Looking for Life

r ecently scientists have found out more about life on planet earth and now they know better where to look for life in outer space. for a long time, scientists believed that life depended on sunlight for energy. then, in 1978, a submarine dived to the bottom of the pacific ocean. although there was no sunlight, they found tube worms, clams and crabs, and other life forms. these were living on the energy which is inside the earth. this energy is called geothermal heat. since then scientists have looked at life on earth in other difficult environments – dry, cold and hot – and have found that water is the key. wherever there is water, life can exist. so scientists began to watch for water in the solar system. then, in 1979, an unmanned spacecraft called voyager travelled to jupiter. it was going to study jupiter and its four moons: ganymede, callisto, europa and io. perhaps the most exciting discovery was europa. it was smooth and covered in a layer of ice. could there be an ocean hiding under the ice? could life exist just like it does deep down in the earth’s ocean?

D. Share your opinion:

• What common topic are the texts above united by?

• Do you think there might be life on other planets of the universe?

• Should people try to establish any contacts with extraterrestrial civilizations if there are any?

LISTENING – HOW TO FULFILL ONE’S DESTINY

A. Comment on the following questions:

• Do you believe in destiny as a predetermined course of events?

• Are people themselves responsible for the events and dids that occur in their lives? Is it possible to take one's destiny into one's own hands or you can't escape your fate?

• Who or what is the cause of man’s destiny, if there is such? Is it determined by God, genetics, or does the man build his destiny himself?

• Can the destiny be predicted? Have you ever consulted a fortune-teller to learn about your fate?

B. You are going to listen to the part of the sermon by a protestant preacher, Andrew Wommack, in which he expresses his ideas about God’s will and man’s destiny. Listen to the recording for the first time. What mostly does the speaker tell about?

C. Listen to the interview once more and answer the questions:

• Why does the speaker prefer the word ‘destiny’ to the word ‘will’ while speaking about God’s influence upon man’s life?

• How does the speaker define the word ‘destiny’? In what way is his definition different from that of a dictionary?

• In what way is his understanding of God’s sovereignity different from that of some other Christians?

• Why does the author think some believers might be angry with him?

• According to the speaker, do people have any free will to be the bosses of their lives? How does it correlate with God’s plans as for each of us?

D. Share your opinion:

• Did you like the passage? Was the speaker persuasive?

• Do you agree with Wommack’s vews on destiny?

• Were there any points in the passage which seem to be controversial for you?

• If you were asked to give a speech on the topic of man’s destiny, what points would you cover as the most important?

The recording may be available on http://www.awmi.net/

SPEAKING – DECODING THE PAST

A. Comment on the following questions:

• What do you know about the work of archaeologists? What is the difference between archaeological and historical studies of the past?

• Have you ever wanted to take part in archaeological expedition? What period or culture would you choose as the area of your investigation?

B. Work in pairs. Imagine you are archaeologists in the future, experts on objects from the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. You have been asked to identify several artifacts found in a recent excavation. Study the sketches of the objects and try to define what they are.

C. Work in class. Explain your choices to the ‘colleagues’. What features of the field drawings or descriptions led you to your conclusions?

D. Share your opinion:

• Was it difficult to define the items proposed for your observation?

• Were you always able to produce common decision while working in pairs?

• What conclusions about the level of development of our civilization might the future archaeologists come to if they really found those items? Would it be easy for them to define their function?

E. Imagine that as an archaeologist from the future you need to prepare a speech about the life of people in the late XX – early XXI centuries. What point do you consider the most important to cover? Prepare your 5-minute speech and speak before your group-mates.

Object 1. F ragment of black plastic object with two rubber buttons. The writing below the buttons is difficult to read. The letters “FW” and “RW” are visible under two of the buttons.

Object 2. Fragment of gray plastic and shiny metal. Square in shape with movable metal piece near bottom. Portion of a circular metal piece at the top of the object.

Object 3. Fragment of highly polished, silvery metal. Several different notches along the top edge. Deep groove in side of object.

O bject 4. Metal object with two long prongs. The prongs have sharp points.

O bject 5. Intact rounded object with grooves and black ceramic case. Glass fragments attached to object. Glass fragments may have been part of a larger glass globe.

Object 6. P lastic spool with a long, thin, brown plastic strip wound around it. The spool has six notches and a groove to attach it to the end of the plastic strip.

O bject 7. Small, square, clear plastic object. Bendable plastic strip attached to object at one end. Gray cable with four coloured wires (yellow, black, green, and red) attached to other end of object. Wires visible as they lead into the square, clear plastic.

Object 8. Small, shiny, metal object with round hole in the side of one end. Two of these objects were located near each other.

From Art to Zoo Decoding the Past: The Work of Archaeologists

November/December 1995

SUMMARY

A. Share your opinion:

• What do you know about the origin of Ukrainian nation?

• Assuming whole peoples and folks also have their own destination, what might be the Ukrainians’ one?

B. Read the article. What is its main idea?

Українська цивілізація... в Єгипті: сенсаційні сторінки національної історії?

Валерiй БЕБИК,

доктор політичних наук,

проректор з інформаційно-аналітичної роботи Університету «Україна».

Наявність на території України найдавнішого на планеті релігійно-наукового комплексу Шу-Нун / Кам'яна Могила (ХІІ—ІІІ тис. до н. е.) та найдавнішої держави Аратти (V—III тис. до н. е.) свідчить про те, що українська цивілізація є однією з найдавніших у світі.