Английский язык. Практикум по чтению научно-популярных текстов

ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЕ АГЕНТСТВО ПО ОБРАЗОВАНИЮ

№ 1999

Кафедра русского и иностранных языков и литературы

Е.В. Вардашкина А.В. Щербакова

Английский язык

Практикум по чтению научно-популярных текстов

Рекомендовано редакционно-издательским советом университета

Москва Издательский Дом МИСиС 2010

УДК 811.111 В18

Р е ц е н з е н т д-р пед. наук А.К. Крупченко (АПК и ППРО)

Вардашкина Е.В., Щербакова А.В.

В18 Английский язык: Практикум по чтению науч.-попул. текстов. – М.: Изд. Дом МИСиС, 2010. – 110 с.

ISBN 978-5-87623-321-9

Целью практикума является формирование иноязычной профессиональной коммуникативной компетенции технических специалистов через развитие навыков различных видов чтения научно-популярной литературы. Материал и система упражнений практикума предполагают усвоение предлагаемого лексического и грамматического материала, развитие навыка устной речи, навыков чтения и работы с литературой по специальности, способствуют формированию навыка адекватного перевода.

Практикум соответствует учебной программе подготовки бакалавров и специалистов по английскому языку.

Предназначен для студентов всех специальностей и направлений II курса Института новых материалов и нанотехнологий.

УДК 811.111

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ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ

Практикум состоит из трех глав, трех приложений и словаря активной лексики.

Первая глава содержит три раздела. Каждый раздел включает в себя научно-популярные тексты по специальности, лексические упражнения, направленные на закрепление пройденного материала, практическое овладение активной лексикой, развитие навыка устной речи. Тексты каждого раздела предназначены для разных видов чтения: изучающего, просмотрового и поискового. В разделах предусмотрены тексты для письменного перевода, целью которого является проверка умения студента работать со словарем.

Вторая глава содержит большое количество грамматических упражнений, направленных на закрепление грамматического материала.

Третья глава включает в себя 10 дополнительных текстов, направленных на развитие навыков чтения научно-популярных и научнотехнических текстов по специальности, умение обрабатывать информацию и выявлять основные моменты прочитанного.

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CHAPTER 1. LANGUAGE PRACTICE

Unit I. Some Facts about Matter

A. Pre-Reading

Ex.1. Read the heading of the Unit. Investigate the idea of matter.

a)Name some words and phrases related to matter.

b)Guess the meaning of these words (international words).

Positive, negative, to occupy, neutral, a form, to form, portions of

molecules, an atomic theory, extreme temperatures, orbital electrons, a conductor, conductive, an insulator, a mass.

Ex. 2 Learn to pronounce the words given below.

a) atom [/ætəm], molecule [/moulikjul], weight [weit], electron [i/lektrən], path [pa:ѳ], proton [/proutən], neutron [/nju:trən], charge [/t∫a:dʒ], particle [/pa:tikl], equal [/i:kwəl], compare [kəm/pεə], excess [ik/ses], dimension [di/men∫ən], current [/kΛrənt], lose [lu:z], loose [lu:s], occupy [/okjupai], nucleus [/nju:kliəs], retain [ri/tein], mica [/maikə], rubber [/rΛbə], temperature [/temprit∫ə], pressure [/pre∫ə], structure [/strΛkt∫ə]

Ex. 3. Learn the words given below.

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Ex. 4. Give the Russian equivalents of the word combinations given below.

At extremely high temperatures, to be concentrated within the nucleus, the total space occupied by an atom, a loose structure of electrons, a negatively charged particle, to make up a crystalline structure, a difference of potential, a conductive path, to occupy the nuclei, a free exchange of orbital electrons, to form the electric current.

Ex. 5. Match the questions with the answers.

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B. Text Study

Ex. 6. Skim Text 1 to complete the following statements.

a)This text considers … .

b)It gives us some information about … .

c)It tells us how … .

d)It explains the difference … .

Text 1. ATOMIC STRUCTURE OF MATTER.

ELECTRONS IN MOTION

1.The development of a scientific theory started with John Dalton in 1803. Since then through important discoveries, scientists have been able to present a true picture of an atomic structure of matter. All matter is composed of atoms and molecules. Atoms are the smallest units of matter into which an element can be subdivided and still retain the properties of that element. A modern theory considers that at extremely high temperatures all molecules break up to form atoms or portions of molecules. The atoms or molecules making up a crystalline structure are arranged according to a definite geometrical pattern. This pattern is known to be a space lattice.

2.Atoms consist of massive nuclei and small negatively charged particles called “electrons”. The mass of an electron was found to be about 2.000 times as small as the lightest atom, the hydrogen atom. The positive electricity is concentrated within the nucleus of dimensions very small compared with the total space occupied by an atom. This nucleus is responsible for practically the whole of the atomic mass.

