Interactive Vocabulary - Amy E. Olsen 2017

Chapter 20. Science
Part V. Careers

The Scientific Mind

Searching for answers, solving problems, and helping others are all areas involved in science. Whether a scientist is scan­ning the stars, exploring a jungle, or investigating the human brain, the basic drive is to understand the unknown. Scientists come in many varieties from archaeologists to zoologists with an alphabet full in between.

Curiosity is an important aspect of being a scientist. George Washington Carver was one such curious person. As a boy he loved nature and collected plants and rocks around his home in Missouri. Carver's curiosity led him to pursue a career in science. As a botanist, Carver devel­oped

nearly three hundred uses for peanuts, as well as new uses for soy beans and sweet potatoes that helped the South diversify its crops and improve its agricultural practices.

Logic is also a key trait. Scientists use the scientific method to help them reach conclusions. They first identify a problem, then ask questions, make a hypothesis, perform experiments, interpret the results, and finally reach a conclusion. While experimenting, scientists must be methodical in recording what they do so that others can verify their findings. Scientists use chronological order to explain what they did first, second, and so on. Scientists cannot afford to be inaccurate during any phase of an experi­ment or their results will not be reliable. For instance, a chemist has to carefully weigh the substances he or she is using. Scientists outside of a lab have to patiently collect their data, whether that means gather­ing specimens or making observations of people or animals. The naturalist Charles Darwin collected plants and animals throughout South America during his nearly five-year voyage on the Beagle. He was especially impressed by the variety of plants and animals in the Galapagos Islands. When he returned to England, he used the materials he had gathered to formulate his ideas about natural selection.

Scientists need to anticipate hardships. The chemist Marie Curie was so determined to learn that she spent the little money she had on her studies instead of on food, which resulted in fainting spells. She later endured the intense cold of an old shed where she spent years extracting radium from ore. But those who are dedicated to a field do not waver in their pursuits, which is why scientists also need to prepare for con­troversy.

When scientists propose new ideas, it is inevitable that someone (other scientists or the general public) will doubt their findings or disagree with their conclusions. Opponents may even challenge a scientist's mental fitness. The biologist Rachel Carson was attacked in the press by chemical companies after foe release of her book Silent Spring, which questioned the dangerous use of pesticides.

To balance the negatives, there is the reward of having a career that can greatly benefit society. Scientists create vaccines that save lives, discover connections that help people understand the world, and aid in developing inventions that make life easier. For those who value curiosity, logic, and dedication there is surely a place in the alphabet of science (i.e., astronomer, geolo­gist, microbiologist, oceanographer, physicist, or volcanologist) where they can hang a lab coat.

Predicting

For each set, write the definition on the line next to the word to which it belongs. If you are unsure, return to the reading on page 132, and underline any context clues you find. After you've made your predictions, check your answers against the Word List on page 137. Place a checkmark in the box next to each word whose definition you missed. These are the words you'll want to study closely.

Set One

a theory

orderly

part

arranged in order of time

to explain the meaning of

□ 1. aspect (line 7) ...

□ 2. hypothesis (line 15) ...

□ 3. interpret (line 15) ...

□ 4. methodical (line 16) ...

□ 5. chronological (line 17) ...

Set Two

to hesitate

to develop

certain

incorrect

samples collected for examination

□ 6. inaccurate (line 18) ...

□ 7. specimens (line 21) ...

□ 8. formulate (line 24) ...

□ 9. waver (line 28) ...

□ 10. inevitable (line 29) ...

Self-Tests

1 Circle the word that correctly completes each sentence.

1. It is (inaccurate, inevitable) that a couple will have at least one argument when on a six-week trip together.

2. My husband's angry (aspect, specimen) warned me not to ask how his team did.

3. I made a (methodical, chronological) list of my day tomorrow: first I go to biology, followed by my yoga class, and then grocery shopping before going home to study.

4. The more I thought about it, I began to (waver, formulate) about my decision to waive my right to lawyer.

5. I didn't know how to (interpret, formulate) Marta's response that she would come to the party if she was "able to."

6. Because the weather reports had been (inevitable, inaccurate) all week, I was uncertain about having my party outside on Saturday.

7. I was very (methodical, inaccurate) as I gathered and recorded the information for my research paper. It made the writing process much easier since I was so organized.

