Test 06 on chemistry and chemists

I. Прочитайте текст и выберите вариант ответа, соответствующий содержанию прочитанных фрагментов (А-D).

A. Until recently, the 'science of the future' was supposed to be electronics and artificial intelligence. Today it seems more and more likely that the next great breakthroughs in technology will be brought about through a combination of those two sciences with organic chemistry and genetic engineering. This combination is the science of biotechnology.

B. Organic chemistry enables us to produce marvelous synthetic materials. However, it is still difficult to manufacture anything that has the capacity of wool to conserve heat and also to absorb moisture. Nothing that we have been able to produce so far comes anywhere near the combination of strength, lightness and flexibility that we find in the bodies of ordinary insects. Nevertheless, scientists in the laboratory have already succeeded in 'growing' a material that has many of the characteristics of human skin. The next step may well be 'biotech hearts and eyes' which can replace diseased organs in human beings. These will not be rejected by the body, as is the case with organs from humans.

C. The application of biotechnology to energy production seems even more promising. In 1996 the famous science-fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke, many of whose previous predictions have come true, said that we may soon be able to develop remarkably cheap and renewable sources of energy. Some of these power sources will be biological. Clarke and others have warned us repeatedly that sooner or later we will have to give up our dependence on non-renewable power sources. Coal, oil and gas are indeed convenient. However, using them also means creating dangerously high levels of pollution. It will be impossible to meet the growing demand for energy without increasing that pollution to catastrophic levels unless we develop power sources that are both cheaper and cleaner.

D. It is tempting to think that biotechnology or some other 'science of the future' can solve our problems for us. Before we surrender to that temptation we should remember nuclear power. Only a few generations ago it seemed to promise limitless, cheap and safe energy. Today those promises look rather problematic. Biotechnology is unlikely, however, to break its promises in quite the same or such a dangerous way.

1. Somewhat limited possibilities of modern science are mentioned in

1. Section A

2. Section B

3. Section C

4. Section D

2. Which section is concerned with scientific achievements that might bring disaster?

1. Section A

2. Section B

3. Section C

4. Section D

3. Which section refers to the birth of a new science?

1. Section A

2. Section B

3. Section C

4. Section D

4. Alternative energy sources are mentioned in

1. Section A

2. Section B

3. Section C

4. Section D

5. Forecasts that proved right are touched upon in

1. Section A

2. Section B

3. Section C

4. Section D

II. Прочитайте текст. Подберите соответствующий заголовок к каждому абзацу (1-5).

(1) Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev, the youngest of fourteen children, was born in Tobolsk, Siberia, in 1834. His father died when he was quite young and his mother ran a glass-making factory to support her large family. By the age of fourteen, it was clear that the young man had an aptitude for science. His mother tried to make sure that he received a decent education. However, her plans were halted when the glass factory was destroyed by fire.

(2) Eventually, the young man was admitted to university in St Petersburg. He was happy there, until yet another setback threatened to prevent him from reaching his potential. He fell seriously ill. Forced to stay at home in bed for days, sometimes weeks, he was only able to complete his degree through the help of his teachers and fellow students who would visit him often with books to read and papers to write. In 1856, Mendeleev was awarded his degree, and he soon completed his doctorate and was awarded the post of Professor of Chemistry at the University of St Petersburg.

(3) It was not until the last few years of the 1860s that he was to begin work on what we now know to be his great achievement – the arranging of the elements into the Periodic Table. At that time they were distinguished only by their atomic weight. This characteristic had been proposed by the British chemist, Dalton, more than 50 years earlier.

(4) Mendeleev took Dalton's work and improved it. He grouped the elements by their atomic weight and by the similarities they possessed in their properties. There were gaps in the table and the scientist believed that in the future new elements would be discovered to fill those gaps. His predictions were correct. Three of those elements were found during his lifetime: gallium, scandium, and germanium. They provided the strongest support for his periodic table. The table has now become fundamental to our understanding of chemistry and of how the universe is put together.

(5) In Russia, the Tsar considered the famous scientist's politics too liberal. Consequently, Mendeleev resigned from the university in 1900. He remained a popular figure with the Russian people and was appointed Director of the Bureau of Weights and Measures. He continued in this post until his death from pneumonia in 1907.

