Добавил:
Upload Опубликованный материал нарушает ваши авторские права? Сообщите нам.
Вуз: Предмет: Файл:

Metodichka_-_Anglysky_yazyk

.pdf
Скачиваний:
4827
Добавлен:
26.03.2016
Размер:
2.04 Mб
Скачать

Text 4

Ex. 7 Read the text and choose the appropriate answer: a, b, or c.

Interior Design

Interior design is a career that combines mathematics and art and is the art and craft of making living spaces that bring positive emotional and aesthetic effects to the inhabitants. Mathematics 1.

________ to interior design. One of the 10 books of Marcus

Vitruvius Pollio’s mathematical work, De Architectura, 2. ________

on interior decoration. These books heavily influenced the Western scientific, engineering, and mathematical developments in the 2,000 years since they 3. ________. Mathematician Jamshid al-Kashi approximated the surface area of a muqarnas, a decoration made of flat and curved polygons that covers building joints, while the Art Deco design movement of the 1920s and 1930s 4. ________ on geometric forms.

Computations to estimate the amount of materials and their cost, such as the area of a surface that 5. ________ in fabric, tile, or paint, underlie interior design. The International Mathematics & Design Association 6. _________ in 1998. It 7. _________ a journal focusing on areas such as computer-aided design, computational geometry, mathematical modeling, visualization, and system media design. [12, p. 514-515]

1.a. long connected; b. had long been connected;

c.is long connected; d. has long been connected.

2.a. is focused; b. are focused; c. focused; d. will be focused.

3.a. was written; b. were written;

c.have been written; d. will be written.

4.a. was relied; b. were relied; c. relied; d. had been relied.

5.a. will cover; b. will covered; c. will be covered; d. cover.

6.a. was founded; b. was found;

c.has been founded; d. has been found.

131

7. a. is published; b. publish; c. publishes; d. has been publishing.

Text 5

Ex. 8 Read the text and match each paragraph to one of the main ideas below. You do not have to use one of them.

A There are some problems with IQ tests, for instance, they do not provide the same quotients, even if the same person takes the test.

B Different IQ tests do not yield similar results, though all the results represent normal distribution.

C Intellectual abilities tend to be hereditary.

D IQ tests are created by psychologists and measure cognitive abilities, that is abilities to quickly complete complex tasks.

E The content of IQ tests differs, depending on the specific cognitive abilities they are intended to measure.

F One of the features of IQ tests is that the results are similar during a person's life.

G IQ scores may depend on socioeconomic factors.

H IQ scores numerically represent general cognitive abilities.

Intelligence Quotients

1 The term “intelligence” is broadly synonymous with the term “cognitive ability.” Intelligence tests are tests designed to measure cognitive abilities. According to Ian Deary and David Batty, cognitive abilities are mental abilities “that are not principally sensory, emotional or conative (related to the will).” Standardized intelligence tests produce a score called the “Intelligence Quotient”

(IQ). IQ tests are usually copyrighted, and to prevent people from practicing for them, they must be administered in supervised conditions. Many tests that claim to measure IQ have appeared on the Internet but may not have been validated by professional psychologists. Intelligence, or cognitive ability, has been defined in

132

different ways but broadly refers to people’s ability to process complexity “on the spot.”

2 Since psychologists such as Alfred Binet (originator of the test that later evolved into the Stanford–Binet) and David Wechsler (creator of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) began measuring cognitive abilities over 100 years ago, nearly all measures of cognition have been shown to correlate. This fact is interpreted as evidence for a general factor, called g, representing general intelligence. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, no test of cognitive ability has been created that does not correlate with other cognitive ability tests. In practice, this means that people who are good at processing complexity in one area tend to be good at processing complexity in another. A person’s

IQ score is a numerical representation of their level of g.

3 Most IQ tests are designed to have a mean of 100 and scores are normally distributed. However, the standard deviation varies across different tests. The interpretation of the standard deviation is that it represented the average distance from the mean, in either direction. To understand and interpret a person’s IQ score, it is necessary to know the standard deviation of the test they took. Common standard deviations are 15 or 16, and the range of IQ scores is generally between about 55 and 145 for a test with a standard deviation of 15. Further, about two-thirds of individuals will have scores within one standard deviation of the mean and about 95 percent will have scores within two standard deviations of the mean. For this reason, IQ scores are sometimes evaluated using percentile scores, which divide the normal distribution into 100 parts so that 1% of the scores are in each part. For example, admission to the high-IQ society Mensa requires a person to score in the 98th percentile or higher on several different validated IQ tests. This requirement means about one in 50 people would be eligible to join.

4 Percentile IQ scores can be useful, but they can be misinterpreted since the distance between each percentile is not equal. In contrast, standard deviations are the same distance apart, sometimes making it more sensible to compare individuals in terms

133

of average distance from the mean. Also, IQ tests are imperfect measures of intelligence because they generally do not produce the exact same score for the same person, even if the test is taken more than once. This inaccuracy is quantified by the standard error of measurement and represents how much variability an individual person’s scores would have if they took the test many times. For example, if a person scored 100 on an IQ test that had a standard error of 2, the person’s true IQ score would often be interpreted as being somewhere between 96 and 104. Some researchers and others have suggested that the average of three IQ tests provides a better indication of a person’s true IQ score than a single test.

