6. Agree or disagree with the statements given below.
“What is the world made of?
What holds it together?”
Democritus (460-370 B.C.)
People have asked these questions for thousands of years. But only recently has a clear picture of the “building blocks” of our universe been developed. The scientists who have developed this picture work in an exciting and challenging field called high-energy particle physics. Their discoveries are summarized in the chart, Standard Model of Fundamental Particles and Interactions.
How much do you know about the latest theories and research on these ancient questions? Indicate whether you agree or disagree with the statements.
1. There are subatomic particles that have no mass and no electric charge.
2. Some particles can travel through billions of miles of matter without being stopped (interacting).
3. Antimatter is science fiction and not science fact.
4. Particle accelerators are used for cancer treatment.
5. The smallest components of the nucleus of an atom are protons and electrons. 6. Particles and antiparticles can materialize out of energy.
7. Particle physicists need larger accelerators in order to investigate larger objects.
8. Magnets are used in circular accelerators to make the particles move faster.
9. Work done by particle physicists at accelerators is helping us understand the very early development of the universe.
10. Gravity is the strongest of the fundamental forces of nature.
11. There are at least one hundred different subatomic particles.
12. All known matter is made of leptons and quarks.
13. The protons in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the CERN lab in Geneva, Switzerland will cross the French-Swiss border 11,000 times each second (without a passport), when LHC is completed in 2007.
14. Friction is one of the fundamental forces of nature.
15. The world's largest magnet (which is at a particle physics lab) weighs half has much as the Eiffel Tower.
16. Many of the physicists who will run the particle physics experiments now under construction are still students in high school.
“What is the world made of?
What holds it together?”
Murray Gell-Mann (b. 1929)
- 1. You are going to listen to the text “nasa telescope to look for other Earths”. Listen to it attentively and be ready to fill in the gaps. Nasa telescope to look for other Earths
- 2. Before reading the text let’s check your knowledge of some physical notions. Answer the following questions:
- 3. Imagine that your friend does not understand the meaning of the following terms, and he/she does not speak Ukrainian. Try to explain the meaning of the terms in English to help him/her.
- Universal alignment
- 4. Answer the following questions.
- 5. Match the given word with its definition.
- 6. Express your point of view concerning the following statement:
- 7. Translate the following sentences into English:
- 8. Read the given article and retell it in English. Китайські астрономи виявили вісь зла
- 9. Make a report on “Anomalies in Cosmic Microwave Background”. Be ready to discuss this topic.
- 10. Write a short summary of the text (80-100 words).
- 1. You are going to listen to text “One-Way Ticket to Mars Mission”. Be ready to fill in the gaps. One-Way Ticket to Mars Mission
- 2. Match the following words with their synonyms.
- 3. You are going to read the text “Stop the Killer Rocks”. Before reading it say what asteroids are, what you know about them. Stop the killer rocks
- 4. You have read the article, and now complete the following sentences. Try not to look into the text.
- 5. Make a list of Edward t. Lu’s suggestions on the u.S. Program. Express your opinion.
- 6. Brainstorm.
- 2. Before reading the text explain the meaning of the following words in English.
- 3. What do you know about moonlets. Share your knowledge with other students.
- Moonlets keep the moon company around earth
- 4. Answer the following questions to the text.
- 5. Match the columns to make a phrase.
- 6. Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the space agency ‘nasa’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them.
- Elegant universe is back in fashion
- 4. Answer the following questions.
- 5. Try to guess the meaning of the words given in italics in the text.
- 6. Agree or disagree with the statements given below.
- 7. Translate the following sentences into English in writing.
- 8. Particle Physics Quiz. Work in groups.
- 9. Elementary Particle Crossword. Work in groups.
- 10. Make a report about the Large Hadron Collider and its usage.
- 1. Listen to the text “Scientists find oldest human ancestor” and be ready to fill in the gaps.
- 2. Before reading a text explain the meaning of the following terms.
