I.       TÓM TẮT LÝ THUYẾT

Vocabulary: Discovery and invention; nouns and verbs: discover, discovery, imagine, imagination, etc. Key phrases: Talking about discoveries and inventions

Reading: A text. Vocabulary plus: Noun suffixes: -or, -er, -ion, -men

Language Focus: Gerunds and infinitives

Vocabulary and Listening: Life and the universe; gravity, planet, star, etc. Pronunciation: The letters ea

II.   BÀI TẬP ÁP DỤNG

VOCABULARY: Discovery and invention

Name five inventions from the last 100 years and five inventions from previous centuries.

Complete the gaps in the stories about discoveries 1-8 with the words in the box. Which sentence do you think is false?

1. People invented the wheel more than 5,000 years ago. Recently, in a survey of the most important inventions of all time, people chose the wheel, the internet and ______________.

2. Before Robert Watson – Watt designed a modern ______________ system, people had more primitive methods for detecting an enemy.

3. John Pemberton was a pharmacist who hoped to cure ______________with a mixture of coca leaves and cola nuts. An assistant accidentally added water, creating a drink which later became Coca-Cola.

4. We have been exploring space since the 1960s. Nowadays, scientists are researching how we can adapt to ______________ in space in the future.

5. In 1865, Jules Verne wrote From the Earth to the Moon. In this story, he imagined astronauts travelling from Florida to the moon in some aluminum ______________. In 1969, that really happened.

6. People sometimes experiment with their own bodies. Professor Kevin Warwick implanted a ______________ into his arm and into his wife’s arm. Now, when she feels something, he feels it too.

7. When researchers develop anew ______________, they often use animals to test it, but they also pay people “human guinea pigs”. These people stay in comfortable clinics and receive good care while they do this risky job.

8. Scientists identify approximately 18,000 ______________ every year. In 2015, they discovered this beautiful sea creature near Japan. They also found the fossil of a unicorn, which has become extinct.

Study the words in blue in the stories about discoveries. Copy and complete the table with the base form of each verb and a noun for each of the verbs.

Watch or listen to four people talking about inventions. Write down the inventions or discoveries they mention.

KEY PHRASES

Talking about discoveries and inventions

It’s hard to imagine life without …

I think that someone needs to invent …

I can’t think of anything better than …

… is / are at the top of my list.

Think of answers to questions 1 – 3. Then compare your ideas with a partner. Use the key phrases.

1. What do you think is the best and the worst discovery or invention?

2. Which three discoveries or inventions are most useful for school?

3. What invention do we need in the future?

Think of an invention. Write what it does and how it works. Read your description to a partner for him / her to guess.

READING: A text

Read and listen to the text. Write true, false or NC (not given).

English and world inventions and discoveries

English is often considered to be the international language of science. The spread of English never stops going hand in hand with many world-changing discoveries and inventions. English proves to stand the test of time and becomes an effective tool in communication, in the documentation and sharing of discoveries and inventions.

In communication, the use of English helps to promote international cooperation and aims to encourage significant scientific advancements. English enables scientists, engineers, explorers, and inventors worldwide to think of new ideas and to share their findings.

For ease of information storage and sharing, scientists like employing English to document and share the knowledge of inventions and discoveries, creating easy access to the development of various fields. The reaches of human thought are widened thanks to scientific publications (original or translated versions) on, for example, Isaac Newton’s law of gravitation, Thomas Edison’s key inventions including the light bulb and recorded sound, Christopher Columbus’s and Tames Cook’s explorations of new lands, etc. Therefore, translating a wide variety of books written by non – English speaking scientists into English allows the books to reach the masses.

It is hard to imagine life without the English language. If it were not for the English language, would there be another language to play the same role? Or do you wish you could invent a more effective alternative?

1. English helps to record inventions and discoveries.

2. English is the only language for the publication of books on world inventions and discoveries.

3. All inventions and discoveries were carried out by English researchers.

4. All books written by non – English speaking scientists were translated         into English.

Study the highlighted words in the text. What do they mean? Explain your answers using some of the key phrases.

KEY PHRASES

I believe this word means … because …

I recognize part of the word, it means …

If I have to take a guess, I will say this word means …

I wish I would have a close guess, but I am not sure. This word might be about …

Find the noun form of words 1-5 in the text. Which four suffixes can you identify?

1. explore (v)

2. develop (v)

3. advance (v)

4. invent (v)

5. communicate (v)

Work in groups. Brainstorm some ideas for the role of English in your studies.

LANGUAGE FOCUS: Gerunds and infinitives

Study examples a – f. Then match them with rules 1 – 2.