5 There are three features of general intelligence that are important because they negate arguments that IQ scores have no meaning: their stability, their heritability, and their correlation with external phenomena. First, IQ scores are remarkably stable across the life course from childhood to old age. Data to demonstrate this are exceptionally rare, but one exception can be found in Scotland. During one day in 1932, every 11-year-old in the country took an IQ test. They were retested 66 years later, and the scores were found to correlate highly with childhood IQ score (0.76), providing evidence of stability of IQ scores over time.

6 Second, IQ scores are highly heritable. The heritability of individual differences has been estimated as between 30% and 80%, illustrating that genetics contributes strongly to IQ scores. However, no single gene or set of genes has been identified. This suggests that the genetic contribution to intelligence is multifactorial, as with other observable characteristics (phenotypes), such as height. There are no sex differences in IQ, although the distribution of males’ scores is slightly wider at both ends of the distribution.

7 Third, IQ scores correlate with variables that can be considered external, or outside the IQ test itself. IQ correlates with indicators of socioeconomic status (SES)—an indication of factors like educational attainment, income, and occupational social class— and with many biological variables, including brain size, height,

134

sperm quality, and mortality. The causes of these correlations are disputed. [12, p. 511-512]

Ex. 9 Mark the statements YES, NO, or NOT STATED in the text.

1.One should practice before taking an IQ test.

2.The first IQ tests developed 100 years ago yield different results from those provided by modern tests.

3.The maximum you can get for an IQ test is 100.

4.One needs to take 3 IQ tests to obtain objective results.

5.Some tests have been criticized as being culturally biased because they ask questions that require culturally specific knowledge.

6.An experiment conducted in the 20th proved the stability of IQ scores.

7.Men and women have IQ test results that are dissimilar.

8.A number of biological and social factors influence IQ test scores.

Ex. 10 Look through Text 5 and find the words that come from those below. Add more to each set.

1.valid

2.complex

3.represent

4.deviate

5.vary

6.inherit

7.accurate

8.indicate

Text 6

Ex. 11 Read the text and match subheadings A-D to the gaps 1-3. You don't have to use one of them.

135

ANature-Inspired Algorithms

BMilitary Use

CComplex Analysis and the Joukowski Airfoil

DAircraft Carriers

Aircraft Design

Achieving flight has been a dream of mankind since prehistory, one never abandoned. As early as Leonardo da Vinci, mathematics—the cornerstone of engineering and physics—was recognized as the key to realizing the dream. Da Vinci’s 1505 “Codex on the Flight of Birds,” for instance, is a brief illustration - heavy discussion attempting to discover the mechanics of birdflight in order to replicate those mechanics in manmade flying machines. Da Vinci considered not simply the wingspan and weight of birds but a fledgling notion of aerodynamics. He was the first to note that in a bird in flight, the center of gravity—the mean location of the gravitational forces acting on the bird—was located separately from its center of pressure where the total sum of the pressure field acts on the bird. This fact would be important in later centuries when aircraft were designed that are longitudinally stable. Today, mathematics is used in the study of all aspects of flight, from launch platform design to the physics of sonic booms.

1. _______________________

Abstract mathematics can find its place in physical applications people experience quite often. For example, complex analysis and mappings play a vital role in aircraft. In layman’s terms, complex analysis essentially amounts to reformulating all the concepts of calculus using complex numbers as opposed to real numbers. This formulation leads to new concepts that cannot be achieved with only real numbers. In fact, the very notion of graphing complex functions, rather than real functions, is quite different— mathematicians often call the graphing of complex functions a

“mapping.” Taking a simplistic geometric figure, like a circle, and then applying a complex function transforms the figure into a more

136

complicated geometric structure. One figure that results from such a transformation looks like an airplane wing. Furthermore, one can consider the curves surrounding the circle as fluid flow, that is, air currents, and we obtain a rudimentary model of airflow around an airplane wing. This transformation is entitled the Joukowski Airfoil, which is named after the Russian mathematician and scientist Nikolai Joukowski (1847–1921), who is considered a pioneer in the field of aerodynamics. Variations of this transformation have been utilized in applications for the construction of airplane wings.

2. __________________________

An example of how various fields of mathematics, science, and engineering coalesce is epitomized at the Morpheus Laboratory, where applications of methods and systems found in nature are applied to the study and design of various types of aircraft. For example, biologically inspired research is conducted by studying an assortment of details related to the mechanics of birds in flight.

