1

Unit One. Science

Ho Huyen

English for students of Physics – Vol 1. NXB Đại học quốc gia Hà Nội.

Từ khoá: English for students of Physic, Science, Grammar in use, English –

Vietnamese translation, Practice, Relative clauses, Definitions.

Tài liệu trong Thư viện điện tử ĐH Khoa học Tự nhiên có thể được sử dụng cho mục
đích học tập và nghiên cứu cá nhân. Nghiêm cấm mọi hình thức sao chép, in ấn phục
vụ các mục đích khác nếu không được sự chấp thuận của nhà xuất bản và tác giả.

Table of contents

Unit One: Science ...................................................................................2

READING PASSAGE ........................................................................................................... 2
Science and fields of science.............................................................................................. 2
GRAMMAR IN USE ............................................................................................................. 4
Review of relative clauses.................................................................................................. 4
Practice ............................................................................................................................... 7
PROBLEM SOLVING .......................................................................................................... 8
I - Writing definitions......................................................................................................... 8
II - Reading basic formulae.............................................................................................. 10
TRANSLATIONS................................................................................................................ 12
Task one: English – Vietnamese translation .................................................................... 12
Task two: Vietnamese – English translation .................................................................... 12
VOCABULARY ITEMS ..................................................................................................... 13
FREE-READING PASSAGE .............................................................................................. 14
Scientific communication................................................................................................. 14
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Unit One

SCIENCE

READING PASSAGE

Science and fields of science

Science (Latin scientia, from scire, “to know”), is the term which is used, in its broadest
meaning to denote systematized knowledge in any field, but applied usually to the
organization of objectively verifiable sense experience. The pursuit of knowledge in this
context is known as pure science, to distinguish it from applied science, which is the search
for practical uses of scientific knowledge, and from technology, through which applications
are realized.
Knowledge of nature originally was largely an undifferentiated observation and
interrelation of experiences. The Pythagorean scholars distinguished only four sciences:
arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. By the time of Aristotle, however, other fields
could also be recognized: mechanics, optics, physics, meteorology, zoology, and botany.
Chemistry remained outside the mainstream of science until the time of Robert Boyle in the
17th century, and geology achieved the status of a science only in the 18th century. By that
time the study of heat, magnetism, and electricity had become part of physics. During the 19th
century scientists finally recognized that pure mathematics differs from the other sciences in
that it is a logic of relations and does not depend for its structure on the laws of nature. Its
applicability in the elaboration of scientific theories, however, has resulted in its continued
classification among the sciences.
The pure natural sciences are generally divided into two classes: the physical sciences
and the biological, or life, sciences. The principal branches among the former are physics,
astronomy, chemistry, and geology; the chief biological sciences are botany and zoology. The
physical sciences can be subdivided to identify such fields as mechanics, cosmology, physical
chemistry, and meteorology; physiology, embryology, anatomy, genetics, and ecology are
subdivisions of the biological sciences.
The applied sciences include such fields as aeronautics, electronics, engineering, and
metallurgy, which are applied physical sciences, and agronomy and medicine, which are
applied biological sciences. In this case also, overlapping branches must be recognized. The
cooperation, for example, between astrophysics (a branch of medical research based on
principles of physics) and bioengineering resulted in the development of the heart-lung
machine used in open-heart surgery and in the design of artificial organs such as heart
chambers and valves, kidneys, blood vessels, and inner-ear bones. Advances such as these are
 3

generally the result of research by teams of specialists representing different sciences, both
pure and applied. This interrelationship between theory and practice is as important to the
growth of science today as it was at the time of Galileo.
(From http://encarta.com)

COMPREHENSION QUESTION

Exercise 1: Answer the following questions by referring to the reading passage.

