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МИНИСТЕРСТВО НАУКИ И ВЫСШЕГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ
РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ
Российский химико-технологический университет
имени Д. И. Менделеева
Т. И. Кузнецова, И. А. Кузнецов
ПОСОБИЕ ПО АНГЛИЙСКОМУ ЯЗЫКУ
ДЛЯ МАГИСТРАНТОВ
ХИМИКО - ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ВУЗОВ
Утверждено
Редакционным советом университета
в качестве учебного пособия
Москва
2020
УДК 801.3=20(075)
ББК 371.64/69-20
К89
Рецензенты
Доктор филологических наук, профессор Московского политехнического
университета
С.С. Хромов
Кандидат технических наук, профессор кафедры процессов и аппаратов
РХТУ им. Д.И. Менделеева
Е.П. Моргунова
Кузнецова Т. И., Кузнецов И.А.
К89
Пособие по английскому языку для магистрантов химикотехнологических вузов /Т. И. Кузнецова., И.А. Кузнецов – М.: РХТУ
им. Д. И. Менделеева; 2020. – 160 с.
ISBN 978-5-………
Цель пособия – обучение магистрантов письменной и устной речи, развитие
умений читать литературу по своей специальности, совершенствование их
переводческих компетенций. Пособие включает тексты, заимствованные из
аутентичной научно-технической литературы, которые в учебных целях
снабжены пояснениями и комментариями. Отдельные разделы созданы для
обучения студентов навыкам презентации научного материала на семинарах и
конференциях.
Учебное
пособие
адресовано
магистрантам
химикотехнологических вузов, а также может быть использовано для обучения
слушателей курсов повышения квалификации и переподготовки.
УДК 801=30(075)
ББК 371.64/69-20
ISBN 978-5-…….
© Российский химикотехнологический
университет имени Д. И. Менделеева,
2020
© Кузнецова Т.И., Кузнецов
И.А.2020
СОДЕРЖАНИЕ
ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ.................................................................................................. 8
UNIT 1................................................................................................................. 10
TEXT: THE CHEMISTRY OF TOMORROW.................................................. 10
WORDS............................................................................................................... 11
COMPREHENSION ........................................................................................... 12
WORD STUDY .................................................................................................. 13
Irregular Plural Forms of Nouns ......................................................................... 13
Adjectives expressing likenes ............................................................................. 15
WORD-BUILDING PATTERNS: DERIVATION ............................................ 15
STUDY THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF WORDS: dilute, diffuse, disperse 16
Spelling differences between US and UK English ............................................. 17
WORD RECOGNITION BY GRAPHIC SHAPE ............................................. 20
STRUCTURE STUDY: CONDITIONAL SENTENCES.................................. 20
READING AND DISCUSSION ......................................................................... 23
TEXT 1: EUROPEAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY: CHALLENGES AND
PERSPECTIVES ................................................................................................. 23
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION ................ 25
TEXT 2: THE MODERN PROMETHEUS (?) .................................................. 25
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Speaking about your speciality and graduation
paper. ................................................................................................................... 28
UNIT 2................................................................................................................. 29
TEXT: CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY ............................................................... 29
WORDS............................................................................................................... 31
COMPREHENSION ........................................................................................... 31
WORD STUDY .................................................................................................. 32
Verb + Noun Combinations: Do – Make ............................................................ 32
Differences in meaning: liquid, fluid, flow.......................................................... 34
Differences in meaning: firm, hard, solid ........................................................... 35
WORD-BUILDING PATTERNS: PREFIXES .................................................. 36
Prefixes with Similar Leanings: in-, un-, il-, im-, ir- .......................................... 37
STUDY THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF WORDS: devise, device,
instrument, tool, apparatus ................................................................................. 38
Words with Similar Meanings............................................................................. 39
3
WORD RECOGNITION BY GRAPHIC SHAPE ............................................. 39
STRUCTURE STUDY: Noun Modifiers ........................................................... 39
The structure: To be of + noun ............................................................................ 41
READING AND DISCUSSION ......................................................................... 42
TEXT 1 ................................................................................................................ 42
TEXT 2 ................................................................................................................ 44
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Analyzing the content and structure of an
academic journal.................................................................................................. 47
UNIT 3................................................................................................................. 48
TEXT: BIOTECHNOLOGY .............................................................................. 48
WORDS............................................................................................................... 49
COMPREHENSION ........................................................................................... 50
WORD STUDY .................................................................................................. 51
Phrasal Verbs ....................................................................................................... 51
WORD-BUILDING PATTERNS: prefix bio- .................................................... 54
Words with Similar Meanings............................................................................. 55
WORD RECOGNITION BY GRAPHIC SHAPE ............................................. 55
STRUCTURE STUDY: Passive report structures. The Complex Subject. ........ 55
READING AND DISCUSSION ......................................................................... 58
TEXT 1 ................................................................................................................ 58
TEXT 2 ................................................................................................................ 60
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Previewing a Scientific Article .................... 61
UNIT 4................................................................................................................. 63
TEXT: WHERE DID BIOTECHNOLOGY BEGIN? ........................................ 63
WORDS............................................................................................................... 65
COMPREHENSION ........................................................................................... 66
WORD STUDY .................................................................................................. 66
STUDY THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF WORDS: technique and technology,
information technology, techno- ......................................................................... 67
WORD-BUILDING PATTERNS: SUFFIXES .................................................. 67
WORD RECOGNITION BY GRAPHIC SHAPE ............................................. 68
STRUCTURE STUDY: The Gerund .................................................................. 68
READING AND DISCUSSION ......................................................................... 72
TEXT 1: THIRD TIME LUCKY ........................................................................ 72
TEXT 2: CHEMISTS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY ................................................ 74
4
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION ................ 76
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Reviewing a Scientific Article ..................... 76
UNIT 5................................................................................................................. 77
TEXT: GREEN CHEMISTRY ........................................................................... 77
WORDS............................................................................................................... 79
COMPREHENSION ........................................................................................... 80
WORD STUDY .................................................................................................. 80
Differences in meaning: purpose, objective, aim, goal, intention, target. .......... 80
STUDY THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF WORDS: dangerous, hazardous,
precarious, perilous ............................................................................................. 81
WORD-BUILDING PATTERNS: PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES ..................... 82
TEXT COMPLETION ........................................................................................ 83
WORD RECOGNITION BY GRAPHIC SHAPE ............................................. 83
STRUCTURE STUDY: The Passive Voice ....................................................... 84
READING AND DISCUSSION ......................................................................... 86
TEXT 1 ................................................................................................................ 86
TEXT 2. FOSSIL FUELS: PRO AND CONTRA .............................................. 88
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION ................ 89
TEXT 3 ................................................................................................................ 90
TEXT 4 ................................................................................................................ 91
Linking devices ................................................................................................... 91
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Preparing a Report for a Conference ........... 93
UNIT 6................................................................................................................. 95
TEXT: GREEN NANOSCIENCE ...................................................................... 95
WORDS............................................................................................................... 96
COMPREHENSION ........................................................................................... 97
WORD STUDY .................................................................................................. 98
STUDY THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF WORDS: ...................................... 98
WORD-BUILDING .......................................................................................... 100
WORD RECOGNITION BY GRAPHIC SHAPE ........................................... 100
STRUCTURE STUDY: Relative Clauses ........................................................ 101
READING AND DISCUSSION ....................................................................... 103
TEXT 1 .............................................................................................................. 103
TEXT 2 .............................................................................................................. 105
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION .............. 107
5
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Describing an Experiment ......................... 107
UNIT 7............................................................................................................... 109
TEXT: ENERGY AND CIVILIZATION ......................................................... 109
WORDS............................................................................................................. 111
COMPREHENSION ......................................................................................... 112
WORD STUDY ................................................................................................ 112
STUDY THE FOLLOWING GROUP OF WORDS: contain, include, enclose,
consist of, comprise, be composed of, be made up of ...................................... 112
WORD-BUILDING PATTERNS: NEGATIVE PREFIXES ........................... 113
STRUCTURE STUDY: The Participle ............................................................ 114
READING AND DISCUSSION ....................................................................... 118
TEXT 1 .............................................................................................................. 118
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION .............. 119
TEXT 2 .............................................................................................................. 119
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Writing a Research Paper .......................... 121
STRUCTURING YOUR IDEAS: putting points in order ................................ 123
UNIT 8............................................................................................................... 125
TEXT: MATERIALS SCIENCE ...................................................................... 125
WORDS............................................................................................................. 126
COMPREHENSION ......................................................................................... 127
WORD STUDY ................................................................................................ 127
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION .............. 129
Word-Building................................................................................................... 130
STRUCTURE STUDY: The Functions of the –ed form .................................. 131
READING AND DISCUSSION ....................................................................... 133
TEXT 1 .............................................................................................................. 133
TEXT 2 .............................................................................................................. 134
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION .............. 137
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Academic Style and English ...................... 137
UNIT 9............................................................................................................... 139
TEXT: MATERIALS SCIENCE AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING ........ 139
WORDS............................................................................................................. 140
COMPREHENSION ......................................................................................... 141
WORD STUDY ................................................................................................ 142
Linking Adverbials ............................................................................................ 143
6
Word-Building................................................................................................... 145
STRUCTURE STUDY: Modal verbs ............................................................... 146
Functions of Modal Verbs and Synonymous Expressions ............................... 146
READING AND DISCUSSION ....................................................................... 152
TEXT 1: WHY STUDY MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ... 152
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION .............. 154
TEXT 2. MATERIALS: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ................................ 154
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Making a Presentation ............................... 156
БИБЛИОГРАФИЧЕСКИЙ СПИСОК ........................................................... 159
7
ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ
Настоящее учебное пособие предназначено для магистрантов
химико-технологических специальностей , уже прошедших базовый курс
английского языка в рамках бакалавриата. На этапе подготовки магистров
акцент переносится на изучение языка профессионального общения
(Professional Academic English), что предполагает развитие углубленных
навыков чтения литературы по специальности и формирование
профессиональной иноязычной компетенции. Особое внимание уделяется
развитию монологической устной и письменной речи (подготовке
выступлений на конференциях, совещаниях, симпозиумах и т.п.,
написанию тезисов, докладов и статей и т.п.), а также целенаправленному
поиску и обработке информации на материале обширного чтения научной
и научно-технической литературы.
Учебное пособие состоит из 9 уроков (Units 1 – 9). Структура
каждого урока однотипна и включает следующие разделы:
1. Основной текст урока, предназначенный для изучающего чтения.
После него следуют вопросы на понимание (Comprehension Questions).
2. Далее идет подраздел, озаглавленный Word Study. Он нацелен на
расширение словарного запаса студентов и включает разнообразные
упражнения
лексического
характера,
а
также
описание
словообразовательных моделей, широко распространенных в языке
научной прозы.
3. Следующий подраздел – Structure Study – предполагает
углубленное изучение только тех грамматических явлений и конструкций,
которые регулярно встречаются в научно-технической литературе и –
шире – используются в научной коммуникации. Эти конструкции обычно
представляют
большую трудность для носителей русского языка и
недостаточно освещаются в традиционных грамматических пособиях.
Такой подход к изучению грамматического материала позволит будущим
магистрам распознавать и понимать те грамматические формы и
конструкции, которые характерны для ситуаций делового и научного
общения специалистов и, соответственно, выбирать грамматические
средства в зависимости от своей коммуникативной задачи.
8
4. Раздел Reading and Discussion включает 2-3 текста, которые
связаны по своей тематике с основным текстом урока. Эти тексты
предназначены на выработку у магистрантов стратегий ознакомительного
чтения (Skimming) и поискового чтения (Scanning). Материалы этих
текстов служат также основой для того, чтобы мотивировать студентов к
активному участию в обсуждении затрагиваемых в них проблем, выражая
свое мнение, приводя аргументы, отстаивая свою точку зрения и т.п.
Соответственно, задания и упражнения этого раздела носят творческий
характер и предполагают различные виды аудиторной и внеаудиторной
работы.
5. Отдельный вид работы представляют задания по самостоятельной
работе (Self-Study Assignments), которые рассчитаны на самостоятельный
поиск информации по теме, связанной с научными интересами
магистранта, его самостоятельную работу с источником такой
информации, извлечение и обработку наиболее значимой информации и ее
представление в виде сообщения для последующего обсуждения в группе.
Независимо от того, какова специализация студента и, соответственно,
какой именно урок преподаватель выбирает для углубленного изучения,
выполнение этих заданий является обязательным для всех студентов.
Как показывает практика, основной трудностью для будущих
магистров является устное общение на английском языке на
профессиональные темы. Поэтому задания в учебном пособии построены
таким образом, чтобы именно этот вид учебной деятельности оказался в
центре внимания при проведении занятий. Прежде всего, сама тематика
текстов строится на проблемах, которые находятся в центре внимания
современных химиков, биотехнологов, нанотехнологов и представителей
других специальностей и которые вызывают острые дискуссии и споры в
научной среде. Кроме того, задания к этим текстам предполагают
вовлечение студентов в ситуации профессионального общения и
обсуждение возможных вариантов решения дискуссионных проблем. Это
облегчает преподавателю возможность воссоздания в учебных условиях
ситуаций диалога на профессиональные темы, что необходимо для
выработки у учащихся различных стратегий решения коммуникативных
задач.
Учебное пособие рассчитано на 18 занятий (36 часов).
9
UNIT 1
TEXT: THE CHEMISTRY OF TOMORROW
If we try to look to the future and focus on areas of innovation where
chemistry will undoubtedly transform human life through the transformation of
matter, the first thing that immediately comes to mind is the discovery of hightemperature superconductors that is of revolutionary significance.
In 1911 the Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Omnes was studying the
way in which the electrical conductivity of mercury varies with temperature. As
is the case with most metals, mercury becomes a better conductor as the
temperature decreases. Metals can be regarded as positive ions in a sea of
electrons. When an electric field is applied across a metal, the electrons move,
transporting the current. As the metal gets cooler, the ions vibrate less, causing
less interference for the migrating electrons. What was unexpected, though, was
the large, abrupt increase in the conductivity of mercury that occurred at about 4
K. The metal appeared to exhibit zero resistance to the flow of electrical current.
The first superconductor had been discovered.
The phenomenon of superconductivity is of tremendous potential utility
because so much of modern technology involves the passage of electrical
current. Electric generators, motors, electromagnets, and transmission lines use
millions of miles of copper wire – a good but not perfect conductor. If the wire
could be replaced by a superconductor, the savings in energy would be
monumental and undreamed of devices might be possible.
The first large-scale practical application of superconductivity has been in
superconducting magnets for scientific research and medical diagnosis. Most of
these applications relate to the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance
(NMR). The nucleus of an ordinary hydrogen atom can be regarded as similar to
a spinning top. In the presence of a magnetic field, the energy associated with a
clockwise spin is not identical to that associated with a counterclockwise spin.
The energy difference is very small, corresponding to the energy of a photon in
the radio wave region of the spectrum. When the nucleus absorbs a photon of
the appropriate energy, it flips from one spin state to the other. It turns out that
the specific amount of energy necessary to cause this flip depends on the
10
immediate electromagnetic environment of the atom involved. This
environment, in turn, depends on the structure of the molecule. The NMR
spectrum of a compound shows different energy absorption peaks for different
hydrogen atoms within the molecule. If the radio frequency and the magnetic
field are in proper relationship, the nuclei will change the spins and the signal
will be recorded. From this spectrum, chemists often determine the arrangement
of the atoms. The nuclei of a number of other isotopes, including carbon-13,
nitrogen-14, and phosphorus-31, can also exhibit nuclear magnetic resonance
and yield important structural information.
An NMR spectrometer consists of a powerful magnet, a radio transmitter,
and a detector of radio waves. The sample is placed between the poles of the
magnet, the transmitter is turned on and the spectrum is measured. Some NMR
spectrometers have permanent magnets, others have electromagnets, but the
most powerful have superconducting magnets made of niobium-tantalum alloys
or a compound of niobium and germanium with the formula Nb 3Ge. The
principle behind a superconducting magnet is similar to that associated with an
electromagnet.
Recently, this sort of equipment has been scaled up so that a human being
can be placed between the poles of the magnet. This technique is called
magnetic resonance imaging or MRI (presumably “nuclear” was dropped
because someone decided the average citizen was too afraid of that word to ever
agree to the procedure). An MRI instrument can detect differences in the energy
absorption by hydrogen nuclei in various sorts of cells. In particular, the
technique can be used to locate and identify tumors. MRI is thus a valuable (and
expensive) diagnostic tool in modern medicine.
WORDS
1. superconductor – сверхпроводник; superconductivity – сверхпроводимость
2. come to mind – приходить на ум
3. utility – полезность, выгодность
4. transmission line – линия (электро)передачи
5. large-scale – широкий, крупномасштабный
6. relate (to) – относиться, иметь отношение (к чему-либо)
11
7. nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) – ядерно-магнитный резонанс (ЯМР)
8. spinning top – волчок (игрушка)
9. spin – вращение
10. clockwise – по часовой стрелке; counterclockwise – против часовой
стрелки
12. flip (from one state to another) – перебрасывать, переходить (из одного
состояния в другое)
13. scale up – увеличивать (в размере, масштабе)
14. magnetic resonance imaging – магнитно-резонансная интраскопия
15. tumor (AE) = tumour (BE) – опухоль
COMPREHENSION
1. What problem did the Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Omnes work on in
1911? What unexpected result did he obtain in the course of his experiments?
2. Why can we describe the discovery of superconductors as being of
revolutionary significance? What are the potential industrial applications of the
phenomenon of superconductivity?
3. What was the first large-scale practical application of superconductivity?
What is meant by nuclear magnetic resonance?
4. What important structural information can be obtained from the NMR
spectrum of a compound?
5. What does an NMR spectrometer consist of? What kinds of magnets can be
used within the spectrometer? What are the advantages of superconducting
magnets?
6. What is the difference between the equipment used in nuclear magnetic
resonance technique and that used in magnetic resonance imaging technique?
What can an MRI instrument detect? What makes MRI a valuable, though
expensive, diagnostic tool in modern medicine?
12
WORD STUDY
EXERCISE 1. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following Russian
word-combinations:
изменяться в зависимости от температуры; создавать меньше помех
для миграции электронов; как это бывает у большинства металлов;
переносить ток; явление сверхпроводимости; сбережение энергии;
оказывается, что…; в свою очередь; максимумы поглощения энергии;
расположение атомов; давать важную информацию; принцип, лежащий в
основе; обнаруживать различия в поглощении энергии; ценное средство
диагностики.
Irregular Plural Forms of Nouns
There are words in English that are borrowed from other languages,
especially Latin, and that still form their plurals according to the rules of those
languages. Many of them are technical or formal, and some are also used with a
regular “-s” or “-es” plural ending in non-technical or informal contexts. You
may need to check these in a dictionary.
formula (sing.) – formulae (formal) – formulas (informal)
Some nouns of Latin origin ending in –us have plurals ending in –i.
nucleus – nuclei
fungus – fungi
radius – radii
bacillus – bacilli
stimulus – stimuli
locus – loci
However, other nouns ending in –us, have different plurals.
corpus – corpora
genus – genera
Some nouns of Latin origin ending in –um often have plurals ending in –a.
datum – data
curriculum – curricula
spectrum – spectra
aquarium – aquaria
bacterium – bacteria
memorandum – memoranda
13
Some nouns of Latin origin ending in –a have plurals ending in –ae.
formula – formulae
alga – algae
Some nouns of Latin origin ending in –ix or –ex often have plurals ending in –
ices. Some of these have two plural forms, one formed with –s and one formed
in a different way. Usually the form with –s is used in less formal English.
index – indices / indexes
helix – helices
appendix – appendices / vortex – vortices
appendixes
matrix – matrices
Some nouns of Greek origin ending in –is have plurals ending in –es.
analysis – analyses
synthesis – syntheses
hypothesis – hypotheses
thesis – theses
axis – axes
diagnosis – diagnoses
crisis – crises
Nouns borrowed from Greek that end in –on have plurals in which –on is
replaced by –a.
phenomenon – phenomena, criterion – criteria
The following words borrowed from French have the same written form
for the plural and for the singular. The –s at the end is not pronounced for the
singular but it is pronounced [z] for the plural.
bourgeois
patois
chassis
précis
corps
rendezvous
EXERCISE 1. Find in the text words of Latin and Greek origin with irregular
forms of plural. Translate them into Russian.
EXERCISE 2. Make a list of the words belonging to the science you yourself are
studying which are made up in this way, and find out the meaning of the Greek
and Latin root(s) in each case. Arrange them in alphabetical order for future
reference.
14
Adjectives expressing likenes
similar, analogous, identical
Similar stresses the likeness between different things, implying that
differences may be overlooked; analogous applies to things susceptible of
comparison even though belonging to different categories; identical indicates an
almost exact correspondence without detectable or significant difference.
e.g. The two houses are very similar in size.
The company is in a position closely analogous to that of its main rival.
Chemically, the mineral is almost identical to limestone.
EXERCISE. Complete these statements with the proper adjective expressing
likeness.
1. Some children are genetically ...... with their parents.
2. The accident was ...... to one that happened last year.
3. The fingerprints of no two people are ...... .
4. The relation between addition and subtraction is ...... to that between
multiplication and division.
5. A wild cat is ...... to, but smaller than a lion.
WORD-BUILDING PATTERNS: DERIVATION
A derivational affix combines with a root to form a new word. English
derivational affixes include prefixes and suffixes.
Just as a building can have several stories, a word can have several layers by
adding multiple affixes to the root:
Addition of several prefixes: re-un-button, dis-em-power
Addition of several suffixes: class-ifi-er, restrict-ive-ness
Addition of prefixes and suffixes: un-equal-ity, de-class-ify, un-lock-able.
EXERCISE 1. Following the model given in the first line of the table below,
supply the correct words in the place of the question-marks.
Verb
Noun
Adjective
observe
observation
observable
transform
?
transformable
15
?
adapt
?
?
apply
?
detection
?
?
transportation
application
?
?
?
variable
?
?
identifiable
EXERCISE 2. Translate the Russian terms given below by means of the
corresponding English words with the prefix super- and various suffixes. In case
of difficulty, use a dictionary.
Сверхпроводник,
надмолекулярный,
перенасыщение,
сверхполяризация,
сверхрастворимость,
суперпластификатор,
перегреватель, сверхтекучесть.
STUDY THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF WORDS: dilute, diffuse, disperse
1. Liquid is added to the acid in order to dilute it (= to weaken). Zinc and
copper electrodes are put into dilute sulphuric acid. The hot gases have to be
diluted by the addition of cool air.
2. The acid diffuses into the rest of the solution in the cell (=spreads out). The
dust particles in the air diffuse the light. The air in the pump is diffused in a
divergent cone.
3. The light passing through a prism is dispersed into a band of colours (scatter).
The factory buildings are dispersed over a wide area.
EXERCISE. Insert the correct word.
1. Light gases ...... through porous surfaces more rapidly than heavy gases.
2. The perfumes are …… in vegetable oils.
3. Building tall chimneys to ...... the smoke is no solution at all.
4. He was drinking a glass of wine ...... with water.
5. The mist ...... with the morning sun.
6. The population in this area is quite widely ...... .
7. It allows nicotine to ...... slowly and steadily into bloodstream.
16
Spelling differences between US and UK English
Many words, mostly abstract nouns of Latin origin, have the ending
spelled –our in British English, but –or in American English.
BrE
AmE
armour
armor
behaviour
behavior
colour
color
favour
favor
flavour
flavor
honour
honor
humour
humor
labour
labor
neighbour
neighbor
odour
odor
rumour
rumor
vapour
vapor
vigour
vigor
Some words spelled with –oul in British English are spelled with –ol in
American English.
BrE
AmE
mould
mold
moult
molt
smoulder
smolder
Many words, mostly of French origin, have their ending spelled –re in
British English –er in American English.
BrE
AmE
calibre
caliber
centre
center
fibre
fiber
meagre
meager
metre
meter
spectre
specter
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theatre
theater
Many words, mostly of Greek and Latin origin, are spelled with –ae or –
oe in British English, but –e in American English. However, the American
spellings are now sometimes used in British English as well.
BrE
AmE
aesthetic
esthetic
amoeba
ameba
diarrhoea
diharrea
gynaecology
gynecology
mediaeval
medieval
Note that manoeuvre is spelled maneuver in American English.
Many verbs can end in either –ise or –ize. The –ise ending is more
common in British English than American English, but British people are
increasingly using the –ize ending.
BrE
AmE
apologise / apologize
apologize
authorise / authorize
authorize
computerise / computerize
computerize
criticise / criticize
criticize
mechanise / mechanize
mechanize
organise / organize
organize
realise / realize
realize
specialise / specialize
specialize
Note that for the following verbs you can only use the –ise ending in both
American British English.
advertise
exercise
advise
improvise
arise
promise
circumcise
revise
compromise
supervise
despise
surmise
devise
surprise
excise
televise
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Note also the following small groups of words that are spelled differently
in British and American English.
BrE
AmE
aluminium
aluminum
analyse
breathalyse
catalyse
paralyse
analyze
breathalyze
catalyze
paralyze
analogue
catalogue
dialogue
analog
catalog
dialog
defence
offence
pretence
defense
offense
pretense
to practise
to practice
programme
telegramme
program
telegram
cheque
check (from a bank)
jewellery
jewelry
licence
license
tyre
tire (on a car)
In British English, some items are usually written in two words, but in
American English they can be written as one word.
BrE
AmE
19
any more
de luxe
per cent
anymore
deluxe
percent
In American English, when you add a suffix to a two-syllable word whose final
syllable is not stressed, you don't double the 'l'. For example, American English
uses the spellings traveling and marvelous, whereas British English uses the
spellings travelling and marvellous.
In British English, final –l is doubled (after one vowel) even if the syllable
is not stressed.
BrE
AmE
travel: travelling / travelled
traveling / traveled
cancel: cancelling / cancelled
canceling/ canceled
equal: equalling / equalled
equaling /equaled
If the final syllable is stressed, the final consonant is doubled in both
British and American English. For example, both use the spellings admitting and
admitted.
WORD RECOGNITION BY GRAPHIC SHAPE
Which of the following words are correctly spelled? Choose the correct
one (ones).
evolition evollution evolution evolution
conversion convercion canversion conversion
temprature temperrature
temmperature
temperature
fraggmentation fragmentation
fragmentation
frogmentation
condensation
conndensation
condensation
condennsation
STRUCTURE STUDY: CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
Conditional sentences have two parts: the if-clause (hypothesis) and the
main clause (the result clause). There are various types of conditionals:
20
Type 1 Conditionals are used to talk about events which are possible. The
Conditional clause can refer to the present or the future. In the if-clause any
Present tense can be used. Future tense is not used in the if-clause, e.g.
If it rains, we will stay at home.
The if-clause can come before or after the main clause. When the ifclause comes first, it is separated from the main clause with a comma, e.g.
If you don’t try harder, you will fail.
You will fail if you don’t try harder.
The following expressions can be used instead of if- : unless (= if not),
providing, provided (that), as long as, (just) in case, on condition (that), but
for (= without), otherwise, or else, supposing, even if, on condition that.
Type 2 Conditionals are used to describe unlikely situations in the present
or future. The pattern is:
if-clause
main clause
if- + Past Simple
would/could/might + bare Infinitive
e.g. If I had money, I would travel round the world.
In Type 2 Conditionals in formal situations the form were is used instead
of was in all persons, e.g.
If I were you, I would rake an umbrella.
Type 3 Conditionals are used to talk about an event or situation that did
not happen in the past (imagining what would have happened if things had been
different) The pattern is:
if-clause
main clause
if + Past Perfect
would/could/might + Perf. Inf.
e.g. If I hadn’t taken an umbrella, I would have got wet. (= but I didn’t get wet).
Sometimes Conditionals of various types can be mixed in the same
sentence, especially when a past event has an effect in the present. Such cases
are described as Mixed Type Conditionals, e.g.
