HSC English First Paper | Unit: 13, Lesson: 4 | Greatest Scientific Achievements | Scientific Breakthroughs We Are Waiting For-II

1. Warm up activity:

□ Form two groups. Hold a debate on the following topic “Science should not try to make human beings live very long lives’.

2. Now read the following text It deals with three scientific breakthroughs the world is yet to see.

Manned Mission to Mars

Putting men on Mars has been an idea in science fiction for quite a while. However, when man first walked on the Moon, walking on Mars suddenly seemed feasible. A manned mission to Mars would be a huge milestone in space exploration. It would allow a more in-depth study of the Red Planet, and many have argued that building a permanent base on Mars is much more practical than building one on the Moon. A mission to Mars would be similar to the Moon landings, but much more difficult. The trip is about a hundred times longer, and there are new problems such as the Martian weather which must be considered. NASA currently has plans to have a man on Mars sometime in the 2030s, while the ESA plans to do so also around the same time. Russia has plans to launch a manned Mars mission by 2020.

Nanomedicine

Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize several fields, but its greatest contribution may very well be in medicine. The applications of nanotechnology in medicine are literally endless. Molecules could be built to stick to and destroy cancer cells, and only cancer cells. Advanced drug delivery techniques could be used to deliver drugs to specific parts of the body and eliminate side effects. Microscopic robots could be used to perform ultra-delicate surgeries, to repair damaged tissues, or to hunt down and destroy certain cells, like cancer cells or bacteria. Nanomedicine is currently in its infancy, but it may prove to be the biggest breakthrough in modern medicine since the first vaccine.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

In the 19th century, it was generally thought that man would reach the center of the Earth long before he reached the Moon. This shows just how unpredictable technology can be. A journey to the center of the Earth is actually much more difficult than it sounds. The pressure at the center of the Earth is enormous because, quite literally, the entire weight of the world is on top of you. There is no known substance, not even carbon nanotubes, that can maintain its shape at such a great pressure. While the Earth’s deep interior may offer vast amounts of energy, it may be quite a while before we can tap into it directly.

By: Jamie Frater

[Source: http://lisWerse.com/2009/12/29/top-10-scientific-achievements-we-are-waiting-for/%5D

3. The text is about three potential scientific breakthroughs which have been listed in the box below. Read each of the statements (i-iv) and decide which probable breakthrough it is related to.

□ Manned Mission to Mars

□ Nanomedicine

□ Journey to the Centre of the Earth

i. Both NASA and ESA have identical

deadline to launch a special mission.

ii. This will contribute significantly to modern medicine.

iii. No known substance can maintain its shape at that depth. 

iv. This is more difficult than it sounds.

4. Write a paragraph on the following topic in about 150 words.

The most exciting scientific achievement I am waiting to see in my lifetime

5. Make five sentences from the substitutions table below. Make sure the sentences have the correct information given in the text.

a. exploration

b. Martian

c. launch

d. gravity

e. milestone

f. speculate

g. nano

h. interior

i. bacteria

j. unpredictable

7. Change the sentences as directed:

a. A space elevator would be thousands of times taller than the current tallest building. (Use positive degree of adjectives)

b. A mission to Mars would be similar to the Moon landings, but much more difficult. (Make complex sentence using ‘although’)

c. Advanced drug delivery techniques could be used to deliver drugs to specific parts of the body. (Use active voice)

d. How unpredictable technology can be! (Make it a statement)

e. The pressure at the center of the Earth is enormous because of the entire weight of the world. (Make it a compound sentence).