Read the passage as fast as possible. From the four titles presented below choose the one which better expresses the main idea. Explain your choice

READING (IB)

Summary 2

Summary 1

Try to guess the meaning of the words and word combinations given in italics in the text.

Answer the following questions using the information from the text or from any other sources.

Ask each other questions based on the text. Do it in pairs.

Work on the text

1) What means of communication were mentioned in the text?

2) What technological innovations of the 20^th century made communication between continents possible?

3) How do science and technology influence people?

4) At what rate was scientific knowledge developing in the 20^th century?

5) What are potential dangers of scientific discoveries?

6) Are science and technology a blessing for a man or a curse?

4 Think and say a few words about:

a) the rate of the human knowledge development basing on the figures below:

1900 1930 1960 2000

1 4 16 100

b) space research development.

5 Read the two summaries below. Which summary reflects the ideas of the passage more accurately? Why is the other one not good?

Is it because:

a) i t is too short and the main idea is not expressed clearly.

b) it is too long and there are too many details and the key ideas do not stand out.

c) t he wrong key ideas have been selected.

Natural science and technology play a dominant role in modern society. The range of human knowledge doubles every twelve to fifteen years. Research and innovations should improve living and working conditions and remedy the negative effects of technical and social changes.

Natural science is the main characteristic feature of the present civilization. Science and technology have modified our homes, places of work and enjoyment, means of communications. Science expands man's intellectual horizons. The range of human knowledge doubles every twelve years and by the year 2000 it was a hundred times what it had been a century previously. The second half of the twentieth century brought a number of technical innovations – transistor, ICs, satellites, etc. Recent developments of nuclear weapons make wars of annihilation possible and pose the question of the survival of the human race.

1) 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 four disciplines 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 in each country and for all publications. Values ranged from 13 per cent for the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society to 115 per cent for the 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 are 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 are not acceptable now because they do not have enough content.

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