If he were a fast runner, he would have won the race.
(He is not a fast runner, so he didn’t win the race).
If she had saved her money, she would be going on holiday.
(She didn’t save her money, so she isn’t going on holiday).
21
EXERCISE 1. Choose the correct word in the Conditional sentences below:
1. If you don’t hurry / will hurry, you’ll miss the train.
2. His French won’t improve provided / unless he studies more.
3. If I had / will have more time, I would take up tennis.
4. If I were / would be in your position, I would apply for the job.
5. If he had been told about the lecture, I’m sure he would come / would have
come.
EXERCISE 2. Rephrase the following using unless.
1. If the neighbours don’t stop shouting, I’ll call the police.
2. If he doesn’t pay the fine, he may go to prison.
3. If the traffic isn’t heavy, we should arrive by 9 p.m.
4. If the Chinese restaurant isn’t open, we’ll go for a pizza.
5. If the athlete can’t improve his speed, he won’t break the record.
EXERCISE 3. Choose the correct form of the verb in brackets.
1. If the radioactive material were not carefully stored, it (contaminate) its
surroundings.
2. If the whole operation (not planned) carefully beforehand, a great deal of time
and money would have been lost.
3. Unless laboratory conditions are kept constant, many pieces of apparatus
(become) inaccurate.
4. If politicians (know) more about science, they would obtain better results.
5. If the metal lead (Pb) is cooled to a temperature below 7.2 K, it (become) a
superconductor.
6. If a NMR spectrometer (be) available, the researchers could work more
efficiently.
EXERCISE 4. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. It would be necessary to resort to a prior separation of the two elements if one
had only cathodic waves to work with.
2. If a free, bridged phenonium ion had been an intermediate, the product would
have been largely the p-toluenesulfonate ester.
3. If it were possible to measure such a tension between two different phases in
contact, all our problems might be solved.
4. If the operation has been performed properly, the material will give a negative
test for unsaturation.
22
5. If the attacking radical had a greater affinity for hydrogen, then the hydrogenabstraction process should be favoured.
6. Had the substances as isolated consisted of a mixture of a polysaccharide and
a polypeptide the former would not have been expected to migrate in an electric
field.
7. Cramer might have been credited with a discovery of alanine in 1865 had he
taken the trouble to purify an amino acid fraction which undoubtedly was rich in
alanine.
8. It is essential that the phenol solutions be perfectly clear and free of this lipid.
9. The characteristics required of the electrode material are that the ration of
secondary to primary particles should be as great as possible.
10. In the hope that Dieckmann cyclization would yield a piperidone derivative
we carried out the following experiment.
READING AND DISCUSSION
TEXT 1: EUROPEAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY: CHALLENGES AND
PERSPECTIVES
Pre-Reading Tasks
Before reading the text, discuss the following questions with your partner:
– Are scientific and technological advances possible without switching over to
innovative chemical products and technologies? Why/why not?
– In your opinion, what are the possible ways to develop chemical industry in
the future?
– Some specialists argue that the chemicals market will not be stirred by
revolutionary discoveries, such as the emergence of new molecule classes.
Others believe that any revolutionary discovery in chemistry will have an
immediate influence on the development of chemical industry. Which of the two
opinions do you share and why?
The European chemical industry is facing major challenges as the global
economy gravitates eastward, driven by economic growth and market
opportunities in Asia. Preparing for the future, European chemical companies
should develop a platform for growth, continuing their roles as pioneers in
23
developing innovative products – participating in and further developing
innovative industries in Europe and worldwide.
The focus will be on inventions aligned with global mega trends that
ultimately generate future growth platforms. These include alternative feedstock
and energy sources, improved energy storage, intelligent materials, and
nutrition. These platforms will allow the European chemical industry to derive
unique products, which are essential for growth. For example, the chemical
industry can be involved in clean tech related to value chains, an area where new
growth opportunities reside in using both existing chemical solutions and soonto-be-commercialized chemical innovations.
Examples of future growth platforms
Alternative feedstock
Alternative energy
- Bio and renewable feedstock
- Shale gas, photovoltaic, and solar
- Coal to liquid
Thermal
- Urban mining
- Wind energy
Environmental technology
Efficiency
- Clean air and water
- Lightweight materials
- Waste treatment
- Insulation
Energy storage
Nutrition
- Li-ion batteries
- Advanced biotech
- Fuel cells
- Food chain efficiency
Intelligent materials
- Nanomaterials
- Functional textiles
The existing chemical solution will further push improvements in weight
reduction – a key trend in transportation. The chemical industry already has
significant offerings in this field and might contribute more, for example, with
carbon fiber solutions. Insulation can boost reduction of carbon dioxide
footprints of buildings to fight global warming. In a world where mega cities
grow like mushrooms, recuperating valuable raw materials, known as urban
mining, will be increasingly important. The chemical industry has answers to
these challenges.
24
The clean tech platform also offers growth potential because of
anticipated innovations in chemicals. For example, chemical products drive the
cost, performance, and safety of automotive batteries. Advances in chemicals
are critical to improving the power and energy density of lithium-based batteries
as the automotive industry moves toward electric vehicle production. And
second-generation biofuels require a combination of chemical and biochemical
knowledge for pre-treatment and sugar and starch extraction. These are just a
few examples that illustrate how European chemical companies can use their
strengths in product innovation to retain and further build a competitive edge.
Innovative solutions will help the chemical industry transition from a
traditional supplier role of being paid by the ton of material to play a more
important and indispensable role in the industry value chain. There are several
ways to meet this goal. Every company has its own strong points that it can use,
to a certain degree, to control the development of the industry and earn aboveaverage, sustainable returns. In chemicals, these include materials advantage,
process excellence, patent control, and application know-how – and they reach
far beyond the chemical industry to have, ultimately, an impact on end users.
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION
The text gives examples of future growth platforms for European chemical
industry.
1)
What do you know about the trends and developments described in the
text?
2)
Which of them are most important for Russian chemical industry?
3)
Choose one and explain what opportunities it opens up for the future.
TEXT 2: THE MODERN PROMETHEUS
SKIMMING: To get the gist of a text quickly, you can SKIM it. This means
running your eye quickly down the text to form an impression of what it is about.
Look through the text to find answers to the following questions:
1. How can understanding and imitating natural processes help the medicinal
and biological chemistry of the future to alter and improve nature?
2. In what way can chemistry contribute to eradicating certain genetic defects?
25
3. What recent achievements in the manipulation of genetic material make it
possible to hope that genetic engineering will help solve world hunger and
starvation?
4. What risks and hazards is bioengineering associated with?
Nature is obviously an indispensable aid and ally in medicinal and
biological chemistry. Much of our success has come from understanding and
imitating natural processes. If we are as wise we are intelligent, the chemistry of
the future will use these processes to alter and improve nature. Molecular
engineering has made it possible to create nucleic acids, proteins, enzymes,
hormones, drugs, and other biologically important molecules that do not exist in
nature. The new molecules must be designed to be more efficient catalysts than
their naturally occurring counterparts, more effective and less toxic drugs for
treating a wide range of diseases, modified hormones that actually work better
than the original. It is not at all fanciful to imagine a whole range of enzymes,
engineered to consume environmentally hazardous wastes that are impervious to
naturally occurring enzymes.
Even more exciting is the possibility of eradicating certain genetic defects.
Our growing knowledge of the human genome, coupled with our understanding
of the chemistry of genetics, hold the promise of altering out inheritance. The
molecular locus of some hereditary diseases is already known. For example,
people who suffer from sickle-cell anemia have hemoglobin with a minor
alteration in its primary structure. The amino acid valine replaces the glutamic
acid in two places in this large, oxygen-carrying molecule. This slight change is
sufficient to cause the hemoglobin to polymerize or gel when the oxygen
concentration is low. Because we know the genetic code for these two amino
acids, we know the sort of error in base sequence that accounts for this
substitution. And if we know the error, perhaps we can someday correct it by
manipulating the genetic material.
The manipulation of our human heredity holds great promise for
individuals and for our species. Prospects include the elimination of sickle-cell
anemia, diabetes, hemophilia, phenylketonuria, and dozens of other serious
hereditary traits. The next logical step would seem to be the creation of new
organisms. Frost-resistant strains of strawberries have been developed in the
26
laboratory, and a new species of tomato has been created that is tough enough
for long-distance shipping and still tastes like a tomato. Indeed, genetic
engineering could do much to help solve world hunger and starvation.
But the risks and dangers of molecular biology are equally great.
To go back to the genetically engineered tomato mentioned in the previous
paragraph: it has been created by removing a small piece of tomato’s DNA that
causes over-ripening. Without this bit of genetic information, tomatoes can be
picked when they have fully ripened and shipped to market without fear that
they will over-ripen and turn to mush in transit. No new genetic information is
introduced. Yet, some people are boycotting the sale of the transformed
tomatoes.
Bioengineering carries with it vast potential for good and evil. It is
haunted by the specter of efforts to design a master race or to subjugate or
eliminate “defectives” through genetic manipulation. Hence, there is an
intentional irony in the title of this passage. Prometheus was the demigod who
stole fire and the flame of learning from the gods and brought these
incomparable gifts to humanity. “The Modern Prometheus” is the subtitle of
Frankenstein1, Mary Shelley’s classic study of scientific knowledge run amok.
How to use our ever-growing knowledge of the natural world will be one of the
greatest challenges of the twenty-first century.
The last paragraph of the text poses the problem of scientists’
responsibility towards individual people and humanity at large.
– Do you agree with the author that this problem is one of the greatest
challenges of the 21-st century? Why/why not?
– In the same paragraph we come across two proper names those of Prometheus
and Frankenstein. What message do these names carry? Why does the author
use a question mark in the title of the text?
– It is well known that many experiments in the field of medicine, biology, and
psychology are not allowed for ethical reasons. For example, cloning of human
1
A novel by Mary Shelley. It is the story of a Swiss scientist, Dr Frankenstein, who makes a living
creature from pieces of dead bodies. This manlike monster later slays its maker. Metaphorically, the
name can be applied to anything that gets beyond the control of the inventor and causes his
destruction.
27
beings has been banned in many countries. What do you think of bans of this
kind? Do you know of analogous bans in chemistry?
– Explain clearly, and as fully as possible, any examples known to you of
unexpected side-effects (both beneficial and harmful) which new chemical
products and processes have had or can have in future.
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: SPEAKING ABOUT YOUR
SPECIALITY AND GRADUATION PAPER
1. You have all graduated from different universities and colleges with
Bachelor's degrees. You plan to go on with your education and to get the degree
of Master of Science (MSc). Try to explain the reasons for your decision.
2. Speak about your graduation paper. What was the subject of the paper?
What problem did you investigate? How significant is the problem for chemistry
or allied branches of science?
3. What served as the material for your investigation? What methods did
you use in your research? Did you carry out any experiments? What equipment
was used in the experiments? What results did you get?
4. What conclusions did you come to in the course of your research? Do
you think the problem formulated in your graduation paper has now been solved
or does it require further investigations?
5. What are you going to do next? Would you like to change the field of
your study or do you plan to go on with the research you have begun? What
results do you hope to achieve?
28
UNIT 2
TEXT: CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY
The term “technology” is applied to the tools, machines, and processes
that use scientific advances in practical applications. Chemical technology is the
kind of technology that aids in doing chemistry. To be more specific, it provides
analytical instruments that aid in doing chemistry. This differs from chemistry
because the focus is on the instruments rather than the chemistry itself. It can
refer to instruments like spectrophotometers (IR, UV-VIS), chromatographs
(GC, HPLC), NMR, mass spec, analytical balances, and many others. It can also
refer to computer hardware and software used with these instruments.
Another explanation of the term “Chemical Technology” is: innovative
techniques that involve the transformation and transport of matter and energy
with the focus of contributing the knowledge base of industrial manufacture.
Research in the field of chemical-based technologies involves the development
and commercialization of processes and/or products based upon fundamental
engineering principles, mathematical models, and experimental techniques, with
an emphasis on projects that have the potential for innovation and broad
application in areas such as the environment and chemical processing.
Chemical-based technologies are widely used in the areas of separation,
catalysis, photochemical and electrochemical systems, fluid flow, combustionrelated processes, thermal analysis, and molecular design. Applications of these
technologies in the marketplace can range widely in the areas of gas and liquid
separation processes; single and multiphase processes and combustion fluid
dynamics; reactor and heat exchanger design; molecular modeling; and chemical
characterization.
Separation Applications
Research is needed to develop highly selective, energy-efficient, and
economic processes and effective mass-separating agents (e.g., membranes,
adsorbents, extractants) for the separation and purification of all types of
substances. Examples include
- environmentally benign liquid and gas separation of organic substances (e.g.,
olefins), and
29
- inorganic substances (e.g., minerals), and
- critical and strategic metals.
Novel Catalytic Systems
Areas of interest include preparation of new catalysts or catalytic systems
and of new uses for known catalysts. Applications may include:
- consumer products,
- chemical production.
Petrochemical or Electrochemical Applications
- novel applications of radiation to affect chemical reactions
- innovative electric current applications to affect chemical reactions.
Fluid Flow Applications
These aim at improving the commercial applications of fluid engineering
or particle technology processes or phenomena leading to advances with
significant industrial impact:
- improved systems related to single-phase and multi-phase fluid flow
- novel spraying applications
- innovative particle technology applications
- computational software related to the modeling of industrially applicable
processes.
Combustion-Related Processes
Research is focused on uses of combustion in industrial applications. For
example, it might address innovative concepts for combustion to synthesize a
specific product of economic value; and diagnostic techniques that can function
in a high-temperature or high-field environment.
Reactor Engineering Applications
Commercialization of research in the areas of chemical reaction
engineering encompassing the interaction of transport phenomena and kinetics
in reactive systems and the use of this knowledge to design complex chemical
reactions is of interest. Research areas include, but are not limited to
- membrane reactor systems
- supercritical fluid applications.
Chemical Design and Synthesis
30
Research is needed for the design and synthesis of new organic and
inorganic substances that enable the testing of theoretical, mechanistic, or
structural hypotheses with commercial promise.
WORDS
1. to aid - помогать, оказывать помощь
2. fluid flow – поток текучей среды (жидкости или газа)
3. separation – разделение, выделение, отделение
4. fluid dynamics – гидродинамика
5. heat exchange – теплопередача, теплообмен
6. extractant – экстрагент, экстрагирующий растворитель
7. environmentally benign - экологически безопасный, экологичный
8. cyclic olefin – циклоолефин
9. fuel cell – топливный элемент
10. to encompass – охватывать, покрывать
11. characterization – определение характеристик или параметров
12. interface – граница/поверхность раздела, межфазная граница
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT
IR = infrared
UV = ultraviolet
VIS = visible (spectrum)
GC = gas chromatograph
HPLC = high-performance liquid chromatograph
NMR = nuclear magnetic resonance
mass spec = mass spectrometry
COMPREHENSION
1. How is the term “technology” defined in the text? What distinguishes
chemical technology from chemistry?
2. What is research in the field of chemical-based technologies aimed at? What
areas are chemical-based technologies used in?
31
3. How are innovative chemical technologies applied in the areas of:
– gas and liquid separation processes;
– novel catalytic systems;
– fluid engineering and particle technology processes;
– combustion related processes;
– chemical design and synthesis.
WORD STUDY
Verb + Noun Combinations: Do – Make
Many words in English exist as a part of a group of words which
commonly occur together in a certain order. Examples are verbs do and make.
These verbs can be combined with some nouns, but not with others, and
sometimes choosing the right combination can be a problem.
We use do:
To talk about activities without mentioning exactly what they are.
What's she doing?
Are you doing anything tonight?
To talk about work or task.
Have you done your homework yet?
It was a pleasure doing business with you.
With a determiner (e.g. the, some) + -ing, to talk about activities that are
repeated or take some time.
Could you do some photocopying for me please?
We need a temp to do the filing.
We use make:
To talk about creating or constructing.
We made new plans for the store based on his suggestions.
The company makes photographic equipment.
With nouns connected with talking about sounds.
I'd like to make a complaint / an enquiry.
Those machines make too much noise.
32
With nouns connected with travel.
The regional manager is making a visit next week.
We had to make a long journey to find this place.
There are many other expressions with make and do which do not follow
these guidelines. It is best to learn these or use a dictionary if you are unsure.
Below you will find some of word-combinations with these verbs:
Do means "perform an action or Make means "bring into existence",
activity"
"produce some result"
For example:
For example:
Do it, do this, do that
Make a sandwich, make a meal
Do something, do anything, do nothing Make a cup of tea, make a pot of
Do the same thing, do the right thing
coffee
Do a thing like that
Make a living, make a profit
Do good, do well, do better
Make mistakes, make a mess
Do a good / bad job
Make a copy (of…)
Do some (hard) work
Make a phone call, make a film
Do the housework
Make your bed
Do some homework
Make sense
Do the windows, do the dishes
Make a decision
Do the shopping, do the washing
Make a point (of…)/(about…)
Do the washing-up (G.B.)
Make a case (for…)
Do some talking, do some singing
Make a left / make a right (U.S. – for
Do a course, do a project
street directions
Make love
Make war, make peace
EXERCISE 1.
Complete the sentence with the correct form of make or do
(in everyday English).
1. Sssh! You mustn’t …… a noise. The baby is sleeping.
2. How many times a week do you …… the shopping?
3. I’d like to keep fit, so I …… exercises every day.
4. How do you feel when you …… a mistake in your English?
5. What would you wear to …… a good impression at a job interview?
6. The storm …… a lot of damage to the crops.
33
7. I …… very little progress at the start of the course.
8. Don’t worry, Tim. Just …… your best.
9. She felt she was …… a terrible mess of her life.
EXERCISE 2. Complete the sentence with the correct form of make or do (in
Academic English).
1. Scientists have …… extensive research into the effects of these drugs.
2. We have been …… business with them for over 30 years now.
3. Investigators now need to …… a series of further experiments in the field of
human genetics.
4. If we don't get some orders soon we'll have to …… some of our workers
redundant.
5. Investigations have …… a considerable progress in revealing a level of air
pollution in the city centre.
6. We have …… a considerable profit on the sales of that land.
7. Laboratory tests were …… on blood samples.
8. We have received a small grant to …… scientific research into the effects of
acid rain.
9. Further experiments will be …… to verify the results.
10. He was …… investigative work on this project in organic chemistry.
11. A customer has …… a complaint about one of our salespeople.
12. The bank has decided to …… extra provision against bad debts this year.
Differences in meaning: liquid, fluid, flow
Liquid, fluid are comparable both as adjectives meaning composed of particles
that move easily and flowingly and change their relative position without any
perceptible break in their continuity. Both terms imply an opposition to solid,
but liquid is more restricted in its application, for the term implies the flow
characteristic of water and refers only to substances which, like water, have a
definite volume. Fluid, on the other hand, implies flow of any sort and is
applicable not only to all liquids but also to gases, which, unlike liquids, have
neither independent volume nor shape.
When ice is melted, it changes from the solid to the liquid state.
Benzol, petrol and kerosene are liquid fuels.
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Liquid metal is sometimes used as a reactor coolant.
A liquid pump is one which pumps liquids, such as water, oil, etc.
A fluid is any substance which flows.
The working fluid used in this reciprocating engine is steam.
A gas turbine uses hot gases as the working fluid.
In a hydraulic system, oil is normally used as the working fluid.
The rate of flow of a fluid through the pipe is measured.
Flow is a continuous movement of a liquid in one direction.
Drugs that improve the blood flow around the body.
The river flows southwest to the Atlantic ocean.
New channels are deliberately cut to alter the flow of the water.
Differences in meaning: firm, hard, solid
Firm suggests such closeness or compactness of texture that the substance
or material quickly returns to shape or is difficult to pull, distort, cut, and
displace.
The ground underfoot was fairly firm and not too muddy.
Exercise is important if you want your muscles to stay firm.
We want a firm commitment that resources will be provided.
Hard implies impenetrability or relatively complete resistance to pressure or
tension but, unlike, firm, hard really implies elasticity.
The plastic was chosen because it is very hard and durable.
The green fruits were as hard as rocks.
Diamonds is one the hardest substances known.
Solid implies such density and coherence in the mass as enable a thing to
maintain a fixed form in spite of external deforming forces.
It remains solid at room temperature.
If you put in the freezer, it will go solid.
The containers have to be solid enough to withstand the pressure.
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WORD-BUILDING PATTERNS: PREFIXES
A very large proportion of English words, especially those used in
technical writing, came into the language from Greek or Latin or French. We
can often learn something of their meaning if we know the meaning of the Latin
or Greek or French prefix.
Here are some of the prefixes:
en-, em- (forming a verb from a noun or adjective), e.g.
ensure, enrich, enlarge, enable, entrain, enclose, encapsulate, embody,
embrittle, empower, enforce
inter- (= between or among), e.g.
interlock, interweave, interconnect, interact, interface, intersection,
intermediate
re- (= again), e.g.
reuse, recirculate, reheat, recharge, reload, regroup, re-align,
reassemble, reinforce, regenerate, renewal, reproduction. rearrangement
counter- (= against, opposite to), e.g.
counteract,
counterbalance,
counterweigh,
counterattack,
countermeasure, counterpart, counterforce,
over- (= too much), e.g.
overcharge, overheat, overload, overwind, overstrain, overwork,
overactive,
over- (= above), e.g.
overhead, overtone, overhaul, overall,
under- (= too little), e.g.
underload, underestimate, underpay, undersize, underrate,
under- (= below), e.g.
underpin, undercut, undercharge, underdevelop, underestimate, underlie,
undergrowth, underfeed
dis- (= the opposite), e.g.
disconnect, discharge, disjoin, disregard, disintegrate, disclose,
dissociate, dissolve
im-, in-, ir- (= not). e.g.
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immature, impurity, immoderate, impermeable, inanimate, incompatible,
inactive, inelastic, ineffective, irrespective, irrational, irresponsible
un- (= not). e.g.
unstable, uncontaminated, unspecified, unknown, unlimited, unsaturated,
unavailable
super- (= above, more than), e.g.
superconductor, superheat, supercharge, superphosphate, superstructure,
supersonic, supersaturated, superimpose, supersensitive
sub- (= beneath, less than), e.g.
substructure subsoil, sub-grade, subgroup, sub-surface, sub-stratum,
substandard, submerge, subnormal, subordinate
Prefixes with Similar Leanings: in-, un-, il-, im-, irThe basic meaning of the prefix in- is "not". Thus, inactive means "not
active". In- is related to and sometimes confused with the prefix un-, which also
means "not". In fact, sometimes in- is used interchangeably with un-, as when
incommunicative is used instead of uncommunicative. Before the consonants l
and r, in- becomes il- respectively: illogical, irregular. Before the consonants b,
m, and p, in- becomes im-: imbalanced, immeasurable, impossible.
EXERCISE 1. Give the opposite of these words by adding the correct prefix.
reversible
controllable
probable
convenient
soluble
variable
permeable
efficient
fertile
distinguishable
available
proportionate
consistent
correct
definable
attainable
limited
comprehensible
EXERCISE 2. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences, using the prefixes re, under-, over-.
1. When the engineer …straightened the bent piece of metal, he found it had lost
part of its strength.
2. Researchers tend to …estimate the importance of subjective factors in an
investigation.
3. These factors may cause a scientist to …stress irrelevant details.
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4. The result of …production is a surplus.
5. The bulk of the population in the emerging countries is …nourished.
STUDY THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF WORDS: DEVISE, DEVICE,
INSTRUMENT, TOOL, APPARATUS
1. We must devise some way of overcoming the difficulty. (= think out)
A separation is process was devised for the extraction of plutonium.
2. A device is (usually) a clever mechanism which is devised to solve some
particular mechanical problem.
A thermostat is a device for regulating temperatures.
A clutch is a device for engaging and disengaging gears.
A burglar alarm is a device forgiving warning that thieves are trying to
enter a building.
3. An instrument is (usually) a small manufactured object which enables us to
perform some precise action or measurement.
A pyrometer is an instrument for measuring high temperatures.
A seismograph is an instrument for recoding earth tremors.
A spectroscope is an instrument for measuring the spectra of rays.
4. A tool is an instrument or piece of equipment that you hold in your hands in
order to help you to do a particular kind of work. There are many kinds of tool.
For example, spades, hammers, knives are tools.
5. An apparatus is (usually) a complicated mechanism or assembly of many
different pieces used for some scientific experiment or test.
An Orsat apparatus is used to analyze the products of combustion.
A bomb calorimeter is an apparatus for finding out the calorific value of a
solid or liquid fuel.
EXERCISE. Taking the example of an instrument or apparatus which is used in
the discipline you yourself are studying, explain clearly for the layman
(=someone who is not a professional in a particular subject, non-scientist) what
it is, how it works, and some of its main uses.
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Words with Similar Meanings
EXERCISE. After each of the following sentences there is a choice of three
words. Pick the word that is closest in meaning to the word in italics as used in
the sentence.
1. It was far brighter than had previously been expected.
calculated / anticipated / hoped
2. The composition of the planet is unknown.
organization / element / make-up
3. The surface has been eroded by hostile conditions.
formed / shaped / worn away
4. It confirmed the earlier reports.
supported / announced / helped
5. They speculated that the cause of the erosion was surface wind.
argued / discussed / conjectured
WORD RECOGNITION BY GRAPHIC SHAPE
Which of the following words are correctly spelled? Choose the correct
one (ones).
proprties propperties properties properties
mesurements
measurements
measurments
measurements
transmited transmitted transmmitted
transmeatted
observeation
obcervation obcervattion observation
theretical theoretical teoretical theoretical
STRUCTURE STUDY: Noun Modifiers
Nouns are usually described by putting an adjective before them:
stainless steel
But in English we can very often put another noun before the noun.
carbon dioxide
salt water
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heat treatment
Such nouns are described as noun modifiers because they are used to
modify other nouns or to give more specific information about something or
someone.
Noun modifiers form strings of nouns, or compound nouns which are used
to show a wide range of relationships between two, three, or even more nouns,
as can be seen from the following examples:
Heat treatment = treatment with or by heat
Metal tubes = tubes made of metal
Cylinder head design = the design of cylinder heads
A heat removal plant = a plant for the removal of heat
Hydrocarbon fuel cell technology = the technology of hydrocarbon fuel
cells
X-ray diffraction crystal structure analysis = the analysis of the
structure of crystals by means of the diffraction of X-rays
Note that the key element in such strings of nouns always takes the final position
and that noun modifiers usually do not take a plural form.
This device is frequently used in scientific English for the usual reason,
that is, conciseness: the compound noun is shorter than the corresponding
phrase.
EXERCISE 1. Explain the relationship between the nouns in the following
compound terms used in the text. Translate them into Russian.
– fluid flow
– computation fluid dynamics
– fuel cell
– membrane reaction system
– gas separation
– particle technology
application
– mass spectroscopy
– heat exchanger design
EXERCISE 2. Replace the italicized phrases by compound nouns:
1. The Industrial Revolution led to a radical change in methods of production.
2. The mechanics of fluids is a specialized branch of physics.
3. Nuclear energy has been utilized by some of the latest plants for the supply of
electric power.
4. Gas is one of the by-products of the industry concerned with the refining of
oil.
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EXERCISE 3. Form compound nouns from each of the following phrases.
Remember to be careful about plurals.
1. A theory about the waves of earthquakes
2. A study concerned with the distribution of the population
3. Chemistry of the nucleus of cells
4. Techniques applicable to the breeding of plants
5. Measurements of the transfer of heat
6. Interpretation of photographs taken by X-rays
7. Devices for the control of the flow of heat
8. A gas known as carbon dioxide
9. A vessel in which some process is carried out under pressure
10. Regulations affecting public health
The structure: To be of + noun
When the verb to be is followed by the preposition of, the verb to be has
the meaning to have (иметь) or to present (представлять).
EXERCISE 1. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. The article under consideration is of crucial importance for all those interested
in chemical technology.
