Exercise 8. Learn about famous scientists
A) Read short notes about two famous scientists and fill in the gaps with the following words (put verbs in the correct tenses if necessary):
| illegal | interested | citizen | assume | previous |
| award (n) | paper | contributions | lifetime | degree |
| element | receive | explore | outstanding | avoid |
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein is a scientist of German-Swiss ancestry, who later on became an American (1) __________. He was a physicist, a philosopher and an author. During his (2) __________, he published over 300 scientific papers and 150 non-scientific ones. Because he was very talented, creative and innovative, many people now associate “Einstein” with the word genius.
Einstein received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Some people believe that he received this (3) __________ because of his special theory of relativity. However, because many people were not yet convinced during that time, he was officially awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on the photoelectric effect. In 1925, he (4) __________ the Copley Medal, an award from the Royal Society of London for his (5) __________ achievements in physics.
Marie Curie
Marie was a very good student and was considered her class’ star pupil. She received a gold medal during her high school graduation. She wanted to get a (6) __________ like her brothers but because she was a girl, she was not allowed to do so. Therefore, she attended an (7) __________ school named “the Floating University.” This school was called such because it changed location each time, in order to avoid Russian officials. Marie then became involved in a revolutionary student organization.
In order to (8) __________ being caught and put to prison, she left Warsaw and travelled to Krakow, Poland. From there, she went to Paris. She continued studying at the Sorbonne, where she was awarded degrees in both Physics and Mathematical Sciences. There, she met her husband, Pierre Curie, who was a Professor of Physics. When they married, Marie became better known as Marie Curie rather than as Marie Sklodowska and she (9) __________ a French nationality.
Together with her husband Pierre, Marie (10) __________ uranium rays and radiation. They discovered that radiation is not due to reactions between molecules but independently due to what is happening to the uranium atoms. Based on a (11) __________ work by the scientist Henri Becquerel and Pierre’s invention called the electrometer, Marie was able to analyze different elements. Her husband then became very (12) __________ in her work and helped her.
On July 1898, Marie and Pierre published a scientific (13) __________ announcing their discovery of the element called “polonium”. This (14) __________ was named after Poland, Marie’s native country. On the 26th of December the same year, they published another paper announcing their discovery of another element. They called this element “radium” because of its high radioactivity. The term “radioactivity” was actually a word Marie and Pierre came up with. In 1903, together with Henri Becquerel, Marie and her husband Pierre received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their (15) __________ in researching radiation. Marie Curie was the first woman in history to be awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize.
B) Prepare reports about the life and work of other famous scientists.
Exercise 9. Discussion
1) How much the following things have changed the world: electricity; antibiotics; plastic surgery; research in the field of genetic engineering?
2) Should scientists clone extinct animals? Do you want extinct species to be brought to life again?
3) Should the government spend more money on space exploration?
4) Is cloning people a good idea? Can human cloning stop illegal organ selling?
5) Should scientists attempt to find extraterrestrial life?
6) What do you think are the main dangers of scientific advances?
7) Look at the list of the phenomena. Which of these phenomena do you think:
- already exist
- only exist in science fiction
- will exist one day
force field
precognition
invisibility
telepathy
time travel
teleportation
8) Should the space programme be granted billions of dollars for missions to the moon and Mars?
Exercise 10. Writing.
A science magazine aimed at young people has invited readers to send in articles about how they envision the future. Read the readers` comments and write the article describing your own vision of the future.
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Exercise 11. Translate into English:
1. Генна iнженерiя служить для того, щоб одержати бажаних якостей змiнюваного органiзму та являє собою сукупнiсть прийомiв, методiв та технологiй отримання РНК та iнших операцiй. 2. Згiдно з сучасним уявленням атомнi ядра складаються з двох видiв елементарних частинок – протонiв i нейтронiв, якi об’єднують загальною назвою – нуклони. 3. Сонячна система – одна з множини рiзноманiтних за розмiрами i складнiстю зоряних систем нашої галактики. 4. Основи квантової механiки створили в 1925-1926 роках В. Рейзенберг та Е. Шредiнгер. Квантова механiка розкриває двi основнi властивостi речовини: квантовiсть внутрiшньоатомних процесiв i хвильову природу частинок. 5. Iсторiя дослiдження космосу засвiдчує, що майже двi третини мiсiй до Марсу зазнали поразки. 6. Чужорiднi препарати значно впливають на рiзнi пiдсистеми органiв людини та при їх пiдвищених дозуваннях побiчнi ефекти стають явними критичними точками. 7. Природний вiдбiр спрямований на збереження виду в природi, в результатi такого вiдбору для розмноження залишаються найбiльш пристосованi до цих умов середовища особини. 8. Питання життя та смертi цiкавили людський розум з часiв Стародавнього Єгипту, причому iдея безсмертя розкрита в багатьох не пов’язаних мiж собою культурах свiту. Були спроби вiдтворити рецепт елiксiру, який би дарував вiчне життя. 9. Гравiтацiя є одним з найбiльш загадкових явищ та феноменiв на нашiй планетi. Це унiверсальна сила, яка iснує не тiльки мiж Землею та Луною, Сонцем та планетами, а й у всьому Всесвiтi та може бути доведена. 10. Сучаснi дослiдники вважають, що певна теоретична парадигма панує в науцi лише на протязi певного часу, а змiна пануючої парадигми новою, швидше за все, розглядатиметься як наукова революцiя.
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