Лекция: What is superconductivity? (the loss of electrical resistively by a, material on being cooled to temperatures near absolute zero).
What is absolute zero? (O. Kelvin or -273 °C).
What scientists worked in the field of superconductivity research? (a Dutch physicist K. Ones, Russian physicists L. Landau and V. Ginsburg, and a number of American scientists).
What materials are the best super conductors? (ceramic materials).
What are the potential technical uses of superconductivity? (nuclear research, power generation, electronics, etc.).
Exercise 2. Make a sentence out of the two parts:
Recent achievements in 1. fundamental theory to explain superconductivity research are this unexpected phenomenon.
They may be compared with 2. found the electrical resistively of
Mercury to disappear when cooled
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to the temperature of 4 Kelvin.
3. Superconductivity is known to 3. to the development of super-
conductivity theory.
4. While carrying out his low 4. have been discovered by a Dutch temperature research he physicist.
5. For 50 years after the discovery 5.of great importance for science there was no and technology.
6. In the 1950s Russian and American 6.since the discovery of a super-physicists made a great contribution conductive metallic ceramics.
7. Research in the field of super- 7.physics discoveries that led to the
conductivity became especially active development of electronics and
nuclear power.
Exercise 3. Read and learn:
Professor Brown: Hello, glad to meet you, proof. Smith, haven't seen you for ages, since I left the University. Prof. Smith: How do you do, proof. Brown, I haven't expected
to see you here. Are you interested in
superconductivity problems? By the way, how
are you making your living? I haven't heard
anything about your work lately. I spent the
last two years in Geneva as a member of a
special UN committee.
Pr. В.: I am with Bell Telephone company. It is a
global leader in electrical engineering. And I
deal with new technologies.
Pr. S.: Oh, your work is so important nowadays.
Mankind needs energy for producing light, heat
and transportation. This is the basis of our
civilization.
Pr. В.: Sure, that's so. And as the population grows, so
does the demand for better quality of life.
Energy consumption increases daily.
Pr. S.: But with it the threat to clean air, pure water
and soil increases too. These natural resources
are not inexhaustible.
Pr. В.: Of course. We are developing new industrial
systems to improve productivity, reducing the
amount of raw materials and energy required.
Our new advanced systems help to conserve
energy too.
Pr. S.: In Geneva one of the problems I studied was
the problem to generate. transmit and distribute
energy with great efficiency.! think Doctor
Carter's work in this field is the most promising.
From the Agenda (повестка дня) we have all
| Probe.: Pr. S.: Pr. В.: Pr. S.: |
just received you can see that Dr.Carter will
speak on his work tomorrow.
I have already seen this paper on the program.
I'll not miss (пропустить) it. Have you attended
the morning session?
The most interesting was the discussion on
problems of the balance between the needs of
the mankind and the conservation of the natural
resources.
Have you taken part in it?
Certainly. I've spoken about clean and efficient
technology in the field of electrical engineering.
Exercise 4. Comment on the following statement:
The teaching routine procedures (заведенный порядок, общеизверстная и установившаяся практика) ought to be the main aim of education.
One point of view: Routine makes life and experiments easier, it saves energy; experience of past generations takes on the form of routine; routine helps us to avoid risks; thanks to routine we don't have to rediscover things; routine ensures efficiency while experimenting, it enables us to achieve a high level of predictability.
A contrary point of view: Routine kills invention and discovery, it is opposite to creativity; it is necessary to avoid routine so that the world can be changed for the better; young people ought to develop their imagination, but not learn routine; routine is the exact opposite of youthfulness; routine is boring; the best idea would be to combine routine with improvisation.
Exercise 5. Conduct a round-table discussion on «Superconductivity Research''. Use texts 11 A,B, С as a basis for the preparation of oral talks and discussion. Useful words and phrases of scientific communication are given in exercise 5 (see Lesson 10 „Conversation“).
Exercise 6. Read and smile:
For a long time Edison's visitors wondered (удивлялись) why the gate (калитка) to his garden was so difficult to open.
Once his friend said: „The gate to your garden is so heavy. I have to use all my strength to open it. I cannot understand this. You are such a brilliant man. You can invent something better“. „The gate seems to be all right“, Edison answered with a smile. „The fact is that it is a brilliant invention.“ „You are laughing at me, sir!“ „No, I am not. The gate is connected to a pump. Everybody who comes in pumps twenty liters of water out of the well (колодец)“.
11'
An absent-minded (рассеянный) professor was once travelling by electrictrain, and when the conductor came the professor couldn't