Exercise 2. Listen to the text (Script 5) and describe how different plant species can communicate to warn each other of danger and predator intrusion.

alarm, alert – тревога, сигнал тревоги aphid – тля wasp – оса volatile compounds – летучие соединения stalk – стебель leaf blight – пятнистость листьев broad bean – кормовые бобы to ward off, to repel – отпугивать, отгонять mesh – ячейка сетки to infest – заражать to sever – отсекать, отрезать leguminous – бобовые культуры

 

Exercise 3. Listen again to the first part of the text (Script 5.1) and insert the missing words:

The experiment which ____________ this was following up the _________, made in 2010 by a Chinese team, that when a tomato plant gets _________ with leaf blight, nearby plants start ___________ genes that help ward the infection off - even if all __________ between the plants in question has been __________. The researchers who __________ this study knew that _________ fungi whose hyphae are symbiotic with tomatoes (_____________ them with minerals in exchange for food) also form a network __________ one plant to another. They __________, though they could not prove, that __________ signaling danger were __________ __________ this fungal network.

Dr Johnson knew from his own _________ ________ that when broad-bean plants are attacked by aphids they ____________ with volatile chemicals that both irritate the parasites and ____________ aphid-hunting wasps. He did not know, though, whether the message could ___________ tomato-like, from plant to plant. So he set out to __________ __________- and to do so in a way which would show if fungi were the messengers.

Exercise 4. Listen again to the second part of the text (Script 5.2) and put the stages of the experiment in the correct order. Describe each stage in detail:

 

a. The central plant was infested with aphids.

b. The scientists tested the chemicals on wasps and aphids.

c. The scientists measured the amount of time.

d. The scientists set up eight "mesocosms".

e. The beanstalks grew for four months.

f. The beanstalks were covered with bags.

g. One mesh was rotated.

h. The scientists collected the air inside the bags.

i. The insects were placed in a two-chambered apparatus.

j. The beanstalks were either surrounded by a mesh or left to grow freely.

 

Exercise 5. What do the following figures refer to in the text:

 

312 – 112 114 – 314

Exercise 6. Answer the questions using information from the text:

1. What experiments demonstrated that plants could communicate even without airflow?

2. How do plants spread the message of predator threat?

3. What strategies can plants employ to ward off predators?

4. How do plants and fungi benefit from the underground network?

 

Text B. Magic mushrooms

Exercise 7. Before listening to the text answer the following questions:

1. How can fungi affect human health?

2. What positive and negative effects do fungi produce in industry and agriculture?

stiff – жесткий, твердый contentious – вызывающий споры, дискусионный spell – отрезок времени white rot – белая гниль Norway spruce – ель обыкновенная sycamore – платан scaffolding – строительные леса

 

Exercise 8. Listen to the text (Script 6) to find out about a new application of fungi in industry.

 

Exercise 9. Listen to the text again and say if the following statements are true or false according to the text or no information is given. Correct the false ones.

1. Sound travels faster through soft wood infected with fungi making music better.

2. Generally fungal infection improves wood, making it softer and more suitable for use.

3. “Mycowood” is a fungal infection which damages trees.

4. Stradivari and his group worked in the 18th century.

5. To make violins Stadivari used various types of wood and chemical tratments.

6. Cold climate enhances the required qualities of growing wood for violin making.

7. Both Physispminus vitreus and Xylaria longipes are pathogenic fungi.

8. Both Physispminus vitreus and Xylaria longipes destroy wood.

9. After killing fungal infection Dr Schwarze made violins from the treated wood.

10. In a blind trial experts mistook the mycowood violin for the Strad.

 

Unit 4. Bacteria

Lexics: Microbiology / Public health / Infectious diseases / Bioengineering Listening: 2 texts

 

Text A. Synthetic biology

Exercise 1. Before listening to the text answer the following questions:

1. What is a biofilm? How does it form?

2. Why do biofilms present an urgent problem in biology and medicine?

 

Exercise 2. Explain the following terms: peptide, sepsis.

missile – снаряд benign – безвредный, безобидный propensity – склонность, предрасположенность to arm – вооружить to tinker – поправить, починить

 

Exercise 3. Listen to the text (Script 7) to check your answers in Exercise 1. Describe a new method worked out to deal with biofilms.