Гвоздева Тхе Цосмос 2011

МИНИСТЕРСТВО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ И НАУКИ РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ

НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫЙ ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКИЙ ЯДЕРНЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ «МИФИ»

Е.А. Гвоздева

THE COSMOS

Учебно-методическое пособие для аспирантов по специальности «Астрофизика»

Рекомендовано к изданию УМО «Ядерные физика и технологии»

Москва 2011

УДК 811.111(075) ББК 81.2я7 Г 25

Гвоздева Е.А. The Cosmos: Учебно-методическое пособие для аспирантов по специальности «Астрофизика». М.: НИЯУ МИФИ, 2011. − 52 с.

Учебное пособие предназначено для подготовки аспирантов, специализирующихся в области астрофизики.

Цель данного учебного пособия – обучение свободному чтению специальной литературы на английском языке без использования метода перевода.

Структура учебного пособия предполагает работу в парах и мини-группах, что дает возможность совершенствования разговорной речи в рамках предлагаемого материала.

Поставленные цели соответствуют современной концепции образовательного процесса, смещающей акцент с усвоения готового знания, предлагаемого преподавателем, на самостоятельную, познавательную деятельность студента.

Подготовлено в рамках Программы создания и развития НИЯУ МИФИ.

Оригинал-макет изготовлен С.В. Тялиной

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TO THE TEACHER

The traditional system of education centered on the teacher is becoming obsolete. The world has developed a new education paradigm, which turns upside down the situation in teaching. The modern conception of education revises the proportions of its main components: the teacher, the text-book and the students, putting new emphasis on the independent creative cognitive activity of the learner. The new paradigm implies a shift from ‘teacher-centered learning’ to ‘student-centered learning.’ The postulate “Languages are learned, they are not taught” (Seneca) is gaining momentum. Learning implies thinking. To learn to think the learner needs to have a chance of finding things out for himself. That is why the student’s independent work is very important. DIY - ‘do it yourself’ is not a home exercise, it’s a class one. Besides, group work and pair work are welcomed because language is a social activity. The stimulus for the learner here is not to lag behind the others.

Confucius, who was concerned with the problems of education 2500 years ago, wrote: “I listen and I forget, I see (understand) and I remember, I do and I learn. Any text is information. Reading the text is information processing by the mind. Knowledge is the information which you can reproduce. To remember the information the learner has to understand it. Understanding implies penetrating into the essence of the studied phenomenon. To penetrate into the essence of the phenomenon the learner has first to analyze the text and then to contract it. Translating texts is an unnecessary activity in the process of learning languages. Translation is done by the knower of the language for those who don’t know it. By making the learner translate we don’t give him a chance to stop and think, to remember and make notes. The teacher can use translation only in case it is necessary to check up comprehension.

To bring the learner up to the level of comprehending information the teacher is to teach him the structure and the composition on the text and sentence level; he is to teach him to differentiate between important and unimportant information, facts and opinions. He is to teach him to follow cause and effect relationship, he is to teach him how to analyze the information and how to cut it down to the minimum.

The teacher gives the learner a chance to experiment with language. But the teacher is no longer the dominant figure in the learning process, he directs, rather than commands or instructs. According to a new education paradigm it is the student who learns; the teacher only helps, assists, trains the learners to be more responsible, motivates, involves everybody in the learning process, encourages learners to speak and promotes discussion. He directs, rather than commands or instructs.

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THE COSMOS IS THE UNIVERSE WHICH HAS AN ORDER

AND PATTERN

«ORDER IS THE FIRST HEAVEN’S LAW» (Pope)

UNIT I

THE GREATEST TRIUMPH OF THE PAST CENTURY

PRE - READING TASK

Study some grammar points.

I. We use whether when talking about two alternatives. (Russian V + ли)

Study the sentences.

1.I had six close friends at school, most of whom I’m still in touch with. We had long discussions about everything from radio-controlled models to religion. Whether the universe required a God to create it and set it going was one of the things we talked about.

2.Whether we will find the unifying laws in the near future is a matter of opinion.

II. Active and Passive

A verb has two categories: tense (past, present and future) and voice (active and passive). There are two infinitives:

to V (active) and to be + V3 (passive)

On the basis of an active infinitive we form active sentences and use active when it is important who or what does the action.

