2. What factors will play the key role in the fate of an infinite Universe?
3. What fatal consequences could the inhomogencity of the Universe lead to?
4. Are there any reasonable solutions to the problems?
5. Why does the author think that human beings need not despair about the future of the Universe?
HOMEWORK
(to be done in writing)
1. Translate into Russian.
1. To a physicist a liquid is very symmetric — whichever way you look at it, it looks the same.
2. But when the liquid cools and begins to crystallize, different regions of the liquid may begin to crystallize with different orientations of their growing crystal lattices.
3. When these different crystal lattices meet one another they join together as best as they can and inevitably produce boundaries called defects.
4. Within each domain there is a preferred orientation ofthe crystal lattice, but adjacent domains separated by a defect may have very different orientations.
5. The overall symmetry has been destroyed.
6. During the phase transitions ofthe cooling early Universe, something similar to the crystallization of a liquid may have happened.
7. As the Universe continued to expand and cool, the quantum fields went through several distinct phase transitions.
8. Each of these led to a change in the overall level of quantum fields everywhere in space and an associated change in the properties of some subatomic particles.
9. The last of the phase changes is thought to have taken place when the temperature ofthe Universe was about 1011 times as great as today.
10. After that, all subatomic particles had the same properties that we find them to have now.
11. According to theoretical analyses, all of these extraordinary changes took place within a very short period of time — perhaps in the very microsecond or so after the expansion ofthe Universe began.
12. In other words, the main subatomic features of our Universe were determined in a flash of time, and the consequences have been working themselves out ever since.
2. Translate into English. Use such phrases as in question (progress), under consideration (discussion, study).
1. Открытие, о котором идет речь, пока широко не известно.
2. Исследуемая проблема может повлиять на развитие всей отрасли.
3. Обсуждаемые сейчас данные тесно связаны с этой проблемой.
4. Рассматриваемый подход кажется вполне удовлетворительным.
5. Исследовательская работа, проводимая в нашей лаборатории, даст хорошие результаты.
Part III.
THE WORLD OF SUBATOMIC PARTICLES
UNIT NINE GRAMMAR'. THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD
1 как если бы, как будто бы
as though
The object behaves as if it were Тело ведет себя так, как будто бы
given some energy at the start. ему сообщили...
| для того чтобы |
2. that
so that
in order that
lest чтобы не
Keep the temperature so that the Поддерживайте необходимую substance (should) not be cooled. температуру, чтобы вещество не
остыло.
3. though J хотякакбыни
although J
Though he may (might) be busy he Как бы он ни был занят, он за-will complete the work on time. кончит работу вовремя.
Sentences to be translated.
1. Acid is added so that the metal should dissolve.
2. This gas must be kept in a special vessel lest it be evaporated.
3. Though such an apparatus be developed, this would not solve the problem.
4. One cannot speak of particles and waves as though they were two different things.
5. Make exact calculations lest you should fail with your experiment.
6. Be careful lest you should make mistakes in calculations.
7. In determining the orbit of a planet we may neglect accelerations ofthe sun and treat it as if it were at rest.
WORD AND PHRASE STUDY
| A + | -iy = | Adv |
| accurate + | -iy = | accurately |
• Form adverbs from the following adjectives and translate them into. Russian.
pure, comparative, rapid, equal, ordinary, certain, accidental, radioactive, previous, rare, heavy, presumble
READING (9A)
• Read the passage attentively and be prepared to describe the phenomenon of natural radioactivity.
THE DISCOVERY OF RADIOACTIVITY
As is the case with so many other discoveries, the discovery ofthe phenomenon of radioactivity was purely accidental. It was discovered in 1896 by a French physicist, A.H. Becquerel (1852—1908), who was interested at that time in the phenomenon of fluorescence, i.e. the ability of certain substances to transform the ultraviolet radiation that falls on them into visible light. In one of the drawers of his desk Becquerel kept a collection of various minerals that he was going to use for his studies, but because of other pressing matters, the collection remained untouched fora considerable period of time. It happened that in the drawerthere were also several unopened boxes of photographic plates, and one day Becquerel took one of the boxes in order to photograph something or other. When he developed the plates he was disappointed to find that they were badly fogged, as if previously exposed to light. A check on other boxes showed that they were in the same poor condition, which was difficult to understand since all the boxes were sealed and the plates inside were wrapped in thick black paper. What could be the cause of this mishap? Could it have something to do with one ofthe minerals in the drawer? Being of an inquisitive mind, Becquerel investigated the situation and was able to trace the guilt to a piece of uranium ore labeled "Pitchblende from Bohemia". The reader must take into account, of course, that at that time the name "uranium" was not in vogue as it is today, and that, in fact, only very few people, even among scientists, had ever heard about that comparatively rare and not very useful chemical element. But the ability of a uranium compound to fog photographic plates through a thick cardboard box and a layer of black paper rapidly brought this obscure clement to a prominent position in physics.
The existence of penetrating radiation that could pass through layers of ordinarily opaque materials as if they were made of clear glass was a recognized fact at the time of Becquerel's discovery. In fact, only a year earlier (1895) a German physicist, Wilhclm Roentgen (1845—1923), discovered what arc now known as X-rays, which can penetrate equally well through cardboard, black paper, or the human body.
Although special high voltage equipment is required to produce X-rays, the radiation "discovered by Becqucrel was flowing quite steadily and without any external excitation from the piece of uranium ore resting in his desk. What could be the origin of this unusual radiation? Why was it specifically associated with the clement uranium and, as studies found, with two other heavy elements known as thorium and actinium? The early studies of the newly discovered phenomenon, which was called "radioactivity", showed that the emission of mysterious radiation was completely unaffected by physical or chemical conditions. We can stick a radioactive element into a very hot flame or drop it into liquid air without the slightest effect on the intensity ofthe mysterious radiation it emits. No matter whether we have pure metallic uranium, or its oxide which is contained in pitchblende, the radiation flows out at a rate proportional to the amount of uranium in the sample. These facts ruled out any possibility of ascribing the phenomenon of radioactivity to any kind of chemical properties of this element, and led the early investigators to the conclusion that the phenomenon of radioactivity is the intrinsic property of the atoms of these peculiar elements and that its cause must be deeply rooted in the atomic interior.
• Find equivalents for the following Russian phrases.
как это происходит со многими другими открытиями; чисто случайное; интересоваться; видимый свет; из-за других неотложныхдел; в течение значительного периода времени; проявить пластины; были в таком же плохом состоянии; причина этой неудачи; могло ли это быть связано с; быть популярным; проникающая радиация; светонепроницаемые материалы; на излучение совершенно не влияет; без малейшего влияния; эти факты исключали возможность; причина, должно быть, кроется; внутреннее строение атома.
Re-read the passage and answer the following questions.