2. It was discovered that the results obtained were of great value for specialists
working in the field of biochemistry.
3. At the end of the paper the author arrives at the conclusion that the problem
discussed is of vital significance for all investigators concerned with green
chemistry.
4. It is an issue of major concern to ecologists who believe that protecting the
environment is of prime importance.
5. In his attempt to solve the problem he found out that the approach proposed in
earlier investigation was of no practical use to him.
6. The problem of alcohol-related crime is becoming a matter of great concern to
forensic chemistry.
7. It should be emphasized that the "double bonds" in the benzene ring are of
inert character.
8. The optically active 2-benzylbutane is probably of the inverted configuration.
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9. The reaction of hydrogen with carbon to produce methane is not of great
significance at the moment.
10. Electrolytic reduction is of little practical value except for the production of
amino-phenols.
EXERCISE 2. Translate the following sentences into English:
1. Этот метод представляет большой интерес для нашего исследования.
2. Это вопрос первостепенной важности.
3. От него нет никакой пользы.
4. Эта картина представляет большую ценность.
5. Эта статья не представляет для меня интереса.
6. Могу ли я чем-нибудь помочь вам?
7. Это не мое дело (это меня не касается).
READING AND DISCUSSION
TEXT 1
Pre-Reading Tasks
Before you read, discuss these questions with your partner:
– What do you know about nanotechnology?
– What is so promising about this technology for it to be considered a key
technology of the 21st century?
– What are the possible applications of nanotechnology in chemical research?
NANOTECHNOLOGY
Nanotechnology, which is sometimes shortened to “nanotech”, refers to a
field whose subject is the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale.
Generally nanotechnology deals with the structure of the size 100 nanometers or
smaller, and involves developing materials or devices within that size.
One nanometer (nm) is one billionth, or 10-9, of a meter. By comparison,
typical carbon-carbon bond lengths, or the spacing between these atoms in a
molecule, are in the range 0.12-0.15 nm. On the other hand, the smallest cellular
lifeforms, the bacteria of the genus Micoplasma, are around 200 nm in length.
42
To put that scale in another context, a nanometer is the amount a man’s beard
grows in the time it takes him to raise the razor to his face.
A number of physical phenomena become pronounced as the size of the
system decreases. These include statistical mechanical effects, as well as
quantum mechanical effects, for example the “quantum size effect” where the
electronic properties of solids are altered with great reductions in particle size.
This effect does not come into play by going from macro to micro dimensions.
However, it becomes dominant when the nanometer size range is reached.
Additionally, a number of physical (mechanical, electrical, optical, etc.)
properties change when compared to microscopic systems. One example is the
increase in surface area to volume ratio, altering mechanical, thermal, and
catalytic properties of materials. Novel mechanical properties of nanosystems
are of interest in the nanomechanics research. Materials reduced to the nanoscale
can show different properties compared to what they exhibit on a macroscale,
enabling unique applications. For instance, opaque substances become
transparent (copper); stable materials turn combustible (aluminum); solids turn
into liquids at room temperature (gold); insulators become conductors (silicon).
A material such as gold, which is chemically inert at normal scales, can serve as
a potent chemical catalyst at nanoscales. Thus, the nanometer scale of
substances alone allows new functions and properties to arise, e.g. hardness and
fracture strength, but also conducting and storage capacity. In the medium term,
nanotechnology is expected to have an impact on almost all areas of industry.
Nanotechnology may make it possible to manufacture lighter, stronger,
and programmable materials that require less energy to produce than
conventional materials and produce less waste than with conventional
manufacturing. Nanocoatings for both opaque and translucent surfaces may
render them resistant to corrosion, scratches, and radiation. Nanoscale
electronic, magnetic, and mechanical devices and systems with unprecedented
levels of information processing may be fabricated, as may chemical,
photochemical, and biological sensors for protection, health care,
manufacturing, and the environment.
Using the processes of nanotechnology, basic industrial production may
change dramatically the course followed by steel plants and chemical factories
of the past. Raw materials will come from the atoms of abundant elements –
43
carbon, hydrogen, and silicon – and these will be manipulated into precise
configurations to create nanostructured materials that exhibit the right properties
for each particular application. For example, carbon atoms can be bonded
together in a number of different geometries to create variously a fibre, a tube, a
molecular coating, or a wire, all with the superior strength-to-weight ratio of
another carbon material – diamond. Nanotechnology ultimately may allow
people to fabricate almost any type of material or product allowable under the
laws of physics or chemistry.
WRITING AN ABSTRACT
An abstract is a valuable tool for the researcher investigating the
literature of his speciality. The aim of an abstract is to give a brief account of
the main conclusions of a report or any other publication, usually without
entering into details. This serves as a quick guide for the investigator faced with
a mass of literature and helps him to locate relevant information quickly and
efficiently. Below are given key-patterns which can be used as a framework for a
summary. Using the prompts given, make an abstract of the text.
The text is concerned with ...... The author outlines ...... Attention is
focused on ...... Special comments are made on ...... The text discusses current
developments and foreseeable trends with regard to ...... Much attention is paid
to describing the advantages of …… which offers the possibility of …… The
text presents ...... and ends with ...... The text is intended for …… working in the
field of …… and for broad circles of readers.
TEXT 2
SKIMMING: Look through the text and say which of the four statements given
below best summarizes its main idea.
1) The text describes the methods used by oil companies in search for alternative
sources of carbonaceous fuels.
2) The text explains the role heavy distillation fractions play in converting crude
oil to transportation fuels.
3) The text outlines the techniques used to find metal contaminants in petroleum
and how they will lead to superior fuels.
4) The text is concerned with the problem of developing new technologies to
improve the efficiency of oil processing.
44
METAL DETECTORS FOR CLEAN FUEL
Petroleum is, and has always been the primary source of energy on our
planet. The shortage of oil reserve, combined with increasing energy demands,
has brought a surge of interest in revisiting petroleum processing technology in
the quest for better performing and cheaper fuels.
Metals and sulfur found in heavy petroleum fractions can poison the
catalysts used during refining processes. They also corrode equipment and
contaminate the environment. So investigations focus on detecting metal content
in petroleum and petroleum products. The metals’ behavior during the refining
processes depends on their chemical form. Knowing the size and structure of
metal complexes is crucial in choosing catalysts suitable for removing them.
Yet, despite progress in analytical methodology, relatively little is known
about the metal species in crude oil. Metalloporphyrin complexes with nickel
and vanadium are often cited, but non-porphyrin complexes with molecular
weights reaching several thousand Daltons should also be present. More
information is available about the forms of sulfur in petroleum or mercury and
arsenic in gas condensates but there is no definite agreement on their exact
nature.
Analyzing the elements in petroleum is a nightmare for analysts as the
fuel contains thousands of molecules of different sizes and polarities, which
interact with different forces. Direct analysis is barely possible and multistep
analysis techniques are required to separate and properly identify target
metallomolecules. This has led analysts to develop special analytical techniques
and methods. They include direct analytical techniques such as X-ray absorption
spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance and molecular mass
spectrometry (using laser desorption, electrospray and chemical ionization) as
well as techniques that combine chromatography’s high separation potential (for
example, high-performance liquid chromatography or gas chromatography) with
an element specific detector’s sensitivity (for example, atomic absorption
spectrometry).
As these techniques become more widely available, identifying metal
species in complex organic mixtures such as petroleum becomes easier and
meeting the challenge of removing them for cleaner fuels becomes a step away.
45
EXERCISE 1. Make sentences using all jumbled phrases given below.
a)
in the quest for
the shortage of oil reserves
in revisiting petroleum processing technology
better performing and cheaper fuels
has brought a surge of interest
combined with increasing energy demands
b)
about the forms of sulfur in petroleum
but
on their exact nature
more information is available
or mercury and arsenic in gas condensates
there is no definite agreement
c)
thousands of molecules
analyzing the elements in petroleum
the fuel contains
with different forces
as
of different sizes and polarities
is a nightmare for analysts
which interact
d)
meeting the challenge
as these techniques
and
in complex organic mixtures
becomes a step away
of removing them
become more widely available
identifying metal species
for cleaner fuels
becomes easier
such as petroleum
46
EXERCISE 2. In the text you can find an extensive list of direct and multistep
analytical techniques used by chemists, e,g, X-ray absorption spectroscopy,
electron paramagnetic resonance, molecular mass spectrometry, highperformance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, atomic absorption
spectrometry. Which of these techniques are you familiar with? Which of them
do you use or are going to use in your own research? What for?
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: ANALYZING THE CONTENT AND
STRUCTURE OF AN ACADEMIC JOURNAL
1. Look up in the library or on the Internet the titles of the journals relevant for
your field of study. Report on these to the rest of the class and explain your
choice.
2. Choose one journal and speak on its structure and contents.
– What academic society or organization is the journal published by?
– How often does it come out?
– What are the scope and aims of the journal?
– What sections is it divided into?
– Is the emphasis mainly put on fundamental studies or on applied
investigations?
– What kinds of readers is the journal intended for?
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UNIT 3
TEXT: BIOTECHNOLOGY
Biotechnology, sometimes shortened to “biotech”, is the use of living
systems and organisms to develop or make useful products.
For thousands of years humankind has used biotechnology in agriculture,
food production and medicine. The term itself is largely believed to have been
coined in 1919 by Hungarian engineer Karl Ereky. In the late 20th and early 21st
century, biotechnology has expanded to include new and diverse sciences such
as genomics, recombinant gene technologies, applied immunology, and the
development of pharmaceutical therapies and diagnostic tests.
Biotechnology draws on biological sciences (genetics, microbiology,
molecular biology, biochemistry, embryology, cell biology). And in many
instances it is also dependent on knowledge and methods from outside the
sphere of biology, including chemical engineering, bioprocess engineering,
bioinformatics (a new branch of information technology), and biorobotics.
Biotechnology has applications in four major industrial areas, including
health care (medical), crop production and agriculture, non-food (industrial)
uses of crops and other products (e.g. biodegradable plastics, vegetable oil,
biofuels), and environmental uses. For example, one application of
biotechnology is the directed use of organisms for the manufacture of organic
products (examples include beer and milk products). Another example is using
naturally present bacteria by the mining industry in bioleaching. Biotechnology
is also used to recycle, treat waste, clean up sites contaminated by industrial
activities, and also to produce biological weapons.
In medicine, modern biotechnology finds promising applications in such
areas as drug production, pharmacogenomics, and gene therapy.
Pharmacogenomics
Pharmacogenomics is the study of how the genetic inheritance of an
individual affects his/her body’s response to drugs. The term is derived from the
words “pharmacology” and “genomics”. It is hence the study of the relationship
between pharmaceuticals and genetics. Pharmacogenomics is aimed at designing
and producing drugs that are adapted to each person’s genetic makeup.
48
Pharmaceutical products
Most traditional pharmaceutical drugs are relatively small molecules that
bind to particular molecular targets and either activate or deactivate biological
processes. Small molecules are typically manufactured through traditional
organic synthesis. In contrast, biopharmaceuticals are large biological molecules
such as proteins that are developed to address targets that cannot easily be
addressed by small molecules.
Modern biotechnology is often associated with the use of genetically
altered microorganisms for the production of substances like synthetic insulin or
antibiotics. It can also refer to transgenic animals or transgenic plants.
Biotechnology is also commonly associated with landmark breakthroughs in
new medical therapies to treat hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cancers, bone fractures,
multiple sclerosis, and cardiovascular disorders. The biotechnology industry has
also been instrumental in developing molecular diagnostic devices that can be
used to define the target patient population for a given pharmaceutical.
Modern biotechnology has evolved, making it possible to produce more
easily and relatively cheaply human growth hormone, fertility drugs,
erythropoietin and other drugs. Most drugs today are based on about 500
molecular targets. Genomic knowledge of the genes involved in diseases,
disease pathways, and drug-response sites is expected to lead to the discovery of
thousands more new targets.
Gene therapy
Gene therapy may be used for treating, or even curing, genetic and
acquired diseases like cancer and AIDS by using normal genes to supplement or
replace defective genes or to bolster a normal function such as immunity.
Recently, for example, two children born with severe combined
immunodeficiency disorder were reported to have been cured after being given
genetically engineered cells.
WORDS
1. to coin a term = придумать термин
2. recombinant gene – рекомбинантный ген
3. health care – здравоохранение
49
4. crop production – растениеводство
5. biodegradable –разлагающийся естественным образом
6. bioleaching – биовыщелачивание (руд)
7. to recycle – утилизировать, использовать повторно
8. waste – отходы
9. genetic inheritance – генетическая наследственность
10. response to (drugs) - реакция на (лекарства)
11. genetic make-up - генетический состав, набор генов
12. landmark breakthrough – прорыв, ставший поворотным пунктом
13. AIDS = Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome – синдром
приобретенного иммунного дефицита (СПИД)
14. genetically engineered cells – клетки, полученные методом генной
инженерии
COMPREHENSION
1. What is meant by “biotechnology”? When did the term come into use and
who was the first to coin it? What new branches of science were included into
biotechnology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries?
2. What sciences does biotechnology draw on?
3. What major industrial areas is biotechnology used in nowadays? Give
examples of various applications of biotechnology.
4. How can you define pharmacogenomics? What words is the term derived
from?
5. What advantages do biopharmaceuticals have over traditional pharmaceutical
drugs?
6. What breakthroughs in the field of pharmacological medicine is
biotechnology associated with? What new opportunities in the field does it open
up?
7. What does the method of gene therapy consist in? Has it yielded any results
yet?
50
WORD STUDY
Phrasal Verbs
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and an adverb, a verb and a
preposition, or a verb, an adverb and a preposition, which together have a single
meaning. The adverb or preposition is sometimes called a particle. Phrasal
verbs extend the usual meaning of the verb or create a new meaning.
The alarm clock went off at 7 o'clock.
I had to look after the kids.
John has given up smoking.
Some phrasal verbs have three parts, the verb and two particles.
Kevin tried to talk her out of it.
I will not put up with such bad behavior (tolerate).
Other examples include:
to catch up on = do something you did not have time to do earlier
to face up to = accept that a difficult of unpleasant situation exists
to get away with something = to escape due punishment for something
to get on with = to give you time to do something and make progress with it
to look down on = to think that you are better or more important than someone
else
to look forward to something = to feel happy and excited about something that is
going to happen
to look out for = to watch or search carefully for somebody or something
to make up for = to compensate for what is lost or missing
to speak up for = to talk publicly to defend somebody or something
to stand up for = to defend somebody or something
It is generally recognized that the role of English phrasal verbs has
increased dramatically in recent years. They are used more and more wisely, not
only in colloquial English, but also in academic writing, in official reports, and
in mass media.
Some students try to avoid using them altogether. But phrasal verbs are not
only a central feature of the English language, they are also extremely useful.
Expert speakers use phrasal verbs in all kinds of contacts – not just in informal
51
situations such as conversations or emails, but quite often in formal and
technical writing too. There are many contexts where phrasal verbs are simply
the best, most natural sounding way of expressing an idea.
Generally, a native speaker of English tends to use phrasal verbs where speaker
who has learned English as a foreign language more often employs a more
formal word or phrase. In the examples given below, the first sentence
represents the native speaker's idiomatic, colloquial style, while the second
represents the foreign speaker's more formal counterpart. In each case the two
sentences have the same meaning.
Guess who I ran into this morning.
Guess who I encountered this morning!
Is that a true story, or did someone make it up?
Is that a true story, or did someone contrive it?
Don't look down on him just because he never went to college.
Don't view him with contempt just because he never went to college.
I'll take back that remark.
I'll retract that remark.
Throw out the broken glass before you cut yourself.
Discard the broken glass before you cut yourself.
I enjoyed the concert, but I wasn't carried away.
I enjoyed the concert, but I wasn't entranced by it.
Phrasal verbs are very widely used in all varieties of English, especially in
everyday spoken English, and are often preferred by speakers to their more
formal one-word counterparts. Sometimes there are also nouns formed from
these verbs, for example, a break-down - поломка, a check-in – стойка
регистрации (в аэропорту).
EXERCISE 1. Replace the following sentences with take or get.
a) What time do you …… up during the week?
52
b) How well do you and your brother …… on?
c) Do you find that grammar rules are easy to …… in?
d) What time do you usually …… off work?
e) What sort of things …… you down?
EXERCISE 2. Respond to the statements below, using the proper form of the
word given in brackets.
a) This suitcase is too heavy. (put down)
b) I can’t remember what that word means. (look up)
c) These papers are all mixed up. (sort out)
d) I’d like to invite Ann to the party. (ring up)
e) I don’t need these old note-books any more. (throw away)
EXERCISE 3. Underline the twelve phrasal verbs in these sentences.
a. I sent off the order last week but the goods haven't turned up yet.
b. I came across an interesting book in the library. I took down the title. Here it
is.
c. We asked some friends around to watch a film, but the video was playing up
and it eventually broke down.
d. I brought up this problem at the last meeting. It's really time to sort out the
problem.
e. I wish he'd stop messing us about! He's put the meeting off three times and
now he wants to call it off altogether.
EXERCISE 4. Write answers to these questions using the phrasal verb in
brackets.
a. What are your plans for the summer holidays? (look forward to)
b. What homework have you got to do this weekend? (catch up on)
c. If you've been away somewhere by train and arrive back late, how do you
usually get home from the railway station? (pick up)
d. What is your favourite album and why do you like it? (associate with)
e. What sorts of things make you feel stressed? (contend with)
f. How easy do you find it to fall asleep at night? (drop off)
EXERCISE 5. Replace the underlined verbs in these sentences with phrasal
verbs made using the verbs and particles from the boxes below.
make chase brush leave fall
up
for
out
aside out
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a. They just ignored my complaints; it made me very angry.
b. I believed his story about having lost all his money. How stupid I was!
c. I couldn't understand what he was saying with all the noise.
d. Could you pursue Jane's report? She promised it last week but I haven't seen it
yet.
e. If you are phoning from outside the country, omit the first zero in the city
code.
EXERCISE 6. Use more formal equivalents from the box instead of the phrasal
verbs in these sentences. Write the formal verbs in the correct form.
decline issue
organize cancel escape
a. The government have put out a statement condemning the recent protests.
b. The union accepted the new pay deal and called off the strike.
c. The number of people not owning a TV set nowadays has gone down
dramatically.
d. There was a disturbance in prison camp yesterday and three prisoners got
away.
e. Could you see to lunch to our visitors? There will be four of them.
WORD-BUILDING PATTERNS: prefix bioBio- comes from the Greek word “bios”, meaning “life”. When used to
form words in English, bio- generally refers to living organisms or to biology,
the science of living organisms. Many of the words that begin with bio- as
bioethics, biophysics, and biotechnology, have only come into being in the 20th
century.
EXERCISE. Give English equivalents for the following Russian words:
биохимия; поддающийся биологическому разложению; биотехнология;
биографический; биотопливо; биоинформатика; биовыщелачивание;
биоинженерия.
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Words with Similar Meanings
EXERCISE. After each of the following sentences there is a choice of three
words. Pick the word that is closest in meaning to the word in italics as used in
the sentence.
1. Some risks can be greatly reduced by a modest expense.
inconsiderable / shy / relatively small
2. There is the possibility of catastrophes of unprecedented magnitude.
size / importance / horror
3. It is dangerous to have too naïve a view of this problem.
immature / simple / careful
4. This number should be roughly constant from activity to activity.
permanent / unchanging / satisfactory
5. It seems to me that we do this to ensure public confidence.
persuade / satisfy / make certain of
WORD RECOGNITION BY GRAPHIC SHAPE
Which of the following words are correctly spelled? Choose the correct
one (ones).
phemonema phenomena fenomena phennomena
specialization spesialization specializacion specializasion
organnism organisme organizm organism
uttilization utilazation utilization utilizasion
photosynthetic fotosynthetic photosinthetic photosyntetic
STRUCTURE STUDY: PASSIVE REPORT STRUCTURES. THE
COMPLEX SUBJECT.
There are two ways of presenting a passive report structure:
1) It is/was + Past participle of reporting verb + that + subject phrase, e.g.
It is said that reading in dim light can damage your eyes.
2) subject + is/was/are/were + Past Participle of reporting verb + Infinitive, e.g.
He is considered to be a promising scientist.
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When reporting what people consider (considered) to be true, it is often
easier to drop the “people”, especially if you don’t know or you don’t care
which people, and use a passive report structure. If you are writing or submitting
a formal spoken report, it is more appropriate. In this structure the subject is
expressed by a noun or a pronoun and the Infinitive, and is called the Complex
Subject.
The most reporting verbs are say, think, consider, believe, assume,
expect, report (used in the Passive Voice) and the verbs seem, appear, turn out,
happen (used in the Active Voice), e.g.
She is known to be a good chemist.
Your brother appears to know the problem well.
They are reported to have obtained good results.
He happened to have been knocked down by a car.
Peter is said to be learning Italian, as he is going to Italy soon.
The task turned out to be too difficult for me.
The Complex Subject can also be used with to be likely/unlikely, to be
sure, to be certain if the speaker wants to express the degree of
certainty/uncertainty about the action of the Infinitive, e.g.
He is sure to come in time.
They are unlikely to have translated the article.
Students from our University are certain to take part in the conference.
The English simple sentence with the Complex Subject is translated into
Russian by means of a complex sentence beginning with: известно, говорят,
полагают, считается, оказалось, представляется, что…; по-видимому,
вероятно, маловероятно, вряд ли.
EXERCISE 1. Make up sentences matching the suggested parts. Use the
following reporting verbs: to suppose, to seem, to expect, to know, to be likely.
The results obtained
to sign the document
The scientists
to have been conducted
The discussion
to have come to mutual agreement
The student
to be held in the atmosphere of mutual
understanding
The leaders of the two powers
to have proved the hypothesis
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The experiment
to be answering a question
EXERCISE 2. Make suggestions concerning actions that one is expected
(supposed, certain) to perform in certain situations:
at the English lesson; if you have promised something; if you apply for a
job; at midnight; if you find a lost purse.
EXERCISE 3. Characterize the following groups of people as having common
professional features:
chemists; astronauts; sportsmen; writers; actors; teachers.
e.g. Teachers are known (likely, supposed, expected, etc.) to be good
judges of people’s character.
EXERCISE 4. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
The formation of trimethylene oxide is assumed to arise from a simultaneous
shift of electrons.
The close agreement of the six compounds listed is unlikely to be a coincidence.
The alkyl nitrates appear to act merely as a source of nitrous acid.
Cholic acid was known to contain a carboxyl group and three alcoholic hydroxyl
group.
After boiling for three hours, the mixture was found to be on the point of
exploding.
The results obtained proved to be analogous to those reported by previous
workers.
The cerium-sulfate complex ions are believed to involve sulfate ion and not
bisulfate ion.
The surface of this portion of the catalyst was postulated to consist of cobalt
atoms.
The conditions of the experiment are set to be favourable.
The disulfides are, of course, well-known, but are not thought of as a related the
sulfenic esters.
These correlations appear to hold, also, for many hydrocarbons.
The isomers are deemed to be in dynamic equilibrium with one onother.
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READING AND DISCUSSION
TEXT 1
SCANNING: When looking for a particular piece of information in a text, don't
read the whole text from beginning to end. Glance through the whole text to find
the relevant part and then read this more carefully. This is known as
SCANNING. Read the text below and say what is new in it when compared with
the previous text about biotechnology.
RECENT ADVANCES IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
At its simplest, biotechnology is technology based on biology.
Biotechnology harnesses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop
technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of our
planet. We have used the biological processes of microorganisms for more than
6,000 years to make useful food products, such as bread and cheese, and to
preserve dairy products.
Modern biotechnology provides breakthrough products and technologies
to combat debilitating and rare diseases, reduce our environmental footprint,
feed the hungry, use less and cleaner energy, and have safer, cleaner and more
efficient industrial manufacturing processes.
Currently, there are more than 250 biotechnology health care products and
vaccines available to patients, many for previously untreatable diseases. More
than 13.3 million farmers around the world use agricultural biotechnology to
increase yields, prevent damage from insects and pests and reduce farming’s
impact on the environment. And more than 50 biorefineries are being built
across North America to test and refine technologies to produce biofuels and
chemicals from renewable biomass, which can help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
Recent advances in biotechnology are helping us prepare for and meet
society’s most pressing challenges. Here is how:
Heal the World
Biotech is helping to harness nature’s own toolbox and use out genetic
makeup by:
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– Reducing rates of infectious disease;
– Saving millions of children’s lives;
– Tailoring treatments to individuals to minimize health risks and side- effects;
– Creating more precise tools for disease detection’ and
– Combating serious illnesses and everyday threats confronting the developing
world.
Fuel the World
Biotech uses biological processes such as fermentation and harnesses
biocatalysts such as enzymes, yeast, and other microbes to become microscopic
manufacturing plants. Biotech is helping to fuel the world by:
– Improving manufacturing process efficiency to save 50% or more on operating
costs;
– Reducing use of and reliance on petrochemicals;
– Using biofuels to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 52% or more;
– Decreasing water usage and waste generation; and
– Exploiting the full potential of traditional biomass waste products.
Feed the World
Biotech improves crop insect resistance, enhances crop herbicide
tolerance and facilitates the use of more environmentally sustainable farming
practices. Biotech is helping to feed the world by:
– Generating higher crop yields with fewer inputs;
– Lowering volumes of agricultural chemicals required by crops;
– Using biotech crops that need fewer applications of pesticides;
– Producing foods free of allergens and toxins such as mycotoxin; and
– Improving food and crop oil content to help improve cardiovascular health.
EXERCISE. The sentences given below make up part of an abstract of the text.
Put them in the right order:
a) Recent advances in biotechnology are helping to heal the world, to fuel the
world and to feed the world.
b) Biotechnology is technology based on biology.
c) Examples are given of the numerous applications biotechnology finds in
modern industry and agriculture.
d) The biological processes of microorganisms have been successfully used for
more than 6.000 years.
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e) Thanks to biotechnology, people can save energy and have safer, cleaner and
more efficient industrial manufacturing processes.
TEXT 2
SKIMMING: Look through the text quickly to find answers to the following
questions:
1. Why can the first bakers or the first animal breeders be described as fledgling
biotechnologists?
2. How did “prehistoric biotechnologists” contribute to the development of
biotechnology?
3. What are the latest achievements in the field of biotechnology?
BIOTECHNOLOGY: THE PAST AND THE PRESENT
Biotechnology in one form or another has flourished since prehistoric
times. When the first human beings realized that they could plant their own
crops and breed their own animals, they learned to use biotechnology. The
discovery that fruit juices fermented into wine, or that milk could be converted
into cheese or yogurt, or that beer could be made by fermenting solutions of
malt or hops began the study of biotechnology. When the first bakers found that
they could make a soft, spongy bread rather than a firm, thin cracker, they were
acting as fledgling biotechnologists. The first animal breeders, realizing that
different physical traits could be either magnified or lost by mating appropriate
pairs of animals, engaged in the manipulations of biotechnology.
What, then, is biotechnology? The term brings to mind many different
things. Some think of developing new types of animals. Others dream of almost
unlimited sources of human therapeutic drugs. Still others envision the
possibility of growing crops that are more nutritious and naturally pest-resistant
to feed a rapidly growing world population. This question elicits almost as many
first-thought responses as there are people to whom the question can be posed.
In its purest from, the term “biotechnology” refers to the use of living
organisms or their products to modify human health and the human
environment. Prehistoric biotechnologists did this as they used yeast cells to
raise bread dough and to ferment alcoholic beverages, and bacterial cells to
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make cheeses and yogurts and as they bred strong, productive animals to make
even stronger and more productive offspring.
Throughout human history, we have learned a great deal about the
different organisms that our ancestors used so effectively. The marked increase
in our understanding of these organisms and their cell products gains us the
ability to control the many functions of various cells and organisms. Using the
techniques of gene splicing and recombinant DNA technology, we can now
actually combine the genetic elements of two or more living cells. Functioning
lengths of DNA can be taken from one organism and placed into the cells of
another organism. As a result, for example, we can cause bacterial cells to
produce human molecules. Cows can produce more milk for the same amount of
feed. And we can synthesize therapeutic molecules that have never before
existed.