- 3. What do you know about Stephen Hawking? What is his contribution to physics?
- Death of the eternal cosmos
- 4. Answer the following questions.
- 5. Fill in the table with pros and cons of the universe origin theories.
- 6. Spend one minute writing down words you associate with the Universe. Explain your choice.
- 7. Quiz “Where Did the Universe Come From?”
- 8. State whether the following statements are true or false.
- 9. Make a report on origins of the universe. Discuss it with other students.
- 10. Read the following article and write down a short summary of it in English.
- Таємниці виникнення Всесвіту
- 1. You are going to listen to text “What Is String Theory?”. Be ready to fill in the gaps with missing information.
- What Is String Theory?
- 2. Give synonyms to the following words.
- 3. Match the word with its definition.
- Hawking at 70
- If you were a young physicist just starting out today, what would you study?
- 4. Answer the following questions on Hawking’s life and work.
- 5. Here are six life lessons you should learn from Stephen Hawking. Express your personal opinion on them.
- 6. Find information on Stephen Hawking’s point of view on religion. Share this information with other students.
- 7. Guess what is depicted in the following pictures.
- 8. The Elegant Universe Quiz. Work in groups.
- 9. Make a PowerPoint presentation to show how the string theory works.
- 10. Watch a documentary film about Hawking (“a Brief History of Time”, 1992) and write down a short summary of it.
- 1. Listen to the text “Signs of the Zodiac” attentively. Fill in the gaps.
- Signs of the Zodiac
- 2. Explain the meaning of the following words.
- 3. Give English equivalents to the following words and word-combinations. Make up a sentence with each of them.
- Catch a high-speed star
- 4. State whether the following statements are true or false.
- 5. Spend one minute writing down words you associate with stars.
- 6. Match a word with its meaning.
- 7. Star Cloze. Fill in the gaps below.
- 8. Star Quiz. Answer the following questions. Work in groups.
- 9. Make a presentation about stars:
- 10. Watch the third part (“Universe – the Story of Everything”) of the documentary film “Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking”. Write down a short summary of it.
- 1. Listen to the text “Scientists say water is on the Moon” attentively. State whether the following statements are true or false.
- 2. Before reading the article “Can you spot an ancient Moon?” find the meaning of the following words and word-combinations.
- 3. Spend one minute to write down words you associate with the Moon. Make up several sentences with these words.
- Can you spot an ancient moon?
- 4. Answer the following questions.
- 5. Write Ten Things About the Moon.
- 6. The Moon Quiz. Work in groups.
- 7. Make a short report on the following lunar objects:
- 2. Before reading the text explain the meaning of the following words.
- 3. Match a word with its definition.
- A pass across the sun
- 4. Answer the following questions.
- 5. Translate the following passage into English. Do this task in writing.
- 6. Venus Quiz. Work in groups.
- 7. Here are 10 facts about Venus. Some you might know, others should be totally new to you. So read on and learn these interesting facts about planet Venus.
- 8. Complete the following sentences.
- 9. Make a PowerPoint presentation on Venus.
- 10. Watch the documentary film “The Sky at Night - Venus and the Midnight Sun”. Write a short summary of this film.
- 1. Listen to the text “Home robots on sale in Japan” attentively. Fill in the gaps.
- Home robots on sale in Japan
- 2. Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word “robot”. Make up sentences with these words.
- 3. Before reading the article “Hello, Robo-Astronauts” try to explain the meaning of the following words.
- Hello, robo-astronauts
- 4. State whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements. Try not to look into the article.
- 5. Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how they were used in the article:
- 8. Engage in the following (for-fun) 2-minute debates. Students a take the first argument, students b the second. Change partners often.
- 9. You are ceo of the Marvel Robot Company. You must design a new robot to compete with Mitsubishi’s Wakamaru robot. In pairs / groups, decide on the areas in the column on the left.
- 10. Creative Writing. You are Wakamaru. Write your diary / journal entry for one day in your life. Write about your feelings towards your owner.