4.….the centuries people attempted to resolve some of the fundamental questions …. philosophical thinking.
5.The greatest triumph ….the past century has been the model …the universe that was supported …a large body …data.
6.The value …. such a model … our society is sometimes underappreciated.
7.When I open daily newspapers I often see lengthy descriptions ….conflicts….people….borders, possessions or liberties.
8.The Bible has appealed …a broad audience…a long period …time.
9.Humans are interested … every day problems.
10.Humans are curious ….the big picture.
V. Give words close in meaning. |
|
1. a human |
5. to try |
2. to trouble |
6. a large body of data |
3. exciting |
7. a boundary |
4. to deal with a question |
8. to be interested to know |
VI. Study grammar point II and make the sentences passive.
1.The mathematical model of the universe (support) by a large body of data.
2.The value of such a model to our society (underappreciate).
3.Today’s news (forget) a few days later.
4.The Bible discusses how the constituents of the universe: light, stars, life (create)
5.Humans (interest) in every day practical problems.
CLASS EXERCISES
Exercise 1
Reconstruct positive sentences into questions.
We cannot help but wonder
a how the first sources of light formed b how life came into existence
c whether we are alone in this vast space
Exercise 2 (do it yourself)
Combine the two sentences using the alternatives in brackets (that, so, when, although)
1. I am an astrophysicist.
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I study the universe.
2.I see the universe as a whole.
The big picture gives me a sense of longevity.
3.The greatest triumph of the past century has been the mathematical model of the universe.
The mathematical model of the universe is supported by a large body of data.
4.I open a daily newspaper as a part of my morning routine. I often see lengthy descriptions of conflicts between people.
5.People are often interested in every day problems. They are curious about the big picture.
Exercise 3 (do it yourself)
Put in the proper verbs.
1.People ……. to resolve fundamental questions over the centuries through philosophical thinking.
2.Cosmologists …….. the fundamental questions on the basis of systematic observations and a quantitative methodology.
3.The greatest triumph of the past century … … a mathematical model of the universe
4.The Bible … … to a broad audience over a long period of time.
3.The mathematical model of the universe … by a large body of data.
4.Today’s news …… a few days later
5.The Bible … how the constituents of the universe ……
6.Although humans …. in every day, practical problems, they … about the big picture.
Exercise 4
Sharing opinions (in groups)
1.In what case is a mathematical model considered to be correct?
2.What value may the development of a mathematical model of the universe have to the human society?
3.Why is human society indifferent to the development of the mathematical model of the universe?
4.What is wrong with the society that ignores the achievements that scientists consider triumphal?
5.Are you curious about the big picture? Why?
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UNIT 2
THE NO-BOUNDARY UNIVERSE
“The no-boundary proposal is a good scientific theory in the sense defined by Karl Popper: it can be disproved or falsified by observation.”
Stephen Hawking
PRE-READING TASK Study some grammar points.
I. Would + V shows that the action will most probably occur as a result of some previous action. It is a less definite form of will.
Study the sentences.
1.If this proposal is correct, the laws of science would hold everywhere.
2.The way the universe began would be determined by the laws of science.
II. We use appear + to V to say that we think something is true for the present or the future. Appear is more sure than seem and is translated as оказывается, что ….
Study the sentences.
1.In real time, the universe would appear to begin its expansion at a very small radius.
2.Objects try to follow the nearest thing to a straight line in this curved space. However, because the space is curved their paths appear to be bent.
We use two variants.
1.It appears that the number of configurations that could form a black hole is finite.
2.The number of configurations that could form a black hole appears to be finite.
III. Modal verbs show the attitude of the speaker to the idea he expresses.
must = certainly
may, might, can, could = perhaps can’t, couldn’t = hardly
We use must (may, might, can, could) + have V3 to say what was
possible or impossible in the past.
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Study the sentences.
1.There can be baby universes that contain only a few particles.
2.The early universe couldn’t have been completely uniform.
3.There must have been departures from uniform density.
Give Russian correspondence:
both …. and, the law holds (operates), the way (how), that is, compared to, by a factor of a million times (bigger or smaller), at least (as a minimum), Instead (Rather), after (после того как), eventually (finally, ultimately), thus (hence), to account for (to explain), to manage (to have been able to), presence, the former – the latter (the first and the last of the above-mentioned), as to, either …….. or, so (therefore)
TO BE FINITE DOES NOT MEAN TO HAVE A BOUNDARY
Study the passage. Mind the underlined grammar points.
Since 1974, I have been working on combining general relativity and quantum mechanics into a consistent theory. One result of that has been a proposal I made in 1983 with Jim Hurtle of the University of California at Santa Barbara: that both time and space are finite in extent, but they don’t have any boundary or edge. They would be like the surface of the earth, but with two more dimensions. The earth’s surface is finite in area, but it doesn’t have any boundary. If this proposal is correct, there would be no singularities, and the laws of science would hold everywhere, including at the beginning of the universe. The way the universe began would be determined by the laws of science.
Jonathan Halliwell and I have made an approximate calculation of what the no-boundary condition would imply. We treated the universe as a perfectly smooth and uniform background, on which there were small perturbations of density. In real time, the universe would appear to begin its expansion at a very small radius. The expansion would be what is called inflationary: that is, the universe would double in size every tiny fraction of a second.
The early universe could not have been completely uniform because that would violate the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics. Instead, there must have been departures from uniform density. The noboundary proposal implies that these differences in density would start
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off in their ground state; that is, they would be as small as possible. During the inflationary expansion, however, the differences would be amplified. After the period of inflationary expansion was over, the universe would start expanding slightly faster in some places than in others. In regions of slower expansion, the gravitational expansion of the matter would slow down the expansion still further. Eventually, the region would stop expanding and would contract to form galaxies and stars. Thus, the no-boundary proposal can account for all the complicated structure that we see around.
FYI
The uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics implies that a particle of mass m behaves like a wave of wavelength h\mc2, where h is Planck’s constant and c is the velocity of light.
Vocabulary Notes
1.a boundary – a mark which shows where an area ends
2.consistent – something that is consistent is organized so, that each part of it agrees with all the other parts
3.finite– limited
4.extent – the extent of something is its length, area, or size.
5.a dimension is a measurement in space such as length, width, or height.
6.to imply – to mean
7.to treat something as something – to consider something to be something
8.a background – environment
9.tiny – very small
10.ground – (here – original)
11.to amplify – to increase the range
12.If a process is over it is finished
POST-READING TASK
(To be done at home in writing)
I. Make up simple sentences using the below expressions. Follow the passage.
Model: Scientific laws hold everywhere.
1.to combine something and something into a consistent theory
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