Text Study

Exercise 1. Find in the text corresponding English equivalents of the following Russian word combinations:

научные исследования, всевозможные вещи, в конце концов, средство найти ответы; как …, так и; поиск новых фактов, четкая постановка проблемы, чтобы её можно было понять, сбор информации, такое же количество, предлагаемое решение проблемы, доступная информация, главным образом, шаг за шагом, коснулись поверхностно.

Exercise 2. Substitute the proper English words from the list below for the Russian words in brackets.

to collect information, searching, step, to obtain new results, communication, equal amount, to be comparable, to define a research problem, to result from combining.

1. The success of the space research program (явился результатом соединения) of the latest achievements in science and technology.

2. This group of engineers (собирала данные) for a new experiment.

3. Normally the atom has (равное количество) of positive and negative charges.

4. Scientists (определили проблему исследования) and have already made the first, and the most important, (шаг) towards the final success.

5. Research is (поиск) without knowing what you are going to find.

6. He announced his discovery in a special (сообщении) to the French Academy of Sciences.

7. English scientists (получили новые результаты) on the origin of life.

8. Archeological studies (сравнимы) to a detective work and when described in a book are read as a thriller.

Exercise 3. Give the main points of the text answering the questions.

1. What kinds of things do scientists study?

2. What methods do scientists use to solve problems?

3. What do scientific methods include?

4. Do you think defining the problem is the most important step?

5. Where may the information be obtained? Can it be stored?

6. How is a hypothesis formed? Does it need testing?

7. What are the ways of communicating the results?

Exercise 4. Which part of the text is the introduction, the main part, the conclusion? Give the numbers of paragraphs that make up each part.

Exercise 5. Shorten the 2nd paragraph. Make each sentence as short as you can.

Exercise 6. Which paragraph has the answer to this question:

“Is problem solving always a step-by-step process?”

Answer the question.

Exercise 7. Do you agree with the conclusion of the text? Do you believe scientists have discovered many facts about our world dealing with the matter without getting deeply into it?

Exercise 8. Find sentences which summarize the 1st paragraph, the 3rd paragraph, the 4th paragraph, the 5th paragraph, the 6th paragraph, the 8th paragraph.

Exercise 9. Give a short summary of the text on the basis of the previous exercise.

Part II

These words will help you understand text B:

island (n) – остров

limestone (n) – известняк

rock (n) – горная порода

journey (n) – путешествие

examine (v) – исследовать

withdraw (v) – извлекать

beneath (prep) – под

surface (n) – поверхность

depth (n) – глубина

mud (n) – ил

believe (v) – полагать

upward (prep) –вверх

floor (n) –дно

circular (a) –круглый

ridge (n) – подводная скала

extinct (a) - потухший

attach (v) – прикреплять

rim (n) - край

sink (v) – опускаться на дно, погружаться

to become curious – заинтересоваться

Exercise 1. Look at the headline of Text B. and write down 15 words, which you expect to come across while reading the text. Then read the text and check yourself.

Exercise 2. Look through Text B and identify the words meaning:

проблема, океан, экспедиция, карбонат кальция, гипотеза, вулкан, период, процесс, коралл, материал, формироваться, формирование.

Exercise 3. Read Text B and get ready to answer the following questions:

1. What famous scientist studied coral island?

2. What was known about coral island in Darwin’s time?

3. What did the scientist do to solve the problem?

4. What did the scientist discover?

5. Did Darwin form a hypothesis or a theory?

6. What hypothesis did Darwin form?