Материал: Гвоздева Тхе Цосмос 2011

Note

1. We use a modal verb + perfect infinitive for an action in the past.

Study the sentence.

1.You might need a paleontologist to look for life that does nor exist there today but might have left fossil remains.

2.The equipment might not have withstood the temperature.

IV. Should is not as strong as must.

Study the sentences.

1.We must find out what happens at these energies.

2.The theory predicted that the average density of galaxies should be constant both in space and time.

V. We use to + Vo to talk about the purpose of doing something. (= why someone does something.)

Study the sentences.

1.Our present variants of a complete unified theory contain a num-

ber of quantities, like the size of the electric charge on a particle. The values of these quantities cannot be predicted by our theories. Instead, they have to be chosen to agree with observations.

VI. We use used to V to say that something regularly happened in the past, but no longer happens.

Study the sentences.

1 My father was engaged in research in tropical diseases and he used to take me around his laboratory.

2.My father used to warn me against people who had right background and connections. But I think physics is a bit different from medicine. It doesn’t matter what school you went to or to whom you are related. It matters what you do.

3.I was always interested in how things operated and used to take them apart to see how they worked. But I was not so good at putting them back together again. My practical abilities never matched up to my theoretical enquiries.

Give Russian correspondence:

beyond (outside), a study (a research), to learn (to get to know), so (therefore), say (for example), like (similar to), even though, an effect (an influence), another (one more), close (near), Of, because of, any,

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other than (besides), either …. or, the only (single), specific (particular), no + N

Tyson is a leading American astrophysicist.

In this interview, he shares his thoughts on the latest findings in origins science and explains why he is not convinced there’s intelligent life beyond Earth.

Study the interview.

Nova: What makes the study of origins of the universe so hot right now?

Tyson: Well, the exploration of the universe has become multidisciplinary. It was unthinkable not long ago that an astrophysicist, a chemist, a geologist, a biologist or a paleontologist would be at the same conference. Now we have accumulated so much data that we have learned that one discipline can’t answer questions of origins.

And scientists in different disciplines don’t speak the same language. They publish in different journals. It’s like the United Nations: you come together, but no one speaks the same language, so you need some translators. But in the end, what happens is that new fields of astrobiology and astrogeology and astroparticle physics arise, and they begin to develop their own language that represents the intersection of the two, say, between astrobiology and biology.

Nova: What are some of the most exciting recent discoveries in origins science?

Tyson: I would say one, we have fixed the age of the universe. Two, we have proved the existence of dark matter and dark energy. Even though we don’t yet know what they are comprised of, we can measure the effects they have on the origin and the evolution of the universe. Another finding is the discovery that the moons of the solar system may be more interesting than the planets themselves.

Nova: How so?

Tyson: We used to think that if our moon is dry and barren, why should we believe anybody else’s moon is interesting? But if you look at

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the moons of Jupiter, for example, you find that one of them, Europa, is covered with ice, and below the ice there is an ocean of water that is maintained in the liquid state by energy pumped into it from its orbit around Jupiter. Where there is water on Earth, you find life as we know it. So if you find water on a planet, you want to look closer to see if there is life of any kind there, even if it’s bacterial.

Of Saturn 31 moons, Titan is especially interesting because of its richness in organic compounds. It has an atmosphere. And it might have oceans, not of water but of liquid methane. Imagine what kind of interesting chemistry we might find and what forms any possible life might take under such circumstances.

Nova: What great origins-related discoveries would you hope for in the coming decades?

Tyson: The discovery of life somewhere other than on Earth. That is a first goal in our exploration of the cosmos. And what’s fascinating is the question of whether that life has DNA. It’s a fascinating question, because either DNA is the only foundation for the coding of life, or life started with DNA in only one place in the solar system and then spread through panspermia. Panspermia allows life to be brought from one planet into space by some meteor contact. Another possibility is that the life has a code that has nothing to do with DNA.

Nova: Do you believe there’s intelligent life elsewhere in the universe and, if so, will we ever detect it?

Tyson: I’m not convinced yet. I think that intelligence is a narrow branch of the tree of life, this life of primates, who we call humans. No other animal, by our definition, can be considered intelligent. So intelligence can’t be very important for survival, because there are so many animals that don’t have what we call intelligence, and they are surviving just fine.

Vocabulary Notes

1.to arise − to begin to exist

2.an intersection − a place where lines cross

3.a barren land − land which has soil of such poor quality that plants can’t grow on it

4.to maintain − to keep up

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5.under the circumstances − under the conditions

6.to spread (spread − spread) − to extend

7.to have nothing to do − to be different from

8.to be convinced − to be sure

POST-READING TASK (to be done in writing) I. Answer the questions.

1.What experts should address the problem of the origin of the universe?

2.Why did new fields arise?

3.What new fields arose?

4.What are the recent findings in origins science?

5.What moons do scientists find interesting?

6.What is the first goal in the exploration of the cosmos?

7.What is panspermia?

8.Is intelligence important for survival?

9.What is the James Webb Space Telescope designed for?

II. Describe Europa and Titan.

III. How would you define ‘intelligence’?

IV. Give words close in meaning.

CLASS EXERCISES

Exercise 1 (in pairs)

Complete the sentences.

1.It was unthinkable not long ago that ….

2.We have learned that …

3.I would say one,

4 Two,

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5.Even though we don’t yet know what dark matter and dark energy are comprised of, …

6.Another finding is the discovery that ….

7.If you look at the moons of Jupiter, you find that one of them, Europa, ……

8.If you find water on a planet, you want to look closer to see ….

9.And what is fascinating is the question of …..

10.Another possibility is that the life has a code that …….

Exercise 2

Translate the sentences using the expressions.

1.Каковы последние открытия в науке о происхождении вселенной?

2.Я не уверен, что разумная жизнь существует за пределами земли.

3.Мы накопили огромное количество данных.

4.Учёные, работающие в разных областях, говорят на разных языках.

5.Появляются новые области науки и создаются новые языки.

6.Мы определили возраст вселенной.

7.Мы доказали существование тёмной материи и темной энер-

гии.

8.Тёмная энергия оказывает воздействие на образование и эволюцию вселенной.

9.Из чего состоит темная материя?

10.Титан богат органическими соединениями.

11.Там где есть вода, есть жизнь.

12.Основной целью исследования космоса является обнаружение жизни на других планетах.

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