RULES

1. We use gerunds (the -ing form of verbs) after some verbs, e g. like, love, enjoy, dislike, hate, suggest.

2. We use infinitives (the base form of verbs) after some verbs, e.g. aim,     enable, employ, allow, prove.

a. Scientists like employing English to share the knowledge of inventions.

b. English serves as a medium for communication with those who love listening to new updates.

c. English enables scientists to collaborate on new ideas.

d. Translating books into English allows them books to be more accessible to the masses.

e. Those who are not fluent in English hate using English to write scientific journals.

f. They classmates dislike working in groups with lazy.

Complete the sentences with the gerund or infinitive form of the verbs in brackets. Which rule (1 – 2) in exercise 1 explains your answers?

I love working (work) with nature rather than against it

1. I hate _____________ (do) business because I don’t like (calculate).

2. I love _____________ (learn) social work because I have a passion for community service.

3. Knowing English enables me _____________ (discuss) with my foreign friends.

4. I dislike _____________ (become) a chef because I’m not good at cooking.

5. In the future, I aim _____________ (be) a great scientist because I really enjoy _____________ (find) out new things.

Talk about your likes and dislikes about your future career. Use the blue phrases from exercise 2.

VOCABULARY AND LISTENING: Life and the universe

Read the live chat and check the meaning of the words in blue.

WHAT IF …?

Live chat followed by our weekly podcast

This week – Send us your science questions about Earth and space.

If a coin fell on me from a skyscraper, would it kill me?

No. Gravity would accelerate it a bit, but a coin is flat and small, so it would fall quite slowly through the air. It wouldn’t really hurt you. A metal pipe WOULD be dangerous.

What would happen if everyone on Earth jumped at the same time?

Not much. Tell me when you organize it!

What disease is the biggest threat to humans?

If we aren’t careful, diseases will become resistant to antibiotics. So, something which isn’t dangerous now might be VERY dangerous in the future and could become an epidemic.

Think about questions a – g. Do you know any of the answers? Compare your ideas with a partner’s.

a) What will we do if the sun dies?

b) If an astronaut played the guitar in space, would anyone hear it?

c) Is there life on Mars or any other planet?

d) What are the chances of a really big meteor hitting Earth?

e) Which species causes the most deaths?

f) How many stars and planets are there in the universe?

g) How would we greet aliens if they came to Earth? Is there a plan?

Listen to the podcast. Which of questions a-g do the experts answer? Did you hear any of your answers?

Read 1 – 6. Then listen again and complete the sentences with information from the podcast.

1. In four billion years, our sun will be about ____________ hotter.

2. You can’t hear music or voices in space because it’s a ____________

3. The presenter mentions a video of an astronaut playing the guitar in the ____________.

4. The meteor in 2015 was miles from Earth.

5. The meteor was travelling at ____________ kilometers an hour.

6. ____________ are more dangerous than sharks, they kill people a year.

Listen to the words and then repeat. In which two words are the letters ea pronounced in the same way?

death            disease         earth            threat

Make as many questions as you can using the blue words. Then share your questions with the class. Which questions would you send to a live chat?

LANGUAGE FOCUS: Conditionals wish

Study sentences a – g and match them to the types of conditional 1 – 3.

RULES

1. We use the zero conditional for a fact or a situation which is generally true.

2. We use the first conditional for a situation which is possible and probable.

3. We use the second conditional fora situation which is possible but not probable. can, could, may, might… are used in conditionals to express possibility, uncertainty or permission.

a. Sound doesn’t travel if there isn’t any air

b. Diseases will become resistant to antibiotics if we aren’t careful.

c. If it rains, we can stay at home.

d. If she studies hard, she may pass the exam.

e. If you don’t hurry, you might miss the last train.

f. If I had more time, I could visit you.

g. If he were here, he would help us.                 

Complete the table with the words in the box.

Study the examples of conditionals in the visitor’s guide. Choose the correct verb forms.

EARTH – A VISITOR’S GUIDE

Welcome to Earth! We’re between the planets Venus and Mars.

To survive, humans need food and water – but if we eat / eaten too much food, we become ill.

Most plants here need water, food and light. If you keep a plant in the dark, it won’t / wouldn’t grow.

We love being outside in the sun, but if we don’t use special protection, out skin burns / burnt!

We’re friendly, but people here can be selfish. If we share / shared things more, it would be a better place.

There are a lot of us here. If our population grows  / grew more, we’ll need a new place to live.

A lot of other species are near extinction. If we don’t protect them, they’ll / they’d be disappear.

Study the examples and complete the rule.

RULE

We use the tense to make wishes about a present situation which is not currently true or does not happen.

1. We wish that researchers found a way to prevent the use of deepfake technology for evil purposes soon.

2. They wish someone invented a machine to clean up ocean plastic.

3. I wish we would invent cures for all types of cancer soon.

4. I wish she were able to afford an Al robot to do household chores.

Rewrite the sentences.

1. He wants to speak to aliens from space.

    He wishes __________________________________.