8. It took the writer three years to fully (formulate, interpret) his idea for a book on the history of scientists in the twentieth century.

9. The scientist began with the (specimen, hypothesis) that the river was being polluted by some­thing up stream.

10. Reginald is the perfect (aspect, specimen) of the scholar-athlete. He has a 3.9 grade point aver­age, and he excels in baseball, soccer, and tennis.

Identify the two vocabulary words represented in the photos.

2 Answer each question with the appropriate vocabulary word. Use each word once.

Vocabulary list

aspect interprets chronological specimens wavering

hypothesis methodical inaccurate  inevitable  formulating

1. If you look at every part of a problem or situation, what have you considered?

2. When a woman goes out and collects bugs to later study, what is she getting?

3. What does a person who works at the United Nations translating conversations between represen­tatives from different countries do?

4. When a man is unsure on whether to paint a room yellow or blue, what is he doing?

5. What kind of order do the words first, next, and then show?

6. What do inventors and generals during war have to spend some of their time doing?

7. What would a check written yesterday but dated 1995 be called?

8. If a person suggests that the plants in a garden are not doing well because they are being eaten by bugs, what has the person made?

9. What is change?

10. In jobs such as accounting and computer programming, what is it good to be?

3 In Set One, match each term with its synonym. In Set Two, match each term with its antonym.

Synonyms     Antonyms

Set One      Set Two

1. specimen a. invent   6. inaccurate  f. resolve

2. hypothesis b. sample   7. waver  g. avoidable

3. aspect  c. phase   8. methodical h. confuse

4. chronological d. conjecture  9. inevitable  i. correct

5. formulate e. sequential  10. interpret  j. jumbled

4 Match each sentence to the word it best fits. Context clues are underlined to help you. Use each word once.

Vocabulary list

waver  inevitable  methodical specimens interpret

hypothesis chronological inaccurate aspect  formulate

1. Since you are writing about battles in the Civil War, it would work well to organize the events sequentially.

2. In most big cities hitting traffic during rush hour is simply unavoidable.

3. My husband decided to devise an elaborate vacation for us, but we only had ten days to take in everything he had planned.

4. My theory is that the strange noises in the attic are coming from rats. Do you want to go up there and investigate?

5. Kadri is very orderly in her packing. She takes one item at a time and neatly folds it.

6. Taking tests is a part of school I don't really enjoy.

7. When her voice started to shake, I knew Una was really afraid.

8. The geology students spent the afternoon collecting rock samples that they would study in class the next day.

9. The actor's performance revealed Hamlet's motivation in a way I had never before considered.

10. The newspaper was incorrect when it reported that I had moved to Thailand. I am still living in the same house I have been in for the last ten years.

Interactive Exercise

List two examples for each question.

Why might someone come up with a hypothesis? What should be done in chronological order?

1. ... 1. ...

2. ... 2. ...

Where might you see a person waver? Who needs to frequently interpret things?

1. ... 1. ...

2. ... 2. ...

What aspect of college do you like best? What is something that is inevitable?

1. ... 1. ...

2. ... 2. ...

Where might a person find a specimen? Who should be methodical?

1. ... 1. ...

2. ...

2. ...

What is it easy to be inaccurate about?

When might a person formulate something?

1. ... 1. ...

2. ... 2. ...

Context Clue Mini-Lesson 5

This lesson combines the techniques you have practiced in the four previous context clue mini-lessons. You will be looking for synonyms, antonyms, general meaning, and examples (SAGE) to help you under­stand the underlined words. In the paragraph below, circle any clues you find, and then write the type of clue and your definition on the lines next to the words that follow the paragraph.

When people try to solicit contributions from my company, they are usually very polite. They typically make some kind of overture, such as including the company name in a program or putting up a sign at their event with the name boldly displayed. Most people are affable, but a few are standoffish. That is why I wasn't totally shocked by the cavalier attitude of the man who came in yesterday. He was, how­ever, especially arrogant despite asking me to donate a thousand dollars for his running club's annual picnic.

Type of Context Clue and Your Definition

1. Solicit ...

2. Overture ...

3. Affable ...

4. Cavalier ...

Words to Watch

Which words would you like to practice with a bit more? Pick 3-5 words to study, and list them below. Write the word and its definition, and compose your own sentence using the word correctly. This extra practice could be the final touch to learning a word.