Гвоздева Енглиш ис еасы то леарн 2007

Are Birds Sensitive to the Direction of the Magnetic Pole?

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Comprehension

(work in groups)

1.How many birds live on the earth?

2.How many birds make annual trips?

3.What do ornithologists do when they ring birds?

4.What have people found out by ringing birds?

5.What question offers the greatest challenge to ornithologists?

6.How many years ago did people start using swallows and homing pigeons to send messages?

7.Why do some telegraph agencies still use homing pigeons for short communications?

8.What is one of the strongest instincts in birds? Are instincts acquired or in-born? Can the instinct of home be scientifically explained or is it a mysterious phenomenon? Is the instinct of home specific only to birds? How could you define such feelings as love for Motherland, nostalgia? Are they acquired or natural, implanted into living things?

“Motherland is the place where everything begins” – said Andersen

“They change their climate, not their soul, who run beyond the sea” – said Horace. What do you think?

9.What does a spiral look like? Draw a spiral and a circle. What is

the difference between them?

10.Are an eye and a camera comparable? Does an eye have a high resolution power? What does the price of a camera depend on? When we say “it’s a good camera” what do we mean? What do the man’s eye, the eagle’s eye, the bee’s eye differ in?

11.The method is known to be more important than the theory. What method do ornithologists use to check a theory?

12.People often use birds as symbols. What do birds symbolize?

I. Reconstruct the relative sentences into questions.

By ringing birds people have found out

1.where birds winter

2.along which routes they fly

3.how long the trip takes

4.at what altitude they travel

5.at what speed the birds travel

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the supporters of the theory to present evidence

to reject a theory to prove a fact to check a theory

to stage experiments

II.Translate the sentences using passive and the above expressions

1.Больше никто не сомневался в том, что птицы улетают осенью и возвращаются весной на то же место. Этот факт был установлен на 100%.

2.Кем была предложена эта теория? Что предлагает эта теория?

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3.При помощи какого прибора определяется направление?

4.Когда было отослано сообщение? Кем было отослано сообщение?

5.Какие доказательства были предоставлены сторонниками теории спиралей?

6.Почему была отвергнута эта теория?

7.Какой метод использовался для проверки этой теории?

8.Была установлена скорость, с которой птицы совершают перелет?

9.Как об этом узнали?

10.Что было доказано в результате эксперимента?

11.Сколько экспериментов было поставлено? Что доказал эксперимент?

12.Эта теория была подтверждена экспериментально?

Grammar

It was expected that the forces of the earth’s rotation interfered with birds’ orientation.

is equivalent to

Model The forces of the earth’s rotation were expected to interfere with birds’ orientation.

Many verbs of thinking (is thought to V0), believing (is believed, is supposed, is expected, is considered to V0), saying (is said to V0), reporting (is reported to V0), finding (is found to V0), knowing (is known to V0), proving (is proved to V0) can be used in the same way.

Change the sentences according to the model given above

1.For a long time it was believed that homing pigeons were the cheapest, fastest and the most reliable way of sending messages.

2.It is proved that the instinct of home is very strong in birds.

3.It was thought that birds flew to the south and back not along a straight line but in a spiral.

4.It is known that birds have an excellent eyesight.

5.It was expected that birds were sensitive to the direction of the

magnetic pole.

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6.It was proved that birds were not able to see any landmarks while flying over the ocean.

Birds are guided by the Sun

change the direction of its rays.

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butterflies.

Provide your arguments.

Science is a process of questioning. Every new answer gives rise to a new question. Does the way ornithologists are looking for truth confirm this definition?

I. Make up questions to ask the ornithologist about how the discovery was made

1. We used mirrors. (What ……… for?)

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2.We carried out experiments with different birds. (general question)

3.Birds are guided by the sun. (general question)

4.It is proved. (general question)

5.Another complex problem arose. (What problem …..?)

6.The birds are able to follow the right route, though the sun is in motion) (How ………if?)

II. Work in pairs. One of you is an ornithologist. The other is a bird’s lover who asks him the above questions.

Grammar

I. Translate the sentences

1.To find this place by determining the direction of the compass is not enough.

2.The sun is the reference point (which) birds use to find the direction.

3.To check whether it was really the sun which provided guidance to the starling, the experimenters used mirrors to change the direction of its rays.

4.The experimenters changed the sun’s «speed» to mislead the birds.

5.The problem to be solved was: How birds are able to follow the right route if the sun is in motion.

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II. Translate into English (to be done in writing), e.g.

Сообщения, которые нужно послать – the messages to be sent.

1.Кольцо, которое нужно надеть на лапу птице.

2.Доказательство, которое нужно предоставить.

3.Направление, которое нужно определить.

4.Эксперимент, который нужно провести.

5.Наблюдение, которое нужно провести.

6.Идея, которую нужно доказать.

7.Прибор, который нужно использовать.

8.Результаты, которые нужно получить.

9.Птица, которую нужно поместить в клетку.

10.Отверстие, которое нужно сделать.

To be remembered to perform

to prompt to place to change

to cause a revolution to make a discovery to mislead

to provide a proof to be in motion

to follow the route to elaborate a theory to carry out

experiments

to conduct

III. Translate the sentences. Follow the text.

1.Ориентиром для птиц является солнце.

2.На основании этих наблюдений был поставлен эксперимент.

3.Птицу посадили в клетку, накрытую со всех сторон, но на потолке сделали 8 окошек.

4.Эксперименты проводили с различными птицами.

5.В результате этого эксперимента было получено еще одно доказательство того, что птицы ориентируются по солнцу.

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6.Возникла еще одна проблема: каким образом птицам удается придерживаться правильного маршрута, если солнце находится в движении.

IV. Add tags to make up questions. e.g.

1.One cannot stamp much on such a ring, can one?

2.Birds easily determine the proper direction, don’t they?

3.The magnetic theory still has a few supporters, doesn’t it?

Work in groups. In turn ask questions, respond and make comments.

1.Pigeons find the way home from memory, …?

2.The instinct of home is strong in birds, …?

3.One cannot stamp much on a ring…?

4.Birds easily determine the proper direction, …?

5.The magnetic theory still has a few supporters, …?

6.The carting off method was insufficient to supply an answer to the puzzle, …?

7.Birds kept in cages become restless with the approach of spring, …?

8.The sun is the reference point birds use to find direction, …?

9.Butterflies are guided by the sun too …?

V. Write a letter to the boy who asked where the ducks from NewYork Central Park went. His name is Holden. Write three paragraphs. In the first paragraph explain what ornithologists have found out so far. In the second paragraph tell him what is still a challenge for ornithologists. Tell him about butterflies. Explain that science is a process of questioning. In the third paragraph ask him what else he is interested in besides birds. Say some words about yourself and your interests.

Begin the letter with:

Dear Holden,

You ask where ducks go, I think I know the answer.

End with: I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely …

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VI. Exchange letters.

You are Holden. Ask the writer of the letter five more questions that interest you.

Remember that Voltaire said: “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers”.

Shaw said: “No question is so difficult to answer as that to which the answer is obvious”.

Syrus (Roman poet and painter 42 BC) said: “It’s not every question that deserves an answer”.

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