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, каркас, остов

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 Physisporinus vitreus and Xylaria longipes are pathogenic fungi.

8. Both Physisporinus 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

Lexis: 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 to tinker – поправить, починить propensity – склонность, предрасположенность to arm – вооружить

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.

Exercise 4. Listen to the text again. Put the stages of the research in the correct order. Describe each stage in detail.

a. Genetically engineered E. coli proved to be effective against P. aeruginosa biofilms.

b. E. coli was engineered to release destructive antimicrobial peptides.

c. E. coli’s food-detection system was modified.

d. E. coli was supplied with an enzyme called DNase I.

Text b. Bioengineering

Exercise 5. What do you know about biofuels? Discuss the following questions:

1. What is biofuel? What materials can be used to produce it?

2. What methods have been developed so far to produce biofuel?

3. What are the main obstacles to the wide use of biofuels?

Exercise 6. Explain the following terms: cellulose, lignin.

corn cob – кочерыжка початка кукурузы corn husk – листовая обертка початка кукурузы corn kernel – зерно кукурузы landfill – свалка мусора, полигон для захоронения отходов faeces / feces – экскременты to tease out – выделять, отделять adept – умелый, искусный

Exercise 7. Listen to the text (Script 8) which presents new findings in the field of microbiology. How can these results be applied in biofuel production?

Exercise 8. Listen to the text again and choose the answer that fits best according to the text. Substantiate your choice.

1. The feature that distinguishes giant pandas from other bears is

a. the distinctive coloration of their fur.

b. the food they consume.

c. their habitat.

d. their mating habits.

2. Breaking down cellulose and lignin to obtain nutrients requires

a. high temperature.

b. extreme pressure.

c. a lot of energy.

d. all of the above.

3. Using wastes like discarded corn cobs and husks instead of corn kernels to produce biofuel is

a. more expensive.

b. less expensive.

c. less energy-consuming.

d. more difficult.

4. Biofuel production may be facilitated with the use of

a. bacterial enzymes.

b. giant pandas.

c. panda faeces.

d. cellulose and lignin.

5. The team searched through microbial databases to identify

a. animals that were most closely related to giant pandas.

b. bacteria in panda faeces.

c. bacteria that were most closely related to panda’s bacteria.

d. microbial RNA.

6. Dr Brown and her colleagues identified

a. 17 bacterial species that can digest lignin.

b. 23 bacterial species that can digest lignin.

c. 17 bacterial species that can digest cellulose.

d. 6 bacterial species that can digest cellulose.

7. Laboratory tests demonstrated that the identified bacteria were capable of

a. breaking down energy-rich sugars.

b. fermenting sugars into bioethanol or biodiesel.

c. breaking down cellulose- and lignin-based materials.

d. producing biofuel.

8. Comercially using microbial enzymes to produce biofuel will require

a. saving giant pandas from extinction.

b. a lot of investment.

c. genetically modifying the identified bacteria.

d. enhancing their performance.