Example:
- Many fields of science and technology can be developed effectively on a national scale, cant they?
- I am afraid you are wrong. There are fields which can not be developed effectively on a national scale.
| The international character of fundamental research should be strengthened by increasingsupport for long-term research projects and for international collaborative projects. | |
| Scientists are free of any ethical standards. Their mission is to produce knowledge. | |
| All cultures can contribute scientific knowledge of universal value. | |
| Scientists and researchers across the world have narrowed their participation in finding a coordinated solution for such global problems as atmospheric changes and reduction of ozone layer. | |
| One can state that today universities are hardly interested to promote the development of science, technology, culture economics etc. | |
| Today, we can state that the benefits of science are evenly distributed and all countries, including developing, do not find themselves excluded from the benefits of the basic sciences. |
Agree or disagree with the following statements. Give your argument to support your viewpoint.
Example:
- I think scientists should concentrate their efforts only on the solution of national problems.
- I quite agree with you. National problems should be of primary concern to the scientists.
- You are right, but you cant deny that some of the problems may be of global character and can be solved more effectively by joint efforts.
| The epoch of revolutionary discoveries in science has passed away. Science has slowed down its development. | |
| In order to promote their research work universities have to participate only in UNESCOs projects. | |
| Science is doing little to eliminate diseases and hunger, to provide mankind with food, energy, raw materials and preserve environment. | |
| Scientific research in many spheres of fundamental knowledge is a waste of money. We must concentrate on the vital problems and threats facing humanity. | |
| Extensive international scientific exchange programmes lead to brain drain. | |
| Belarusian scientists should develop their cooperation with Russia which is our strategic partner in all spheres of life. |
Make up questions to which the following phrases are the answers. The dialogue is between a newspaper correspondent and a participant of an international conference.
| The correspondent: | __? |
| The participant: | I am from Kazakhstan. I am delegated by the Academy of Sciences of our country to take part in this conference as the problems to be discussed here are of great importance for us. |
| The correspondent: | __? |
| The participant: | Our interest to the conference is quite natural and it is primarily connected with our concern about the ecological problems in our region. |
| The correspondent: | __? |
| The participant: | Yes, our Academy is an active member of many international ecological projects and we are sure this cooperation is highly beneficial for our country and common cause. |
| The correspondent: | __? |
| The participant: | Yes, I am going to make a report on the problems of the Aral Sea in connection with the diversion of the waters of the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya rivers for irrigation that has led to an overall reduction of its surface area by half. |
Read the following dialogues in parts and act them out using modifications.
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Dialogue 1
| Nick: | Hi, Mike. I havent seen you for ages. How are you? I have heard you have just returned from Germany. |
| Mike: | Hi, Nick. Really, I returned from Germany a few days ago. |
| Nick: | Where did you stay there? |
| Mike: | Well, you know I went there on a Students Exchange Programme. I spent 3 months at Wuppertal Higher Institution. This is an institution our department keeps close relations with. So every year a group of students goes there to take a course of information technologies, web design or some other subjects. |
| Nick: | Excuse me, what language did you use in class? |
| Mike | There were several groups in which teachers delivered lectures in English, but mostly it was German. I attended the classes where English was used. |
| Nick: | Did you have any problems with your English? |
| Mike: | At the beginning, yes, it was rather difficult but in a week or so I got used to it. Of course, there were cases when we had to ask for explanations but in general I was fine. |
| Nick: | Excuse me, how can one become a participant of a students exchange programme? |
| Mike: | Oh, it is a long story. First of all, you should do well in all your special subjects and besides you should be good at German and English. To master them well it is recommended to take a special language course either at the university or some other place. |
| Nick: | Thank you for your advice and, excuse me, the bell has gone, the lecture is beginning. I shall call you these days. I hope you will tell me more about your educational experience in Germany and the life there. |
| Mike: | O.K. See you. |
| Nick: | See you. |
Dialogue 2
| The correspondent: | Professor Hawk, every year you are invited to take part in the Conference held under the auspices of our university. Can you share your impressions on the way it was organized and held? |
| Pr. Hawk: | You are quite right saying I am here not for the first time. Every time I come here, I meet the colleagues I know very well and it is always a pleasure to exchange views and opinions on the new findings and approaches in our sphere. |
| The correspondent: | Professor, I know your laboratory keeps close relations with some of our laboratories. Has the cooperation brought any results? |
| Pr. Hawk: | Yes. We are satisfied with our collaboration. Thanks to the close cooperation of our laboratory with your departments of electronics we have greatly accelerated our experimental work in the application of new methods of heat transfer process modeling and analysis. |
| The correspondent: | What will you say about the discussions at the conference? |
| Pr. Hawk: | Concerning the questions being discussed at the plenary meetings, I would say they prove that scientific research today in our sphere requires an interdisciplinary approach. That sets forward the necessity of developing cooperation between scientists in different subjects. |
| The correspondent: | Many participants of the conference emphasize the necessity of expanding scientific exchange programmes as one of the effective forms of cooperation. |
| Pr. Hawk: | I absolutely agree that such forms contribute greatly to accelerating progress in scientific research, developing friendly relations between scientific centres as well as between people. Joint efforts make people closer and make the way to success easier. |
| The correspondent: | Thank you, professor. |
| Pr. Hawk: | Thank you, sir. |
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6. Make up a short dialogue to the following situation:
You want to know everything you need to apply for participation in a scientific exchange programme.
7. Read the text below to find the answers to the following questions:
| a | What principles is the scientific and technological cooperation based on? |
| b | What is the role of scientific cooperation in strengthening peace and friendship in the world? |
| c | What are the forms of scientific and technological cooperation? |