Look at the second and the third paragraphs of the text. What is the
relationship between the third paragraph and the one preceding it?
a) It contrasts what is known now with what was thought earlier;
b) It develops the theme of the earlier paragraph;
c) It proves that the statements made earlier are contradictory.
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: PREVIEWING A SCIENTIFIC
ARTICLE
The structure of a scientific article usually includes the following
subdivisions:
1) Title
2) Abstract
3) Introduction
4) Experimental Section
5) Results
6) Discussion
7) Conclusion(s)
8) Acknowledgments
9) References
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Take an article from the journal you have chosen and describe it briefly
from the point of view of its structure and content. While doing this, answer the
following questions:
a) Who is the article written by? Is the author a well-known authority in the
field?
b) Does the title of the article give you an idea of what the article is about? Are
there any subtitles?
c) Does the article include any photographs, pictures, graphs, tables, etc.?
What is their function?
d) In your opinion, is the article worth careful reading or just scanning to obtain
specific information?
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UNIT 4
TEXT: WHERE DID BIOTECHNOLOGY BEGIN?
Certain practices that we would now classify as applications of biology
have been in use since man’s earliest days. Nearly 10,000 years ago, our
ancestors were producing wine, beer, and bread by using fermentation, a natural
process in which the biological activity of one-celled organisms plays a critical
role.
In fermentation, microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts, and molds are
mixed with ingredients that provide them with food. Like all other living
organisms, yeasts and bacteria need to feed. They do so by producing enzymes
that cause decomposition. For example, yeast produces an enzyme that breaks
down the sugar glucose from fruit and grains into ethanol (alcohol) and carbon
dioxide. In the process, energy is released which the yeast cells use to multiply.
glucose → ethanol (alcohol) + carbon dioxide
C6H12O6 → 2C2H5OH + 2CO2 + energy
(sugar) (alcohol) (carbon dioxide)
Fermentation is an anaerobic process – it takes place in the absence of
oxygen.
In beer making, yeast cells break down starch and sugar (present in cereal
grain) to form alcohol; the froth, or head, of the beer results from the carbon
dioxide gas that the cells produce. In simple terms, the living cells rearrange
chemical elements to form new products that they need to live and reproduce.
By happy coincidence, in the process of doing so, they help make a popular
beverage.
Bread making is also dependent on the action of yeast cells. The bread
dough contains nutrients that these cells digest for their own sustenance. The
digestion process generates alcohol (which contributes to that wonderful aroma
of baking bread) and carbon dioxide gas (which makes the dough rise and forms
the honeycomb texture of the baked loaf).
Discovery of the fermentation process allowed early peoples to produce
foods by allowing live organisms to act on other ingredients. But our ancestors
also found that, by manipulating the conditions under which the fermentation
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took place, they could improve the quality and the yield of the ingredients
themselves.
Crop Improvement
Although plant science is a relatively modern discipline, its fundamental
techniques have been applied throughout human history. When early man went
through the crucial transition from nomadic hunter to settled farmer, cultivated
crops became vital for survival. These primitive farmers, although ignorant of
the natural principles at work, found that they could increase the yield and
improve the taste of crops be selecting seeds from particularly desirable plants.
Farmers long ago noted that they could improve each succeeding year’s
harvest by using seed from only the best plants of the current crop. Plants that,
for example, gave the highest yield, stayed the healthiest during periods of
drought or disease, or were easiest to harvest tended to produce future
generations with these same characteristics. Through several years of careful
seed selection, farmers could maintain and strengthen such desirable traits.
The possibilities for improving plants expanded as a result of Gregor
Mendel’s investigations in the mid-1860s of hereditary traits in peas. Once the
genetic basis of heredity was understood, the benefits of cross-breeding, or
hybridization, became apparent: plants with different desirable traits could be
used to cultivate a later generation that combined these characteristics.
An understanding of the scientific principles behind fermentation and crop
improvement practices has come only in the last hundred years. But the early,
crude techniques, even without the benefit of sophisticated laboratories and
automated equipment, were a true practice of biotechnology guiding natural
processes to improve man’s physical and economic well-being.
Harnessing Microbes for Health
Every student of chemistry knows the shape of a Buchner funnel, but they
may be unaware that the distinguished German scientist it was named after made
the vital discovery (in 1897) that enzymes extracted from the yeast are effective
in converting sugar into alcohol. Major outbreaks of disease in overcrowded
industrial cities led eventually to the introduction, in the early years of the 20 th
century, of large-scale sewage purification systems based on microbial activity.
By this time it had proved possible to generate certain key industrial chemicals
(glycerol, acetone, and butanol) using bacteria.
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Another major beneficial legacy of early 20th century biotechnology was
the discovery by Alexander Fleming (in 1928) of penicillin, an antibiotic derived
from the mold Penicillium. Large-scale production of penicillin was achieved in
the 1940s. However, the revolution in understanding the chemical basis of cell
function that stemmed from the post-war emergence of molecular biology was
still to come. It was this exciting phase of bioscience that led to the recent
explosive development of biotechnology.
WORDS
1. one-celled - одноклеточный
2. yeast - дрожжи
3. mold (AE) = mould (BE) – плесень, плесневой гриб
4. starch – крахмал
5. by-product – побочный продукт
6. to break down – разлагать
7. cereal grains – зерно хлебных злаков
8. froth = head (of the beer) – пена (на пиве)
9. beverage – напиток
10. dough – тесто
11. nutrient – питательное вещество
12. sustenance – питание, пропитание
13. honeycomb texture –ячеистая текстура
14. yield – выход продукции, (полезная) производительность
15. seeds – семена, посевной материал
16. cross-breeding – скрещивание
17. Buchner funnel – воронка Бюхнера
18. enzyme – фермент, энзим
19. sewage purification – очистка сточных вод
20. legacy – наследство, наследие
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COMPREHENSION
1. How long ago did people begin to apply what is now described as
biotechnology? Give examples of the earliest applications of biotechnology.
2. What forms the basis of fermentation? What chemical reaction underlies this
process? Why did the discovery of the fermentation process prove to be so
important for man? What new possibilities did it open up?
3. What important discoveries were made by primitive farmers? What
possibilities for improving plants did they use? When and how did these
possibilities expand?
4. What discovery concerning enzymes was made by Buchner? Why is it
described as “vital”?
5. What industrial applications did microbes, bacteria and molds find in the early
20th century? When did the first antibiotic first come into use and whose name is
it associated with?
WORD STUDY
EXERCISE 1. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following words
and word-combinations:
одноклеточные организмы; играть решающую роль; разлагать
крахмал и сахар с образованием спирта; побочные продукты; по
счастливому совпадению; зависеть от; условия, при которых происходит
ферментация; основополагающие методы; насущно важный для
выживания; возможности расширились в результате… ; преимущества
скрещивания стали очевидными; автоматизированное оборудование;
благосостояние человека; назвать в честь кого-то; вспышки болезни; в
конечном итоге привести к чему-либо; в самом начале 20-го века;
оказалось
возможным;
полезное
наследие;
широкое/массовое
производство.
EXERCISE 2. For each of the words given below, find in the text a word which
means approximately the same.
finally, component, evident, produce, transform, profit, decompose,
catalyst, (pleasant) smell, crop, drink, comprehension
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STUDY THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF WORDS: TECHNIQUE AND
TECHNOLOGY, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, TECHNOTechnique = a way or a method of doing something, especially one that
requires special training, e.g. "The purpose of these seminars is to keep our staff
up to date with the latest teaching and testing techniques."
Technology = scientific and industrial manufacturing processes and skills,
e.g. "Space research has produced major advances in computer technology."
Information technology = the study or use of computers and electronic
systems for storing and using information. Information technology is often
simple called IT.
Techno- = is used at the beginning of words that refer to technology:
techno-societies, techno mania and technocrats.
EXERCISE. Which of the two words - technique or technology – would you use
in the following sentences? Explain your choice.
1. She needs to work on her interview ...... if she's going to get a job.
2. Modern ...... has improved our standards of living.
3. The company is investing heavily in new ...... .
4. He has an ingenious ...... for dealing with problems of that sort.
5. Can you imagine what the world would be like without science and ......?
6. He developed a new ...... in heart surgery.
WORD-BUILDING PATTERNS: SUFFIXES
EXERCISE 1. Each suffix in list A can be connected to the three words in list B.
Form these words and translate them into Russian.
A.
-ify
-ly
-less
-ent
-ence
-or
-ness
-able
-ible
-ant
-ance
-er
B.
use
investigate differ
effective
boil
reverse
possible
identify
diverge
exist
transfer
simple
count
assistant
direct
reason
predict
resist
motion
convert
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solid
maintain
evident
persist
distant
meaning
divide
hard
produce
absolute
react
perform
interfere
signify
research
EXERCISE 2. Using words formed in Exercise 1 above, fill in the blanks in the
following sentences:
1. An eroded area of land is u…less for agriculture
.
2. The d…ance between the Earth and the Moon is about 385,000 km.
3. Most volcanic lavas s…ify at 800-12000 C.
4. Diamonds, which are a form of carbon, have many industrial applications, due
to their h…ness.
5. To some people, the concept of anti-matter is me…less.
6. Mass is co…ible into energy.
7. The atomic r…or was developed with the as…ance of re…ers from many
different countries.
WORD RECOGNITION BY GRAPHIC SHAPE
Which of the following words are correctly spelled? Choose the correct
one (ones).
аvailability evailability availability availability
evaparation
evaporation evaporation eveporation
exclusive exclucive ixclusive exclusive
analisis
analysis
analysis
analycis
technology tecnologie technology technology
STRUCTURE STUDY: THE GERUND
Gerunds are forms derived from verbs and combining characteristics of
verbs and nouns. Gerunds have the same grammatical categories as verbs (voice,
aspect, time correlation). They are formed in a similar way, but the first element
is always in the “-ing”-form, e.g.
She enjoys dancing.
I hate being interrupted.
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You mentioned having visited Greece last year.
Like nouns, Gerunds can be used as the subject, the direct object, the
prepositional object, or as a predicative, e.g.
Painting is Mary’s hobby. (subject)
Mary enjoys painting. (direct object)
Mary earns a living by painting. (prepositional object)
Mary’s hobby is painting. (predicative)
Gerunds are regularly used after
- such verbs as: admit, avoid, consider, delay, deny, enjoy, finish, give up,
imagine, involve, keep, mention, mind, miss, postpone, prevent, propose, put off,
report, recall, resist, risk, suggest, etc.;
- verbs followed by prepositions, e.g.: accuse of, agree to, approve of,
apologize for, blame for, count on, depend on, inform of, insist on, look forward
to, object to, persist in, prevent from, rely on, result in, succeed in, think of, etc.;
- after such word-combinations as: it’s (not) worth, it’s no use, it’s (no)
good, what’s the use of, can’t help, be busy, there’s no point (in), can’t stand,
have difficulty (in), be aware of, be capable of, be sorry for, be worried about, in
addition to, as well as, etc.
- nouns followed by the preposition of, e.g. idea, intention, plan, chance,
hope, opportunity, way, tradition, etc.
Some verbs can be followed by either by Gerunds or by Infinitives with
no difference in meaning, e.g. begin, start, continue. Some other verbs can be
followed by either Gerunds or Infinitives, but with a difference in meaning, e.g.
1) try + to-Infinitive = attempt, do one’s best
They tried to help but it was no use.
try + Gerund = do something to see what happens
Try adding some more sauce to your pasta.
2) remember + to-Infinitive = not forget to do it
I remembered to turn off the oven.
remember + Gerund = have a memory of it
I remember flying over the Alps for the first time.
3) forget + to-Infinitive = not remember to do something
I’m sorry, I forgot to lock the car.
forget + Gerund = forget a past event
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We’ll never forget visiting Paris.
4) stop + to-Infinitive = interrupt what you are doing to do something else
I stopped to tie up my shoe lace.
stop + Gerund = no longer to do this
I really must stop reading in bed.
The possessive pronouns my, your, etc. and nouns in the possessive case
(my wife’s, John’s, etc.) can be used with Gerunds, e.g.
Do you mind my making a suggestion?
I am annoyed about John’s forgetting to pay.
Compare the following sentences:
I don’t mind saying I was wrong. (= I admit that I was wrong.)
I don’t mind your saying I was wrong. (= I don’t mind it if you say that I
was wrong.)
In the first example “I” is the agent of both “mind” and “saying”. In the
second example the agents are different: “I” and “you”.
In informal English it is more common to use forms like me, you, my
wife, John, etc. instead of my, your, my wife’s, John’s, etc.
Do you mind me making a suggestion?
I am annoyed about John forgetting to pay.
EXERCISE 1. Pick out sentences with Gerunds from the text and translate them.
EXERCISE 2. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets (the Gerund or the
Infinitive):
1. We have now finished (to program/programming) the computer for the
experiment.
2. The investigator decided (to repeat/repeating) the experiment before (to
publish/publishing) the final report on his work.
3. Discovery of the fermentation process enabled early peoples (to
produce/producing) foods by (to allow/allowing) live organisms to act on other
ingredients.
4. It’s no use (to go/going) to university if you don’t intend (to study/studying).
5. Precision instruments allow scientists (to measure/measuring) minute
quantities with a high degree of accuracy.
6. Our research group stopped (to make/making) controlled experiments.
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7. A good scientist enjoys (to try/trying) (to solve/solving) difficult problems.
EXERCISE 3. Choose the correct form of the verbs given in brackets. Sometimes
more than one answer may be possible.
Einstein: an Ordinary Child
Einstein was not a remarkable child. He began (1) (take)...... piano lessons
at the age of six. He didn’t seem (2) (be) ...... particularly talented. He liked (3)
(day-dream) ...... and (4) (play) ...... . He didn’t enjoy (5) (talk) ...... very much;
in fact, he waited till he was three before (6) (start) ......to talk. In spite of not (7)
(have) ...... a very exciting childhood, Einstein later appeared (8) (have) ...... a
vivid memory of it. He remembered (9) (be) ...... impressed by how a compass
works and by the mysterious force which made the compass needle (10) (point)
...... in a given direction.
EXERCISE 4. Combine the following sentences using the Gerund with a
possessive pronoun or a noun in the possessive case.
e.g. I’m going to smoke. Do you mind it?
Do you mind my smoking?
1. She is going to tell the whole truth. Are you afraid of it?
2. I think I’ll be late for the meeting. Will you excuse it?
3. We’re going to speak to him. What do you think of it?
4. He wants to come to our party. Will you object to it?
5. The students don’t want to hold a meeting today. Do you insist on it?
EXERCISE 5. Combine the following sentences according to the model given:
a) She never tells lies. She hates it.
She hates telling lies.
b) John tells her lies. She hates it.
She hates being told lies.
1. They treat him like a child. I don’t approve of it.
2. They treat him like a child. He doesn’t like it.
3. Somebody was watching him. He was aware of it.
4. He wanted to be introduced to this scientist. He was constantly thinking of it.
5. He tried to express his opinion on the problem. But he was prevented from it.
6. She was so deeply impressed by what she saw, she couldn’t hide it.
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The exercises given below show how the Gerund is used in Academic English,
in particular in texts dealing with problems of chemistry.
EXERCISE 6. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. This can be achieved by oxidising the substance.
2. Solubility parametres are useful for selecting solvents.
3. Upon switching off the current the pressure dropped.
4. In brominating the ketone a second bromine atom enters the nucleus.
5. These compounds offer the advantage of being almost non-volatile.
6. This must have taken place as a result of the molecule having changed its
conformation.
7. There is no hope of our getting high yields in the near future.
8. The most generally useful expression for giving the composition of a solution
is the mole fraction.
9. The nature of the interface appears to be of great importance in determining
the rate of polymerization.
10. They have worked for three years with a view to improving the quality of the
end product.
11. Nitrobenzene cannot be heated above 170º with sulfuric acid without violent
decomposition occurring.
READING AND DISCUSSION
TEXT 1: THIRD TIME LUCKY
INDUSTRIAL BIOTECH: A “THIRD WAVE” OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
IS ARRIVING. WILL IT BE ABLE TO AVOID A POOR RECEPTION FROM
THE GENERAL PUBLIC THIS TIME AROUND?
For a long time the public has perceived biotechnology to mean dangerous
meddling with the genes in food crops. But biotechnology is of course about
much more than transgenic food: it also encompasses the use of microbes to
make pharmaceuticals, for example. The many benefits of the first wave of
biotech products, in medicine, have unfortunately been overshadowed by the
supposed risks of biotech’s second wave, in agriculture. Might its third wave –
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the so-called industrial biotech, also known as “white biotech” or “green
chemistry” – resolve biotech’s image problem?
As with other forms of biotechnology, industrial biotech involves
engineering biological molecules and microbes with desirable new properties.
What is different is how they are then used: to replace chemical processes with
biological ones. Whether this is to produce chemicals for other processes or to
create products such as biopolymers with new properties, there is huge scope to
harness biology to accomplish what previously neededg, dirty chemical
factories, but in cleaner and greener ways.
One company which has been working in industrial biotechnology for
years is DSM, based in the Netherlands. In the 1990s it developed a biological
process to produce cephalosporin, an antibiotic, in a much cleaner way than the
chemical processes used to make the drug. Its most recent effort has been to find
a biological way to produce a chemical called succinic acid (C4H6O4), which is
used to make a wide range of products including spandex, biopolymers for
agriculture, de-icing salts, esters, resins and acidity regulators in foods.
The usual chemical process involves making succinic acid from crude oil
or natural gas. DSM’s approach is based on fermentation using enzymes and
genetically engineered microbes. After a successful pilot-production phase, the
nest step is a demonstration factory in Lestrem (France) which will be running
by the end of the year. If that goes well, a much bigger commercial operation
will follow. The company says that as well as making succinic acid from
biologically derived starch rather than fossil fuels, its process also uses 40% less
energy and produces fewer carbon-dioxide emissions.
Proponents of industrial biotechnology are optimistic that they can avoid
the pitfalls that hindered the adoption of biotech crops. For one thing, unlike
transgenic tomatoes, say, industrial-biotech products are not sold directly to
consumers. And instead of displacing “natural” products with bioengineered
alternatives, as in agriculture, industrial biotechnology generally displaces fossil
fuels and their associated chemical processes with greener biological
alternatives. Surely that should make it easier to convince people of its benefits,
and hence to rehabilitate the notion of biotechnology more widely?
1. Say which of the author’s conclusions about industrial biotechnology
you agree or disagree with and why. Think if there are any other factors to be
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taken into consideration. Make use of the following: as for me…; on the one
hand…; on the other hand…; it seems reasonable to assume…; it seems doubtful
that…; there’s no denying that…; I agree entirely that…; I’m afraid it’s too
much to say that…; I have reason to believe that...... .
2. Here are some opinions about the text. How would you describe the
text?
– inconclusive; dull; trivial; muddled;
– contains insufficient evidence, but the conclusions are valid;
– wrong; weak; inaccurate; irrelevant;
– contains essential facts; the arguments are valid and convincing.
TEXT 2: CHEMISTS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
The real future of biotechnology has more to do with chemistry than was
ever imagined. Biotechnology depends on the ability to manipulate chemical
structure. Opportunities are opening up for chemists across the biotechnology
industry, offering the chance to work on the cutting edge of a dynamic and still
largely developmental field.
“Molecular biology has not given us everything that we thought it would,”
says Gary Kuroki, a chemist and research scientist at DNA Plant Technologies.
“Companies are integrating the sciences, bringing new perspectives from
chemistry, biochemistry, and genetics to tackle questions from as many angles
as possible.”
Blake Pepinsky, a group leader at Biogen, agrees. “When I started out,
you could clone a new gene and it was automatically a product,“ he says. “Now,
we need a better understanding of both biology and chemistry to discover new
products.” When the biotechnology industry started to reach this conclusion,
more companies began hiring chemists than ever before.
“What we do,” explains Mark Reynolds, a chemist and scientist who
works on biotechnology drug development, “is use biological products like
peptides, DNA, and amino acids to develop a molecule that will bind to
receptors in the human body. When these molecules bind to the receptor, they
can turn it on or off. Having achieved this result, we can then make a new drug.”
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This process requires years of work and almost constant interaction
between scientists, including peptide chemists, crystallographers, and molecular
modeling specialists. “Everything is a team project,” says Pepinsky. “It is
unusual to work alone.” Therefore chemists in biotechnology must be able to
work with others.
“In this business, you also have to be driven,” Reynolds adds. “As a
research scientist, you have to be a good chemist with good laboratory skills.
And, you have to like what you are doing. I think this trait is what really
determines an individual’s success.”
Chemists in biotechnology generally work in a laboratory atmosphere not
unlike an academic environment. The laboratory may be involved in five to ten
projects, and the scientists have varying degrees of responsibility for each
project. Teamwork is a vital part of the biotechnology industry. Most chemists
in biotechnology say they work more than 40 hours a week, although they add
this is largely an individual choice and not necessarily required.
Most scientists in biotechnology work for small, innovative biotechnology
companies that were founded relatively recently by scientists. However, as the
field develops, many major drug companies have added biotechnology
divisions. Chemical companies with large agricultural chemical businesses also
have substantial biotechnology labs.
A chemistry student interested in entering this field should keep in mind
the interdisciplinary nature of biotechnology. While it is important to have a
strong background in your own discipline, scientists must have the mental
flexibility to pick up and incorporate other approaches. Most work is done in
teams, making strong communication and personal skills vital to success in this
field.
Opportunities for chemists in biotechnology are undoubtedly growing as
the field matures and branches outside molecular biology. Although jobs in
biotechnology will probably never be as plentiful as they were in the last 10
years, the employment outlook is still considered very good. As more
entrepreneurs begin new businesses and more existing companies advance in the
biotechnology field, there will be an increasing demand for chemical engineers
in biotechnology.
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QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION
1. Biotechnology is often described as the science of the future. As a chemist,
would you like to work in the field of biotechnology? Why/why not?
2. The text gives a list of personal traits a chemist working in the field of
biotechnology must have. What are they? Is the list exhaustive or can you add
more items to it? Explain why these traits are really indispensable.
3. If you applied for a job in a biotechnology company, how could you prove
that you are the right candidate for the job? Are you highly motivated to work in
the field of biotechnology? Do you have all or most of the personal traits
necessary for the job? Do you have a strong background in chemistry?
4. In your opinion, what career possibilities can work for a biotechnology
company offer? A career in industry usually means making a decision early on
about whether your career will follow a research or a more administrative track.
What requirements must a person meet to be a success in either? Would you
prefer a career of a researcher or an administrative career? Give your reasons.
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Reviewing a Scientific Article
Choose a scientific article that you’d like to present to the class in the
form of a short review. In reviewing the article, concentrate on answering the
following questions:
1) What problem is the article concerned with? What were the author’s
objectives in writing it – what did he want to find out? What is the hypothesis
under test?
2) Does the author make the logic leading to the experiments clear to the
reader?
3) What was the experimental plan adopted by the author?
4) What materials did the author use in his research and how did he use them?
5) What methods and statistical techniques were used for analyzing the data?
6) What results were obtained by the author? Do they seem valid? How does the
author interpret the results and what conclusions does he draw from them?
7) Do you think the article is relevant for your own research? Can its results be
used as a background to your own work?
8) If you feel critical about the article, explain why.
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UNIT 5
TEXT: GREEN CHEMISTRY
Green chemistry, also called sustainable chemistry, is a philosophy of
chemical research and engineering that encourages the design of products and
processes that minimize the use and generation of hazardous substances.
Whereas environmental chemistry is the chemistry of the natural environment,
and of pollutant chemicals in nature, green chemistry seeks to reduce and
prevent pollution at its source. In 1990 the Pollution prevention Act was passed
in the United States. This Act helped create a modus operandi for dealing with
pollution in an original and innovative way. It aims to avoid problems before
they happen.
As a chemical philosophy, green chemistry applies to organic chemistry,
inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, and even physical
chemistry. While green chemistry seems to focus on industrial applications, it
does not apply to any chemistry choice. Click chemistry is often cited as a style
of chemical synthesis that is consistent with the goals of green chemistry. The
focus is on minimizing the hazard and maximizing the efficiency of any
chemical choice. It is distinct from environmental chemistry which focusses on
chemical phenomena in the environment.
In 2005 Ryoji Nayori (a Japanese chemist) identified three key
developments in green chemistry: use of supercritical carbon dioxide as green
solvent, aqueous hydrogen peroxide for clean oxidations and the use of
hydrogen in asymmetric synthesis. One example of applied green chemistry is
supercritical water oxidation.
Bioengineering is also seen as a promising technique for achieving green
chemistry goals. A number of important process chemicals can be synthesized in
engineered organisms, such as shikimate, a Tamiflu precursor which is
fermented by Roche in bacteria.
The term “green chemistry” was coined by Paul Anastas in 1991. Paul
Anastas, then of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and John
C. Warner developed twelve principles of green chemistry, which help to
explain what the definition means in practice.
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The principles cover such concepts as:
– the design of processes to maximize the amount of raw material that ends up
in the product;
– the use of safe, environment-benign substances including solvents, whenever
possible
– the design of energy-efficient processes;
– the best form of waste disposal: not to create it in the first place.
The twelve principles are:
1. It is better to prevent waste than to treat or to clean up waste after it is formed.
2. Synthetic methods should be designed to maximize the incorporation of all
materials used in the process into the final product.
3. Wherever practicable, synthetic methodologies should be designed to use and
generate substances that possess little or no toxicity to human health and the
environment.
4. Chemical products should be designed to preserve efficacy of function while
reducing toxicity.
5. The use of auxiliary substances (e.g. solvents, separation agents, etc.) should
be made unnecessary wherever possible and innocuous when used.
6. Energy requirements should be recognized for their environmental and
economic impact and should be minimized. Synthetic methods should be
conducted at ambient temperature and pressure.
7. A raw material or feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting
wherever technically and economically practicable.
8. Reduce derivatives – unnecessary derivatization (blocking group,
protection/deprotection, temporary modification) should be avoided whenever
possible.
9. Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to stoichiometric
reagents.
10. Chemical products should be designed so that at the end of their function
they do not persist in the environment and break down into innocuous
degradation products.
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11. Analytical methodologies need to be further developed to allow for a realtime, in-process monitoring and control prior to the formation of hazardous
substances.
12. Substances and the form of a substance used in a chemical process should be
chosen to minimize potential for chemical accidents, including releases,
explosions, and fires.
Attempts are being made not only to quantify the greenness of a chemical
process but also to factor in other variables such as chemical yield, the price of
reaction components, safety in handling chemicals, hardware demands, energy
profile and ease of product workup and purification. In one quantitative study,
the reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline receives 64 points out of 100, marking
as an acceptable synthesis overall, whereas a synthesis of an amide using HMDS
is only described as adequate with a combined 32 points.
Green chemistry is increasingly seen as a powerful tool that researchers
must use to evaluate the environmental impact of nanotechnology. As
nanomaterials are developed, the environmental and human health impacts of
both the products themselves and the processes to make them must be
considered to ensure the long-term economic viability.
WORDS
1. green – бережно относящийся к окружающей среде
2. a philosophy – основные принципы; теория, подход; ср. philosophy философия
3. hazardous – опасный
4. environmental chemistry – химия окружающей среды
5. natural environment – естественная среда, природная среда
6. pollutant – загрязняющее вещество
7. modus operandi – (лат.) способ действия
8. asymmetric synthesis – асимметрический синтез
9. supercritical – сверхкритический
10. shikimate – шикимат
11. precursor – исходное вещество; промежуточный продукт, полупродукт
12. waste disposal – уничтожение отходов, захоронение отходов
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13. toxicity – токсичность
14. efficacy – эффективность
15. innocuous – безвредный
16. ambient temperature – температура окружающей среды, температура
окружающего воздуха
17. feedstock – сырье, исходный материал
18. derivative – производное (соединение)
19. stoichiometric – стехиометрический
20. to factor in - включать
COMPREHENSION
1. What is meant by green chemistry, or sustainable chemistry? What is the
difference between environmental chemistry and green chemistry?
