What is Fiber Optics?
Fiber optic technology allows humans to control the path of a beam of light by confining it within ductile, transparent materials, like cords of plastic and glass. These transparent materials function as pipelines for light, and with their help, light, which usually moves in straight lines, can be sent along curved trajectories or around corners. Optical fibers of very pure glass have a surprisingly massive range, having been observed to carry light across distances greater than 100 miles (160 km) with only slight dimming. Some individual fibers measure less than 0.00015 inches (0.004 mm) wide, which makes them thinner than human hair. The light transmitted by optical fibers can be used for simple illumination, or to transmit signals and data. Though there was some practical application of fiber optic technology as early as the 1950s, major commercial implementation began in the 1980s.
Виберіть правильний варіант.
1. In fiber optics technology, such materials as ___ are used to transmit light.
a) wood b) plastic c) metal
2. Optical fibers can carry light over the distances of ___.
a) 1,000 km b) 100 km c) 10,000 km
3. The thickness of a single fiber is ___.
a) that of a match b) less than that of a human hair c) 3 inches
4. The commercial application of fiber optic began in ___.
a) 1950s b) 1980s c) the 21st century
18.4. Граматика. Порівняльні конструкції as ... as, not so ... as, the ... the та інші
| 1) | the ... , the... | чим ... тим |
The more, the better. – Чим більше, тим краще.
| 2) | as ... as | такий же ... як |
It is as cold today as it was yesterday. – Сьогодні так само холодно, як вчора.
G Запам’ятайте!
| This box is twice (tree times) as heavy as that. | Ця коробка вдвічі (втричі) важча, ніж та. |
| 3) | not so ... as | не такий ... як |
It is not so cold today as it was yesterday. – Сьогодні не так холодно, як учора.
| 4) | than | ніж |
He did more than she did. – Він зробив більше, ніж вона.
☺ Smile !
Did you hear about the man who went to see the optician because he saw spots in front of his eyes?
The optician gave him glasses, and now he can see the spots much better.
Вправа 2. Використайте конструкції as ... as або so ... as.
1. Mike is ___ tall ___ Pete. 2. Kate is not ___ nice ___ Ann. 3. My room is ___ light ___ this one. 4. This book is not ___ thin ___ that one. 5. Sergei is ___ old ___ Michael. 6. She is ___ young ___ Tom’s brother. 7. Nick’s English is not ___ good ___ his friend’s. 8. ___ far ___ I know, your sportsmen won not ___ many medals ___ ours. 10. His textbook is twice ___ thick ___ mine.
Вправа 3. Перекладіть речення, звертаючи увагу на порівняльну конструкцію the ... the.
1. The shorter the half-life period of an element, the greater its radioactivity. 2. The faster the object moves, the greater the air resistance. 3. The higher the temperature of a metal, the higher its resistance. 4. The more you read, the more you learn. 5. The larger the water-pipe, the more water passes through it. 6. The shorter the wire, the less its resistance to current. 7. The greater the number of free electrons in a substance, the better that substance conducts electricity.
Вправа 4. Перекладіть рідною мовою.
1. The less you say, the better. 2. Unfortunately I couldn’t come as early as I had promised. 3. The cat fell off the roof but it feels none the worse for it. 4. The room is nice, but not as nice as I should like. 5. The more one has, the more one wants. 6. He is not as experienced as you are. 7. The weather is changing for the better. 8. The window is as narrow as the door. 9. The soup smells good, but it tastes better. 10. How can I get to the nearest post-office? 11. If he helps us, so much the better. 12. If he doesn’t do his home tasks, so much the worse for him. 13. The sooner you do it, the better. 14. He is getting still weaker. 15. This time you’ve made fewer mistakes. 16. The more we study, the more we know. 17. He is not so industrious as his brother. 18. My train starts in a minute. I can’t wait for him any longer.
Вправа 5. Вставте as ... as, so ... as або than.
1. Our house is not ___ big ___ yours. 2. The new cinema in our district is much bigger ___ the old one. 3. We are ___ proud of our district ___ you are of yours. 4. The house I live in is two times ___ old ___ the one my sister lives in. 5. Exercise 2 is easier ___ exercise 3. 6. This song is more beautiful ___ that one. 7. My composition is not ___ long ___ yours.
Вправа 6. Поставте слова у дужках у потрібний ступінь порівняння.