A. The Dawn of Scientist's Life

B. How the Periodic Table was Discovered

C. Some Very Happy Times

D. Working Hard towards His Goal

E. One Hardship after Another

F. The Start of Work of a Lifetime

G. Last Years: Popular Scholar

III. Прочитайте текст и выполните послетекстовые задания.

(1) It has long been known that when the green parts of plants are exposed to light under suitable conditions of temperature and moisture, carbon dioxide is absorbed by the plant from the atmosphere, and oxygen is released into the air. This exchange of gases in plants is the opposite of the process that occurs in respiration. In this plant process, which is called photosynthesis, carbohydrates are synthesized in the presence of light from carbon dioxide and water by specialized structures in the cytoplasm of plant cells called chloroplasts. These chloroplasts contain not only two types of light-trapping green chlorophyll but also a vast array of protein substances.

(2) In most plants, the water required by the photosynthesis process is absorbed from the soil by the roots and translocated through the root and stem to the chlorophyll-laden leaves. Except for the usually small percentage used in respiration, the oxygen released in the process diffuses out of the leaf into the atmosphere through stomates. In simple terms, carbon dioxide is the fuel, and oxygen is the product of the chemical reaction. For each molecule of carbon dioxide used, one molecule of oxygen is released.

(3) As a result of this process, radiant energy from the sun is stored as chemical energy. In turn, the chemical energy is used to decompose carbon dioxide and water. The products of their decomposition are recombined into a new compound, which successively builds up into the more and more complex substances that comprise the plant. These organic substances, that is, the sugars, starches, and cellulose, all belong to the class of organic molecules.

(4) In other words, the process of photosynthesis can be understood as a chemical change from carbon dioxide and water into the simple sugar glucose. This carbohydrate, in turn, is utilized by the plant to generate other forms of energy, such as the long chains of plant cells or polymers that comprise the cellular structures of starches or cellulose. Many intermediate steps are involved in the production of a simple sugar or starch. At the same time, a balance of gases is preserved in the atmosphere by the process of photosynthesis.

Выберите вариант ответа, соответствующий содержанию прочитанного текста (задания 1-5).

1. The combination of carbon dioxide and water to form sugar results in an excess of

1. water

2. oxygen

3. carbon

2. In photosynthesis, energy from the sun is

1. changed to chemical energy

2. conducted from the xylem to the leaves of green plants

3. not necessary to the process

3. Besides the manufacture of food for plants, another benefit of photosynthesis is

1. that it produces solar energy

2. that it removes harmful gases from the air

3. that it maintains a balance of gases in the atmosphere

4. Which of the following is not true of the oxygen used in photosynthesis?

1. Oxygen is absorbed by the roots

2. Oxygen is the product of photosynthesis

3. Oxygen is used in respiration

5. Which title best expresses the ideas in this passage?

1. Chemical Equations

2. Process of Photosynthesis

3. Production of Sugar

Определите значение указанного слова в тексте (задания 6-8).

6. respiration (1)

1. breathing B. diffusion C. synthesis

7. stored (3)

1. retained B. converted C. discovered

8. successively (3)

1. with effort B. in a sequence C. slowly

Выберите правильный вариант перевода в соответствии с содержанием текста (задания 9-12).

9. In simple terms, carbon dioxide is the fuel, and oxygen is the product of the chemical reaction (2).

A. В простых терминах, двуоксиь углерода – это топливо, а кислород – это продукт химическолй реакции.

B. Проще говоря, углекислый газ – это топливо, а кислород – это продукт химическолй реакции.

C. Говоря простыми словами, диоксид углерода – это топливо, а кислород – это продукт химическолй реакции.

10. In turn, the chemical energy is used to decompose carbon dioxide and water (3).

A. В свою очередь, химическая энергия используется для расщепления двуоксиси углерода и воды.

B. По очереди, с помощью химической энергии происходит распад двуокии углерода и воды.

C. Вслед за этим, идет процесс распада углекислого газа и воды.

11. In other words, the process of photosynthesis can be understood as a chemical change … (4)

A. Другими словами, процесс фотосинтеза можно представить как цепь химических преобразований…

B. По-другому говоря, процесс фотосинтеза может быть понят как химическое изменение …

C. Иными словами, процесс фотосинтеза следует понимать как ряд химических преобразований…

12. Many intermediate steps are involved in the production of a simple sugar or starch (4).

A. Производство простого сахара или крахмала состоит из многих промежуточных этапов.

B. Много промежуточных шагов включены в производство простого сахара или крахмала.

C. Многие промежуточные этапы включаются в производство простого сахара или крахмала.