1. What does the term ‘science’ denote in its broadest meaning?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………….......
2. What is applied science known as?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………….......
3. In what way does pure math differ from other sciences?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………….......
4. What sciences are pure natural sciences generally classified into?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………….......
5. Are sciences independent of one another?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………….......
Exercise 2: Complete each of the following statements with words/ phrases from the reading
passage
1. The pursuit of …………… in this context is known as pure science.
2. The Pythagorean scholars …………… only four sciences.
3. Chemistry remained ……………the mainstream of science.
4. …………… that time the study of heat, magnetism, and electricity had become part
of physics.
5. During the 19th century scientists finally recognized that…………… mathematics
differs from the other sciences.
6. The pure natural …………… are generally divided into two classes.
7. The ……………branches among the former are physics, astronomy, chemistry.
 4

8. The……………sciences can be subdivided to identify such fields as mechanics,

cosmology.
9. Genetics, and ecology are subdivisions …………… the biological sciences.
10. All classifications of the pure sciences, ……………, are arbitrary.
Exercise 3: Decide whether each of the following statements is true (T), false (F) or with no
information to clarify (N).
1. ………….The term Science is generally used to denote systematized knowledge in
any field.
2. ………….Pure science is different from applied one.
3. ………….The Pythagorean scholars were not as good as the later ones.
4. …………. It was not until the 17th century that chemistry was realized as a science.
5. ………….In the 18th century, physics dealt with the study of heat, magnetism, and
electricity.
6. ………….Mathematics is different from other sciences because it is the most
difficult one.
7. ………….Mathematics plays an important role in the development of scientific
theories.
8. ………….Both physical and biological sciences can be further divided into other
sciences.
9. ………….All classifications of the pure sciences are unchanged.
10. …………. Many sciences are closely related to one another.

GRAMMAR IN USE
Review of relative clauses
A) A relative clause is also known as an adjective clause. It is a subordinate clause with
the function of modifying a noun/ noun phrase or a pronoun.
Example:
1. Science (pure science) is a term which is used to denote systemized knowledge in
any field.
2. Applied science is the term that is used to refer to the search for practical uses of
scientific knowledge.
3. Neil Armstrong was the first person who walked on the Moon.
4. Here, we should distinguish pure science from technology through which
applications are realized.
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5. Newton whom many of us, scientists have respected used not to be a good student at
all.
6. Newton, whose discovery of the theory of gravity was very strange, has been the
pioneer in Mechanics Physics.
7. The book of which the cover has been torn is a very famous one written by David
Halliday.
From the above examples, we can see that the noun phrases a term, the term, the first
person; technology and Newton are respectively modified by relative clauses
1. which is used to denote systemized knowledge in any field.
2. that is used to refer to the search for practical uses of scientific knowledge.
3. who walked on the Moon.
4. through which applications are realized.
5. whom many of us, scientists have respected.
6. whose discovery of the theory of gravity was very strange.
7. of which the cover has been torn.
B) You can easily realize that these clauses begin with which/ that/ which/ who/ whom/
whose. These are called relative pronouns. They function as pronouns, and at the same time,
show the relationship between the modified noun/pronoun and other elements in the sentence.
For example the first relative clause, listed above, shows the relationship between the subject
and its complement (science and term).
By the functions and implications of these pronouns in each the above sentences, we can
classify them into groups as in the following table.

