5. Man should be cautious about new technologies.
CLASSWORK
READING (IB)
• Read the passage as fast as possible. FVom the four titles presented below choose the one which better expresses the main idea. Explain your choice.
/. The development of scientific research.
2. This magic rate of growth.
3. Never mind quality.
4. Publish or perish.
Scientific research became so important in the 20th century that it is no longer possible to describe any human society without according it its rightful place.
Scientific activity, with all its technical and economic consequences, is at present passing through a period of particularly rapid development as compared with other human activities and may, broadly speaking, be said to be doubling in the course of each decade. This law of growth can be deduced from a fairly wide variety of statistical facts such as: the number of original publications appearing in the scientific journals and the number of abstracts published in a branch of science such as physics. It is also found to be true if the criterion adopted is the number of scientific personnel working in laboratories. Lastly, the number of significant scientific discoveries made each year can be estimated, and though such an estimate must, of course, be somewhat arbitrary, the result will again show the same rate of growth. A few figures will support the information given above. The number of scientific journals and periodicals which was about 100 at the beginning of the 19th century, reached 1,000 in 1850, more than 10,000 in 1900, approached 100,000 in 1960 and - if the rate of growth remains constant — should be in the neighbourhood of a million at the end of the century.
If we turn to the length of scientific papers, it is getting out of hand. In the past 35 years, the length of paper in fourdisciplines has increased by an average of 64 per cent. The average letter is 30 per cent longer today than it was 10 years ago, despite frequent editorial decrees that they should be short. To examine the problem the most prestigious publications in physics, chemistry, astronomy, and mathematics from three countries - the US, Britain and Japan - were studied. Between 1950 and 1980/83, the length of papers increased appreciably i n each country and for all publications. Values ranged from 13 per cent for the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society to 115 percent forlhc Journal of the Mathematical Society of Japan. Chemistry papers grew the most (93 per cent), with astronomy second (82 percent), then mathematics (77 percent), and physics (27 per cent). National averages were: Japan, up 85 per cent; the US, up 65 percent; and Great Britain, up 45 percent. The jump in the length of letters is even more dramatic. The average increase over the last 20 years is 74 per cent.
But how should we interpret those findings? Mainly, three reasons are detected for long papers. First, it is easier to write them. As Churchill put it, he needed a week to prepare a five minute speech on an important subject, but he could talk for an hour immediately. Secondly, scientists arc rewarded for overwriting. Thirdly, writing today is sloppier (неряшливый). Some people suspect that modern authors have to use more words to express a quantum of thought than earlier writers, because they have not learnt English grammar as thoroughly. Though, not everyone agrees with this interpretation. For example, Helmut Abt, longtime editor of the Astrophysical Journal believes that the length of papers has little to do with the three main points. He says that the answer lies in the scientific content (содержание). Science is more complex now. Instruments yield far more information and more space is needed for explanation. Many papers that would have been acceptable for publication 20 years ago arc not acceptable now because they do not have enough content.
• Try to guess the meaning of the words given in italics in the text.
• Think and say a few words about:
a) the rate of growth of scientific journals and periodicals:
1800 -> 1850 1900 I960 ^ 2000 100 -> 1,000 -» 10,000 -» 100,000 —> ?
b) the length of scientific papers and letters.
HOMEWORK
(to be done in writing)
1. Translate into Russian. Pay attention to the Passive Voice.
1. The entire industrial and agricultural structure of our life is determined by our scientific knowledge.
2. An army of highly trained men and women is required by our immense industrial complex for its mere maintenance (эксплуатация) to say nothing about its further development.
3. After World War 11 public attention throughout the world was attracted to atomic and hydrogen bombs.
4. More recently our attention has been focused on satellites, space-platforms, and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
5. Science is more and more deeply involved into war problems.
6. This less-well-known fact needs to be told and the average citizen should be informed about it.
7. In connection with these facts many pressing problems must be faced and solved.
8. The question of the very survival of the human race is imposed on our generation.
2. Translate into English. Use the following adjectives: out-of-date, valuable, reliable, useful, practicable.
1. Нами только что получена ценная информация о...
2. Наша лаборатория будетскоро переоборудована.
3. Разработаны реальные планы, касающиеся...
4. Выдвинуты полезные идеи...
5. Все старое оборудование будет демонтировано (to demount).
6. Новое надежное оборудование уже разработано нашими инженерами.
7. Оно будет смонтировано к концу юла.
8. Мы полагаем (believe), что будут получены новые результаты о...
UNIT TWO
GRAMMAR: МОДАЛЬНЫЕ ГЛАГОЛЫ С PERFECT INFINITIVE
/. Must, may, might с Perfect Infinitive выражают различную степень вероятности совершения действия в прошлом.
Must
Вероятно Должно быть
May
Возможно Может быть
Might
Возможно
(Случайная возможность) + Perf. Inf.
The solution must have been wrong. Вероятно, решение было неверным.
They may (might) have made a mistake. Возможно, они допустили ошибку.
You might (could) have made it better. Вы могли бы сделать это лучше.
2. Cannot/Could not + Perfect Infinitive выражают почти полную уверенность, что действие в прошлом на самом деле не произошло.
Cannot Could not
Не может быть, чтобы + Perf. Inf.
Не cannot/could not have made He может быть, чтобы он допустил
such a mistake. Не is a skilled такую ошибку. Он опытный
engineer. инженер.
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3. Might, Could + Perfect Infinitive могут означать, что действие, которое в прошлом могло бы иметь место, на самом деле не произошло, т.е. высказывается нереальное предположение. Иногда это совет, который уже нельзя осуществить. При переводе используется сослагательное наклонение.
Might Could
Мог бы
Можно было бы + Perf. Inf.
4. Should/Ought to + Perfect Infinitive обозначают действие, которое должно было состояться, но не состоялось. Иногда они обозначают упрек, сожаление. Переводятся сослагательным наклонением.
Should Ought to
Следовало бы Надо бы + Perf. Inf.
You should have used that Вам следовало бы пол ьзоваться
new device. тем новым прибором.
Не ought to have completed Ему надо было бы завершить этот
the experiment. эксперимент.
5. Need not + Perfect Infinitive выражает отсутствие необходимости совершения действия в прошлом,
Need not
Не было необходимости + Perf. Inf.
The technique needn't He было необходимости изменять
have been changed. технологию.
• Sentences to be translated.
1. Similar results may have been obtained by other researchers.
2. You should have carefully considered his suggestion.