Exercises. I. Read the text and state the main idea

I. Read the text and state the main idea.

II. Write a logical plan of the text.

III. Find key sentences in every paragraph.

IV. Make up a summary and an abstract of the text.

Text 9

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein is known all over the world as a brilliant theoretical physicist and the founder of theory of relativity. He is perhaps the greatest scientist of the 20th century. Some of this ideas made possible the atomic bomb, as well as television and other inventions.

He was born in 1879 in a small German town. The England family soon moved to Munich, where Albert went to school. Neither his parents, nor his school teachers thought much of his mental abilities. His uncle often joked: " Not everybody is born to become a professor".

In 1895 Albert failed the entrance examination to a technical college in Zurich. A year later, however, he manager to pass the exam and entered the college.

After graduating from the college, Einstein started to work at Swiss Patent office in Bern. In 1905 he wrote a short article in a science magazine. This was his "Special Theory of Relativity", which gave the world the most famous equation relating mass and energy (E=mc2), the basis of atomic energy.

Later, he became a professor in several European universities and in 1914 moved to Berlin as a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. After ten years of hard work he created his "General Theory of Relativity".

In 1921 Einstein received the Nobel Prize for Physics.

A Jew, and a pacifist, he was attacked by the Nazist, and when Hitler came to power in 1933 he decided to settle in the United States.

In 1939 Albert Einstein wrote a letter to President Roosevelt, at the request of several prominent physicist, outlining the military potential of nuclear energy and the dangers of a Nazy lead in this field. His letter greatly influenced the decision to build an atomic bomb, though be took no part in the Manchattan Project. After the war he spoke out passionately against nuclear weapons and repression.

Einstein died in 1955. The artificial element einstenium has been named in his honour.

I. Answer the following questions:

1. Why is Einstein generally thought of as being the greatest scientist of the 20th century?

2. When and where was he born?

3. What did his parents and relatives think of his mental abilities?

4. Did he manage to pass his entrance exams at once?

5. Where did Einstein work after graduating from the college?

6. When did he create his "Special Theory of Relativity"? Why is it considered to be one of the greatest discoveries ever made?

7. How long did it take him to form his "General Theory of Relativity"?

8. Why did Einstein leave Germany?

9. Why did he write a letter to President Roosevelt? What was it about?

10. Did Einstein take part in Manchattan Project? What was it about?

11. What do you know about nuclear weapons? Why are they dangerous?

12. What other outstanding physicists do you know?

II. Give the summary of the text.

III. Name the main facts of Einstein's life.

Text 10

Frederic Hopkins

Hopkins, a famous English biochemist, was born in 1861 at Eastbourne, East Sussex, in England. He was educated at private schools and took his first training in the Laboratory of Consulting Chemist. In 1888 he began his medical studies at Guy's hospital. He combined activities in research with clinical work and after taking his degree at the University of London became a member of the staff of the medical school of Guy's hospital. In 1899 he was called by Sir M. Foster to Cambridge where he joined illustrious school of physiology which Foster was founding. In 1913 he became the first professor of the newly created department of Physical Chemistry at Cambridge.

He early realized that one of the urgent needs of biochemistry then entering its modern phase under Felix Hoppe-Seyler and Franz Hofmeister was accurate knowledge of the poteins.

He became known internationally for his important researches and discoveries in the fields of biochemistry and dietetics. His experiments with rats were the first of their kind that were scientifically planned and based on sound theoretical considerations. He succeeded (in association with S. W. Cole) in isolating from proteins the amino-acid triptophane.

In 1906, while a reader in chemical physiology, he announced the important of vitamins as essential constituents of the health diet. In 1912 he published a report clearing up a few of the mysteries of nutrition. He did not himself isolate any of the vitamins of which he studied the effects - chiefly A and B - but he is rightly regarded as the father of vitamin chemistry.

In collaboration with the late Sir. W. Fletcher he did important research into chemical changes that accompany muscle contraction. He was a pioneer in the physiological study of muscular activity and carbohydrate metabolism. He laid the foundation of our knowledge of the chemistry of muscular contraction by his research into lactic acid production in muscle.

In 1921 Hopkins made his most fundamental contribution by isolating from living tissues the sulphur-containing depeptibe glutation and by showing its importance for the oxidations in living cells.

In 1929 he was joint winner of the Nobel prize in physiology for his contribution on growth-promoting vitamins. He held many honorary degrees and memberships in numerous societies and academies.

Exercises 1. Read and answer the following questions.

1. Where did Hopkins receive his private education?

2. Where did he take his first training? (Where did he do his first studies?).

3. Was he engages in any activities outside his research?

4. Where did he take his degree?

5. What hospital did he work at?

6. What did M. Foster propose to him?

7. What was one of the urgent needs of biochemistry at that time?

8. What was Hopkins famous for?

9. In what field of science did he work?

10. Why can Hopkins be considered the father of vitamin chemistry?

11. What research did he do in collaboration with Fletcher?

12. In what areas was he a pioneer?

13. What fundamental contribution did he make in 1921?

14. What won Hopkins the Nobel prize for?

15. Did he hold any scientific degrees?

Exercises 2. Make up a short talk about your research. Use the questions below as a guide.

1. Where did you receive education?

2. Did you join any scientific (learned) society while at the Institute?

3. Where did you take your first training in …?

4. When did you graduate from the Institute?

5. What Institute did you come to work at after graduation?

6. What activities are you engaged in at present?

7. In what field of science do you carry on research?

8. What so you base your experiments (calculations, theoretical considerations) on (upon)?

9. Do you combine theoretical research with applied studies?

10. How do you plan your experiments?

11. Do you work alone or in collaboration with your fellow workers (collegues)?

12. Can you tell us what the urgent needs of biochemistry (physics, physiology, geology, mathematics, botany, astronomy, etc.) are nowadays?