Phosphorus is one of the most interesting of all the elements. Its peculiar property of glowing in the dark places it in a special and rare category. For some unexplained reason, man has always been intrigued by any substance with phosphorescent properties.
ТЪе history of phosphorus is no less interesting than the element itself. It was first prepared in 1669 by a German alchemist Hcnnig Brand, who like every other alchemist of his day, was searching for the elusive philosopher's stone. We can never tell you what gave him the idea that his magic stone could be found in human urine, but, nevertheless, he carried on a scries of elaborate experiments with urine. After much experimentation he could obtain a yellowish waxy substancc by distilling a residue from the urine. We can imagine how thrilled he must have been when he noticed that the strange substance glowed in the dark.
Brand kept the details of the preparation of this strange substance secret, but the news soon leaked out. He then sold his formula to other chemists, who also made the clement in secret. The method of isolating phosphorus was made known to the world in general only in 1737. It was soon discovered that the clement could be obtained from bones, and the unpleasant method of obtaining it from urine could be abandoned. It is truly remarkable that Brand could prepare phosphorus with very limited equipment and knowledge then available. Even today with all of our modern equipment, phosphorus is not isolated with ease.
Phosphorus may be fascinating, but is also intensely poisonous. It should never be allowed to touch the skin, as it causes painful burns which are extremely difficult to heal. We must always handle it with forceps and keep it under water when it is not in use.
Phosphorus has a garlic-like colour. Its fumes are poisonous too.
Words and Word-Combinations to Be Memorized
allow, category, detail, distil, in general, handle, isolate, itself, limit, method, notice, phosphorus, poisonous, preparation, rare, reason, for this (that) reason, residue, strange, urine, wax
Ex. 6. Give the Russian equivalents for the following:
be one of the most interesting, a peculiar property, a special category, for some reason, phosphorescent properties, nevertheless, carry on experiments, a series of experiments, keep the details of the preparation secret, in secret, make the method known to the world in general, obtain some element, abandon some method, very limited equipment, available knowledge, isolate an element with ease, be poisonous, causc pain, be extremely difficult, handle phosphorus, keep under water
Ex. 7. Give the English equivalents for the following:
редкая категория, быть интересным, в темноте, по какой-то причине, сам элемент, как всякий другой алхимик, искать что-либо, навести на мысль, проводить ряд экспериментов, желтоватое вещество, заметить какое-то свойство, держать в сскрстс, метод выделения фосфора, вообще, только в 1737 году, получать элемент из, имеющееся оборудование, даже сегодня, современное оборудование, быть ядовитым, обращаться с, держать (хранить) под водой
Ex. 8. Fill in the blanks with prepositions where necessary.
in, under, at, with, of, on, by, for
1. Phosphorus is one ... the most interesting ... all the elements. 2. Phosphorus has a peculiar property ... glowing ... the dark. 3.... some unexplained reason man has always been interested ... any substance ... phosphorescent properties. 4. Phosphorus was first prepared ... 1669 ... a German alchcmist Brand. 5. Brand carricd ... a series ... experiments to obtain phosphorus. 6. Brand kept the details... the preparation... phosphorus ... secret. 7. The method ... isolating phosphorus was made known ... the world... general only... 1737.8. Brand prepared phosphorus... very limited equipment and knowledge. 9.... present phosphorus is not isolated... ease. 10. Phosphorus should be kept... water when it is not... use.
Ex. 9. Translate the sentences into Russian paying attention to the word one/ones.
1. Hydrogen atom contains only one electron and one proton. 2. Red phosphorus is more stable than the white one. 3. An element is a substancc which consists of only one kind of atoms. 4. The salts formed by hydrochloric acid are called chlorides, the ones formed by sulphuric acid arc callcd sulphides. 5. Chlorinc exists in two isotopic forms: the one has the atomic weight of 35 and the other—of 37.6. Phosphorus is one of the elements of Group V. 7. Reactions of dilute acids and the conccntratcd ones arc not alike. 8. Phosphorus exists in several allotropic modifications, yellow and red arc die most common ones. 9. The chcmical properties of ozone arc similar to those of oxygen, but one must point out that ozone is more chemically active. 10. Phosphorus is readily dissolved in carbon disulphide, one part of it will dissolve nine parts of phosphorus. 11. This modern apparatus gives more accurate results than the old one and it is much easier to handle.