1. This railway is (long) in the world. 2. Silver is (heavy) than copper. 3. The twenty-second of December is (short) in the year. 4. The (big) problem facing the technology is cost-effectiveness. 5. Elbrus is (high) peak in the Caucasus. 6. One of the (good) parts of my job is having an opportunity to meet with interesting people. 7. The maintenance costs become (high) each year. 8. The flexible solar panel is a little (thick) than photographic film. 9. This technology will be a lot (easy) to handle. 10. The (good) solar cells are now working at efficiencies about 20%.
Вправа 7. Перекладіть речення англійською.
1. В інституті перерви між заняттями довші, ніж у школі. 2. Земля важча за Місяць приблизно в 80 разів. 3. Його собака такий же лінивий, як його кіт. 4. Чим більше мов знає людина, тим краще. 5. Цей телефон не такий дорогий, як я думав. 6. В Харкові більше навчальних закладів, ніж у Донецьку.
18.5. Домашнє завдання
Вправа 8. Перекладіть речення, звертаючи увагу на контрукцію the ... the.
1. The nearerthe Earth, the denser the atmosphere. 2. The more experiments scientists make, the greater is their knowledge of the structure of matter. 3. The bigger the mass, the bigger the weight of the body. 4. The nearer the centre of the Sun, the higher the temperature. 5. The more the scientist studied the problem, the better he understood its importance for man. 6. The stronger the magnet, the greater the distance through which it acts.
Вправа 9. Перепишіть речення як показано у прикладі: Jack is younger than he looks. – Jack isn’t as old as he looks.
1. It’s warmer today than yesterday. It isn’t ___. 2. The station was nearer than I thought. The station wasn’t ___. 3. The hotel is cheaper than I expected. The hotel isn’t ___. 4. There were fewer people at this meeting than at the last one. There weren’t ___. 5. The maths test was easier than we expected. The maths test wasn’t ___. 6. My brother is taller than me. My brother isn’t ___. 7. Ice is harder than show. Ice isn’t ___.
Вправа 10. Перекладіть англійською.
1. Ця робота не така важка, як ви вважаєте. 2. Ці частинки не настільки добре вивчені, як інші. 3. Наші знання про деякі космічні об’єкти стали значно глибшими. 4. Чим важчі ядра, тим більша їхня потенційна енергія. 5. Кисень – один з найпоширеніших елементів на Землі. 6. Завдяки новому обладнанню робота проводиться набагато інтенсивніше. 7. Вода в цій посудині чистіша, ніж у водовідному крані. 8. Після додавання цієї речовини рідина стала менш прозорою. 9. Сонце в 330 тисяч разів більше Землі.
Вправа 11. Складіть розповідь про своє місто або будь-який інший науковий та промисловий центр з використанням активних слів та виразів (7-10 речень).
☺ Time for Fun
· One day a professor was discussing a particularly complicated physics concept. A pre-med student rudely interrupted to ask, “Why do we have to learn this pointless information.”
“To save lives,” the professor responded quickly and continued the lecture.
A few minutes later, the same student spoke up again. “So how does physics save lives?” he persisted.
“It keeps the ignoramuses like you out of medical school,” replied the professor.
· Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe. (Albert Einstein)
· French physicist Ampere (1775–1836) had two cats, one big and a one small, and he loved them very much. But when the door was closed cats couldn’t enter or exit the room. So Ampere ordered two holes to be made in his door: one big for the big cat, and one small for the small cat.
· What’s the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers?
Mechanical engineers build weapons. Civil engineers build targets.
Unit 4. European and International Educational Environment
G Active Vocabulary of the Unit:
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK), the United States of America (the USA), to occupy, island, to be washed by, to have large deposits of, branch of industry, to consist of, urban, surface, maritime, parliamentary monarchy, fog, desert, valley, highland, lake, waterfall, in honor of, leap year, independence; landmark, tower, fortress, contemporary, sky-scraper, suburbs, inhabitant; to attend, public school, boarding school, GCSE, curriculum, to enroll, interview, free of charge, requirement, high school, campus.
Lesson 19. Great Britain
19.1. Розмовна тема. Велика Британія
Прочитайте текст та знайдіть переклад підкреслених слів у словнику.
Great Britain, formally known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland and some 5,500 smaller islands. The total area of the United Kingdom is 244,027 square kilometres. It is seventy-fifth in size among the countries of the world and it is less than two percent of the world’s land area. The population of Great Britain is over 58 million people. About four fifths of the population is urban. The largest island in north-west Europe – Great Britain – is separated from Ireland by the Irish Sea and from the Continent by the English Channel (La Manche) and the Strait of Dover (Pas de Calais).
