C) Leon Lederman,Nobel Prize in Physics

d) Donna Shirley, Aeronautic engineer

3. Listen again and answer the questions:

a) Why Sylvia Earle first wanted to be a veterinarian?

b) Why did she work as a laboratory assistant?

c) Why did Linus Pouling become interested in chemistry? What was his favorite journal?

d) Why did Leon Lederman get so impressed by Einstein’s book “Meaning of

Relativity”?

e) How did Leon Lederman’s brother influence his choice of a career in science?

f) What do we call people who build airplanes?

g) Why did Donna Shirley get fascinated about Mars and space travel?

h) Why couldn’t she specialize in space at college?

i) Why did she have to study a lot during her Christmas holidays?

What do you think?

Ø Are you happy with your choice of specialization? Why?/Why not?

Ø How did you get interested in science?

Ø What are your plans for the future? Do you have any particular career in mind?

Ø Would you like to become a research scientist? Why?/Why not?

Ø What else except for an inquisitive mind one should have to be a research scientist?

1. Write a paragraph about your choice of specialization. Use the questions below as the guidelines to help you to organize your ideas and develop a good piece of writing.

§ Are you happy with your choice of specialization? Why?/Why not?

§ How did you get interesting in science?

§ What are your plans for the future?

§ Do you have a particular career in mind?

§ Would you like to become a research scientist in your field? Why?/Why not?

1. The words below are all from the text you are going to read. Are they nouns, verbs or adjectives or past participle forms? Match the words with their meanings that follow.

1. flexibility

2. current

3. conventional

4. relevant

5. advance

6. suited

7. component

8. available

9. applied

10. area

11. employment

12. mature

a) valuable and useful to people in their lives and work

b) work that you do to earn money

b) a part which combines with other parts to form something bigger

c) ability to bend or change

d) able to be obtained, used, or reached

e) no longer young

f) present time, modern, up-to-date

g) to develop or improve something

h) traditional

i) something which has practical use

j) is right for a particular person, situation or occasion

k) a part of a subject or activity

2. You are going to read the text about the Combined Science (Natural Sciences) course. Before you read the text, look up the word ‘combine’ in the dictionary.

3. According to the title of the course, what subjects do you think are included in the curriculum? Work with a partner and discuss your opinions, make a list of subjects.

4. Read the description of the Combined Science degree course offered by Lancaster University in Britain and check the predictions you have made.

Combined Science

The Combined Science degree, which includes Natural Sciences, is founded on Lancaster's tradition of flexibility and forward thinking. Following current interest in a broader, less specialized education we have brought together 25 departments offering 56 different courses from which you can take a degree adapted to your personal require­ments. The scheme cuts through the con­ventional barriers between subjects, allowing combinations not only between the sciences, but also between the sciencesand the humanities or

social sciences.

Most science degrees require a specialized study of a single subject even though the majority of science graduates eventually follow careers which would be better served by a broader, less specialized edu­cation providing relevant experience in, for example, management, languages or social sciences. Our Combined Science degree is intended for those who have a partic­ular career in mind (for example, scientific journalism/information technology and medical or research man­agement). It provides a means of choos­ing those skills and disciplines which will assist such ambitions. In particular, mature students who wish to advance an established career will find the wide choice provided by this degree well suited to their needs.

The programme of study is broad, but care has been taken not to sacrifice aca­demic excellence. In each degree a combination of three themes makes up the second and third years. One of these may be a non-science theme. In each subject there is a Combined Science tutor who advises stu­dents on their course choice.

The Natural Sciences option is available to those who wish to take at least two natu­ral sciences as Themes. They are biological sciences, chemistry, environmental science, mathematics and physics.

The University is planning to offer a scheme called Technology, People and Business for those wishing to specialize in the applied science area.

About one-third of the first year and of the final degree (second and third years) is based on coursework, including essay, tutorial, laboratory and project work. A number of our graduates have taken up PhD studies, teaching

diplomas, and MS’s courses in addition to employment in a wide range of areas.

(Adapted from Lancaster University Undergraduate Prospectus Entry 2005)

Comprehension check

1. Read the text more carefully and answer the questions:

a) How many departments are involved in training students in the Combined

Science course?

b) Who may find this course most attractive?

c) Does the combined course provide any particular career opportunities? What are they?

d) How many natural sciences can a student take?

e) Who can help students to make the right choice of the subjects?

Focus on Language

1. Match each item on the left with an

item on the right to make a commonly used phrase in English. Insert prepositions where necessary. Look through the text, it can be of help.

2. Read the sentences below and study the models in the box.

§ About one-third of the first year is based on course work.

§ A number of our graduates have taken up PhD studies.

Subject and verb agreement Singular expression +plural noun/pronoun+ plural verb § + plural noun + singular verb § Some of + singular noun+ singular verb § Some of + plural noun+ plural verb § Plural expressions: + singular verb § a number of + plural noun + plural verb § the number of + plural noun + singular verb

Practice

1. Match the sentences below with the right model in the box. Translate the sentences into Russian.

a) A number of applicants have already been interviewed.

b) The number of students in the class is twelve.

c) Some of the book is good.

d) Some of the books are good.

e) One of my friends has got a grant for his research project.

f) Thirty minutes isn’t enough time to finish this test.

g) A lot of social problems are caused by unemployment.

h) Economics is George’s favorite subject.

i) A lot of equipment is new.

j) More than one person is going to take up a course in programming.

k) Two thirds of money is mine.

l) The USA is smaller than Russia.

2. Choose the correct form.

a) A group of volunteers (has/have) organized a music festival.

b) Surveys show that the majority of school leavers (consider/considers) a

university degree a good starting point for their future career.

c) Look! Half of the map (is/are) missing. We need another map!

d) Each of the students (has/have) a notebook.

e) A number of students in the class (speaks/speak) English very well.

f) Of our recent graduates about half (is/are) continuing their studies for a higher

degree.

g) Why (was/were) some of the students absent from classes?

h) What percentage of the people in the world (is/are) illiterate?

i) My teenage brother thinks there (is/are) a number of good reasons for staying up

late and having a good time.

j) One of my best friends (is/are) coming to visit me next month.

k) Statistics (is/are) a branch of mathematics.

l) A lot of students clubs (is/are) opening these days.

m) More than one computer in this lab (has/have) broken down.

n) (Does/ Do) all of this homework have to be finished by tomorrow?

o) One of the chief materials in our bones and teeth (is/are) calcium.

Work in groups. Look through the scheme of the degree course in Combined Science offered in Lancaster University. Design a modular degree course that suits your particular needs and interests.

1. Write a paragraph about the modular course in Combined Science you would like to do. Give reasons for your choice of Themes from each group.

1. Read the expressions for fractions, decimals and percentages:

one half, a half

one third

four seventh

3 three and a quarter

0.2 nought point two

(zero) point two

0,75 nought point seven five

point seven five

25,34 twenty-five point three four

two five point three four

1% one percent

78% seventy eight percent

90% ninety percent

2. Work in pairs, A and B. Take turns to read and write down decimals,

percentages and fractions you hear.

Student A: 7.5 85.3% ¾ 70% 2½ 18.03

Student B: 3.68 34.9% ⅔ 90% 14 ⅛ 13.75