Types
For persons For both For non-persons
Functions

Subject Who That Which

Object Whom/who That/ử* Which

Possessive Whose Whose Whose/of which

* a relative pronoun replacing an objective noun can be omitted

C) Having a look at the example one, the relative clause is very necessary for the
meaningful existence of the sentence because if we read the sentence - Science is a term, it
would be very difficult for us to understand what it means exactly: We know the word science
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and we know the word term but what is more about this term in relation with science is
actually what we need to know. That’s why a relative clause in this case works best. Such a
relative clause is called a restrictive relative clause. This type of relative clause is
sometimes known as defining relative clause.
Quite differently, from the fifth relative clause from the list we can see that the relative
clause does not affect much to the meaning of the whole sentence, with or without this clause,
the sentence still makes sense to us. In this case, the presence of a relative clause is only to
give some extra information about Newton; such a relative clause is called a non-restrictive
clause or sometimes non-defining relative clause.
Other differences between these two types of relative clauses are as follow:
• Non- defining clause is more common in written style
• Non- defining relative clause must be put between two commas, except when it is at
the end of the sentence (the full stop replaces the second comma).
• Pronoun that can not be used in a non-defining relative clause
D) In example four, you can easily realize the preposition through be put in front of the
pronoun which.
• Here, we should distinguish pure science from technology through which applications
are realized.
It is easy to see that the sentence can be understood in a simpler way by splitting it into
two simple sentences – Here, we should distinguish pure science from technology.
Applications can be realized through technology. Now, it is obvious that the preposition
through does not at all accompany the pronoun which randomly, actually, it accompanies
the noun technology that the relative pronoun which replaces. Here, there is no change in
position between the noun (now its replacing item) and its accompanying preposition.
In another case – Newton from whom we have been learning used not to be a good
student anyway – the preposition from is once more considered to be accompanying the noun
Newton and it is also put before the pronoun whom (replacing Newton).
From both cases, it is deduced that, we can put a preposition in front of objective
pronouns, and this makes the sentence more formal. However, it is noted that,
• If a preposition is put in front of a pronoun, the pronoun can not be omitted.
• Prepositions can not be put in front of pronouns that and who.
• If the preposition is a part of a phrasal verb, it can not separate from its main verb. E.g.
The progress of science is the topic which/that/ử we are looking into.
• Such words as some, many, and most can go before of whom and of which in a non-
defining relative clause. E.g. The success of this theory is attributed to American
scientists, many of whom did lose their lives for it.
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PRACTICE
Combine each of the following pairs of sentences into one sentence with a
proper relative pronoun.
1. A group will carry out this investigation. This group will be organized.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
2. A machine is in the next room. The machine will make calculations.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
3. Barnard operates on the human heart. He is a heart surgeon.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
4. Computers are now helpful in a wide range of applications. Their functions are
various.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
5. His articles will be published soon. His article is on the subject of scientific
experimental methods.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
6. Many people’s lives rely on kidney machines. They can still run their lives for a long
time.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
7. Marie Curie had a happy family life. Her devotion to science is very important.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
8. Most of our food consists of animal and plant cells. These cells contain a high
proportion of water.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
9. Scientists are now facing a lot of matters. One of the matters is that of environmental
pollution.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
10. The doctor has saved a lot of lives. His patients are normally heart attacked.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
11. The edition of the world science magazine this month is very interesting. Its cover is
the picture of a virtual nuclear reactor.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
…………………………………………………………………….......................
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12. The method is rather simple. It should be followed.

…………………………………………………………………….......................
13. The students missed the start of the experiment. They were late for class.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
14. The temperature of the ambient air is very important to this experiment. It should be
always kept at 15 0C.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
15. There is one more important question today. We must discuss the question
thoroughly.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
16. We eat some farm birds. They are known as poultry.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
17. We have helped thousands of patients. Many of them have difficulty in language
production.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
18. We must obtain data for the report. The data must be of great importance.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
19. We will use the material here. The material is of high quality.
…………………………………………………………………….......................
20. Yeast and mould are fungi. Fungi grow on food.
…………………………………………………………………….......................

