Exercise 1. Which of the following statements are not true?

1. The number of chromosomes in man is 50.

2. The DNA occurs in the nucleus.

3. Two chromosomes concerned in sex determination are similar.

4. Each gene is responsible for producing a certain protein.

5. Many diseases are caused by gene defects.

6. Locating a specific disease-associated gene does not help researchers diagnose diseases.

7. Even a tiny genetic error can break the right order of protein production.

 

 

Exercise 2.Complete the following sentences joining the suitable part.

The number of chromosomes varies

a. Under specific conditions

b. From 50 to 200

c. From 2 to more than 200

Scientists began deciphering the genes

a. Only for theoretical reasons

b. For better understanding hereditary mechanism

c. For producing a particular protein

Each gene is responsible for

a. The production of a specific protein

b. The division of cells

c. 4000 inherited disorders

 

Exercise 3.Fill in the correct words from TEXT A.

The foundation of genetics was ________by Gregor Mendel. It took many years to _____________ the chromosome theory of heredity. It was not easy for researchers to understand that chromosomes _____________DNA and other proteins. The exact mechanism of transmission of __________factors has been studied for many years. As a result of this research scientists are now able to ____________ a particular gene and __________the protein for which it codes. This will make it easier for doctors to develop ____________ for certain diseases for which this or that gene is ________.

 

Exercise 4.Give Russian equivalents for the following combinations of words from Text A.

1. to establish the chromosome theory of heredity

2. to remain constant

3. to carry coded instructions

4. to gain knowledge

5. a particular protein

6. to cut, splice and transplant genetic material

7. to comprise the complete set of instructions for making a human body

8. genetic disease

9. diagnostic test

10. to develop treatment (for an illness)

 

Exercise 5.Read the following definitions and choose the appropriate word from the box above which stands for a particular definition.

gene	protein	environment
code	chromosome	DNA

 

1. A complex organic compound formed from many units of amino acids, joined by peptide bonds.

2. Collection of laws or instructions arranged in a system.

3. A long chain compound

4. Surroundings which may or may not affect the organism

5. A unit factor of heredity carried in a chromosome.

6. A long, thin, thread-like body in the dividing nucleus of a eukaryotic cell, observable during nuclear division.

 

Exercise 6. Answer the following questions on TEXT A.

1. Whop laid the foundation of modern genetics?

2. Does the chromosome number vary in different organisms?

3. What does each chromosome carry?

4. What do chromosomes contain?

5. Which chromosomes are concerned in sex determination?

6. What do we call the substances concerned in transmission of hereditary factors?

7. What is the estimated number of genes in human DNA?

8. What is a gene responsible for?

9. What does a gene code for?

10. What happens, if the gene becomes defective?

 

PRE – TEXT NOTES

1. frantic pace – (зд.) высокая скорость

2. stress-related illnesses – болезни, связанные со стрессом

3. leading causes of death – основные причины смерти

4. major contributor – то, что вносит максимальный вклад или в максимальной степени отвечает за что-либо

5. waking lives – время бодрствования

6. build up of stress – создание стрессовой ситуации

7. susceptibility – подверженность (заболеванию), восприимчивость к чему-либо

8. to keep in mind – следует запомнить

9. to avert the ill effects of stress – предотвращать губительные последствия стресса

10. corporate executives – (зд.) офисные работники

11. hard-driving personality – человек, плохо поддающийся влиянию

12. success-driven society – общество, где более всего ценится (социальная) успешность

13. job burnout – психологическое «выгорание» на работе

 

 

TEXT B

How to live with stress

Stress has become an epidemic according to Dr. Paul J. Rosh, professor of medicine psychiatry at New York Medical College and president of the American Institute of Stress. The frantic pace of modern life, he reports, has brought us to the point where:

90% of all adult Americans experience high levels of stress once or twice a week and one-fourth of us nearly every day.

75% to 90% of visits to physicians are for stress-related illnesses and complaints.

Stress is known to be a major contributor to the leading causes of death in the U.S.: heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, accidental injuries and suicide. Stress often underlies obesity, alcoholism and drug abuse. And, of course, stress is a major factor in the painful headaches and backaches that afflict millions.

Stress in Everyday Life

We're assaulted by stressful situations every moment of waking lives. Meeting deadlines, making decisions, traffic jams, marriage, and divorce, getting a job, losing a job, any change in one’s life situation - pleasant or unpleasant - can lead to a buildup of stress.

Scientists are learning that it’s not the amount of stress that leads to a sense of helplessness, anxiety or even full-blown depression. Rather, it is one’s inability to control stressful situations that causes the major damage. "The key to avoiding the harmful effects of stress," says Rosch, "is learning how to distinguish between stress that you can’t avoid and stress that you can do something about, so that you can use your time and energy effectively".