On the basis of a passive infinitive we form passive sentences and prefer passive when it is not important who or what does the action.

In passive sentences we use be (is, are, was, were, has been, will be etc) + V3.

Study the sentences.

1.A liquid such as water is made up of billions of billions of molecules that are made up of electrons, protons and neutrons.

2.Cluster galaxies were formed because they attracted each other into groups.

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III. a. Would is used to express unreal conditioning (Russian − бы)

Study the sentences.

1.Such an experiment would allow us to examine how biospheres grow and evolve.

2.Such an experiment would give us an opportunity to spread and study life beyond earth.

b. Would is also used to talk about the natural course and behavior of things and events as a result of some action. It is the less definite form of will.

Study the sentences.

1.The gravitational field of the black hole would be so strong that light would not be able to escape from the region around it, but would be dragged back by the gravitational field.

2.The classical theory predicts that the electrons would radiate electromagnetic waves. These waves would carry away energy and would cause the electrons to spiral into the nucleus.

IV. One is a personal pronoun and can be used as the subject of a sentence = You. It is a formal subject. One is not translated.

Study the sentence.

The behaviour of the universe on a very large scale is not chaotic. One can therefore predict whether the universe will expand for ever or whether it will recollapse.

V. When we want to use two negations we use cannot help but + Vo or cannot help + Ving

Study the sentence.

1.The anthropic principle is not completely satisfactory; one cannot help feeling that there is some deeper explanation.

2.We cannot help but wonder whether we are alone as intelligent beings in this vast space.

3.My brother Edward was completely non-academic and nonintellectual. But one couldn’t help liking him. (Hawking)

FYI (For your information)

According to one version of the anthropic principle, there is a very large number of different, universes with different values of the physical parameters and different initial conditions. Most of these universes will not provide the right conditions for the development of the complicated structures needed for intelligent life. Only in a small number, with con-

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ditions and parameters like our own universe will it be possible for intelligent life to develop.

Give Russian correspondence:

too + Adj., otherwise (if it were differently), the same, through (by means of), a few (some, several), although (though), cannot help but

THE BIG PICTURE OF THE NIGHT SKY

Study the passage.

When I look into the sky at night, I often wonder whether we, humans, are too busy with ourselves and our endless every day, practical problems. The view of the stars is an important element in the spiritual education of mankind. I am an astrophysicist, so I study the universe and I find exciting to study it. There are things that would otherwise bother me – my own death, for example, but when I see the universe as a whole, the big picture gives me a sense of longevity.

Cosmologists are addressing the same fundamental questions that people attempted to resolve over the centuries through philosophical thinking, but they are addressing them on the basis of systematic observation and a quantitative methodology. Perhaps the greatest triumph of the past century has been a mathematical model of the universe that is supported by a large body of data. The value of such a model to our society is sometimes underappreciated.

When I open a daily newspaper as a part of my morning routine, I often see lengthy descriptions of conflicts between people about borders, possessions or liberties. Today’s news is often forgotten a few days later. But when one opens ancient texts that have appealed to a broad audience over a longer period of time, such as the Bible, what does one find in the opening chapter? A discussion of how the constituents of the universe – light, stars, life – were created. Although humans are often interested in every day problems, they are curious about the big picture. As citizens of the universe we cannot help but wonder how the first sources of light formed, how life came into existence and whether we are alone as intelligent beings in this vast space. I hope, astronomers in the 21st century will be able to answer these big questions.

Abraham Loeb “Scientific American”, November 2006

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FYI

1.cosmology is a theory about the origin and nature of the universe

2.astrophysics is a scientific study of the stars, planets and other natural objects of the universe.

Vocabulary Notes

1.to bother – to trouble

2.longevity – a long life

3.to address a question – to deal with a question

4.to attempt – to try

5.a large body of data − a large amount of it

6.to underappreciate – to evaluate something not very highly

7.a border − a boundary − a limit

8.a possession – money, property and other valuable things

9.to appeal to – if something appeals to you, you find it attractive or interesting

10.to be curious about − to be interested to know

POST-READING TASK (to be done in writing)

I. Summarize the passage using the outline.

1.The difference in the way philosophers and cosmologists are addressing fundamental questions.