2. What can green chemistry apply to, as a chemical philosophy? What
techniques can be used to achieve green chemistry goals?
3. What broad concepts underlie the 12 principles of green chemistry developed
by Paul Abastas and John C. Warner?
4. Which of the 12 principles deal directly with environmental protection?
Which of them refer to the design of specific chemical products or methods?
5. Choose one of the principles and comment on it.
6. Why is it important to quantify the greenness of chemical processes?
WORD STUDY
Differences in meaning: purpose, objective, aim, goal, intention, target.
These nouns are the commonest ways of expressing the purpose for which we
do something.
Purpose
– The strongest of these words.
It implies a fixed determination and the will to
do something. You are determined to do or get
something.
Objective (=object)
– It is used to indicate a secondary purpose and it
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Aim
–
Goal
–
Intention
–
Target
–
is more concrete. What you are trying to
achieve by a particular course of action.
If you aim to do something, you plan or hope
to achieve what you intend to do.
It is something that you hope to achieve,
especially when much time and effort is
needed in order to achieve it.
You have an idea or a plan of what you are
going to do.
A result that you aim to achieve.
EXERCISE 1. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word.
1. Our …… is to provide a good standard of medical care.
2. Not many states will meet the …… for energy conservation.
3. You must decide which method suits your …… best.
4. It wasn't my …… to upset you.
5. Oil production was 15% below .......
6. The principal …… of the department is to identify market opportunities.
7. My main …… on this course is to gain confidence.
8. I'm not sure I understand the …… of this exercise.
9. No one goes to college with the …… of failing.
10. The …… of the test is to calculate the total temperature rise.
11. The …… of lubricating bearings is to reduce the friction.
STUDY THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF WORDS: DANGEROUS,
HAZARDOUS, PRECARIOUS, PERILOUS
All these adjectives mean involving the possibility of loss, evil, injury, harm,
however, they are frequently not freely interchangeable in usage.
dangerous
– Applies to persons, things or situations that
should be avoided or treated with exceeding
care because contact with them or use of them
is unsafe.
hazardous
– Hazardous means a far stronger implication
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than dangerous carries. It is often the preferred
term when the chances of loss, death, or severe
injury are comparatively great.
precarious (a fairly formal – The basic meaning of this word is uncertain or
word)
insecure. Therefore, it may be used without
implication of a threatened danger of possible
hazards.
perilous (a fairly formal – Carries a stronger implication of a threatened
word)
evil than dangerous.
EXERCISE. Fill in the blanks with the correct word. If you think there is more
than one possibility, explain why.
1. It is not yet known whether these chemicals are …… to humans.
2. Air pollution has reached …… levels in some cities.
3. Life for most people will be more …… in the year 2050 than it is now.
4. Breathing asbestos-laden may be …… to health.
5. The first leg of the …… journey was over.
6. Drugs are …… to health.
7. The management of the department was then in a …… position.
8. The road grew even steeper and more .......
WORD-BUILDING PATTERNS: PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES
A common way of making new words in English is by adding prefixes or
suffixes (or both) to existing words. By noting these carefully, you will find it
easy to make large increases in your vocabulary.
The suffix –ion (-tion, -ation) forms nouns from verbs with the meaning
of: process or result of doing something.
EXERCISE 1. Using -ion (-tion, -ation), make nouns from the following verbs:
generate, reduce, apply, prevent, identify, quantify, separate, pollute, protect,
degrade, purify. Translate them into Russian.
EXERCISE 2. Fill in the blanks using a suitable form of word given at the end of
the lines.
It is no ...... to say that the world has become a global exaggerate
village. Modern methods of ...... have made the world much communicate
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smaller and the problems we face such as...... are not
restricted to this country. The ...... of rare species is a
tragedy for the planet as a whole and the...... of oil supplies
will shake the ...... of the world’s economy. The ...... of the
environment is the responsibility of all nations, rich and
poor. However, uncontrolled economic ...... between strong
and weak nations leads to the ...... of the greater inequality
between the rich and poor nations of the world.
pollute
extinct
exhaust
found
protect
compete
create
TEXT: COMPLETION
As you read the text below, choose the word from each group of words in
italics which completes the passage best.
People around the world are concerned that chlorofluoromethanes
released (1) from/through/in aerosol spray cans pose a serious threat to the (2)
sickness/interest/health through depletion of the ozone layer. The primary
concern (3) of/above/in the ozone layer depletion is that the ultraviolet ray (4)
length/occurrence/intensity at the surface of the Earth would increase, bringing
(5) up/down/about more skin cancer fatalities among Caucasians. According to
the IMOS (6) report/comment/insight, “Fluoro Carbons and the Environment”
issued earlier this year, “there (7) stands/is/proves persuasive, although not
absolutely conclusive clinical and epidemiological evidence (8)
from/of/through a direct link between solar radiation and the historically (9)
deduced/observed/counted incidence of several, generally non-fatal types of
skin cancer (10) by/for/in humans.” I certainly do not find this evidence
conclusive, (11) but/instead/and believe an alternative case can be made.
WORD RECOGNITION BY GRAPHIC SHAPE
Which of the following words are correctly spelled? Choose the correct
one (ones).
quantitative quantitative quantative quontitative
superfisially superficially superficially
existence existence existence existense
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diffraction diffraction diffraction defracsion
experience experience experience experience
STRUCTURE STUDY: THE PASSIVE VOICE
The Passive is used when we have little interest in or knowledge of, the
doer of the action but are more interested in what happens to, or is done to, the
person or thing thus affected. The Passive is far more common in English than
in Russian. Passive forms are especially often used in scientific writing and
other kinds of expression where we are most interested in events and processes:
in things that happen.
The Passive is formed by the appropriate tense of the verb to be plus the
Past Participle, e.g.
Bioengineering is seen as a promising technique for achieving green chemistry
goals.
The term “green chemistry” was coined by Paul Anastas in 1991.
Attempts are being made to quantify thee greenness of a chemical process.
A new process has been developed for obtaining low temperatures.
By the end of next year all the equipment in the laboratory will have been
modernized.
The doer of the action is only mentioned in the Passive if it adds
information. When the doer is unknown, unimportant or obvious from the
context, it is omitted. Doers such as someone, people, we, you, etc. are regularly
omitted.
EXERCISE 1. Make the following sentences Passive, eliminating the unspecified
doer of the action.
1. People are blaming climate change for the recent flooding.
2. Somebody has stolen the painting from the gallery.
3. They will consider the problem at next week’s meeting.
4. People were watching the game outside the stadium on a huge screen.
5. We will give you the questions a week before the exam.
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EXERCISE 2. Make the following sentences Passive, mentioning the doer of the
action.
1. A combination of two elements forms a chemical compound.
2. Every day, applied scientists produce new drugs, fibers, and chemicals.
3. In the next ten years women will have achieved full equality.
4. The research team has made experiments on corrosion in metals.
5. At present the company is collecting data about new materials.
EXERCISE 3. Use appropriate forms of the verbs given to complete this text. In
each case, decide whether an active or a passive form is needed.
Slowly but surely the coastline of Britain (1) is being worn away (wear
away) by an advancing sea. The country which once “ruled the waves” now (2)
…… (rule) by them, with huge forces threatening to destroy vast areas of human
and wildlife habitat. Already some of Britain’s last wild, natural areas (3) ……
(disappear), and experts (4) …… (fear) that this is just the beginning. It (5) ……
(estimate) that there will be a 38-55 cm rise in average sea levels by the year
2100. According to the Department of the Environment, during the next 50 years
at least 10,000 hectares of farmland (6) …… (turn into) mud flats and salt
marshes by the increases in sea levels. Many of the country’s major cities could
also (7) …… (affect). London, Bristol and Cardiff all (8) …… (expect) severe
flooding as our sea defenses (9) …… (destroy) by the rising tides.
EXERCISE 4. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1.
Where the kinetic cannot be completely determined, the distribution curve
may be used to provide additional data to make a decision between alternative
mechanisms.
2.
After the gel has solidified, the cell will be turned upright and enough
pure mercury is added to the reference electrode compartment.
3.
Substrate is disappearing, the products of the reaction are being formed,
and the forward reaction may be opposed to reverse process.
4.
A novel empirical method was developed recently by Franklin wherein
the resonance energy is calculated from group equivalents.
5.
Multilayers of different substances may be deposited above one another,
and their interdiffusion might be followed with a help of X-rays.
6.
The problem is undoubtedly very involved and conclusions drawn solely
from viscosity measurements must be treated with reserve.
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7.
Silicone tetracetrate was much more stable and could be made to react
with such compounds as alcohol, ether, and ammonia.
8.
The problem must be attacked from another point of view.
9.
After having being discussed the report was published.
10. The active platinous chloride may condense to give the non-reactive
polymer or it may be reduced by carbon monoxide to give platinum.
11. The reagent chosen in a particular case depends upon the compound to be
sulfonated and the number of sulfo groups to be introduced.
12. Neither component alone is effective as a biological catalyst, but activity
is restored when solutions of the components are mixed.
READING AND DISCUSSION
TEXT 1
SKIMMING: Read the text and identify the main topic of the passage:
1) Chemistry and the problems of environmental protection.
2) Chemistry and conservation of natural resources.
3) Chemistry and climate change.
People demand products to support their lifestyles. This demand has a
direct impact on our environment. Working over the last several decades,
scientists have shown that for the first time ever, human activities are altering
the climate; the data supporting this conclusion continue to grow in depth and
breadth. Since the Industrial Revolution began, research shows that the
concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs), which trap heat in the atmosphere,
have increased. The most prevalent greenhouse gas studied is carbon dioxide
(CO2), which is produced from burning fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum.
A rise in global temperatures corresponds to the rise in carbon dioxide levels in
the atmosphere.
Energy from the Sun passes through the atmosphere in the form of
electromagnetic radiation, much of which reaches the Earth’s surface. The
atmosphere, made of a mixture of gases including water vapor, absorbs some of
the solar radiation. At the Earth’s surface, the radiant energy from the Sun is
transformed into thermal energy. Most of the energy is reflected from the
86
surface of the Earth back towards space. When greenhouse gas concentrations
are at normal levels, most thermal energy continues out into space. However,
when greenhouse gas concentrations are high, the thermal energy is absorbed by
the greenhouse gases, heating the atmosphere. The reason that much of this
energy remains in the atmosphere is due to the properties of greenhouse gases.
The atmosphere is composed mostly of nitrogen and oxygen. The rigid
bonding structure of nitrogen (triple bonds) and oxygen (double bonds) does not
allow for much flexibility with the bending, vibration, and stretching of their
bonds. The greenhouse gases of carbon dioxide, methane, water, and nitrous
oxide have a great deal of flexibility in the bonds of each molecule. Therefore,
as the molecules are exposed to radiant energy, the bonds within these
molecules have a great deal of potential to absorb it and transform it to thermal
energy.
It is the increase of the kinetic energy within the bonds of these molecules
that raises the internal energy of these molecules and can then be transmitted to
other atmospheric gases to increase the temperature of the atmosphere. The
result is a net increase in the average kinetic energy of the atmosphere gases,
and an increase in the temperature of the land and water on the Earth’s surface.
As concern for the impact of human activity on global climate patterns
becomes more prominent in the world, many people are working to change
behaviors to reverse human impact on the environment. The chemistry industry
is committed to not only reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from
the production process, but also producing products that use less energy and
draw on renewable energy sources.
The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA)
commissioned a report to analyze the impact of chemical products on climate
change. The report, called McKinsey Report, was released in 2009. The analysis
showed that by applying new technology to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
substantial decreases in the amount of greenhouse gases produced by other
industries and consumers can be achieved. For one unit of greenhouse gas
emitted by the chemistry industry, 2-3 fewer units of greenhouse gases were
subsequently produced when using the new technology. According to the data
cited within the report, the chemistry industry has increased its production
world-wide over the last 20-30 years, while at the same time reducing its total
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energy consumption. The study looked at more than 100 products and their role
in the reducing greenhouse gases during their life cycles. The most significant
emissions savings by volume came from building insulation materials,
agrochemicals, and lightning improvements.
Explain what is meant by: global climate patterns; renewable energy
sources; to be exposed to radiant energy; rigid bonding structure; to trap heat
in the atmosphere; to reverse human impact on the environment; the most
significant emissions savings by volume.
SCANNING: Make the right choice:
1. Working over the last several decades, scientists have shown that
a) climate changes are due to changes in the geological structures;
b) climate is changing because of human activities;
c) there have been no significant changes in the climate.
2. Since the Industrial Revolution began,
a) the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have
increased.
b) the concentration of nitrogen in the atmosphere has decreased.
c) the chemical composition of the atmosphere has changed dramatically.
3. When greenhouse gas concentrations are high,
a) there is an immediate danger of an explosion;
b) they may do harm to people’s health;
c) the thermal energy is absorbed by the greenhouse gases.
4. Over the last 20-30 years,
a) the chemistry industry has reduced its total energy consumption;
b) the chemistry industry has failed to increase its production worldwide;
c) chemists have been mostly engaged in theoretical research.
TEXT 2.
FOSSIL FUELS: PRO AND CONTRA
The fossil fuels are the remains of plants and animals that lived millions
of years ago. Coal, oil, and gas are fossil fuels. They are made of organic
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compounds, based on carbon. They are used as fuels because they give out
plenty of heat energy when they burn. Unfortunately this causes many
environmental problems, For example:
– Fossil fuels may contain sulphides, Iron (IV) sulphide (FeS2) is often found
with coal. Sulphides burn in air to form sulphur dioxide which causes acid rain.
Since power stations burn huge quantities of coal, they are major contributors to
acid rain.
– The burning of fossil fuels upsets the natural balance of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. This could lead to global warming.
How long do fossil fuels take to form?
Known sources of oil and gas are at least one to two million years old, So
it takes at least that long to form them.
It takes 10,000 years just to grow enough plant material to form a one
meter layer of soft coal.
How long will fossil fuels last?
Oil, gas, and coal are still being formed. But the processes that form them
are very slow compared with the speed at which we are using them up. Experts
say we are depleting them 100,000 times faster than they are being formed. This
means they’ll run out eventually. We therefore think of them as finite and nonrenewable resources. It makes sense to use them very carefully. It is difficult to
estimate how much of each resource remains and can be recovered. Many areas
of the world have not yet been explored. Technology is also improving, so a
resource that’s not recoverable now may become so later. But many experts
believe that 60 years from now, oil will be in short supply. By the end of the 21 st
century only coal will be abundant.
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION
1. Fossil fuels are stores of solar energy? Is this true? Explain.
2. Fossil fuels are considered a non-renewable resource. Why? Give your
reasons.
3. “We must become less dependent on fossil fuels in the 21st century.” Give
two reasons why, and suggest a list of steps to achieve this aim.
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TEXT 3
The text below explains how scientists turn used plastic bottles into ultrastrong carbon spheres. Describe the technological process used and say what is
innovative about it. What other innovative technologies do you know which help
to deal with the problem of waste plastic?
NEW LEASE OF LIFE FOR USED COLA BOTTLES
Discarded plastic bottles can be broken down to make ultra-strong carbon
spheres that could be used in lubricants.
Vilas Pol from Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel, and colleagues
produced strong carbon microspheres from waste polyethylene terephthalate
(PET). They heated used cola bottles at 7000 C for three hours in a closed
reactor. The plastic then decomposed under self-generated pressure to form the
hard carbon spheres with diameters between two and ten micrometres. “We
broke one diamond knife and damaged a second while cutting a cross-section of
the spheres,” says Pol.
“The strength of these materials is interesting,” says Neil Coville,
coordinator of the Carbon Nanotubes and Strong Composites Group at the
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. “The results are
impressive and suggest others should be measuring this property in the future.”
“The process is particularly interesting.” says Philippe Serp, an expert in
carbon nanostructures at the National Centre for Scientific Research, Toulouse,
France, “as it does not use any catalyst.” Pol’s scalable process also does not
require solvents and improves on existing methods that can be limited by low
yields and poor separation of the spheres from carbon soot.
Carbon spheres are used in energy storage and nanodevices. Pol’s
microspheres can withstand significant pressure, so they could be used in
lubricants. Lowering the reaction temperature to below 700 0 C gives larger
carbon particles that could be used in printers, toners and filtration technology.
“The challenge facing today’s scientific community to find an innovative
solution to the degradation of waste polymers motivated us,” explains Pol’s
colleague Aharon Gedanken. “Our process demonstrates a way to remediate
waste PET polymers to fabricate value-added products.”
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For bottles, a sensible alternative to recycling is to wash thoroughly and
then refill them.
The table below compares energy costs in the factory for returnable and
non-returnable bottles.
Energy needed (MJ)
To make bottle
To wash and fill bottle
Returnable
7.5
2.5
Non-returnable
4.7
2.6
1. More energy is used to make a returnable bottle than a non-returnable one.
Suggest a reason.
2. In your factory you have to make a choice between non-returnable bottles, or
returnable bottles which you will wash and refill. Which is cheaper in terms of
energy: to make a returnable bottle and get it back once for refilling, or to make
two non-returnable bottles?
TEXT 4
Read the text about bottled water and choose the correct linking word.
LINKING DEVICES
Whether in speech or in writing, you help people to understand your message by
signalling how one idea leads on from another. The words and phrases which
have this connecting function are like "signposts" on a journey. Linking devices
are used to ensure that your message is coherent and cohesive. Below is a list of
common linking devices that have been grouped under their usual function:
Sequencing ideas
Expressing conditions
firstly, secondly,…
if
the first reason
unless
finally
when
first of all
whether
next
lastly
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Expressing contrast
but
however
nevertheless
yet
although
Stating results
thus
as a result
so
Providing reasons
in order to
so as not to
so that
consequently
Giving examples
for example
Adding further support
besides
also
furthermore
moreover
what is more
Expressing similarities
likewise
similarly
in other words
Concluding statements
in summary
to sum up
to conclude
on balance
BOTTLED WATER
Production of bottled water has grown over the past 30 years from nothing
into a $16 billion-per-year business. (1) However / Furthermore, a backlash
has begun, and environmentalists are urging people to go back to the tap.
(2) In other words / The first reason why you should seriously think
about giving up bottles water, they say, is that it’s bad for the environment. The
manufacturing of plastic bottles requires vast quantities of petroleum. (3) As a
result / Although factories create toxic plastic waste and release it into the
environment. (4) What is more / So, the overwhelming majority of plastic water
bottles aren’t recycled. In virtually every part of the world, discarded water
bottles swell landfills and release hazardous toxins into air and water when they
are burned in industrial incinerators.
(5) Secondly / On balance, the distribution of bottled water is fuelintensive. In the USA alone, one billion bottles of water are moved around each
week in trucks, emitting polluting gases and wearing down the roads. (6) In fact
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/ However, some high-priced waters are shipped from one side of the planet to
the other.
(7) To sum up / Finally, bottled water isn’t even better for your health.
Tap water regulations in many countries are far stricter than those for bottled
water. (8) Furthermore / So, tap water contains fluoride, which promotes
strong teeth and prevents tooth decay. (9) But / Consequently, as bottled water
consumption has increased, so has tooth decay.
(10) As a result / To sum up, by staying off bottled water and
encouraging others to do so, you will be doing the planet an enormous favour
and benefitting your own health as well.
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: PREPARING A REPORT FOR A
CONFERENCE
A report should be practical and business-like. It should present the
necessary information as clearly as possible so that the reader/listener can follow
it easily, and should express an overall opinion at the end.
Structure
– Give your report a clear, factual heading.
– Divide the report into paragraphs or sections to deal with separate aspects of a
subject.
– Start by saying what the report is about and/or how you gathered the
information.
– End with a conclusion which gives a summary of the situation (and a
recommendation if necessary).
Introduction
The aim/purpose of this report is to…
In order to prepare this report, I visited/interviewed/studied …
Many people believe/feel that…
People’s opinions on … differ widely.
Supporting your argument
One of the main advantages of … is that…
In the first place, …
Firstly/to begin with. … Secondly, … Thirdly, … Finally, …
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Last, but not least, …
Adding further reasons
Both … and…/Not only but also…
In addition,/What is more,/Furthermore,…
Expressing opinions and impressions
In my view/opinion,
It seems to me that…
I think/feel/believe that…
Most people/The majority of people seem to/tend to…
It is interesting/surprising/strange that…
Interestingly,/Surprisingly,/Strangely,…
Generalizing
In general, …
On the whole,…
Summing up
Sum up your argument and give a balanced personal opinion. You can use
the following introductory phrases:
In conclusion, …
To sum up, …
On balance, …
Making a recommendation
In my opinion/view, …
I would recommend (+ -ing form)
EXERCISE. Imagine that you are taking part in a conference. Prepare a short
report in English on some of the ways in which recent technical advances in
your discipline can help to solve some of the practical problems faced by the
industry.
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UNIT 6
TEXT: GREEN NANOSCIENCE
Extraordinary advances in chemistry have made it possible to design and
manipulate chemical properties at the molecular level, leading to innovative
technologies and useful products. Advances in molecular-level design have been
catalyzed by multidisciplinary contributions from across the physical sciences
and engineering. Green chemistry and nanoscience are both emerging fields that
take advantage of molecular-level design and have enormous potential for
advancing our science. Nanoscience is the study of materials that are on lengthscale of 100 nanometers or smaller and have properties that are dependent on the
physical size. Green chemistry is the utilization of a set of principles that
reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous substances in the
design, manufacture, and application of chemical products. Taken together, the
principles of green chemistry can guide responsible development of
nanoscience, while the new strategies of nanoscience can fuel the development
of greener products and processes. The parallel development of green chemistry
and nanoscience and the potential synergy of the two fields can lead to more
successful and profitable technologies with reduced environmental impact and
improved conservation of resources.
Recently scientists have developed techniques for synthesizing and
characterizing many new materials with at least one dimension on the nanoscale,
including nanoscale particles, layers, and tubes. These nanostructured materials
exhibit physical, chemical, and biological properties that are different from those
of the bulk material and depend exclusively on their size and structure. The
search for materials with ultra-small size and novel properties has led to the
recent interest in nanoscience research.
The principles of green chemistry have been applied to the rational design
of an increasing number of chemical products and processes with the aims of
reducing waste and intrinsic hazard, preventing pollution, and protecting human
health and the environment.
New technologies based on green chemistry have resulted in dramatic
reductions in the use of hazardous reagents and solvents, improved energy
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efficiency of chemical processes, and enhanced awareness of the entire life cycle
of products. The goal of incorporation of green chemistry into industry is to
improve processes and products and to achieve sustainability through science
and technology.
The ultimate potential for green chemistry and nanoscience lies in
integrated approach, the development of green nanoscience. New strategies that
take advantage of rational control of properties at the molecular level will lead
to the development of greener products, processes, and applications. Examples
of successful merging of green chemistry and nanoscience can be found in the
developing fields of nanoelectronics, nanocomposites, and thermoelectrics. New
approaches to the manufacture of nanoscale electronic devices may
simultaneously address the technological challenges facing the electronics
industry and reduce the environmental impact of their products and processes.
For example, functionalized metal nanoparticles self-assembled onto
biomolecular scaffolds (DNA, polypeptides) form closely and evenly spaced
metal particle chains, and their electronic properties could be developed for use
in nanoelectronic devices. Mild conditions and a wide range of suitable
materials and synthetic methods allow for choices of non-hazardous reagents.
The selectivity of chemical self-assembly onto polymer scaffolds leads to better
material integration and energy-efficient processes and products. In the
transportation industry, nanocomposites currently used to make vehicle panels
can result in increased fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions. Life-cycle
analysis of these nanocomposite products suggests that environmental impacts
would be greatly reduced by substituting these nanocomposite materials for steel
panels. As a final example, a novel self-assembly process at relatively low
temperatures has been used to prepare nanostructured thermoelectric materials
for efficient heating and cooling or capture waste heat. Green nanotechnologies,
such as those discussed above, demonstrate the successful coalescence of the
powerful tools of nanoscience and rational designs of green chemistry.
WORDS
1. to catalyze – активизировать, хим. катализировать
2. to fuel – подпитывать
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3. synergy – синергия, совместное действие нескольких факторов
4. conservation of resources – рациональное использование ресурсов; охрана
природных ресурсов
5. tube – трубка, труба
6. bulk material – вещество в массе или в объеме
7. integrated approach – комплексный подход
8. self-assembly – биол. само-сборка
9. scaffold – биотехн. клеточный каркас
10. panel – панель управления, пульт управления
11. fuel efficiency – топливная экономичность, кпд топлива
12. life cycle – срок службы, период эксплуатации
13. capture – захват, поглощение
14. waste heat – использованная/сбросная теплота
15. coalescence – коалесценция; соединение, сращение; слияние
COMPREHENSION
1. Why are nanoscience and green chemistry both described as emerging fields?
What multidisciplinary contributions have they been catalyzed by?
2. How would you define nanoscience? What is meant by green chemistry?
What does the epithet “green” add to the traditional definition of chemistry?
3. How can nanoscience and green chemistry interact? What can the potential
synergy of the two fields lead to?
4. How can you account for the recent interest in nanostructured materials?
What do the properties of these materials depend on?
5. What have new technologies based on green chemistry resulted in? What can
green chemistry incorporated into industry help to achieve?
6. What potential advantages can the development of green nanoscience offer?
Give examples of successful merging of green chemistry and nanoscience in the
fields of nanoelectronics, nanocomposites and thermoelectrics.
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WORD STUDY
The combining form nano- (from Greek nanos, “dwarf”) has two
meanings: 1. exceedingly or abnormally small (e.g. nanoplankton, floating plant
and animal organisms of microscopic size); 2.one-billionth of (a specified unit),
e.g. nanometer = нанометр (10-9 м).
EXERCISE 1. Explain the meaning of the following terms and terminological
word-combinations used in the text:
nanoscience;
nanoscale;
nanoscale
particles;
nanoelectronics;
nanocomposites; nanoparticles; nanocomposite materials (products);
nanotechnology.
EXERCISE 2. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following Russian
words and word-combinations:
- поразительные достижения химии;
- энергоэкономичные процессы;
- свойства, которые отличаются от свойств материала в массе или объеме;
- обладать огромным потенциалом;
- проблемы (вызовы), стоящие перед электронной промышленностью;
- проектирование, изготовление и применение химических материалов;
- рациональное регулирование свойств на молекулярном уровне;
- уменьшить воздействие на окружающую среду;
- все большее количество (чего-либо);
- резкое сокращение использования опасных/вредных реагентов;
- зависеть исключительно от размера;
- влияние (воздействие) материалов на окружающую среду
STUDY THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF WORDS:
to differ (from… in…), to be different (from… in…) = различаться,
отличаться (от… чем-либо)
e.g. English differs from Spanish both in grammar and pronunciation.
Being a soldier is different from being a civilian.
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to differentiate (between thIngs) = to differentiate (one thing from
another; to distinguish (between things) = to distinguish (one thing from
another); to discriminate (between two things) = различать, отличать
(одно от другого)
All three of these words mean “to note differences”. To discriminate is to
note fine details of difference, e.g. A gourmet discriminates the tastes of food
more keenly that most people. To differentiate is to point out or enumerate the
differences between two things, e.g. In planning a household budget it is helpful
to differentiate necessities and luxuries (or differentiate between necessities and
luxuries – either way is correct). To distinguish is merely to note the different
identities of things, e.g. People who are colour-blind cannot distinguish certain
colours.
EXERCISE. Complete the following sentences with a proper word from the
group of words given above. Give reasons for your choice.