However, the damage is not only psychological. Stress manifests itself with a host of physical signs said symptoms, prominent among them: headache, neck pain, backache and muscle spasms; heartburn, stomach pain and nausea; unexplained allergy attacks, and susceptibility to colds and infections. Before attributing symptoms to stress, you should, of course, consult your physician. They may signal other underlying diseases. But if your headache or stomach pains are stress related, you can take an effective pain reliever. Exercise or an appropriate muscle relaxant may also help.

Keep in mind that stress has its good as well as its bad side. The famed father of stress research, Dr. Hans Selye, called it "the spice of life". Falling in love, riding an ocean wave, seeing a great opera - all mobilize the same stress-inducing hormones as does great danger. Stanford University neurochemistry Dr. Jack Barchas observes: "A certain amount of stress is positive and pleasurable. It leads to productivity in the human race".

In other words, stress enables you to meet deadlines, jump out of the way of a speeding car and handle life's crises.

Still, countless millions of Americans struggle every day to avert the ill effects of stress.

Handling Stress at Work

"It's the bossed, not the bosses, who experience the most stress on the job".

That's just one of the startling findings reported by Drs. Robert Karasek and Tores Theorell in a just—published book, "Healthy Work". This is not to say that corporate executives and managers necessarily suffer less stress than assembly-line workers or secretaries; it's just that people whose work allows them latitude for decision making are able to handle stress better.

Actually, work stress may be America’s number one health problem, according to Dr. Paul J. Rosch. A recent survey reveals that more than three-fourths of all workers say that their jobs cause significant stress. 60% to 80% of all industrial accidents are related to stress. The resulting cost to employers, because of absenteeism, lost productivity, medical bills and workers' compensation, totals more than $200 billion a year.

Researchers are turning up some surprising findings about who suffers the most from stress. Contrary to popular belief, the hard-driving Type A personality often handles stress very well as long as he or she is in control. However, one subgroup of Type A’s — people who are unable to express their anger — are highly vulnerable to illness due to stress, Dr. Rosch points out.

According to Drs. Karasek and Theorell, people in high—strain jobs, under heavy pressure with little or no decision-making possibility, suffer the ill effects of stress the most. This describes people at many levels, from middle managers to telephone operators. One recent study showed that such workers have three times as many heart attacks as those whose jobs give them a sense of control.

Nonetheless, our high-tech, success-driven society increasingly subjects people who work — with their heads, or their hands or both - to stressful demands. What's worse, emphasizes Rosch, is that people are losing the human contact so essential to avoiding the harmful effects of stress. Too often they spend significantly more time communicating with each other by computer or fax machines rather than in person.

Rosch states: "The result is a working population increasingly frustrated by failure to achieve unrealistic goals. A mounting number of work-stress victims suffer from loss of social contact, low self-esteem, fatigue, anxiety, depression - and job burnout".

 

SPEAKING PRACTICE

Express your opinion on how to handle stress choosing from the following suggestions. Begin with: " I think the best way to avoid/to handle stress is not to is to..."

1. Don't waste your time and energy trying to influence things you can't possibly change. Stress is unavoidable consequent of life.

2. Do remember, however, that many stressful situations are under your control.

3. Don't allow anyone to put you in an inferior position without your consent. If you have been treated unfairly, learn to act assertively but reasonably. Persist in repeating a useful proposal.

4. Do learn to say "no" when a request is unreasonable or can't be accomplished in the allotted time.

5. Do manage your time properly. Establish appropriate goals and schedule your day. Set aside personal time for yourself on a regular basis - read, reflect, listen to music or just relax.

6. Strengthen relationships with others. Get involved in group activities or hobbies that provide pride of accomplishment.

 

STUDY NOTES

The words you encounter in Science English are sometimes long and complex. Once you see how ROOTS, PREFIXES and SUFFIXES work in the words you already know, you can discover the meaning of new words based on these forms. Many scientific words are based on Latin and Greek roots.

Greek roots

bios + logos	life + word	biology
hypo + tithenai	under + to place	hypothesis
genos	race/ sex/ kind	genetics
psyche + soma	soul + body	psychosomatic
bio + graph	life + write	biography

 

 

Prefixes and suffixes are also helpful in understanding the meanings of a great many words.

Prefix	Meaning	Example
uni-	one	unify
tetra-	four	tetrachloride
poly-	many	polygamy
micro-	small	microscope
anti-	against	antibiotic
pre-	before	prehistory
re-	back, again	review
inter-	between	international
mis-	wrong, ill	misunderstand
mal-	bad, wrong, ill	malnutrition
Suffix	Meaning	Example
-ic	pertaining to	democratic
-ful	abounding in	colorful
-ive	qualityof	creative, adaptive
-less	lack of, free of	helpless, colorless
-ance, -ence	quality or state of	competence, insurance
-or	one who performs an action	doctor
-hood	state or condition of	childhood
-ment	act or condition of	environment

 

REMEMBER: learning related words according to a system is far more effective than memorizing words at random.