3.An atom is a loose structure of electrons surrounding a heavy central core, the atomic nucleus, which is about one tenthousandth the size of the atom. It was later discovered that the nucleus consists of positively charged particles called “protons” and other particles of about the same weight without any charge, called “neutrons”.

4.The negative electron charge equals the positive nucleus charge: hence, the atom has no charge. However, sometimes an atom may gain an electron, and then it has a negative charge. If an atom loses an electron, the nucleus protons are more numerous than the negative electrons, so the atom has a positive charge.

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5.A body with a considerable excess of electrons has a strong negative charge; one with few electrons has a strong positive charge. Thus, there is a difference of potential.

6.If something allowing a free movement of electrons is placed between the negative and the positive charges, electrons move along this conductive path to occupy the nuclei, which lack electrons. This movement is an electric current and it can take place through any conductor.

7.A conductor readily allows the free exchange of orbital electrons, so electrons forming the electric current can move from atom to atom along the material. Silver and copper are good conductors. A perfect insulator would allow no exchange of electrons. Hence, there would be no movement from atom to atom, and no current would flow. Glass, mica and rubber are good insulators.

Ex. 7. Scan the text in order to find

a)the information about matter;

b)the definition of an atom (an electric current, an electron, a space lattice);

c)the information about the structure of an atom.

Ex. 8. Divide the words into four columns according to their parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). Translate them.

Electric, lightest, soften, massive, movement, considerably, in/crease, orbital, /object, positively, sub/ject, property, concentrate, crystalline, conductor, crystallize, difference, pre/sent.

Ex. 9. Find 2 words with a) a close meaning

weight – size – width – dimension – length unit – structure – matter – lattice – pattern

loose – considerable – comparative – free – extreme consist – discover – arrange – be composed – retain conduct – increase – surround – flow – raise

matter – structure – insulator – conductor – non-conductor charge – keep – occupy – move – retain

b) an opposite meaning

considerable – tight – strong – extreme – loose wide – weak – high – loose – strong

compose – have – make up – charge – lack lose – occupy – move – gain – form

wide – light – strong – heavy – deep

small – scientific – dielectric – electric – conductive

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Ex. 10. Match English words and phrases with their Russian equivalents.

Ex. 11. Find in Text 1 the English equivalents for these wordcombinations.

Представлять истинную картину атомного строения материи; сохранять свойства; развитие атомной теории; располагаться в определённом порядке; молекулы распадаются; в 2 000 раз меньше; свободная структура; разница потенциала; свободное перемещение электронов; приобретать (терять) электрон; значительный избыток электронов; по сравнению с …; не иметь электронов; слюда; резина (каучук); нехватка электронов; двигаться внутри ядра.

Ex. 12. Find a) in paragraphs 1 and 2 the passive constructions, b) in paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 participles and participial phrases.

C. Activity

Ex. 13. A. Fill in the blanks in the texts with the words given in the boxes.

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THE NUCLEI OF ATOMS

In 1911 the British physicist Ernest Rutherford ... some experiments which showed that every ... contains, in addition to one or more electrons, another particle called ... of the atom.

Every nucleus has a positive electric ... . It is very small. It is about as big as an electron about 10–12 cm in diameter (ten to the minus twelfth power). It is very ... – the lightest nucleus is 1836 times as heavy as an electron. There are many different kinds of every other element.

A part of no lesser importance is played by radioactive and stable ...

obtained in ... reactors and special separation plants. Isotopes are various forms of the same chemical elements differing in their atomic ... and physical ... , but chemically identical. Almost every chemical element has

... isotopes.

Frederic Joliot and his wife Irene Curie made ... in 1932 with beryllium and found that some of ... given off by beryllium was able to ... a lead shield that normally absorbs gamma rays. It was also observed that this radiation could cause the ... of protons of very high energy from hydrogen containing ... .

Chadwick found that the radiation ... of neutral particles having a mass of 1, the same as proton. He called it “a neutron”. The discovery of the neutron ... the problem of the “extra” mass in the lithium nucleus. The lithium nucleus now ... three protons and four neutrons.

The charge of the atom is entirely ... the protons in it. Its mass and, therefore its atomic weight, is determined by the combined ... of its protons and neutrons.

B. Ask each other the questions about the texts.

Ex. 14. Render the following sentences in English.

1. Все вещества состоят из молекул и атомов. 2. Атом считается мельчайшей частицей материи. 3. Атомы составляют кристаллическую структуру и располагаются в определенном порядке в пространственной решетке. 4. Атом состоит из тяжелого ядра и отрицательно заряженных электронов. 5. Электроны занимают пространство вокруг положительно заряженного ядра. 6. Иногда атом может терять электроны, тогда он становится положительным. 7. Если тело

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