1. The two animals come from the same family but ...... in body shape.
2. There is something about music that ...... it from all other art forms.
3. Your method ...... from mine.
4. The device can ...... between the cancerous and the normal cells.
5. It is impossible ...... between the twins.
6. The ability to speak ...... humans from other animals.
7. Modern cars ...... from the early ones in many ways.
8. The two brothers ...... widely in character.
9. During his illness he found it difficult to...... reality from dreams.
10. The techniques used ...... from company to company.
11. It can be difficult to ...... one shape from another.
12. At this age your baby cannot …… one person from another.
13. How can you ...... between moral and religious questions?
14. This ...... from what he said.
15. I can’t ...... between cheap and expensive wines.
16. The computer lacks the ability to ...... between speech and other sounds.
17. Babies learn to see by ...... between areas of light and dark.
18. His interests ...... from mine.
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WORD-BUILDING
EXERCISE 1. Complete the following table where possible.
to operate
operation
operational
automatic
to advance
elaborate
acceptance
to interrupt
economical
substitution
Use your dictionary to check the words you have written.
EXERCISE 2. Complete the following sentences using the words from the table.
1. In several cities of the world, the amount of air pollution has passed beyond
an ...... level.
2. Alternative materials have been ...... for asbestos in most sectors of the
construction industry.
3. Nuclear power stations are now …… in several countries.
4. Realizing that they might overrun their budget, the director ordered drastic
…… in the remainder of the programme.
5. Proponents of …… argue that it will release workers from boring, repetitive
jobs.
6. After making the preliminary announcement, the professor refused to …… on
the results of his experiment.
WORD RECOGNITION BY GRAPHIC SHAPE
Which of the following words are correctly spelled? Choose the correct
one (ones).
distribution distribution distribution distribution
consentration
concentration
concentration
concentracion
characteristic
characteristic
charachteristic
characteristic
hypothesis hypothesis hypothesis hypotheosis
compound combound compounde compound
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STRUCTURE STUDY: RELATIVE CLAUSES
A relative clause is a subordinate clause that gives more information about
someone or something mentioned in the main clause. The relative clause comes
immediately after the noun that refers to the person or thing being talked about.
There are two kinds of relative clauses: defining relative clauses and nondefining relative clauses.
Defining relative clauses identify the person or thing being spoken about.
A defining relative clause is essential. The sentence doesn’t really make sense
without it.
e.g. He spends his money on the things that he wants.
Without “that he wants” the sentence is just “he spends his money on the
things”. But we need to know what things. The relative clause completes the
sense: “the things that he wants”.
A non-defining relative clause gives additional information about the
person or thing being spoken about. This information is not essential. The
sentence is complete without it? e.g.
The summer here, which I don’t like, lasts for two months.
Without “which I don’t like” the sentence still makes sense: The summer here
lasts for two months. The relative clause only adds some extra information.
Defining relative clauses are much more common in the spoken language,
and non-defining relative clauses are more common in the written language.
The rules for defining and non-defining relative clauses are not the same.
1. Commas are not used in defining relative clauses. But non-defining
relative clauses are usually separated from the rest of the sentence with commas.
2. In a defining relative clause, when you are referring to people, you use
who or that as the subject of the clause. You use who, that or whom as the
object of the defining clause. (Whom is a formal word, and who is commonly
used instead, except when you say to/for/with whom).
e.g. We met the people who live in the cottage.
He was the man that bought my house.
That’s the company for whom you work, isn’t it?
He is the man with whom I share an office.
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She’s the woman who (whom, that) I saw on TV last night.
3. In a non-defining relative clause, you use who as the subject of the
clause, or who or whom as the object of the clause.
e.g. His wife, who is French, speaks three languages.
His wife, who (whom) I met in Paris, is French.
4. In a defining clause, when you are referring to things, you use which or
that as the subject or object of the clause.
e.g. The job that (which) they asked us to do was almost impossible.
This is the house that (which) we live in.
5. When a non-defining relative clause refers to things, you use which as
the subject or object.
e.g. I’m teaching at the local college, which is just over the road.
He had a lot of money, which he mainly spent on cars.
6. You can leave out the relative pronoun in a defining clause if it refers
to the object of the sentence. However, non-defining clauses cannot be used
without a relative pronoun.
e.g. The woman you met yesterday lives next door.
She sold her car, which she had bought the year before. (Not: She sold
her car, she had bought the year before).
7. Prepositions usually come at the end of the relative clause.
e.g. Come and meet the people I work with.
This is the book I was telling you about.
She’s a friend I can always rely on.
8. When you want to talk about something belonging or relating to a
person, thing, or a group, you use a defining or non-defining relative clause
beginning with whose + a noun, e.g.
This is Henry, whose wife works for my brother-in-law.
He’s the writer whose latest novel is much spoken about.
EXERCISE 1. Fill the gaps with who, which, whose or that. Where possible,
leave out the relative pronoun.
1. I received a letter this morning …… really upset me.
2. Toby, a boy …… I went to school with, is ill in hospital.
3. He’s going to have an operation …… could save his life.
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4. She told me a story ...... I found hard to believe.
5. Apparently, he lost all his money gambling, …… really annoyed her.
6. The people ...... used to live next door moved a long time ago.
EXERCISE 2. Join the following pairs of sentences using who, whose, which,
that. Make the underlined sentence the relative clause.
e.g. You gave me a magazine. It is very interesting.
The magazine that you gave me is very interesting.
1. The new director is very popular. She gets on well with everyone.
2. I went to see the film Titanic. I enjoyed it very much.
3. George speaks Spanish. His wife is from Argentina.
4. The winters are very cold. I enjoy them.
5. Here are the exercises You must do them.
6. What’s the name of the girl? You’ve just spoken to her.
EXERCISE 3. Rewrite these sentences, putting the preposition at the end, e.g.
Computer programming is something about which I know little.
Computer programming is something (which/that) I know little about.
1. It was a mistake for which they have already apologized.
2. Mathematics is a subject in which she has little interest.
3. It was the bank from which he borrowed money.
4. That’s the hospital in which the twins were born.
5. March 25 is the day on which the country celebrates its independence.
READING AND DISCUSSION
TEXT 1
THE ROLE OF GREEN CHEMISTRY IN NANOSCIENCE
Green chemistry has enormous potential in steering the responsible
development of nanotechnology through the design of greener nanoscale
materials and the discovery of green nanomanufacturing methods. Assessment
of the potential toxicological and environmental effects of nanoscale materials
before they are incorporated into technologies presents an opportunity to
minimize negative consequences and promote a sustainable nanotechnology
industry.
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A staggering number of applications have been proposed for the use of
nanoscale building blocks (for example, nanoparticles) and hybrid materials
containing nanoscale additives or nanoscale structure. Nanoparticles exhibit
size-dependent optical, electronic, and chemical properties that are already
finding use in applications ranging from optical materials to consumer
healthcare products. In addition to their use as discrete products, the
incorporation of nanostructures into typical polymeric materials can
dramatically improve the properties of these materials. For example, the addition
of nanoscale metal or metal oxide layers into polymers produces coatings that
may eventually replace environmentally-harmful chromate coatings traditionally
used for corrosion resistance. Nanocomposite polymers based on biopolymers,
such as starch and chitosan, intercalated with nanoscale layers of clay, have
produced biodegradable polymers with physical and chemical properties that
rival those of engineering plastics.
Green chemistry offers potential benefits in process development and
manufacturing as well as product design. Since many preparation methods for
the molecular building blocks of nanotechnology involve high energy
requirements or hazardous chemicals, the development of greener processes for
the manufacture of these materials is important. Several examples have been
reported where the hazards of nanoparticle production have been significantly
reduced by process redesign. For example, we developed a more efficient and
less hazardous synthesis of phosphine-stabilized gold nanoparticles that
produces greater amounts of particles, in less time, under milder conditions,
while using less hazardous reagents from the traditional preparation. The
advantages of synthesizing gold nanoparticles in supercritical CO 2, a greener
solvent than is traditionally used, have also been reported. Monodisperse gold
and silver nanoparticles have been synthesized through the use of living plants
and in microorganisms. The use of microreactors to synthesize nanoparticles in
rapid, continuous process results in reduced waste, improved energy efficiency,
and increased control of product properties. In each of these processes, green
chemical strategies have provided opportunities for the development of more
efficient synthetic methods that reduce waste and have improved health and
environmental impacts.
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SCANNING: Make the right choice:
1. Why is it important to assess the potential toxicological and environmental
effects of nanoscale materials before they are incorporated into technologies?
a. It facilitates the technological process.
b. It helps to minimize negative consequences.
c. It helps to make the technology more cost-efficient.
2. The incorporation of nanostructures into typical polymeric materials
a. makes the materials more lightweight.
b. can reduce the cost of production.
c. can dramatically increase the properties of these materials.
3. Why is the development of greener processes for the manufacture of
nanoparticles so important?
a. Because conventional methods of their production involve high energy
requirements and hazardous chemicals.
b. Because this makes the final products environmentally friendly.
c. Because the use of greener processes increases productivity.
4. How have monodisperse gold and silver particles been synthesized?
a. Through the use of improved catalysts.
b. Through the use of living plants and in microorganisms.
c. Through designing new equipment for the synthesis.
TEXT 2
Read the text below and divide it into paragraphs according to the
following plan:
1. The significance of nanostructured materials for green chemistry.
2. Nanoscience and the problems of environmental protection.
3. The application of nanoscience for increasing energy efficiency.
4. New manufacturing strategies offered by nanoscience.
5. New opportunities for reducing the waste stream.
THE ROLE OF NANOSCIENCE IN GREEN CHEMISTRY
Nanoscience offers new tools for green chemistry through new nanostructured
materials and novel design strategies that are based on increased control of
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chemical and physical structure. Materials and devices with components of
nanometer size may be inherently lighter, use less power, and have enhanced
performance. The new chemical, optical, and electronic properties of these
materials and the expected high degree of control of these properties provide
new prospects for greener materials and processes. Nanoscience provides many
opportunities for improved environmental technology through new
nanostructured materials with applications in sensing, remediation, and pollution
prevention. Nanoscale sensors based on nanowires or nanoparticles offer faster
response time, provide low detection limits and make on-site, real-time detection
possible. Nanoscience applications can also improve environmental remediation
processes. Self-assembled monolayers on mesoporous supports have been used
as highly effective sorbent materials for removal of contaminants from ground
water. A number of different types of inorganic nanoparticles have shown
promise as catalysts for photodegradation of contaminants in air, water, and soil.
These nanoscale materials further the aims of green chemistry through enhanced
progress in assessment and removal of hazards. Another general theme of green
chemistry that is addressed by nanoscience is increased efficiency. Many
nanostructured materials with specific desired properties offer more efficient
material and energy consumption. Nanocomposite materials, in which the
introduction of nanoscale components increases strength without adding weight,
provide increased energy efficiency. Nanostructured thermoelectric devices are
capable of turning waste heat into electricity or providing energy-efficient
cooling. Photovoltaics based on nanoscale components offer enhanced
performance and materials efficiency and clean energy production because they
allow for energy generation from a renewable source. Despite the benefits that
nanoscale materials are already providing in remediation, pollution prevention,
and efficient use of resources, perhaps the greatest contribution to green
chemistry will be the new manufacturing strategies available through
nanoscience. Bottom-up manufacturing, wherein materials are produced through
direct growth or self-assembly, can result in the formation of complex
architectures in fewer steps with high material integration and very little waste.
Nanoscale bottom-up processes directed by complementary reactivity,
geometries, or physical properties, can dramatically reduce energy requirements
and waste generation. The use of self-assembly methods also enables materials
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for disassembly, incorporating a potential design for end-of-life. For example,
peptide-amphiphile nanoscale fibers have demonstrated reversible self-assembly
through pH changes and reversible polymerization producing a versatile
material. Another tool that nanoscience provides for green chemistry is
dematerialization, a waste-reduction strategy wherein nanoscale materials are
used to replace macroscale counterparts. Significant reductions in waste have
been accomplished through the use of molecular monolayers instead of thick
polymer films as masks for lithography and through nanoscale deposition of
polymer electrolytes for non-lithographic patterning of metal oxide films.
Improved miniaturization methods for the manufacture of nanoscale devices and
products and their ultimate replacement of larger analogues can continue to
reduce the waste stream and the demands on the resources.
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION
The titles of the two texts you have just read suggest that there is a constant
exchange going on between green chemistry and nanoscience.
– Can you explain how green chemistry and nanoscience influence each other?
– What are the main contributions of green chemistry to nanoscience and vice
versa?
– Which of these contributions do you consider the most promising? Why? Give
your reasons.
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: DESCRIBING AN EXPERIMENT
When you are describing an experiment, check that you have covered the
following points.
General:
Write clearly and simply, but in a formal style, using the Passive Voice.
(e.g. "An experiment was performed" rather than "We performed an
experiment").
Title and Abstract:
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1.
Summarize relevant experimental findings and theories which relate to the
aims of your experiment. Use this information to provide a justification for why
your experiment is worth doing.
2.
Outline your proposed experiment.
3.
Make specific predictions
Method:
1.
Include sub-sections on: Design; Apparatus; Procedure.
2.
Make sure there is enough relevant detail for the reader to be able to
repeat the experiment purely by reading your Method section.
3.
In the Design section, identify the independent and dependent variables.
Results:
1.
Make sure you have clearly described the results and explained whether
the evidence supports the hypothesis under consideration. Describe them, but
leave interpretation until the Discussion section.
2.
If you have a fair amount of numerical data, put it in tables and graphs,
whichever seems clearest.
3.
Make sure each table or graph is clearly labelled and has a selfexplanatory title. Make sure tables and graphs are intelligible without reference
to the text, and vice versa.
Discussion:
1.
Summarize your main results.
2.
Provide some interpretation of what your results mean, in theoretical
terms.
3.
Indicate clearly whether or not your initial hypothesis has been confirmed.
4.
Discuss your own data with reference to other experimental findings and
theories in the area, particularly those summarized in the Introduction.
5.
Identify potential problems with your study and make intelligent
suggestions for future studies.
ASSIGNMENT: Imagine that you have just carried out an experiment. Give an
account of it from a personal point of view and in your own words, as though
you were explaining it to an international symposium of chemists.
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UNIT 7
TEXT: ENERGY AND CIVILIZATION
Pre-Reading Task
Before reading the text, decide whether the following statements are true
or false:
a) The rapid development of modern civilization is largely due to the discovery
of new sources of energy.
b) Man makes considerable use of radiant energy today.
c) The amount of energy used in agriculture is decreasing.
d) Food production cannot be doubled in the next 30 years.
e) The fossil fuels reserves are virtually unlimited.
g) The conversion of heat into mechanical energy is always inefficient because
some heat is wasted in the process.
h) A future increase in energy consumption will lead to detrimental
environmental consequences.
Now read the text to see whether you were right.
Modern civilization owes its spectacular development in large measure to
the discovery of vast sources of energy and to the development of new methods
for storing and transforming it. Within less than 200 years man has learned to
convert the chemical energy in explosives, to get electrical energy from moving
water, and to use electrical energy for heating, lighting, mechanical work, and
communication. In the development of nuclear reactors, a new energy source
has been drawn on – the energy stored in the interior of atoms. Other possible
sources still being explored are the energy of tides and radiant energy direct
from the Sun.
Man’s use of energy has grown rapidly in the last few decades. The chief
reason is the increase in average energy use per person. A century ago, the rise
of the Industrial Revolution led to the use of about 300 million J per person per
day in the more advanced countries. Today the number of people who share the
benefits of industrialization is much greater and they each tend to use more
energy as well.
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More and more energy is being used to produce the artificial fertilizers
needed by modern agriculture. This brings us to the aptly named population
explosion: the world’s population will double in the next 30 years or so. To
double food production is certainly possible, but only by the heavy use of
fertilizers which will require disproportionately large amounts of energy. What
will happen if the population continues to increase past the doubling that is in
sight is not reassuring to contemplate.
Clearly, it is not possible to project present trends of energy demand very
far ahead. On the supply side, the fossil fuels that today provide about 98% of
man’s energy will sooner or later be exhausted. Natural gas will be the first
fossil fuel to run out, followed soon afterwards by oil. Coal reserves are much
greater, and ought to last at least another century. Nuclear fuels, too, are
sufficient for another century or more. And if practical methods for utilizing
thermonuclear energy are devised, the energy reserves available to man will be
virtually unlimited. Though fossil fuels must inevitably diminish in importance,
there seems to be no basic reason why other sources of energy cannot take their
place.
However, despite the probable presence of adequate fuel of one kind or
another, the current increase of energy consumption cannot continue for very
much longer. What stands in the way is the intrinsic inefficiency of all methods
of converting heat into mechanical energy; electrical energy is included here,
since it is produced by using mechanical energy to power generators. The
inefficiency is not due to poor machinery but to the laws of thermodynamics –
some heat must be wasted in every heat engine. Even nuclear energy is
inefficient, because it is turned into heat in a reactor and this heat is then used to
operate a steam turbine which is connected to an electric generator. The
conversion of heat into mechanical energy cannot be more than partly efficient,
and some heat must be given off to the outside world.
Even today the disposal of waste heat from power plants is a problem in
the heavily industrialized parts of the world. Generating plants in the United
States already use about 10% of the flow of all the rivers and streams of the
country for cooling purposes. There are likely to be serious biological
consequences if the scale of heating of inland waters rises much further, and if
waste heat is instead discharged into the atmosphere with the help of cooling
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towers, the weather and climate of the region involved may be changed in a
perhaps harmful way. Although the oceans can safely absorb much waste heat,
locating power plants exclusively on their shores poses the question of
transmitting the energy they produce for thousands of miles inland.
Nevertheless it seems clear that a considerable further increase in energy
consumption is possible without undue environmental damage, provided care is
used. It also seems clear that no increase is possible which can keep up for much
longer with both the current rise in worldwide living standards and the current
rise in world population. The laws of thermodynamics cannot be changed, and a
future energy crisis will represent a social failure, not a technological one.
WORDS
1. to owe to – быть обязанным кому-либо, чему-либо
2. spectacular – впечатляющий
3. tide - прилив
4. fertilizer – удобрение
5. aptly – уместно, удачно
6. to reassure – уверять, ободрять, успокаивать, обнадеживать
7. to contemplate – размышлять (о чем-либо), обдумывать
8. to project – планировать; проецировать
9. to run out – исчерпать, истощаться
10. intrinsic – внутренний, природный; свойственный
11. heat engine – тепловой двигатель
12. waste heat – отходящая (использованная) теплота
13. generating plant – электростанция
14. inland – внутренний, находящийся далеко от побережья; уходящий
вглубь
15. cooling tower – градирня
16. undue – чрезмерный; несвоевременный, неподходящий
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COMPREHENSION
1. What does modern civilization owe its spectacular development to? What
achievements in the field of storing and transforming energy can mankind boast
of?
2. What are the reasons for the rapid growth in the use of energy in the last few
decades? Why is the so-called population explosion quickly becoming a cause
for concern?
3. Do you agree with the author’s statement that it is not possible to project
present trends of energy demand? Why/why not? When are the fossil fuels
expected to run out? What can they be replaced with?
4. What can the intrinsic inefficiency of all methods of converting heat into
mechanical energy be accounted for?
5. What makes the disposal of waste heat from power plants a serious problem?
What happens if waste heat is discharged into the atmosphere?
6. What are the conditions under which a considerable further increase in energy
consumption becomes possible? What are the potential consequences of a future
energy crisis?
WORD STUDY
EXERCISE 1. Find in the text words corresponding to the following definitions:
– coal, oil, and natural gas
– all the people who live in a country or area
– made by man, not natural
– farming
– very impressive
– to think about something carefully and for a long time
STUDY THE FOLLOWING GROUP OF WORDS: CONTAIN,
INCLUDE, ENCLOSE, CONSIST OF, COMPRISE, BE COMPOSED OF,
BE MADE UP OF
Contain: The word is used (1) when you say what a box, bottle, bag etc.
has inside it: The bag contained some old clothes. (2) when you mention one or
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more of the things that something is made of or has in it: Water contains
hydrogen and oxygen. The film contained a number of violent scenes. One of the
bottles containing the virus had been stolen.
Include: If something includes another thing, it has it as one of its parts. It
should not be used to refer to all the parts of something: The proposals include
increasing the tax on petrol. The price includes dinner, bed, and breakfast.
Durable goods include such items as cars, computers and electrical appliances.
Enclose: Use enclose when you tell someone what you are putting in the
envelope or parcel that you sending them: I enclose my completed application
form. The reaction takes place extremely rapidly within an enclosed space.
Consist of, comprise (formal), be composed of, be made up of: These
words are used when you are speaking of the entire contents or mention all the
parts that something has in it:
The book consists of six chapters and a brief introduction.
The Earth's atmosphere is composed mainly of nitrogen, oxygen
and carbon dioxide.
The house comprises two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a
living room.
The USA government is made up of two legislative assemblies.
EXERCISE 2. Which of the two words given in brackets can be used in the
following sentences:
1. The book (contains; consists of) much useful information.
2. I have (enclosed; included) a cheque for 25 pounds with the order.
3. Milk also (includes; contains) vitamins.
4. The poem (consists of; includes) just two short verses.
5. Muscle (contains; is composed of) two different types of protein.
6. Our town's library (comprises; includes) 20,000 volumes.
WORD-BUILDING PATTERNS: NEGATIVE PREFIXES
EXERCISE 3. Make the following words negative by adding prefixes un-, in-,
im-, il-, ir-:
a) due, limited, necessary, reliable, expected, stable, usual
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b) efficient, valid, accurate, capable, direct, essential, complete
c) possible, polite, perfect, practicable, precise, probable
d) logical, legal, legible, literate
e) responsible, regular, rational, relevant, reversible
EXERCISE 4. After each of the following sentences there is a choice of three
words. Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the word in italics as used
in the sentence.
1. The composition of the alloy is unknown.
organization / element / make-up
2. The results confirmed the earlier findings.
supported / promoted / helped
3. The use of computers has facilitated keeping accurate records.
lessened / made easier / increased
4. The possibilities for improving plants expanded as a result of Gregor
Mendel’s investigations.
developed / calculated / grew
5. The bread dough contains nutrients that yeast cells digest.
makes up /consists of / forms
6. Primitive farmers were ignorant of the natural principles at work.
unaware / capable / doubtful
STRUCTURE STUDY: THE PARTICIPLE
There are two Participles: The Present Participle, ending in –ing (e.g. reading,
speaking, running, sitting), and the Past Participle, which in the case of regular
verbs ends in –ed (e.g. opened, appointed, played, accepted).
Present and Past Participles can be put together to make ‘Perfect
Participles’ (e.g. having arrived), ‘Passive participles’ (e.g. being employed),
and ‘Perfect Passive Participles’ (e.g. having been invited).
Participles are used:
1) as adjectives, to describe an object or a person. e.g.
a burning house = a house which is on fire
a broken window (describing the way the window looks)
2) to shorten a relative clause in the Active or in the Passive, e.g.
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Anyone arriving (= anyone who arrives) late will not be admitted.
She lives in a house built (= which was built) in the 19th century
3) Present Participles can also be used to replace clauses of reason and time
beginning with because, since, as, when, after, before, as soon as, while.
e.g. Knowing that he was asleep, she tried not to make a noise.
Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was midnight.
A Participle put before a noun usually expresses some more permanent
characteristics: it is more like an adjective than a verb, e.g.
an interesting book
English-speaking Canadians
When a Participle is used after a noun, the emphasis is more on the
action: the Participle is like a verb as well as an adjective, e.g.
the problems discussed at the meeting
the results obtained
To say how we feel about something, we can use the Past Participles
interested, bored, excited, etc.
I wasn’t very interested in the lecture
To talk about the person or thing that makes us feel interested, bored,
excited. etc., we use Present Participles interesting, boring, exciting, etc.
I thought the lesson was quite interesting
We found the party quite boring
EXERCISE 1. Pick out sentences with participles from the text and translate
them. The explanations given above will help you. Write out Participles used as
adjectives with the nouns they refer to. Pay attention to the position of the
Participle.
EXERCISE 2. Choose the correct Participle.
1.
I didn’t know you were (interesting/interested) in gardening.
2.
I’m not. I think it’s really (boring/bored) but my Mum’s hurt her back
and she was (concerning/concerned) that the garden would become a mess.
3.
Oh, I understand now. I was really (surprising/surprised) to see you with
a spade in your hand!
4.
Don’t laugh! This is really (tiring/tired), I feel (exhausting/exhausted)
already.
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EXERCISE 3. Say what you think about the persons, things or notions (in
brackets) using The Present or Past Participles.
1. If a compliment pleases a person… (the compliment, the person).
2. If a person has become tired of a long trip ...... (the person, the trip).
3. The boy’s questions puzzled his parents. (the questions, the parents).
4. Mr Smith bores us with his long stories. (Mr Smith, his listeners, his stories).
The exercises given below show how Participles are used in Academic
English, in particular in texts dealing with problems of chemistry.
EXERCISE 4. Choose the sentences in which the verb forms ending '-ing' or 'ed' are participles.
1.
The admixtures remaining in the end product were distilled off.
2.
The isolated product was precipitated.
3.
The styrene added retarded the polymerization.
4.
Considering the hydrolysis as first order reaction it is possible to draw
some conclusions.
5.
Cellulose is the most abandoned of all natural occurring organic
substances.
6.
This suggests that the corresponding compounds obtained from the
isomeric bromepoxides are not identical.
7.
The data provided vary with the purpose and scope of each particular
investigation.
8.
Fine pores fill up with solvent leaving but a small surface for exchange.
9.
This allows the reactions described here to occur at higher temperatures.
10. We obtained many aliphatic compounds including unsaturated ones.
Normally the subject of a participle clause is the same as the subject of the main
verb in a sentence. However, there are some very common expressions which
break this rule.
Generally speaking, men can run faster than women.
Judging from his expression, he is in a bad mood.
Considering everything, it wasn't a bad holiday.
Supposing there was a storm, what would you do?
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In other cases, a participle clause can be given its own subject. When a participle
phrase does not refer to the subject of the main clause, it is called 'a dangling
participle' or 'Absolute Participle Construction'.
Nobody having any more to say, the meeting was closed.
All the money having been spent, we started looking for work.
EXERCISE 5. Translate the following sentences paying attention to the Absolute
Participle Construction at the beginning of the sentence.
1.
The temperature being 100, water boiled quickly.
2.
A new technique having been worked out, the yield rose.
3.
The work (being) finished, we went home.
4.
The experiment having been carried out, we started a new investigation.
5.
Other things being equal, solid catalyst would attain the maximum activity
if prepared adequately.
6.
The frequency of the current being unchanged, the parametres of the
system didn't change either.
7.
This physical law have been explained, a student was asked to give an
example illustrating this law.
EXERCISE 6. Translate the following sentences paying attention to the Absolute
Participle Construction at the end of the sentence.
1.
We found new routes of synthesis, the older ones being unsatisfactory.
2.
Electrophilic reagents are those which seek electrons, the most common
being positive ions.
3.
The rates and molecular weights are affected by lowering the temperature,
the former being decreased and the latter increased.
4.
To provide as much cooling surface as possible annular tubes are used, the
catalyst being in the annulus.
5.
An experiment indicated that 90% of the reactions proceed according to
reactions 1 and 2, with the former predominating.
6.
From this viewpoint the constitution of the coloured salts is that of a free
radical, there being one less electron than is needed for a compound of normal
valency.
7.
Water exists as ice at low temperatures, and as steam at higher
temperatures, the temperature depending upon pressure.
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READING AND DISCUSSION
TEXT 1
SKIMMING: Read the text and choose the title that best suits it:
The Sources of Energy
Energy Conservation
Energy-Saving Technologies
Industrial Consumption of Energy
At present all possible efforts are being made to reduce energy consumption.
This can be achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with
decreased energy consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional
energy sources.
The attempts to reduce energy consumption, often referred to as energy
conservation, can result in increased financial capital, environmental quality,
national security, personal security, and human comfort. Individuals and
organizations that are direct consumers of energy choose to conserve energy to
reduce energy costs and promote economic security. Industrial and commercial
users can increase energy usage-efficiency to maximize profit.