PROBLEM SOLVING
I) Writing definitions
In science writing, the very first task you should do is to write definitions. Sometimes
you are required to define a person, in other cases, you are asked to define an instrument, a
noun, a technical term etc.
To write a definition, you often use a relative clause to clarify the noun/pronoun defined.
Example:
1. A barometer is an instrument which is used to measure atmospheric pressure.
2. Science is the term which is used to denote systemized knowledge in any field.
3. A scientist is a person who studies science.
Writing task
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Combining each of the clauses in section A with a suitable one in section B to make a
definition on each branch of science.
Section A

1. Archaeology 9. Information Science

2. Architecture(computerscience) 10. Linguistics
3. Biology 11. Mathematics
4. Chemistry 12. Meteorology
5. Earth Science 13. Physics
6. Economics 14. Political Science
7. Geography 15. Psychology
8. History

is a branch of science which/that

Section B
a. studies the relationships among quantities, magnitudes, and properties and of logical
operations by which unknown quantities, magnitudes, and properties may be
deduced.
b. deals with the fundamental constituents of the universe, the forces they exert on one
another, and the results produced by these forces.
c. studies of the composition, structure, properties, and interactions of matter.
d. functions as a means of encompassing the growing number of disciplines involved
with the study of living forms.
e. deals with the distribution and arrangement of all elements of the earth's surface.
f. is the scientific study of language.
g. , in its broadest sense, is the totality of all past events, although a more realistic
definition would limit it to the known past.
h. deals with the generation, collection, organization, storage, retrieval, and
dissemination of recorded knowledge.
i. is concerned with the production, distribution, exchange, and consumption of goods
and services.
j. is concerned with the planet Earth or one or more of its parts.
k. refers to the study of the structure of all or part of a computer system.
 10

l. is the scientific study of behavior and the mind.

m. is the scientific study of past human culture and behavior, from the origins of humans
to the present.
n. is the systematic study of and reflection upon politics.
o. studies the earth’s atmosphere and especially the weather.

II) Reading basic formulae

1. Complete the following table (look at the example) with verbs and nouns to describe
mathematical processes.

Sign Noun Verb

+ Addition Add

2. Speak out loud the following formulae

a+b=c a–b=c a × b=c a ÷ b=c
Then, read out the following equations:
a−b A
1. x = 2. x + y =
c a−b
3. I = a + ( n − 1) d 4. V = IR
1 1 1
5. + = 6. v = u + at
u v f
1 M
7. Ft = mv − mu 8. =−
R EI
dQ
9. = −q 10. E = T + P − c + e
dz
3. Complete the following statements:
1. These signs ( ) are called …………….…………….…………….……………....
2. These signs [ ] are called …………….…………….…………….……………....
3. These signs { } are called …………….…………….…………….……………...
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4. This sign / is read …………….…………….…………….…………….………..

5. This sign = is read ..…………………. ..…………………. ..…………………...
6. This sign + is read ………………….....…………………...………………….....
7. This sign - is read …………….…….....…………………...………………….....
8. ABC are …………. letters; def are …………… letters. ..………………….......
9. x in Rx is read ………………………...…………………...………………….....
10. x in Rx is read ………………………...…………………...………………….....
11. x2 is read …………………………......…………………...………………….....
12. x3 is read ………………………….....…………………...………………….....
13. xn is read ………………………….......…………………...………………….....
14. x n-1 is read ………………………….....…………………...………………….....
15. x-n is read …………………………......…………………...………………….....
16. x is read …………………………...…………………...…………………......
3
17. x is read …………………………....…………………...…………………......
n
18. x is read …………………………....…………………...…………………......
1
19. is read …………………………......…………………...…………………......
2
1
20. is read ………………………….......…………………...………………….....
3
2
21. is read ………………………….......…………………...…………………......
3

1
22. is read………………………….....…………………...………………….......
4
3
23. is read ………………………….....…………………...………………….......
4
1
24. is read………………………….....…………………...………………….......
8
3
25. is read…………………………....…………………...………………….......
17
4. Practice reading the following equations
1 q
1. x − p = 2. x p / q = x p
xp
3. x 2 − a 2 = ( x + a )( x − a ) 4. y = ae kx
 12

nx1 + mx2 ⎛ y − y1 ⎞
5. x = 6. y − y1 = ⎜⎜ 2 ⎟⎟( x − x1 )
m+n ⎝ x2 − x1 ⎠

7.
x2 y 2 z 2
+ +
a 2 b2 c 2
=1 8. d = [(x − x ) + ( y − y ) + (z − z ) ]
1 2
2
1 2
2
1 2
2