Ex. 10. Translate the sentences into Russian, paying attention to the verbs may, might, could, ought.
1. Phosphorus may be fascinating, but it is also intensely poisonous. 2.Whcncvcr you may work with phosphorus, remember, it must not be handled with bare hands. 3. The instruction was quite clcar so that the students might perform the analysis themselves. 4. Such uncxpcctcd results might be accountcd for by the fact that the substance was not very pure. 5. However slow the reaction may proceed, it gives a good yield. 6. They suppose they could finish their scries of experiments by Friday. 7. The calculations ought to be done after each scries of measurements. 8. Important as this question may be, wc have no time to discuss it now. 9. In order that the glassware might be used, it should be thoroughly washed. 10. The author gives a very detailed description of the properties of each clement lest anything may be missed. 11. It is quite clear that the reaction could go to completion after some heating. 12. The methods of preparation of phosphorus could have been mentioned together with the description of properties. 13. The experiment ought to be repeated several times, so that you could get some results to comparc. 14. In the middle of the 18th century it was discovered that phosphorus could be obtained from bones.
15.Oxygen and hydrogen could be obtained by the electrolysis of water.
16. The question how many elements arc essential to life couldn't be answered with certainty. 17. Some generalizations ought to be made about the role of various elements. 18. The scheme of the process is given in addition to the photograph so that the reader may understand it better. 19. Such research might tell us about the carbon chemistry. 20.Thcsc observations reveal chcmical mechanisms that could only have been uncovered by studies of reactions at high energies.
Ex. 11. Translate the sentences into English.
1. Фосфор обладает интересным свойством светиться в темноте. 2. История фосфора не менее интересна, чем сам элемент. 3. Фосфор был впервые приготовлен в 1669 году, но метод его приготовления стал известен миру только в 1737 году. 4. Как и все алхимики, свои метод приготовления фосфора Бранд держал в секрете. 5. Необходимо помнить, что фосфор очень ядовит. 6. Известны несколько аллотропных форм фосфора. 7. Фосфор нелегко выделять даже при современном оборудовании. 8. Одна из форм фосфора — это желтоватое воскообразное вещество, такой фосфор называют желтым или белым.
Ex. 12. Make up questions to the italicized parts of the sentences.
1. For some unexplained reason, man has always been intrigued by any substance with phosphorescent properties (3). 2. It was soon discovered that phosphorus could be obtained from bones (3). 3. Its peculiar property of glowing in the dark places phosphorus in a special and rare category (3).
Ex. 13. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the most interesting property of phosphorus? 2. When was phosphorus first prepared? 3. What kind of substance is it? 4. What methods were used to prepare phosphorus? 5. Why is it necessary to be careful working with phosphorus? 6. How must phosphorus be kept when it is not in use?
Scction II
Упр. 1. Прочтите заглавие текста 11 В. Скажите, чему будет посвящен этот текст? Что вы об этом знаете?
Упр. 2. Назовите значения следующих интернациональных слов:
modification, allotropic, violent, regular, amorphous, action, catalyze, separate, crystallization, distillation, condense, disulphide, spontaneously
Упр. 3. Определите значения выделенных слов по контексту. Синонимы в скобках помогут вам.
1. As to the properties of phosphorus, they arc very interesting. 2. Phosphorus ignites (takes fire) in the air at the temperature of 30 degrees. 3. Substanccs that easily take fire are called inflammable substanccs. 4. A pressure of 760 mm Hg is callcd normal atmospheric pressure. 5. Phosphorus combines readily (easily) with oxygen. 6. Some reactions can be catalyzed by traces (very small amounts) of substanccs. 7. Opinions (points of view) conccrning this problem differ. 8. Reduction is a proccss when a pure substancc is obtained from an oxide. 9. It is difficult to realize (understand) that yellow and red phosphorus arc the same clement. 10. A very finely divided substancc is a powder. 11. Red phosphorus can be prepared by heating yellow phosphorus in the absence of air (without air).
Слова к тексту:
trace — прослеживать; partially — частично; careful — осторожный; drum — барабан; vaporize — испаряться; pretty — хорошенький, прелестный; dangerous — опасный; dispose of— избавляться от
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