Efficient energy, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of
efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services.
For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling
energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature. Installing fluorescent
lights or natural skylights reduces the amount of energy required to attain the
same level of illumination as with using traditional incandescent light bulbs.
Compact fluorescent lights use one-third the energy of incandescent lights and
may last six to ten times longer. Improvements in energy efficiency are most
often achieved by adopting a more efficient technology or production process.
There are various motivations to improve energy efficiency. Reducing
energy use reduces energy costs and may result in a financial cost saving to
consumers if the energy savings offset any additional costs of implementing an
energy efficient technology. Reducing energy use is also seen as a solution to
the problem of reducing emissions. According to the International Energy
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Agency, improved energy efficiency in buildings, industrial processes and
transportation could reduce the world’s energy needs in 2050 by one third, and
help control global emissions of greenhouse gases.
Energy efficiency and renewable energy are said to be the twin pillars of
sustainable energy policy. In many countries energy efficiency is also seen to
have a national security benefit because it can be used to reduce the level of
energy imports from foreign countries and may slow down the rate at which
domestic energy resources are depleted.
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION
1. Energy conservation is seen by many as one of the greatest challenges facing
the humanity nowadays. Do you share this opinion? Why/Why not? Give your
reasons.
2. What are the potential benefits that could be achieved through reducing
energy consumption a) by individuals; b) by industrial organizations? In what
way can you personally contribute to tackling the problem of energy
conservation?
3. According to the text, “improvements in energy efficiency are most often
achieved by adopting a more efficient technology or production process”. Can
you give examples of such technologies and processes from your own field of
study?
4. Why, do you think, are energy efficiency and renewable energy described as
“the twin pillars of sustainable energy policy”?
TEXT 2
SKIMMING: Look through the text quickly to find answers to the following
questions:
1. How can the increase in the ratio of known reserves to production between
1970 and 2000 be accounted for?
2. What factors have an influence on the use of fossil fuels?
3. What can slow down growth in materials consumption?
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4. What evidence is there showing that in the future unfavourable environmental
changes may become a reality?
NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES
A prime example of nonrenewable resources is fossil fuels, whose limits should
be obvious, although many people, including distinguishes economists, deny this
elementary fact. More than 80 percent of year 2000 commercial use comes from
nonrenewable fossil fuels – oil, natural gas, and coal. The underground stocks of
fossil fuels are going continuously down. Between 1970 and 2000, even though
billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas were burned, the
ratio of known reserves to production actually rose, due to the discovery of new
reserves and reappraisal of old ones.
Nonetheless, the stock of reserves is finite and nonrenewable. Moreover,
fossil fuels use is limited by the planet’s capacity to absorb their by-products
after burning, such as the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Peak gas production
will certainly occur in the next 50 years; the peak for oil production will occur
much sooner, probably within the next decade. Energy efficiency and
renewables offer the best prospect for a sustainable future.
Materials are another finite resource. If population rises, and if those
people are to have housing, health services, education, cars, refrigerators, and
televisions, they will need steel, concrete, copper, aluminum, plastic, and many
other materials.
But if an eventual 9 billion people on earth all consumed materials at the
rate of the average American, world steel production would need to rise by a
factor of five, copper by a factor of eight, and aluminum by a factor of nine. It
should be borne in mind that the processing, fabricating, handling, and use of
materials leaves a trail of pollution.
Such materials flows are neither possible nor necessary. Fortunately,
growth in materials consumption has slowed, and the prospects for further
slowing are good. The possibilities of recycling, greater efficiency, increased
product lifetime, and source reduction in the world of materials are exciting. On
a global scale, however, they have not yet reduced the vast materials flow
through the economy. At best, they have slowed its rate of growth.
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Another fundamental limit to growth is the capacity of the planet to
absorb the pollution and waste resulting from human activity. The most
intractable wastes are nuclear wastes, hazardous wastes (like human synthesized
chemicals), and green gases. They are chemically the hardest to detoxify, and
economically and politically the most difficult to regulate.
Current atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane are far
higher than they have been in 160,000 years. It may take decades for the
consequences of climate change to be revealed in melting ice, rising seas,
changing currents, greater storms, shifting rainfall, and migrating insects, birds,
or mammals. It is also plausible that climate may change rapidly.
In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development put
forward the idea of sustainability, defining it in the following way:
“A sustainable society is one that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Some people think that a sustainable society would have to stop using
nonrenewable resources. But that is an over-rigid interpretation of what it means
to be sustainable. Certainly, a sustainable society would use nonrenewable gifts
from the Earth’s crust more thoughtfully and efficiently.
SCANNING: Look through the text again and
say what can be described as renewable resources;
specify what the use of fossil fuels is limited by;
point out why materials, too, can be regarded as renewable resources;
explain how the use of nonrenewable resources is connected with the idea
of sustainability.
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Writing a Research Paper
Making a Plan for the Article
Before you start planning your article you should decide on the journal in which
you are going to try to publish. Very often the choice of journal will influence
the format and style of your article. Different journals have different styles and
different rules of presentation for the material they publish.
Most types of research articles follow the classic pattern of:
Introduction. Answering the questions:
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Why did I do the work and what were the objectives – what did I want to find
you?
Materials. What did I use and how did I use it?
Results. What happened?
Discussion. What does it all mean?
Conclusions. What are the implications?
Acknowledgements. Who helped me?
References. Who have I cited in the text?
The Parts of the Paper
The questions you answer when planning a paper help you break the
paper down into its elements, which can be explained as follows:
1. The reason for doing the work.
2. What was known and what was not known before the investigation was
started and the logic leading to the experiments.
3. What the work was expected to show, or the objectives, and the hypothesis
under test.
4. The setting and the conditions of the experiment that eliminate variation.
5. The experimental plan.
6. The methods used.
7. How the data were collected.
8. The methods of analyzing the data and the statistical techniques.
9. The results obtained.
10. The validity and meaning of the results and the conclusions to be drawn
from them.
11. Directions for future work.
12. References to other work in the field.
Making Up the Figures and Tables
It is usually best to draw your results in graph and table form before or
while you are writing. Usually you will have a lot of data, and you must select
parts to support the arguments in your paper. While you are doing this you will
also be deciding exactly what you want to show, and the best ways to illustrate
your findings. Remember that the figures and tables are two of the most
effective parts of the paper in giving information so you should put a lot of
thought into them.
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ASSIGNMENT: Choose a topic for an article you would like to publish in a
journal. Make a plan of the article and get ready to discuss it in class.
STRUCTURING YOUR IDEAS: putting points in order
In formal writing and speech, people often want to say what stage they
have reached in writing or speaking. It is a good idea to organize them carefully
as a sequence or in a list. Here are some words and expressions that you can use:
First, firstly, first of all, at first, in/at the beginning
You can use first or firstly to introduce the first point in a discussion, the first of
a series of questions or instructions, or the first item in a list. If you want to
emphasize that an item is the first one you are going to mention, you can say
first of all.
First, I want to talk about the history of the problem; then I'll outline the
situation today; and then we'll discuss possible solution.
There are two reasons. Firstly I have no evidence that the original document
has been destroyed.
These new computers have several advantages. First of all, they are faster than
the older machines. Secondly, they are far easier to use. And thirdly, they are
more reliable.
When you are contrasting feelings or actions at the beginning of an event with
ones that came later, you say at first.
At first I didn’t like the climate, but after two years I got used to it.
Like at first, in the beginning introduce a situation which is in contrast with a
later situation. However, in the beginning is less common and suggests that the
speaker is looking a long way back into the past to the period of time
immediately after something began.
In the beginning I found it hard to concentrate, but now it is much easier.
At the beginning refers to the point of time when something begins. Unlike in
the beginning, at the beginning is usually followed by of.
At the beginning of each lesson there is usually a revision exercise.
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In the second/third place, second/secondly, third/thirdly, next, in addition
All these words and expressions introduce the second or next item in the list.
People gain valuable work experience and, in addition, employers can afford to
employ them.
Finally, at last, lastly, in the end, eventually
These word and expressions introduce the last item in the list. These expressions
are not used in quite a same way.
Finally can be used to introduce the last element in a series.
We need to increase productivity. We need to reduce an unemployment.
And finally, we need to make our exports competitive on world markets.
At last is also used to suggest – very strongly – the idea of a long way or
delay.
When at last they found him he was almost dead.
Lastly is used when you want to make one more statement, or mention one more
thing in a list before you finish.
And lastly, I should remind you that essays are due tomorrow.
In the end is used when we want to suggest that something happens after a lot of
changes, problems, or uncertainty.
The taxman always gets you in the end.
Eventually is used at the end of a process or period of time in which many
things happen.
It seems more and more likely will eventually destroy itself.
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UNIT 8
TEXT: MATERIALS SCIENCE
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of
matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field
investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or
molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates elements of
applied physics and chemistry. With significant media attention focused on
nanoscience and nanotechnology in recent years, materials science has been
propelled to the forefront at many universities. It is also an important part of
failure analysis. Materials science also deals with fundamental properties and
characteristics of materials.
The basis of materials science involves relating the desired properties and
relative performance of a material in a certain application to the structure of the
atoms and phases in that material through characterization. The major
determinants of the structure of a material and thus of its properties are its
constituent chemical elements and the way in which it has been processed into
its final form. These characteristics, taken together and related through the laws
of thermodynamics, govern a material’s microstructure and thus its properties.
The manufacture of a perfect crystal of a material is currently physically
impossible. Instead materials scientists manipulate the defects in crystalline
materials such as precipitates, grain boundaries, interstitial atoms, vacancies, or
substitutional atoms, to create materials with the desired properties.
Not all materials have a regular crystal structure. Polymers display
varying degrees of crystallinity and many are completely non-crystalline.
Glasses, some ceramics, and many natural materials are amorphous, not
possessing any long-range order in their atomic arrangements. The study of
polymers combines elements of chemical and statistical thermodynamics, as
well as mechanical, descriptions of physical properties.
Radical materials advances can drive the creation of new products or even
new industries, but stable industries also employ materials scientists to make
improvements in currently used materials. Industrial applications of materials
science include materials design, cost-benefit tradeoffs in industrial production
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of materials, processing techniques (casting, rolling, welding, ion implantation,
crystal growth, thin-film deposition, etc.), and analytical techniques (e.g.
electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, calorimetry, Rutherford backscattering
spectrometry (RBS), neutron diffraction, etc.).
Besides material characterization, the material scientist/engineer also
deals with the extraction of materials and their conversion into useful forms.
Often the presence, absence or variation of minute quantities of secondary
elements and compounds in a bulk material will have a great impact on the final
properties of the materials produced. For example, steels are classified based on
1/10 and 1/100 weight percentages of the carbon and other alloying elements
they contain. Thus, the extraction and purification techniques employed in the
extraction of iron in the blast furnace will have an impact on the quality of steel
that may be produced.
WORDS
1. materials science – материаловедение
2. science and engineering – наука и техника, наука и производство
3. to incorporate - включать (в состав), содержать в себе
4. failure analysis – анализ разрушений
5. the media – средства массовой информации
6. to propel to the forefront – выдвигать на первый план
7. characterization – определение характеристик или параметров
8. precipitate – осадок, выпавшая (выделившаяся) фаза
9. interstitial – внедренный, междоузельный
10. long-range order – дальний порядок (структуры)
11. cost-benefit tradeoff – разумное соотношение затрат и прибыли
12. processing technique – способ, метод обработки
13. casting – литье, отливка
14. rolling – прокатка
15. welding – сварка
16. ion implantation – ионная имплантация
17. thin film deposition – напыление тонкопленочных покрытий
18. sintering – аггломерация, спекание; обжиг (руды)
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19. Rutherford backscattering – резерфордовское обратное рассеяние
20. bulk material –вещество в массе или в объеме; вещество или материал
основы, основной материал
21. weight percentage – процентное содержание по массе
22. alloying element – легирующий элемент
23. blast furnace – доменная печь
COMPREHENSION
1. Why is materials science described as in the text an interdisciplinary field?
What does materials science study? What applied sciences is it connected with?
2. What forms the basis of materials science? What are the structure and
properties of a material determined by?
3. How can materials scientists create materials with the desired properties?
4. What are the differences between materials from the point of view of their
structure? Can you give examples of materials with a regular crystal structure
and those which are completely non-crystalline?
5. What are the possible industrial applications of materials science? Is materials
science only used to create new materials or can it be employed when working
with currently used materials as well?
6. What does the material scientist deal with, besides material characterization?
Why are the extraction and purification techniques so important for the quality
of the final product?
WORD STUDY
The properties of metals.
Every metal possesses certain properties, or characteristics, or qualities
which we can find by experiment. These properties will make the metal suitable
of unsuitable for any particular purpose.
The metal is
fluid
It has fluidity
It flow easily when it melts
plastic
plasticity
It pulls out of shape without
breaking
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elastic
elasticity
ductile
ductility
malleable
malleability
It always returns to its original
shape
It can be stretched without
breaking
It can be hammered out of
shape without breaking.
Metals can also possess the following properties:
They are strong under tension and compression. That means they can withstand
stretching and crushing without breaking.
They are sonorous: they make a ringing noise when you strike them.
They are shiny when polished.
They are good conductors of electricity and heat.
They have high melting and boiling points.
They have high densities.
They react with oxygen to form oxides. For example, magnesium burns in air to
form magnesium oxide. Metal oxides are bases, which means they react with
acids to form salts.
When metals form ions, the ions are positive. For example, in the reaction
between magnesium and oxygen, magnesium ions and oxide ions are formed.
The last two properties above are called chemical properties, because they are
about chemical changes in the metals. The other properties are physical
properties.
Comparing metals with nonmetals
Only 21 of the elements are nonmetals. Nonmetals are quite different
from metals. The usually have these properties:
1.
They are not strong, or malleable, or ductile, or sonorous. In fact, when
solid nonmetals are hammered, they break up – they are brittle.
2.
They have lower melting and boiling points than metals. (One of them is a
liquid and eleven are gases, at room temperature.)
3.
They are poor conductors of electricity. Graphite (carbon) is the only
exception. They are also poor conductors of heat.
4.
They have low densities.
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5.
Like metals, most of them react with oxygen to form oxides:
sulphur + oxygen → sulphur dioxide
But unlike metal oxides, these oxides are not bases. Many of them dissolve in
water to give acidic solutions.
6.
When they form ions, the ions are negative. Hydrogen is an exception – it
forms the ion H+.
EXERCISE. Match the words on the left with the phrases on the right.
1. Fusibility
resistance to decay
2. Conductivity
compactness and closeness
3. Density
capability of being hammered into sheets
4. Durability
capability of being melted
5. Hardness
capability of being pulled long and thin
6. Malleability
transmission of heat and electricity
7. Ductility
resistance to breaking
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION
1.
Make two lists, showing twenty metals and fifteen nonmetals. Give their
symbols too.
2.
Try to think of a metal that is not malleable at room temperature.
3.
Suggest reasons why:
a.
Silver is used for jewellery;
b.
Copper is used for electrical wiring.
4.
For some uses, a highly sonorous metal is needed. Try to think of two
examples.
5.
Try to think of two reasons why:
a.
Mercury is used in thermometers;
b.
Aluminium is used for beer cans.
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Word-Building
EXERCISE 1. Following the examples given in the first line of the table given
below, supply the correct words in place of the question marks. Use an EnglishEnglish dictionary, if necessary.
Noun
Verb
Adjective
production
produce
productive
analysis
?
?
?
apply
?
?
?
crystalline
determination
?
?
industry
?
?
?
?
creative
?
characterize
?
?
relate
?
purification
?
?
EXERCISE 2. A person who specializes in chemistry is called a chemist. He
tends to look at every problem from a chemical point of view Repeat these two
sentences, replacing chemistry first by technology, then by science, physics,
mathematics, engineering, biology, philosophy, and making the other changes
necessary.
EXERCISE 3. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following Russian
words and word-combinations:
- материаловедение;
- основополагающие свойства материалов;
- соотношение между структурой и свойствами материалов;
- сосредоточить внимание на чем-либо;
- анализ разрушений;
- составляющие химические элементы;
- законы термодинамики;
- природные материалы; совершенный/идеальный кристалл;
- различные степени кристалличности;
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- создавать материалы с нужными свойствами;
- расположение атомов;
- виды применения;
- промышленное производство;
- дифракция рентгеновских лучей;
- незначительное количество чего-либо.
STRUCTURE STUDY: THE FUNCTIONS OF THE –ED FORM
1. The –ed suffix is used to form the Past Simple Tense of all regular
verbs, e.g.
Modern materials science evolved directly from metallurgy.
The Past Simple Tense has only one form in all persons.
2. The –ed suffix is also used to form the Past Participle of all regular
verbs, e.g.
The substance begins to melt if heated to a sufficient temperature.
The Past Participle can be used either before the noun it modifies (e.g. an
adopted child) or, more often, after that noun, e.g. (the results obtained, the
problem discussed, the data analyzed, etc.).
NOTE: If in a sentence there are two verb forms in –ed, one immediately
following the other, the first of these forms is the Past Participle, e.g.
The results obtained resulted in new investigations.
(Полученные результаты привели к новым
исследованиям).
The materials produced differed in quality.
(Произведенные материалы различались по качеству).
The Past Participle is used:
a) with a form of the auxiliary verb to have to form the Perfect Tense, e.g.
They have never used this method before.
b) with a form of the auxiliary verb to be to form the Passive Voice, e.g.
The atmosphere is composed mostly of nitrogen and oxygen.
c) to form –ed participle clauses, e.g.
The substance affected by a magnetic field must be a metal.
3. The –ed suffix is used to form adjectives, e.g.
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Materials science incorporates elements of applied physics and chemistry.
Such adjectives can be formed by adding –ed to verbs (e.g. to advance –
advanced, to accumulate – accumulated, to retire – retired, to fade – faded, to
mix – mixed, etc.) or to noun (e.g. a detail – detailed, a point – pointed, a
principle – principled, a skill – skilled, etc.).
The –ed suffix is also used in compound adjectives consisting of more
than one word, e.g.
a cone-shaped structure
a high-powered engine
a rocket-propelled missile
a neutron-produced nuclear reaction, etc.
EXERCISE 1. Find in the text –ed forms and explain their functions.
EXERCISE 2. Complete the following sentences with the correct –ed adjective
or participle, using the verbs in the list:
1. Materials scientists manipulate the defects in crystalline materials to create
materials with the ...... properties.
2. The extraction and purification techniques ...... in the extraction of iron in the
blast furnace will have an impact on the quality of steel ...... .
3. With significant media attention …… on nanotechnology, materials science
has been propelled to the forefront at many universities.
4. The instructions in the exam were very complicated and left the students
feeling totally ...... .
5. What began as a friendly discussion, soon became a ...... argument.
6. The army, navy, and air force are known as ...... forces.
7. It’s important to stay cool, calm and ...... during a job interview.
EXERCISE 3. Translate the Russian words given in brackets into English, using
–ed forms.
1. The particles in many substances consist of two or more atoms
(соединенных) together.
2. (При нагревании) the particles of a liquid get more energy and move faster.
3. In the 19th century it was realized that all the (так называемые) natural
organic compounds contain carbon as a constituent element.
4. Decomposition (вызываемый) by electricity is called electrolysis.
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5. The oxygen (растворенный) in the still, warm water is quickly depleted.
6. (Расплавленный) plastic is injected into a mould at high speed, then allowed
to cool
7. A monomer for addition polymerization is made by cracking a hydrocarbon
(получаемый) from oil.
READING AND DISCUSSION
TEXT 1
SKIMMING: Look through the text and choose the most appropriate title. Give
reasons for your choice.
1) The Significance of Materials Science
2) Materials Science: the History of Development
3) Materials Science in the Changing World
Originally deriving from the manufacture of ceramics, materials science is one
of the oldest forms of engineering and applied science. Modern materials
science evolved directly from metallurgy, which itself evolved from mining as
well as ceramics and the use of fire. A major breakthrough in the understanding
of materials occurred in the late 19th century when the American scientist Josiah
Williard Gibbs demonstrated that the thermodynamic properties related to
atomic structure in various phases are related to the physical properties of a
material. Important elements of modern materials science are a product of the
space race: the understanding and engineering of the metallic alloys, and silica
and carbon materials, used in the construction of space vehicles enabling the
exploration of space. Materials science has driven, and been driven, by the
development of revolutionary technologies such as plastics, semiconductors, and
biomaterials.
Before the 1960s (and in some decades after) many materials science
departments were named metallurgy departments, from a 19th and early 20th
century emphasis on metals. The field has since broadened to include every
class of materials, including ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, magnetic
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materials. medical implant materials, and biological materials. Each of these
classes may constitute a separate field.
There are several ways to classify materials, for example, by the type of
bonding between the atoms. The traditional groups are ceramics, metals and
polymers based on atomic structure and chemical composition. New materials
have resulted in more classes. One way of classifying materials is: biomaterials;
carbon; ceramics; composite materials; glass; metals; nanomaterials; polymers;
refractory; semiconductors; thin films; functionally graded materials.
SCANNING: Now read the text and:
outline the main stages in the development of materials science;
explain why the name of Josiah Willard Gibbs is associated with a
breakthrough in the understanding of materials;
find examples of materials enabling the exploration of space;
specify what changes have taken place in materials science since the
1960s;
point out what various classification of materials can be based on.
TEXT 2
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS SCIENCE
One of the applications of materials science is the making and study of
materials widely used in industry. These fall into various groups.
Ceramics and Glasses
Ceramics and glasses are typically associated with the most brittle
materials. Bonding in ceramics and glasses uses covalent and ionic-covalent
types with SiO2 (silica or sand) as a fundamental building block. Ceramics are as
soft as clay and as hard as stone and concrete. Usually, they are crystalline in
form. Most glasses contain a metal oxide fused with silica. At high temperatures
used to make glass, the material is a viscous liquid. The structure of glass forms
into an amorphous state upon cooling.
Where metals conduct heat and electricity, ceramics do not, or not to the
same degree. This property has made them particularly important to the
electrical industry where ceramics insulators are used to interrupt the flow of
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current. Special ceramics with crystalline structures are known as
semiconductors because they conduct electricity only under selective conditions;
these ceramics are the basis for the modern electronic industry.
Composite Materials
Composite materials are structured materials composed of two or more
macroscopic phases. Applications range from structural elements such as steelreinforced concrete, to the thermally insulative tiles which play a key and
integral role in NASA’s Space Shuttle thermal protection system which is used
to protect the surface of the shuttle from the heat of re-entry into the Earth’s
atmosphere. One example is reinforced Carbon-Carbon (КСС), the light grey
material which withstands re-entry temperatures up to 15100 C (27500 F). RCC
is a laminated composite material made from graphite rayon cloth and
impregnated with a phenolic resin. After curing at high temperature in an
autoclave, the laminate is pyrolized to convert the resin to carbon. In order to
provide oxidation resistance for reuse capability, the outer layers of the RCC are
converted to silicon carbide.
Other examples are seen in the “plastic” casings of television sets, cellphones, and so on. These plastic casings are usually a composite material made
up of a thermoplastic matrix such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) in
which calcium carbonate chalk, talc, glass fibers of carbon fibers have been
added for added strength, bulk, or electrostatic dispersion. These additions may
be referred to as reinforcing fibers, or dispersants, depending on their purpose.
Polymers
Polymers are the raw materials (the resins) used to make what we
commonly call plastics. Plastics are really the final product, created after one or
more polymers or additives have been added to a resin during processing, which
is then shaped into a final form. The term “additives” in polymer science refers
to the chemicals and compounds added to the polymer base to modify its
material properties. Polymers which have been around, and which are in current
widespread use, include polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, polystyrene, nylons,
polyesters, acrylics, polyurethanes, and polycarbonates. Plastics are generally
classified as “commodity”, “specialty” and “engineering” plastics. Engineering
plastics are valued for their superior strengths and other special material
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properties. They are usually not used for disposable applications, unlike
commodity plastics.
Specialty plastics are materials with unique characteristics, such as ultrahigh strength, electrical conductivity, electro-fluorescence, high thermal
stability, etc.
The dividing lines between the various types of plastics is not based on
material, but rather on their properties and applications. For instance,
polyethylene (PE) is a cheap, low friction polymer commonly used to make
disposable shopping bags, and is considered a commodity plastic, whereas
medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) is used for underground gas and water
pipes, and another variety called Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene
(UHMWPE) is an engineering plastic which is used extensively as the glide rails
for industrial equipment and the low-friction socket in implanted hip joints.
Most plastics are unreactive, so they do not rot away. That means plastic
cartons and wrappers pollute beaches and other places where people throw litter.
Biodegradable plastics help to solve this problem. They are designed to break
down in water and rubbish dumps. Some can disappear in weeks.
Metal Alloys
Of all the metallic alloys in use today, the alloys of iron (steel, stainless
steel, cast iron, tool steel, alloy steels) make up the largest proportion both by
quantity and commercial value. Iron alloyed with lowest proportions of carbon
gives low, mid and high carbon steels. For the steels, the hardness and tensile
strength of the steels is related to the amount of carbon present, with increasing
carbon levels also leading to lower ductility and toughness. Heat treatment
processes such as quenching and tempering can significantly change these
properties, however.
Other significant metallic alloys are those of aluminium, titanium, copper,
and magnesium. Copper alloys have been known for a long time (since the
Bronze Age), while the alloys of the other three metals have been relatively
recently developed. The alloys of aluminium, titanium and magnesium are
known and valued for their high strength-to-weight ratios and, in the case of
magnesium, the ability to provide electromagnetic shielding. These materials are
ideal for situations where high strength-to-weight ratios are more important than
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bulk cost, such as in the aerospace industry and certain automotive engineering
applications.
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION
1. Choose one group of materials presented in the text and get ready to
describe their properties. Explain your choice.
2. What other industrial applications of materials science can you suggest?
Discuss with your partner.
3. Explain why a glass jug will shatter if you drop it but a polyethylene
one won’t.
4. Plastic may burn, but glass doesn’t. Suggest a reason.
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Academic Style and English
Style is very important, although few papers are actually rejected because
of bad English. As an author writing English as a foreign language, you should
not be expected to produce perfect English. English is a difficult language to
write well; native English speakers have problems themselves. Do not worry or
waste time on the finer points of English grammar. The journal editor or
publisher will usually correct your language, The most important thing is that
your message is clear.
Try to be as definite and specific as possible when you are writing. Avoid
all vague statements. Be sure of what you want to say. Consider the following
points in academic style in English:
Simple language and direct expression
Always choose the simplest way of saying something. Choose a simple word
rather than a difficult one. Good scientific writing communicates in simple
terms, even though the subject may be complicated.
Active and Passive Voices
Most academic articles are written in "passive" and 'impersonal" style. In
this type of writing the Passive Voice is often essential. In the phrase: "We
measured the variation" (active), it is clear that the subject (we) did something
(measured) to an object (variation). In the Passive Voice the object comes first,
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and the subject can be left out altogether: "The variation was measured". That is
why the passive should be used in academic style, because most of the time the
subject is you, the writer. The subject is not important. Readers do not need to
be told "I measured the variation": they already know that, because your name is
on the title page of the paper.
Long sentences
Avoid long sentences where you can, Use short sentences instead,
However, in scientific papers it is sometimes hard not to use a long sentence, In
that case you should go ahead and use one and not worry. Remember that a
mixture of short and long sentences gives variety and interest to your writing.
Use if abbreviations
You use abbreviations only if they are in common use (e.g. ISO =
International Standards Organization) or if using them saves a lot of space e.g.
SIMS = secondary-ion mass spectrometry). Abbreviations in a figure must be
explained in its caption or legend; abbreviations in a table must be explained in
the table's title or in a note to the table.
ASSIGNMENT: Choose a passage from an article dealing with the field of your
scientific interest. Analyze the passage from the point of view of its language
and style. Try to answer the following questions:
– Is the message of the passage easy to understand?