2.The greatest triumph of the past century.

3.The information newspapers publish.

4.The information The Bible provides us with.

II. Make up a list of the questions astronomers will be able to answer in the 21st century.

Ш. Formulate the conclusion you can make from the information of the passage.

IV. Put in the prepositions.

1.I often look …..the sky ….night.

2.There is much more ….the universe than meets the eye…..the

earth.

3.The big picture gives me a sense …. longevity.

4.….the centuries people attempted to resolve some of the fundamental questions … philosophical thinking.

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5.The greatest triumph … the past century has been the model … the universe that was supported …a large body … data.

6.The value …. such a model … our society is sometimes underappreciated.

7.When I open daily newspapers I often see lengthy descriptions … conflicts….people….borders, possessions or liberties.

8.The Bible has appealed … a broad audience … a long period …

time.

9.Humans are interested … every day problems.

10.Humans are curious … the big picture.

10. Humans are curious … the big picture.

V. Give words close in meaning

1.humans

2.to trouble

3.exciting

4.to deal with a question

5.to try

6.a large body of data

7.a boundary

8.I am interested to know

VI. Study grammar point II and make the sentences passive.

1.The mathematical model of the universe (to support) by a large body of data.

2.The value of such a model to our society (to underappreciate).

3.Today’s news (to forget) a few days later.

4.The Bible discusses how the constituents of the universe: light, stars, life (to create).

CLASS EXERCISES

Exercise 1 (do it yourself)

Reconstruct sentences into questions.

We cannot help but wonder

a.how the first sources of light formed.

b.how the constituents of the universe were created

c.how life came into existence.

d.whether we are alone as intelligent beings in this vast space.

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Exercise 2 (do it yourself)

Combine the two sentences using the alternatives in brackets (that, so, when, although)

1.I am an astrophysicist. I study the universe.

2.I see the universe as a whole

The big picture gives me a sense of longevity

3.The greatest triumph of the past century has been the mathematical model of the universe.

The mathematical model of the universe is supported by a large body of data.

4.I open a daily newspaper as a part of my morning routine.

I often see lengthy descriptions of conflicts between people.

5.People are often interested in every day problems. People are curious about the big picture.

Exercise 3 (do it yourself)

Put in the proper verbs.

1.People ……. to resolve fundamental questions over the centuries through philosophical thinking.

2.Cosmologists …… the fundamental questions on the basis of systematic observations and a quantitative methodology.

3.The greatest triumph of the past century … … a mathematical model of the universe.

4.The Bible … … to a broad audience over a long period of time.

3.The mathematical model of the universe ….. by a large body of

data.

4.Today’s news …… a few days later.

5.The Bible … how the constituents of the universe ……

6.Although humans …. in every day, practical problems, they …. the big picture.

Exercise 4

Sharing opinions (in groups)

1.In what case is a mathematical model considered to be correct?

2.What value may the development of a mathematical model of the universe have to the human society?

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3.Why is human society indifferent to the development of the mathematical model of the universe?

4.What is wrong with the society that ignores the achievements that scientists consider triumphal?

5.Are you curious about the big picture? Why?

UNIT 2

A CONVERSATION WITH NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON

PRE-READING TASK Study some grammar points.

I. I. We use if or whether when talking about two alternatives. (Russian - V + ли)

Study the sentences.

1.If you find water on a planet, you want to look closer to see if there is life of any kind there, even if it’s bacterial, which would be extraordinary for the field of biology.

2.The black hole is independent of whether the body that collapsed was composed of matter or antimatter, and whether it was spherical or highly irregular in shape.

II. Would is used to express unreal conditioning (Russian − бы)

Study the sentences.

1.Such an experiment would allow us to examine how biospheres grow and evolve.

2.Such an experiment would give us an opportunity to spread and study life beyond earth.

III. Modal verbs show the attitude of the speaker towards the idea he expresses.

May, might = possible

Might is more unsure than may.

Study the sentences.

1.There might be a connection between black holes and thermodynamics.

2.Imaginary time may sound like something out of science fiction, but it a well-defined mathematical concept.

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