science and literature?

f) What time of year does the ceremony take place? Why?

 

Discuss

Ø Why do you think the text is entitled “Double-edged sword”? What idea is emphasized with such a title?

Ø Name the most outstanding discoveries/inventions in your subject area. What are their strong and weak points?

Ø Name the most outstanding scientists of the 20th century in your subject area. What was their contribution to scientific research?

Ø What Nobel Prize winners from Russia do you know? In what fields of science did they get their awards?

 

Listening

Recording 4.2

1. You are going to listen to the radio programme about the Nobel Prize discoveries. Work in groups. Make a list of the facts you know about the Nobel Prize. Discuss as a class.

 

2. Check you know these words and phrases. Which field(s) of science

do they refer to?

· worm · universe · messenger · RNA · creature
· cell · DNA · molecule · orbit · stem
· nucleus · explosion · interference · gene · Big Bang

 

3. Listen to the introductory part of the programme and answer the questions.

a) When and where are the Nobel Prizes awarded? Why?

b) What areas of science are they given in?

c) How was the Prize established?

d) How much is it?

e) What does it include?

f) What are the requirements t



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