(
9. b 2 = a 2 1 − e 2 ) 10. x 2 + y 2 + 2 gx + 2 fy + c = 0

TRANSLATIONS

Task one: English – Vietnamese translation

1. A meteorologist is a person who studies the atmosphere. Meteorology is divided into
a number of specialized sciences. Physical meteorology deals with the physical
aspects of the atmosphere, such as the formation of clouds, rain, thunderstorms, and
lightning.
2. Scientific knowledge in Egypt and Mesopotamia was chiefly of a practical nature,
with little rational organization. Among the first Greek scholars to seek the
fundamental causes of natural phenomena was the philosopher Tales, in the 6th
century BC, who introduced the concept that the earth was a flat disk which floated
on the universal element, water.
3. The scientific discoveries of Newton and the philosophical system of the French
mathematician and philosopher Reno Descartes provided the background for the
materialistic science of the 18th century, in which life processes were explained on a
physicochemical basis.
4. In 1927 the German physicist Werner Heisenberg formulated the so-called
uncertainty principle, which held that limits existed on the extent to which, on the
subatomic scale, coordinates of an individual event can be determined.
5. Throughout history, scientific knowledge has been transmitted chiefly through written
documents, some of which are more than 4000 years old. From ancient Greece,
however, no substantial scientific work survives from the period before the
geometrician Euclid's Elements (circa 300 BC).
(From different sources)
Task two: Vietnamese – English translation
1. Chớnh trị học là một mụn khoa học nghiờn cứu về cỏc vấn đề chớnh trị, nghiờn cứu
về cỏc chớnh sỏch đối nội và quan hệ quốc tế.
2. Triết học là khoa học nghiờn cứu những quy luật chung nhất của thế giới và sự nhận
thức thế giới. Triết học đó hỡnh thành từ rất sớm trong xó hội loài người. Ở nhiều
nước, Triết học gắn bú chặt chẽ với tụn giỏo.
 13

3. Khoa học và cụng nghệ gắn bú mật thiết với nhau. Cụng nghệ về thực chất chớnh là
sự hiện thực hoỏ của cỏc ý tưởng khoa học.
4. Sự phỏt triển mạnh mẽ của cụng nghệ thụng tin, một nghành khoa học rất mới mẻ của
con người, đó và đang làm thay đổi chớnh cuộc sống của con người về mọi mặt.
5. Cú lẽ con người trong tương lai sẽ cú hỡnh thể nhỏ hơn con người bõy giờ nhưng lại
cú bộ nóo to hơn và đụi mắt lớn hơn bởi vỡ họ sử dụng hầu hết thời gian làm việc,
giải trớ và cú lẽ cả ăn uống bờn mỏy vi tớnh.
(From different sources)

VOCABULARY ITEMS
Aeronautics (n): Hàng khụng học
Agronomy (n): Nụng học
Anatomy (n): Khoa giải phẫu
applicability (n): tớnh ứng dụng
applications (n): cỏc ứng dụng
Applied sciences (n): cỏc ngành khoa học ứng dụng
artificial organ(s) (n): (cỏc) cơ quan, bộ phận nhõn tạo
Astronomy (n): Thiờn văn học
Botany: Thực vật học
classification (n): sự phõn loại, xếp loại, hạng mục
Cosmology (n): Vũ trụ học
Ecology (n): Sinh thỏi học
elaboration (n): Sự chế tạo, sự phỏt sinh
Electronics (n): Điện tử học
Embryology (n): Khoa phụi học
Engineering (n): Khoa cụng trỡnh
formation (n): sự hỡnh thành
Genetics (n): Di truyền học
Geology (n): Địa chất học
interrelation(s) (n): (cỏc) mối quan hệ qua lại
law(s) of nature (n): (cỏc) quy luật của tự nhiờn
life prosses(es) (n): (cỏc) quỏ trỡnh sống
 14

