Focus on language

1. Look back in the profile. Make a list of verb tenses used in the portfolio. Why does the author use these particular tenses?

2. Join the beginnings with the ends to make rules about the usage of Present Simple, Present Progressive, Present Perfect, Present Perfect Progressive and Past Simple.

Present Simple		to talk about an activity or situation that began and ended at a particular time in the past;
Present Progressive		to speak about an activity that began in the past, continue to the present and is still in the process;
Past Simple	is used to	for the event that started in the past and has been recently completed;
Present Perfect		to speak about permanent situations and routines;
Present Perfect Progressive		to describe activities that are happening at or around the time of speaking.

3. Complete the sentences with the correct tenses.

1. At the moment Graham also (to do) a course in scientific journalism and he (to seem) to enjoy it greatly.

2. One of the things I (to like) about the atmosphere at college (to be) that students (to study) across the disciplines.

3. Since arriving in Manchester to study physics, Helen (to not look back). She (to be) on the mechanical subgroup and (to do) theoretical modeling.

4. I (to do) a course in programming languages for my science project for a month, so now I (to get) more comfortable with basic mathematical concepts.

5. Bryan (to receive) his doctorate from The University of Sydney in 2008. He then (to take up) a prestigious Hubble Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he (to become) involved in X-ray studies of the Milky Way.

6. My friend (to decide) to take the science route and (to plan) to begin the Ph.D. track in physics at Boston University.

7. Through my work on the GRB* satellite, I (to learn) a few things about signal detection in relatively noisy environments. In fact, I (to make observations) for a year now.

8. Many of the university lecturers (to be involved) in front-line research, and they (to share) the details of their work with their students.

9. Look at them! Everybody (to be pleasantly surprised) with the results. They never (to do) anything like this before, but it (to work)!

10. While doing my BSc course I (to spend) a research year abroad working in one of the Nuclear Physics laboratories. It (to be) a fantastic experience on both professional and personal levels. 

* GRB (gamma-ray bursts) - гамма-всплеск

Writing

Use the text above as a model to write your personal Physics Student Profile in 150-200 words. Make use of the guidelines.

Paragraph 1

• Your education background and reasons for choosing a course in physics

Paragraph 2

• The length of studying at the physics faculty

• The physics course you are doing this semester

• Your study experience and achievements

• Compulsory and optional courses you are going to take in your third year at university

Paragraph 3

• Your favourite leisure activities, how they contribute to your student life.

Speaking

Prepare a short talk based on your profile to give in class. Be ready to answer the questions about your studies in the Physics Department and your student life.

Summarizing

1. R ead the text below to find the Russian equivalents to these English word combinations.

1. to learn formulae and laws

2. to attend lectures and seminars

3. to do laboratory work

4. to gain practical knowledge of experimental methods in physics

5. to take measurements

6. to evaluate reliability of results

7. to gain professional skills

8. a theorist, an experimentalist

9. the ability to formulate and solve complicated problems

10. to make someone a real expert in various spheres of life

Add new vocabulary to your vocabulary notebook. 

***

Физика – фундаментальная наука. При ее изучении важно не только выучить какие-либо формулы и законы, необходимо научиться думать, размышлять. Например, посещая лекции и семинарские занятия, студенты учатся решать задачи, а лабораторные работы позволяют студентам овладеть п рактическим познанием экспериментальных методов физики. Выполняя лабораторные работы, студентам необходимо не только точно производить измерения, но и уметь из полученной информации извлечь полезные результаты, оценить степень их достоверности. Именно в ходе такой работы студент приобретает профессиональные навыки, необходимые не только экспериментатору, но и будущему теоретику.

В последние годы некоторые выпускники физических факультетов находят себя в различных сферах человеческой деятельности, не связанных с физикой. Именно «физическая» подготовка, умение ставить и решать сложнейшие задачи, навык анализировать и оценивать делают их настоящими специалистами в бизнесе, банковском деле, экономике и других областях.

2. Read the text again and summarize it in English. Make use of the phrases in the box.

Phrases for summarizing The article discusses/considers… The article informs/presents information about… It is reported/said/stated that… It is pointed out/claimed that… Actually; In fact; In particular; For example; Also; Moreover; etc.

In the Realm of Science

1. Words of the Latin origin are widely used in scientific papers and other publications. Read and remember some of the commonly used Latin words.

e.g. (exempli gratia) for example/for instance

etc. (et cetera) and so on

et al. (et alii) and others/and co-workers

i.e (id est) that is, in other words

NB! (nota bene) take special note

per cent. (per centum) for each one hundred/percent

vice versa in reverse order from that stated

vs. (versus) against

v.s. (vide super) see above

in vitro taking place outside a living body

in vivo taking place in a living body

in silico performed on computer or via computer

simulation

de novo starting from the beginning; anew

2. Remember how to pronounce the names of some fields of physics.

acoustics	[ə'kuːstɪks]
biophysics	['baɪəu'fɪzɪks]
electrodynamics	[ɪˌlektrəudaɪ'næmɪks]
astrophysics	[ˌæstrə(u)'fɪzɪks]
meteorology	[ˌmiːtɪ(ə)'rɔləʤɪ]
celestial mechanics	[sɪ'lestjəl mɪ'kænɪks]
quantum optics	['kwontəm 'ɔptɪks]
thermodynamics	[ˌθɜːmədaɪ'næmɪks]
nanophysics	[ 'nænə'fɪzɪks]
mechanics	[ mɪ'kænɪks]
aerodynamics	[ˏeərəudaɪ'næmɪks]
condensed matter physics	[kən'den(t)st 'mætə 'fɪzɪks]