– Is the language the author uses simple enough?
– Does the author prefer Active or Passive constructions? Why?
– How long are the sentences in the passage? Which of the two types prevails:
the long ones or the short ones? If you were the editor, what would you do about
the sentences that are too long?
– Are there any abbreviations in the passage? What is their function?
– Sum up by making a critical evaluation of the author's style.
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UNIT 9
TEXT: MATERIALS SCIENCE AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING
Sometimes it is useful to subdivide the discipline of materials science and
engineering into materials science and materials engineering. Strictly speaking,
materials science involves investigating the relationships that exist between the
structures and properties of materials. In contrast, materials engineering is, on
the basis of these structure-property correlations, designing or engineering the
structure of a material to produce a predetermined set of properties. From a
functional perspective, the role of a materials scientist is to develop or
synthesize new materials, whereas a materials engineer is called upon to create
new products or systems using existing materials, and/or to develop techniques
for processing materials. Most graduates in materials programs are trained to be
both materials scientists and materials engineers.
Structure is at this point a nebulous term that deserves some explanation.
In brief, the structure of a material usually relates to the arrangement of its
internal components. Subatomic structure involves electrons within the
individual atoms and interactions with their nuclei. On an atomic level, structure
encompasses the organization of atoms or molecules relative to one another. The
next largest structural realm, which contains large groups of atoms that are
normally agglomerated together, is termed microscopic, meaning that which is
subject to direct observation using some type of microscope. Finally, structural
elements that may be viewed with the naked eye are termed macroscopic.
The notion of property deserves elaboration. While in service use, all
materials are exposed to external stimuli that evoke some type of response. For
example, a specimen subjected to forces will experience deformation, or a
polished metal surface will reflect light. A property is a material trait in terms of
the kind and magnitude of response to a specific imposed stimulus. Generally,
definitions of properties are made independent of material shape and size.
Virtually all important properties of solid materials may be grouped into
six different categories: mechanical, electrical, thermal, magnetic, optical, and
deteriorative. For each there is a characteristic type of stimulus capable of
provoking different responses. Mechanical properties relate deformation to an
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applied load or force: examples include elastic modulus (stiffness), strength and
toughness. For electrical properties, such as electrical conductivity and dielectric
constant, the stimulus is an electric field. The thermal behavior of solids can be
represented in terms of heat capacity and thermal conductivity. Magnetic
properties demonstrate the response of a material to the application of a
magnetic field. For optical properties, the stimulus is electromagnetic or light
radiation; index of refraction and reflectivity are representative optical
properties. Finally, deteriorative characteristics relate to the chemical reactivity
of materials.
In addition to structure and properties, two other important components
are involved in the science and engineering of materials – namely, processing
and performance. With regard to the relationships of these four components, the
structure of a material will depend on how it is processed. Furthermore, a
material’s performance will be a function of its properties. Thus, the
interrelationship between processing, structure, properties, and performance is
as depicted in the schematic illustration in Figure 1.
Fig. 1. Processing → Structure → Properties → Performance
WORDS
1. materials engineering – технология материалов
2. to engineer – разрабатывать, проектировать, конструировать
3. materials scientist – материаловед
4. materials engineer – материаловед-технолог
5. to call on/upon – вызывать; призывать кого-либо сделать что-либо
6. nebulous – неясный; туманный; смутный
7. to encompass – охватывать, заключать в себе
8. realm – сфера, область (деятельности, интересов)
9. to agglomerate – агломерировать; собирать(ся), скапливаться
10. subject (to) adj. – подверженный, подлежащий (чему-либо)
11. with the naked eye – невооруженным глазом
12. to evoke – вызывать (чувства и т.п.)
13. to subject (to) – подвергать (чему-либо)
14. trait – характерная черта, особенность
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15. in terms of (something) – в смысле (чего-либо); с (какой-либо) точки
зрения; в (каких-либо) выражениях; (каким-либо) языком
16. virtually – фактически; в сущности
17. elastic modulus – модуль упругости, модуль Юнга
18. stiffness – жесткость
19. strength – прочность
20. toughness – ударная вязкость
21. heat capacity – теплоемкость
22. performance – 1. (рабочие) характеристики, эксплуатационные
показатели; 2. работа, функционирование;
3. производительность,
эффективность
COMPREHENSION
1. Why is the discipline of materials science and engineering subdivided into
two parts? What are they? What is the difference between them? From a
functional perspective, what are the respective roles of a materials scientist and a
materials engineer?
2. Why does the author of the text describe “structure” as a “nebulous” term?
What does the structure of a material usually relate to? What do subatomic and
atomic structures involve? What is the difference between the microscopic and
macroscopic structures?
3. How can a property of a material be defined? Do definitions of properties
depend on material shape and size? Give examples of various kinds of responses
from materials exposed to external stimuli.
4. How many categories can important properties of solid materials be grouped
into? What are they? Give examples of representative properties for each group.
Name characteristic types of stimuli for each of these categories which are
capable of provoking different responses.
5. What other two important components, besides structure and properties, do
the science and engineering of materials involve? What is the relationship
between all four components?
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WORD STUDY
Many two-syllable words in English have stress on the first syllable when
they are used as a noun or an adjective and stress on the second syllable when
they are used as a verb. E.g. The word “record” is pronounced ‘record when
used as a noun or an adjective and re’cord when used as a verb. There are about
50 words like these in English. The most important are:
Noun
Verb
Noun
Verb
‘compound
com’pound
‘discharge
dis’charge
‘construct
con’struct
‘extract
ex’tract
‘contrast
con’trast
‘ferment
fer’ment
‘increase
in’crease
‘present
pre’sent
‘progress
pro’gress
‘produce
pro’duce
‘subject
sub’ject
‘protest
pro’test
‘transfer
trans’fer
‘transport
trans’port
EXERCISE 1. Find in the text words of this kind and say what part of speech
they belong to. Pronounce these words with the right stress.
EXERCISE 2. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following Russian
words and word-combinations:
подразделять что-либо на что-либо;
строго говоря;
заранее определенная группа свойств;
разрабатывать методы обработки материалов;
термин, который нуждается в объяснении;
подлежащий непосредственному наблюдению;
невооруженным глазом;
подвергаться воздействию внешних стимулов;
вызывать какую-либо реакцию;
отражать свет;
стимул, способный вызывать разные реакции;
приложенная нагрузка;
удельная теплопроводность;
коэффициент преломления.
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Linking Adverbials
Linking Adverbials are words and phrases which indicate a connection
between one clause or a sentence and another. They are usually put at the
beginning of the clause, or after the subject or the first auxiliary.
Some linking adverbials are used to indicate that you are adding an extra
point or piece of information. They are:
also
furthermore
as well
moreover
at the same time
too
besides
in addition
Other linking adverbials are used to indicate that you are giving another
example of the same point, or are using the same argument in two different
cases:
again
equally
in the same way
likewise
similarly
Another group of linking adverbials are used to show that you are making
a contrast or giving an alternative:
all the same
nevertheless
alternatively
nonetheless
by/in contrast
on the contrary
conversely
on the other hand
however
still
instead
though
Some linking adverbials are used to indicate that the situation you are
about to mention exists because of the fact you have just mentioned:
accordingly
so
as a result
thereby
consequently
therefore
hence
thus
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Adverbials of time are often used to link two sentences by showing that
one event took place after another. These linking adverbials include:
afterwards
later (on)
at last
next
eventually
presently
finally
subsequently
immediately
suddenly
last
then
Some adverbials of time are used to indicate that one vent took place or
will take place before another. These include:
beforehand
in the meantime
earlier
meanwhile
first
previously
A few adverbials are used to show that an event took place at the same
time as another event:
at the same time
simultaneously
meanwhile
throughout
EXERCISE 3. Find the text linking adverbials and say what category they
belong to.
EXERCISE 4. Read the following text. At certain points there are numbers in
the text. Choose one or two of the linking adverbials given below which you
could put into the text at these points.
To save refugees faced with the sub-zero winter, Oxfam (Britain’s largest
charity organization that helps people all over the world) is building them
shelters made from material considered in Britain to be extremely dangerous –
polyurethane foam.
The foam ignites easily, burns quickly, and gives off lethal cyanide fumes.
(1) Residents are being warned not to have open fires near the huts, and not to
pick up scraps for their fires. (2) Whether the warnings will prove adequate is
yet to be tested.
Oxfam is being forced to use the material because of limited resources
and the inadequacies of conventional solutions. Tents, it points out, are just as
flammable, although not poisonous. And they certainly do not keep out a -200 C
winter. (3) Tents have other problems: they are not tough enough, and transport
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costs are high. (4) In 1971 the world ran out of tents and millions of Bengali
refugees were force to crouch under plastic sheets to keep off monsoon rains.
Oxfam’s system is simple. Polyurethane foam is sprayed from a gun on to
the inside of a female aluminium mold (inside because it avoids wind, rain, and
dust hazards). (5) As soon as spraying is complete the mold is lifted away
leaving the shelter ready for use.
1 (a) consequently
4 (a) for example
(b) moreover
(b) for instance
(c) alternatively
(c) moreover
2 (a) immediately
5 (a) still
(b) but
(b) then
(c) however
(c) later
3 (a) however
(b) in addition
(c) instead
Word-Building
EXERCISE 1. Complete the following table where possible.
to behave
to release
to compare
behaviour
release
behavioural
comparative
comparable
depletion
to radiate
result
hypothetical
to report
Use your dictionary to check the words you have written.
EXERCISE 2. Complete the following sentences using the words from the table.
1. As more oil and coal is burned each year, the world’s stocks are being
steadily ...... .
2. Heat can be transmitted by convection or by …… .
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3. Many experiments in biology and psychology are carried out by observing the
....... of animals.
4. One of the dangers associated with nuclear power stations is that of the
accidental …… of radioactivity.
5. The use of modern fertilizers may …… in a great increase in production for
many farmers.
6. The first step in carrying out research is to formulate a …… Experiments can
then be carried out to see if it is valid.
STRUCTURE STUDY: MODAL VERBS
There are 10 modal verbs in English: can, could, may, might, must,
will, would, shall, should, ought to.
Certain verbs or expressions have virtually the same meaning as some
modals. These are: need, have to/have got to/be to = must, be able to = can.
Functions of Modal Verbs and Synonymous Expressions
USE
PRESENT/FUTURE
PAST
ability
He can read Arabic.
He could/was able to read
Arabic when he was four.
(repeated action – ability in the
past).
She is able to run a marathon.
He was able to escape.
(single action).
possibility
He can win the race (90% –
certain).
She could have been killed in
They could still be at school the car crash (Luckily, she
(50% certain; it’s possible they wasn’t killed).
are still at school).
He may have spoken to Jenny
Tom may be studying in his yesterday. (Perhaps he spoke
room. (50% certain; it’s to Jenny).
possible that he is studying).
He might have forgotten.
He might want some more food. (Perhaps he has forgotten).
(40% certain; perhaps he wants
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some more food).
probability
They will be home soon. (100%
certain; prediction).
Greg should win easily. (90%
certain; future only; he will win
easily).
They ought to be home now.
(90% certain; they will probably
be home).
logical
She must be working. (90%
assumptions certain – positive. I am sure she
is working).
She can’t be over 40. (negative;
I am sure she isn’t over 40).
He couldn’t be at work.
(negative; I don’t think he’s at
work).
permission
–
He should have received his
prize by now. (He has
probably received it by now).
They ought to have arrived an
hour ago. (They have probably
arrived).
She must have been working.
(positive; I am sure she was
working).
She can’t have stolen the
money. (negative; I am sure
she didn’t steal the money).
He couldn’t have been at work
yesterday. (negative; I don’t
think he was at work
yesterday).
You can/can’t borrow my car. He
wasn’t
allowed
(giving or refusing permission; to/couldn’t cross the border.
informal).
He was allowed to enter the
country. (not: “could”).
–
Could I use your phone? (more
polite; asking for permission).
–
You may use the phone.
(formal; giving permission).
–
Might I speak to Mr Jones,
please? (more formal; asking –
permission).
I am afraid you can’t/mustn’t –
see the patient. (informal;
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necessity
advice
criticism
refusing permission).
Children may not be left
unaccompanied.
(formal;
refusing permission – written
notice).
I must buy a new jacket. (I say I had to buy a new jacket. (I
so).
was obliged to).
Since his car was being
She has to put some petrol in repaired, he had to go to York
the car. (necessity coming from by train.
outside the speaker).
I’ve got to go to the bank now. I had to go to the bank
(informal).
yesterday.
They don’t have to/ don’t need She didn’t have to go. (it
to/needn’t come if they don’t wasn’t necessary – absence of
want to. (it isn’t necessary – necessity).
absence of necessity).
He needn’t have worn such
heavy clothes. (it wasn’t
necessary for him to wear such
I ought to get my hair cut. (it’s heavy clothes, but he did).
necessary).
You should drink more water. You should have gone to bed
(general advice; I advise you).
earlier last night. (but you
You ought to respect the didn’t).
elderly. (I advise you; most He ought to have seen the
people believe this).
doctor earlier. (but he didn’t).
Shall I buy that car? (asking for –
advice).
You could at least help me. You could have at least helped
(moral reproach).
me
last
night.
(moral
–
reproach).
They should have tried harder.
–
(but they didn’t).
148
obligation
Requests
offers
suggestions
You ought to have behaved
yourself yesterday. (it was the
right thing to do, but you didn’t
do it).
I must go on a diet. (I am I had to go on a diet a month
obliged to; I say so).
ago.
I have to go on a diet. (I am
obliged to; the doctor says so).
I had to go on a diet a month
We ought to help the poor. (it’s ago.
the right thing to do. but people
don’t always do it).
–
Can I borrow your book?
(informal)
Could I borrow your book?
(more polite).
May I have a cup of coffee,
please? (formal).
Might I use your phone? (very
formal).
Will you phone Jane tonight?
(very friendly).
Would you mind sending this
fax? (polite).
Can I/we do anything for you?
(informal)
Shall I/we do it for you?
(informal)
Would you like me to help you?
Shall we dance?
I/We can go now if you like.
We could leave if you want.
149
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
He could
lawyer.
have
consulted
prohibition
duty
You can’t smoke there. (you
aren’t allowed to).
You mustn’t smoke there. (it’s
forbidden).
You may not smoke there.
(formal)
Everyone must obey the law.
People ought to be more
tolerant. (it’s the right thing to
do, but they do not always do it).
They couldn’t smoke there.
(they weren’t allowed)
–
–
All the villagers had to obey
the law.
He ought to have been more
tolerant. (it was the right thing
to do, but he didn’t do it).
EXERCISE 1. Choose the correct modal verb in these sentences:
1. She can/can’t be Italian with a name like Smith!
2. I may/can’t be able to come.
3. A: Someone’s at the door.
B: That can/will be John.
4. You could have been/must have been crazy to do something as dangerous as
that!
5. I might/can not be able to come so don’t wait for me.
6. It may/must be cold tomorrow.
7. Who could have/should have done such a terrible thing?
8. Hurry up, we’re late! We might/should have been ready hours ago.
9. When we were at school, we had to/ought to wear a uniform.
10. I don’t need to/shouldn’t wear glasses because my eyesight is still quite
good.
11. Did you have to/must you to have your hair cut before the interview last
week?
EXERCISE 2. Decide on the meaning of these statements, and add will, can or
may. Where there is more than one possibility, show whether there is a
difference of meaning or not.
1. This type of disease (...... cause) death.
2. A number of metals (...... carry) electric current.
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3. The bridge (...... take) about eighteen months to complete.
4. Severe storms (...... occur) in the Atlantic during winter.
5. Heat-treated steel (...... give) strengths as high as 120 tons per square inch.
6. An error of judgment on the part of the pilot (...... be) disastrous.
7. Iron and steel at a high temperature (...... oxidize) in the air.
8. A bright surface (...... reflect) sunlight, but a dull surface (...... absorb) it.
9. This metal (...... resist) temperatures of 6000 Centigrade.
10. Above a certain critical temperature, the structure of steel (...... change).
EXERCISE 3. Match a first sentence (1-8 ) with a second sentence (a-h) to
make short exchanges.
1. Shall we go to a Chinese restaurant a. I’d rather stay at home.
this evening?
b. Actually, it would be difficult to do
2. May I borrow your calculator for a without you right now.
moment?
c. Could you give me another week
3. Would you help me to get the dinner then?
ready?
d. It’s up to you really; it depends on
4. You shouldn’t get upset so easily.
how strongly you feel.
5. Do you think I should go and e. I’m sorry but I’m using it.
complain to the manager?
f. I’ve apologized; what else can I do?
6. I’m sorry but you can’t hand in the g. Do I have to? I’ve got to do my
assignment a month late.
homework.
7. Could I have some time off to visit h. I can’t help it; he really makes me
my friend in hospital?
furious.
8. You shouldn’t have spoken like that
to your mother.
EXERCISE 4. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. This must have given rise to the molecule changing its configuration.
2. The reaction may have been accompanied by tar formation.
3. They point out that the ester must have undergone acyl oxygen fission.
4. This must have taken place as a result of the molecule having changed its
conformation.
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5. The third hydroxyl group originally present must have combined with the
aldehyde group to form a lactol ring.
6. It is possible that some of the products isolated may have resulted from the
alkylation of others.
EXERCISE 5. Complete the passage given below, putting the appropriate modal
verbs in the spaces in accordance with the ideas given in brackets.
In planning a series of experiments, the scientific worker ...... (moral
obligation) be aware of the general nature of the problem under investigation as
well as of data from other areas of research which ...... (possibility) be related to
it. Although in a few cases it ...... (possibility) be possible to begin with a
completely-organized theory, it ...... (moral obligation) be kept in mind that even
an imperfect theory ...... (physical ability) be very useful, since it ......
(possibility) provide a framework which ...... (physical ability) later be adjusted
to fit the results of the experiments. These preliminary hypotheses ...... (moral
obligation) be in accordance with the known facts, and this implies that the
researcher ...... (compulsion) also have a full knowledge of the theoretical
background of the problem. After he has analyzed the problem he ......
(compulsion) present it in as simple a form as possible, since most pieces of
work ...... (physical ability) be broken up into component parts which ......
(physical ability) then be dealt with separately. This procedure ...... (possibility)
often help to solve the problem more efficiently.
READING AND DISCUSSION
TEXT 1: WHY STUDY MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
SKIMMING: Look through the text quickly to find answers to the following
questions:
1. Why is studying materials indispensable for applied scientists and engineers?
2. What determines the properties required of the material to be chosen for a
particular purpose?
3. What are other possible criteria for selecting a material?
152
4. What kinds of compromises may prove necessary while selecting the right
material?
5. What must an engineer or scientist be well familiar with to be able to make
judicious materials choices?
Why do we study materials? Many applied scientists or engineers, whether
mechanical, civil, chemical, or electrical, will at one time or another be exposed
to a design problem involving materials. Examples might include a transmission
gear, the superstructure for a building, an oil refinery component, or an
integrated circuit chip. Of course, materials scientists and engineers are
specialists who are totally involved in the investigation and design of materials.
Many times, a materials problem is one of selecting the right material
from the thousands that are available. The final decision is normally based on
several criteria. First of all, the in-service conditions must be characterized, for
these will dictate the properties required of the material. On only rare occasions
does a material possess the maximum or ideal combination of properties. Thus,
it may be necessary to trade one characteristic for another. The classic example
involves strength and ductility: normally, a material having a high strength will
have only a limited ductility. In such cases a reasonable compromise between
two or more properties may be necessary.
A second selection consideration is any deterioration of material
properties that may occur during service operation. For example, significant
reductions in mechanical strength may result from exposure to elevated
temperatures or corrosive environments.
Finally, probably the overriding consideration is that of economics: what
will the finished product cost? A material may be found that has the ideal set of
properties but is prohibitively expensive. Here again some compromise is
inevitable. The cost of a finished piece also includes any expense incurred
during fabrication to produce the desired shape.
The more familiar an engineer or scientist is with the various
characteristics and structure-property relationships, as well as processing
techniques of materials, the more proficient and confident he or she will be in
making judicious materials choices based on these criteria.
153
QUESTIONS FOR FREE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION
1. Is materials science one of the subjects that are on your curriculum? Do you
agree that a profound knowledge of this subject is vitally important for any
engineer or applied scientist? Give your grounds.
2. Have you ever faced a “materials problem” while doing your research? What
criteria were you guided by in trying to find a solution? Do you find the list of
criteria given on the text exhaustive or can you add other criteria to it?
3. Can you give any examples of materials possessing an ideal combination of
properties for a particular situation? If you have to find a compromise between
two or more properties, what will your final decision depend on?
4. Do you agree that the overriding consideration in materials selection is that of
economics? As a chemist, would you be able to calculate the cost of the material
and the associated expenses (including those incurred during fabrication to
produce the desired shape)?
TEXT 2. MATERIALS: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Before reading the text, decide whether the following statements are true
or false.
1. Materials play a very important role in modern life, but historically they have
not strongly influenced the development of human society.
2. Early civilizations have been designated by the levels of their materials
development.
3. Discovering techniques for producing materials that had properties superior
to those of the natural ones marked an important new step in the development of
materials science.
4. It was in ancient times that scientists first understood the relationships
between the structural elements of materials and their properties.
Now read the text to see whether you were right.
Materials are probably more deep-seated in our culture than most of us
realize. Transportation, housing, clothing, communication, recreation, and food
production – virtually every segment of our everyday lives is influenced to one
degree or another by materials. Historically, the development and advancement
154
of societies have been intimately tied to the members’ abilities to produce and
manipulate materials to fill their needs. In fact, early civilizations have been
designated by the level of their materials development: Stone Age, Bronze Age,
Iron Age. (The approximate dates for the beginnings of Stone, Bronze, and Iron
Ages were 2.5 million BC, 3500 BC, and 1000 BC, respectively).
The earliest humans had access to only a very limited number of
materials, those that occur naturally: stone, wood, clay, skins, and so on. With
time, they discovered techniques for producing materials that had properties
superior to those of the natural ones; these new materials included pottery and
various metals. Furthermore, it was discovered that the properties of materials
could be altered by heat treatments and by the addition of other substances. At
this point, materials utilization was totally a selection process that involved
deciding from a given, rather limited set of materials the one best suited for an
application by virtue of its characteristics. It was not until relatively recent times
that scientists came to understand the relationships between the structural
elements of materials and their properties. This knowledge, acquired over
approximately the past 100 years, has empowered them to fashion, to a large
degree, the characteristics of materials. Thus, tens of thousands of different
materials have evolved with rather specialized characteristics that meet the
needs of our modern and complex society: these include metals, plastics,
glasses, and fibers.
The development of many technologies that make our existence so
comfortable has been intimately associated with the accessibility of suitable
materials. An advancement in the understanding of a material type is often the
forerunner to the stepwise progression of a technology. For example,
automobiles would not have been possible without the availability of
inexpensive steel or some other comparable substitute. In our contemporary era,
sophisticated electronic devices rely on components that are made from what are
called semiconducting materials.
SCANNING: Look through the text again and
- explain why materials are more deep-seated in our culture than most of us
realize;
- say what kinds of materials the early humans had access to;
- describe the historical steps in the process of materials development;
155
- characterize the modern state of materials development;
- give examples of the stepwise progression of technologies based on
advancements in the understanding of material types.
SELF-STUDY ASSIGNMENTS: Making a Presentation
Making a presentation in a foreign language is a complex task and
represents a challenge that can be a stressful experience, especially if you have
never given a presentation before. The guidelines below contain advice about all
aspects of presenting, and include appropriate language to use in order to
signpost your talk clearly so that your audience can follow the transitions
between the different sections.
Planning
Planning is a key factor for a successful presentation. When making a
presentation it is essential to know precisely what you are going to achieve and
what results you are expecting.
The plan should explain why you are going to give a presentation; who
you will be talking to; where, when and for how long you want to give the
presentation; and last but not least, the subject-matter and the format of the
presentation.
Writing the script
When thinking over the content of the future presentation it is very helpful
to make a list of general ideas, jotting them down as they come. This step will
help then to write the presentation in full and arrange it.
Presentation structure
Presentations are commonly divided into three main sections:
Introduction, Main Body, and Conclusion.
The Introduction is a very important stage of a presentation. The speaker should
begin with greeting the audience and introducing himself/herself. Then the
speaker proceeds with stating the target of the presentation: (My aim today is…;
Today I'm going to be talking to you about…). The rules of presentation should
also be stated at the beginning. This includes stating the time ("My talk will
last…") and inviting to ask questions ("Please feel free to ask questions any
time" or "to save time, could we leave questions until the end?")
156
When it comes to the main body of the presentation, it may be divided into four
sections: background information, problem, possibilities, and proposals or
solutions.
Before the speaker gets down to the problem itself, he/she has to give
background information, i.e. describe briefly the history of the problem, relevant
previous research, and the present state of things in a particular area.
While presenting the problem under consideration it is essential to identify the
main points, laying special emphasis on the root of the problem. It is also very
important to get arguments and figures into the best way possible.
The next step is presenting the possibilities open for solving the problem. After
considering all the alternatives, you should try to urge the audience to go for the
options of your choice.
Then the speaker should state a proposal, or outline possible solution of the
problem giving the reasons why he/she thinks the recommended solution is true
or correct.
Rehearsing the script
After the planning and the script stages there comes the rehearsal stage.
Here the future speaker practises and times his\her script, trying to stick to the
time limit, that is, timing the presentation to fit the available time. What must be
remembered at this stage is that a presentation should never be learnt by heart.
This may overload the speaker's brain and he/she may easily lose the track if
unexpectedly interrupted. The only part of the presentation which actually
should be written and learnt by heart is the Introduction.
Useful words and expressions
Using appropriate words and expressions, especially at key moments of
the presentation, makes it easier for your audience to follow what you are saying
and to anticipate what you will be saying next. The list below will help you to
highlight the key stages and to indicate the transitions between the different
sections of your talk.
Introducing the talk:
Today I'm going to talk to you about…
I'd like to start by giving you …
The subject of my presentation is …
Indicating the structure and sequences of your talk:
157
My presentation consists of … sections.
In the first section I'm going to describe ......
Then/After that I will go on to …
Finally I am going to look at …
Moving from one section of your talk to another
I would now like to go on to the next point which is …
Now I'd like to move on to …
Now to the main problem …
This leads me to my next point …
Presenting arguments:
I'd like to draw your attention to …
On the one hand… On the other hand …
It should be pointed out that …
In addition/Furthermore/Moreover …
Consequently/Therefore …
Giving examples:
For example/For instance …
A case in point is …
Language for using visuals:
This graph shows you …
If you look at this, you will see …
This chart illustrates the figures …
I would like you to look at this …
Let's have a look at this diagram …
Summarizing and closing your talk:
That brings me to the end of my presentation. I've talked about …
I would like to finish by sating …
To summarize/In conclusion, I …
That concludes my talk. Thank you all for attention.
ASSIGNMENT: Imagine that you are to address an audience of
professionals/laymen in the field you specialize in. Using the guidelines given
above, make a 5-minute presentation of the problem you are working on at the
moment.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
БИБЛИОГРАФИЧЕСКИЙ СПИСОК
Кузнецова Т.И.,Воловикова Е.В., Кузнецов И.А. Английский язык
для химиков-технологов:учеб.пособие Ч. 1.Практикум / под
ред.Кузнецовой Т.И..- М.: РХТУ им. Д.И. Менделеева,2017.-272 с.
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Кузнецова Татьяна Игоревна
Кузнецов Игорь Александрович
ПОСОБИЕ ПО АНГЛИЙСКОМУ ЯЗЫКУ
ДЛЯ МАГИСТРАНТОВ
ХИМИКО-ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ВУЗОВ
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Российский химико-технологический университет имени Д.И. Менделеева
Издательский центр
Адрес университета и издательского текста
125047 Москва,Миусская пл., 9.
160
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