mainstream (n): dũng chớnh thống, xu hướng/ thế chủ đạo

materialistic science (n): khoa học vật chất
metallurgy (n): ngành luyện kim
observation (n): Sự quan sỏt
philosopher (n): triết gia
Physiology (n): Sinh lý học
practical nature (n): bản chất thực tế
Scientific theories (n): Cỏc học thuyết
specialized sciences (n): cỏc khoa học chuyờn ngành
to formulate : lập cụng thức, khỏi quỏt hoỏ bằng cụng thức
to transmit : truyền lại, truyền đi, lan toả đi
Zoology (n): Động vật học

FREE-READING PASSAGE

It is advisable that you read the following passage for some more about science. You can
pick up some new vocabulary items. Try to do some practice on translation.
Scientific communication
Throughout history, scientific knowledge has been transmitted chiefly through written
documents, some of which are more than 4000 years old. From ancient Greece, however, no
substantial scientific work survives from the period before the geometrician Euclid's Elements
(circa 300 BC). Of the treatises written by leading scientists after that time, only about half
are extant. Some of these are in Greek, and others were preserved through translation by Arab
scholars in the Middle Ages. Medieval schools and universities were largely responsible for
preserving these works and for fostering scientific activity.
Since the Renaissance, however, this work has been shared by scientific societies; the
oldest such society, which still survives, is the Academia del Lincei (to which Galileo
belonged), established in 1603 to promote the study of mathematical, physical, and natural
sciences. Later in the century, governmental support of science led to the founding of the
Royal Society of London (1662) and the Academia des Sciences de Paris (1666). These two
organizations initiated publication of scientific journals, the former under the title
Philosophical Transactions and the latter as Mộmoires.
During the 18th century academies of science were established by other leading nations.
In the U.S. in 1743, Benjamin Franklin organized the American Philosophical Society for
“promoting useful knowledge.” In 1780 the American Academy of Arts and Sciences was
organized by John Adams, who became the second U.S. president in 1797. In 1831 the British
 15

Association for the Advancement of Science met for the first time, followed in 1848 by the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 1872 by the Association
Franỗaise pour l'Avancement des Sciences. These national organizations issue the journals
Nature, Science, and Compte-Rendus, respectively. The number of scientific journals grew so
rapidly during the early 20th century that A World List of Scientific Periodicals Published in
the Years 1900-1933 contained some 36,000 entries in 18 languages. A large number of these
are issued by specialized societies devoted to individual sciences, and most of them are fewer
than 100 years old.
Since late in the 19th century, communication among scientists has been facilitated by
the establishment of international organizations, such as the International Bureau of Weights
and Measures (1873) and the International Council of Research (1919). The latter is a
scientific federation subdivided into international unions for each of the various sciences. The
unions hold international congresses every few years, the transactions of which are usually
published. In addition to national and international scientific organizations, numerous major
industrial firms have research departments; some of them regularly publish accounts of the
work done or else file reports with government patent offices, which in turn print abstracts in
bulletins that are published periodically.
(From http://encarta.com)
 16

Cosmic rays are extremely energetic subatomic particles that travel through outer space
at nearly the speed of light. Scientists learn about deep space by studying galactic cosmic
rays, which originate many light-years away (a light-year represents the distance light travels
in one year). This photograph, taken in the late 1940s with a special photographic emulsion
called the Kodak NT4, records a collision of a cosmic-ray particle with a particle in the film.
A cosmic-ray particle produced the track that starts at the top left corner of the photograph;
this particle collided with a nucleus in the center of the photograph to create a spray of
subatomic particles.
(Powell-Fowler-Perkins/Photo Researchers, Inc.)