Birds are an example of near perfection in flight, a fact that humans have long observed. Birds have been evolving for millions of years and have adapted to various environmental changes, thus altering their flight mechanics accordingly. By studying the mathematical properties related to their wing morphing, surface pressure sensing, lift, drag, and acceleration, among other aspects, the researchers at Morpheus Laboratory can use the knowledge they have gleaned and apply it to several different types of aircraft. In order to accomplish this feat, mechanical models of actual birds are constructed and analyzed. Morpheus researchers utilize an assortment of mathematics and physics, including fluid mechanics (the study of air flow in this case) and computer simulations, to analyze the data that result from studying the mechanical birds in flight. The analysis, in turn, results in novel perspectives in flight as well as the design of innovative types of planes.

The managing of cabin pressurization has made it possible for aircraft to fly safely under various weather conditions and landscape formations. This ability is due in large part to devices known as

“pressure bulkheads,” which close the extremities of the pressurized

137

cabins. Because of the wealth of physical phenomena that influence the stability of these bulkheads, such as varying pressures, it has been a challenge to optimize their design. In the early twenty-first century, it was proposed that the bulkheads should have a dome-like shape, as opposed to a flat one, which was suggested by both mathematical and biological evidence. Interestingly, these two structures demonstrate completely dissimilar mechanical behaviors, which lead researchers to consider different approaches to modeling the domelike bulkheads.

The dome-like structured bulkheads are analogous to biological membranes and can be mathematically modeled in a similar fashion. In addition to the implementation of these membrane-like designs, the minimization of the cost of their construction and the assurance of their durability is mathematically modeled.

3. ________________________

Airplanes were a major evolution in modern warfare. World War II aircraft carriers that moved airplanes closer to targets that would otherwise be well beyond their fuel ranges proved to be pivotal to many battles, especially in the Pacific. They continue to be a key component of many countries’ navies for rapid deployment of aircraft for surveillance, rescue, and other military uses. Launching from and landing airplanes on aircraft carriers is considered one of the most challenging pilot tasks because of the restricted length of the deck and the constant motion of the deck in three dimensions.

A catapult launch system gives planes the added thrust they need to achieve liftoff and requires calculations that take into account mass, angles, force, and speed. Similar issues apply to the tailhook capture system that stops planes when they land.

There are also significant scheduling issues for multiple aircraft on a carrier, fuel use, weapons logistics, and radar systems used to monitor both friendly and enemy planes. Aircraft carriers are like large, self-contained floating cities. Mathematicians work in the nuclear or other power plants that provide electricity for the massive aircraft carriers of the twenty-first century and in many other

138

logistics areas beyond direct flight launch and control. They also help design and improve aircraft carriers. For example, mathematician Nira Chamberlain modeled the lifetime running costs of aircraft carriers versus operating budgets to develop what are known as “cost capability trade-off models,” which were used to help make decisions about operations. He also worked on plans for efficiently equipping ships to optimize speedy access to spare components. Some of the mathematical methods he used include network theory, Monte Carlo simulation, and various mathematical optimization techniques. [12, 25-28]

Ex. 12 Mark the statements YES, NO, or NOT STATED in the text.

1.Leonardo da Vinci tried to understand how birds fly and transfer the knowledge to the construction of aircraft.

2.Physicists are currently developing methods that model sonic booms in order to ultimately develop aircraft that can travel at supersonic speeds without causing structural damage.

3.Complex numbers consist of imaginary numbers and real numbers.

4.Birds have developed perfect flying mechanisms in the course of evolution.

5.Bulkheads are semispheres.

6.The idea to use bulkheads was borrowed from flying creatures.

7.Airplane carriers played a crucial role in military conflicts.

8.A catapult launch system gives airplanes acceleration to take off.

9.Nira Chamberlain evaluated the cost of airplane launches from carriers.

Ex. 13 Go to one or more of the sites below to practice the Passive Voice.

http://www.agendaweb.org/verbs/passive-voice-advanced- exercises.html http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/ar/english- grammar/verbs/active-and-passive-voice

139

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3339 http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/esl-passive-voice- exercise3.html http://www.tolearnenglish.com/english_lessons/passive-voice- advanced

Ex. 14 Go to http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-is-the-world-wide-web- twila-camp to watch a video on the World Wide Web. Use navigation on the right to switch to exercises and additional materials.

Ex.15 Go to http://www.uefap.com/listen/exercise/mechanic_5/mechfram.htm to listen to a series of lectures on mechanics and do online exercises on understanding and note-taking.

Ex.16 To have more listening practice, go to http://www.skypeenglishclasses.com/skype-english-blog/english- classes-with-ted/english-listening-and-comprehension-hacking-and- computer-viruses/ . Here you will listen to a talk on Computer Hacking and answer the questions on understanding the main idea and details.

Ex.17 Go to http://www.uefap.com/listen/exercise/computin_rp/compfram.htm to listen to a series of lectures on Computing and do on-line exercises on note-taking.

Ex. 18 Go to http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-is-the-heisenberg- uncertainty-principle-chad-orzel#watch to watch a video on Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. Use navigation on the right to switch to exercises and additional materials.

140