The surface of England and Ireland is rather flat. The highest mountain in the United Kingdom is Ben Nevis in Scotland (1343 m). There are many rivers in Great Britain but they are not very long. The rivers are deep and do not freeze in winter. The chief rivers are the Severn (220 miles) and the Thames (215 miles). Great Britain is known for its typically maritimeclimate with frequent rains, strong winds and continuous fogs.
Great Britain consists of four administrative parts: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. England is the heart of Britain. It is the richest, the most fertile and most populated in the country. The north and the west of England are mountainous, but all the rest of the territory is a vast plain. In Northwest England, there are many beautiful lakes with green, wooded or grassy shores and grey mountains all around. It is called Lake District. The national symbol of England is red rose.
Wales is the smallest land of the United Kingdom. The capital of Wales is Cardiff, an important industrial centre and port. Most people in Wales live in the costal plains. The national symbol of Wales is a leek or a daffodil.
Scotland is a land of mountains, wild moorlands, narrow valleys, famous lakes and no end of large and small islands off the coast. The Highlands of Scotland are among the oldest mountains in the world. One-third of the people in Scotland live in or near its capital, Edinburgh, and its great industrial centre, Glasgow. The national symbol of Scotland is a thistle.
Northern Ireland was a part of Ireland as a whole before the early 20th century. The territory is small. It is a land of lakes, rivers and a varied sea coast. The capital city is Belfast. The national symbol of Ireland is shamrock.
Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the state. In practice she reignsbut does not rule. The country is governed in her name by the Government. Parliament is the supreme legislative body. It consists of two Houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords.The Prime Minister is usually the head of the party which is in power.
The UK’s flag is often called the Union Jack.
Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. Shipbuilding is one of the principal industries of Great Britain. For centuries Britain has been the leading shipbuilder in the world.
Coal is the main source for the development of British industry. The biggest centres of iron and steel industries are situated in the neighbourhoodof coal basins. They are Newcastle, Cardiff, Glasgow, and Sheffield. The district around Birmingham is a land of factories and mines. Coal-mining, metallurgy, textile, shipbuilding are the older branches of industry. The new industries are the chemical, electrotechnical, automobile, aviation, and electronics. The new industries have developed hand in hand with science and technology and are equippedto meet present technical demands. London, Liverpool and Glasgow are the biggest English ports. The products of Britain’s economy, e.g. automobiles, textile, machinery, electronic equipment and many others, are exported to many countries of the world.
Agriculture is one of the largest and most important activities in Great Britain. The greater part of the land here is used for sheep-, cattle-,anddairyfarming. Vegetables are grown in all parts of the country. The chief grain crops are wheat and barley.
Great Britain is a country of high culture. There are many universities, colleges and scientific institutes here. Such English scientists of the past as Newton, Faraday, Darwin, Rutherford and others greatly contributedtoworld science. English writers Shakespeare, Byron, Dickens, B. Shaw and many others enriched world literature.
Визначте, чи правильні висловлювання. Якщо дані не відповідають наведеним у тексті, дайте правильний варіант.
1. The total area of the United Kingdom is more than 200,000 square kilometres. 2. Great Britain is separated from the continent by the Suez Canal. 3. The highest mountain in the United Kingdom is Everest. 4. England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are the parts of Great Britain. 5. The population of Great Britain is greater than that of Ukraine. 6. All the territory of England is flat. 7. The capital of Wales is Cardiff. 8. Highlands is the name of the group of lakes in Northern Ireland. 9. The national symbol of Scotland is red rose. 10. The head of the state is Queen Margaret II. 11. British Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Commons and the White House. 12. The UK’s flag is called the Black Jack.
19.2. Письмові завдання
Вправа 1. Заповніть пропуски в реченнях.
Great Britain ___ by the Atlantic Ocean. Great Britain ___ from Europe by the North Sea and the English Channel. The British Isles are known to have ___ climate. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of England, Wales, ___. The British Isles ___ Great Britain and Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Scotland ___ an area of 78,800 square kilometers and has ___ of 5.2 million. The oldest industries are ship-building and ___. The political party, which wins popular ___ to the House of Commons, forms the government. There are two main parties in the UK, they are ___. Such English scientists of the past as ___ greatly contributed to the world science.
19.3. Читання