2. His English is not good enough to study space science.

    He wishes __________________________________.

3. They can’t afford explorations to discover new species.

    They wish __________________________________.

4. She is not strong enough for the journey to Son Doang cave.

    She wishes __________________________________.

Complete questions 1 – 6 with the correct verb forms.

1. If you ___________ (be) a millionaire, what would you do?

2. If you travelled to Mars, what things from Earth ___________ (you I miss)?

3. If you could only take three species of animal to another planet,                                               which ___________ (you save)?

4. If you travel in the future, where ___________ (you / go)?

5. Do you wish you ___________ (become) the best student in the school?

6. Do you wish you ___________ (own) a car or rely on public transport?

Work in pairs. Ask and answer the questions in exercise 6.

SPEAKING: Giving opinions

Read the task. Then read opinions 1 – 4. Which comments are in favor of space exploration? Which are against?

TASK.Read the statement. Discuss the topic and give your opinion.

“Space exploration is a waste of money.”

1. It would be better to spend money on other things.

2. We need to know what ‘s out there.

3. Scientists do useful experiments there.

4. Earth has its own problems. We should fix them first.

Watch or listen to Sam giving his opinion about the topic. Choose the correct option.

a. He’s mostly in favor of space exploration.

b. He’s completely in favor of space exploration.

c. He’s mostly against space exploration.

d. He’s completely against space exploration.

When we give opinions about something, it’s a good idea to vary the phrases that we use to introduce those opinions. Listen or watch again. Which key phrases does Sam use?

KEY PHRASES

Giving opinions: avoiding repetition

I believe / don’t believe (that) …

In my opinion, …

I doubt that …

There’s no doubt (in my mind) that …

It’s true / It isn’t true that …

I can / can’t see why people think that …

As far as I can see, …

If / When you think about it, …

Follow the steps in the Speaking Guide.

A. TASK

“It’s important and necessary that we use animals in research to test products and drugs.” Discuss.

B. THINK AND PLAN

1. Think about the topic. Which of these words are useful for you?

alternatives            companies             cruel

cure                       develop                  disease                   essential

products                 test                         useful

2. Think about what you’re going to say. Make notes. Use the key phrases.

C. SPEAK. Record yourself giving opinions.

D. CHECK. Watch or listen to your recording. What can you improve?

avoiding repetition

speaking clearly

pronunciation

WRITING: An opinion passage

Read the passage and answer the questions.

Do you think that English is the universal form of communication in science?

The need to integrate into the globalized world suggested finding a common language for better communication. Throughout the course of time, English has proved itself to be a key factor in connecting the world effectively. Many people suggest learning English to catch golden opportunities in professional life. Others may be against English thinking it poses challenges for non – English speakers. However, I am definitely in favor of English.

In the first place, English is widely spoken as an official language and as a second language in a large number of countries. Furthermore, in the field of science, English is currently the best way to share one’s research findings with international scientists. English is, most of the time, a dominant language in the field of space exploration and on the International Space Station. Finally, English plays a crucial role in various industries including business, education, tourism, medicine, etc. If there were no common language, rather simple to learn like English, how would those scientists work together? Who can suggest creating a constructed language, with a simple grammatical structure and regular vocabulary, easy enough to master in the shortest time possible?

In summary, it is my opinion that English is vital, especially in scientific communication and collaboration worldwide.

1. How many reasons does the writer give in favor of the importance of English in    the field of science?

2. Which of the opinions do you agree or disagree with?

3. Which conditional sentences does the writer use?

Find the key phrases in the text. Which phrases …

KEY PHRASES

Explaining a point of view

I am (definitely) in favor of / against …

In the first place, …

Furthermore, …

Finally, …

However, …

It is my opinion that, …

1. help to express an opinion?

2. help to contrast different ideas?

3. help to list reasons and arguments?

Study the words in blue in the passage. Then complete the sentences.

1. Some doctors suggest (experiment with Al)

2. Many scientists suggest (create more satellites)

3. World scholars suggest (carry out further research)

4. Researchers suggest (develop submarine technology)

Follow the steps in the Writing Guide.

WRITING GUIDE

A. TASK. Write a passage (100 – 120 words) giving your opinion about the use of animals in scientific research.

B. THINK AND PLAN

1. What do you know about this subject? Why does it happen?

2. Are you in favor of it or against it? Why?

3. Are there any alternatives?

4. Do you think that the alternatives would work?

C. WRITE

Paragraph 1: Explain the situation. Say if you’re in favor of it or against it.

Paragraph 2: Give your main reasons for being in favor of or against the situation

Paragraph 3: Summarize your arguments and repeat your opinion.

D. CHECK

paragraphs

phrases to list and explain your opinions, reasons and arguments

conditional sentences

gerunds and infinitives