Контрольная работа по Английскому языку на тему: "Работа с научными статьями"

Task 1. Read the text and do the task after it.

How to read a scientific paper?

Whenever you pick up any scientific paper, it is worthwhile breaking your reading of the paper into three steps.

Step one - An overview

Start by 'skimming' the paper. What journal published the paper? Who wrote it? How many sections are there in the article? What are their headings? Take a look at the references. Do the authors cite other papers you know? Books you are familiar with? What fields are represented in the citations? Finally, read the abstract. A well-written abstract should clearly reveal the type of paper you are reading is not mentioned.

Let's have a look at some types of scientific papers you are most likely to encounter.

Pure Mathematics paper is a paper with a purely mathematical focus, written in a theorem-proof style.

Applied Mathematics papers can be further divided into two categories: papers that are applications oriented, and those that are mathematically oriented. In the first type the author tries to use mathematical tools to answer important questions about a specific application. In the second type the author attempts to develop mathematical tools that are important in analyzing multiple applied problems.

Experimental papers report on the results of experimental studies.

Theoretical papers are usually distinguished by the fact that they do not present the results of experiments, but rather attempt to explain experimental work, or predict the results of future experiments. The theoretical description may be very mathematical in nature, it may rely on computer simulations, it may be more of a descriptive theory, setting forth hypothesis to describe observed data.

Review articles usually provide a broad, sometimes detailed, overview or summary of work in a given area . Identifying a review article on a topic of interest to you is a very useful way of navigating the literature on the subject.

Expository articles usually lack technical details, but communicate the essence of a field. They differ from review articles in the almost total lack of technical detail and lack of reference to the primary literature. Other types of expository articles include transcripts of talks and articles written for the "general" journals of a scientific society. For example, articles appearing in Physics Today, SIAM Review, or AMS Notices are often expository in nature.

Step two - Read for understanding

The most important thing to remember when reading science is to read actively. This can be an exhausting experience! Do not be surprised if reading a 2-3 page paper takes you 3-4 hours. If you are reading a mathematical paper and working through each proof, it can take even longer. It is useful to read with a pen in hand. Jot notes, underline key phrases, note words you do not know, etc. 

It is likely that there will be many words in an article that you do not know. You need to decipher the meaning of these words. You can work from context, or you may need to look the words up. Depending on the field of the paper, a specialized dictionary may be necessary. Many such dictionaries are now available online.

Step three- Reflect

Up till now you have been working to understand what the author is saying. Once you have understood the paper, it is time to assess it and to determine the level of the relevance of the paper to your research interests.

As with almost every field of human endeavor, practice makes perfect. The more you read scientific literature and the greater the effort you make to read actively, the easier the process will become. Keep reading!
 

True or False:

1. If you want to make your reading of the scientific paper more efficient break the process into stages. 

2. On stage one you should focus on reading and understanding the Introduction section of the paper. 

3. An Abstract helps a reader to define the type of the paper they are reading. 

4. In Applied Mathematics papers the authors either try to use or to develop mathematical tools for different applied problems. 

5. Theoretical papers are difficult to distinguish from Pure Mathematics papers.

6. Review articles make the best choice if you want to get up-to-date on current trends in the field of your research interest.

7. Expository articles contain major technical details and provide a detailed description of the problem.

8. Active reading means taking notes, highlighting key phrases and figuring out the meaning of new words. 
 

II.

Task 2.Read the text and choose, from paragraphs A-J, the one which fits each paper section (1-9) as a description. There is one paragraph which you do not need to use.

What is the structure of a scientific paper?

All scientific papers have the same general format. They are divided into distinct sections and each section contains a specific type of information. The number and the headings of sections may vary among journals, but for the most part a basic structure is maintained. Typically, scientific papers are comprised of the following parts:

1. Title
2. Abstract
3. Introduction
4. Methods
5. Results
6. Discussion
7. Acknowledgments (optional)
8. References / Literature cited
9. Appendices (optional)

Because scientific papers are organized in this way, readers know what to expect from each part of the paper, and they can quickly locate a specific type of information.

A. This section contains the data collected during experimentation. It is the heart of a scientific paper. In this section, much of the important information may be in the form of tables and graphs. When reading this section, do not readily accept the author's statements about the findings. Rather, carefully analyze the raw data in tables and figures to draw your own conclusions.

B. You will find background information and a statement of the author's hypothesis in this section. It usually describes the theoretical background, indicates why the work is important, states a specific research question, and poses a specific hypothesis to be tested.

C. Authors often use this section to describe what their work suggests and how it relates to other studies. In this section, authors can anticipate and address any possible objections to their work and suggest areas of improvement for future research.....
 

Task 3. Match the definition and the word. There is one definition which you do not need to use.

1. format
2. heading
3. reference
4. graph
5. figure
6. hypothesis
7. technique

a) an often numbered drawing or diagram used in a book to explain something

b) a shortened form of a statement, speech etc

c) a method of doing something that needs skill

d) the words written as a title at the top of a piece of writing, or at the top of each part of it

e) something that tells a reader where the information came from that is used in a piece of writing

f) the size, shape etc in which something, especially a book or a journal is produced

g) an idea which is suggested as a possible way of explaining facts, proving an argument etc

h) a drawing, such as a curved line, which shows how different values are related to each other
 

III

Task 4. Read the text and do the task after it. Complete the sentences after it using the information from the text.

Why Don't the Mathematicians Learn to Speak?

The weekly colloquium in mathematics department is an opportunity for faculty and students to learn about developments in mathematics outside of their own area. Although some colloquia succeed very well in enlightening the audience, all too many fail to do so.

Why is this? The speakers are highly able mathematicians, extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their subject, yet the audience leaves the lecture disappointed.

The reason is, I think, that the speaker is not addressing the real audience in the room, but an imaginary audience existing in his or her mind. The imaginary audience knows all the terminology in the field, knows all but the most recent results, remembers the meaning of all the symbols introduced (and then quickly erased) by the speaker, and can follow complicated arguments and calculations on the board with ease.....
 

Task. Compete the sentences using the information from the text.

1. The purpose of the colloquia in mathematics department is .....

2. Sometimes the audience leaves the lecture disappointed because ....

3. According to the author the real audience ....

4. According to the author the necessary conditions for success are .....

5. The author remembers the lecture by Heinz Hopf because .....