Mgter.

Viviana Valenti

MARK
MOCK TEST /50

The Large Hadron Collider

1 Many great minds — Democritus,
Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell,
Albert Einstein — made contributions
to find the universe's lost unity. In
5 1964, Peter Higgs, a scientist in
Edinburgh, added his name to that list
by coming up with an ingenious
theory that proposed that the two
classes of particles, which now appear
10 to be different, were once one and the
same. He supported the idea that an
electromagnetic background field
must exist and that once particles pass
through it, they attain mass. That is, he believed in the existence of a single particle
15 responsible for imparting mass to all things —the "God particle." The scientific term for it is
the Higgs boson. Physicists are now counting on the most powerful particle accelerator ever
constructed: the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to give proof of the existence of such particle.

This machine was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
near Geneva. It took 14 years and $8 billion to be built. It is housed within a 27 km circular
20 tunnel 300 feet under the earth – 5 km longer than the London Underground Circle Line. It is
operated by more than 3000 physicists and engineers from about 40 countries. Basically, this
super collider has been designed to reproduce the incredibly high energies found in the first
trillionth of a second after the "Big Bang", which gave birth to our universe into existence. If
the project succeeds, it will recreate the natural phenomena of cosmic rays under controlled
25 laboratory conditions.
The experiment of the hadron collider consists in driving beams of particles in opposite
directions around the ring at 99.999999, which is 1% of the speed of light. As the two
circulating beams pass through each other, protons from each beam hit one another. Thus, the
resulting spray of particles is registered in the pixel detectors which are positioned around the
30 beam containing the colliding protons in three layers, like a vast Russian doll. The innermost
of the three is located just 4cm from the proton collision site. The detector system has to
operate with great precision. This helps to deliver three-dimensional images of the particles'
flight paths.
At last, the collider was first tried in November 2009. Although there was a major
35 incident that caused a delay of more than a year, researchers from the participating institutes
were able to collect enough data to take an initial particle-physics recording. Besides, they
could write the first scientific article based on this experiment.
Mgter. Viviana Valenti

Exercise no.1 Complete the following chart with information from the text in SPANISH

Name of the machine (basta con poner una de estas):

Reason for constructing the collider
Constructor (in Spanish) and place
Characteristics of the machine
Specialists working and their
nationalities
Objective of the experiment
How the experiment works (2pt)
(6x1+2=8pt)
- colisionador de hadrones o
- destructor de átomos (atom smasher)
- acelerador de átomos ( particle accelerator)
-probar la teoría de Higgs
- organización Europea para la investigación nuclear
- cerca de Ginebra
-27 km de túnel circular
-A 300 pies bajo la tierra
-más de 3000 físicos e ingenieros
-de approx. 40 países
-reproducir las altas energías encontradas (en el primera
trillonésima de segundo) después del Big Bang
-envía dos haces de partículas en direcciones opuestas y los
hace colisionar (o que los protones de cada rayo se golpeen
unos a otros)

Exercise no.2 Find the contextual reference in the text.

(10x1=10pt)

1. that list (line 6) Democritus, Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell, Albert Einstein
2. which (line 9) the two classes of particles
3. it (line 14) electromagnetic background field
4. they (line 14) particles
5. it (line 15) a single particle responsible for imparting mass to all things
(no se acepta God Particle)
6. which (line 23) the “Big Bang”
7. which (line 27) 99.999999
8. one another (line 28) protons from each beam
9. the three (line 31) pixel detectors
10. this (line 32) The detector system has to operate with great precision

Exercise no.3 Read the following connectors. Choose what relationship they express
(8x0.75=6pt)

alternative contrast purpose cause addition consequence

condition sequence clarification similarity exemplification comparison

1. That is (line 14 ) clarification

2. If (line 23) condition
3. as (line 27) sequence
4. Thus (line 28) consequence
5. like (line 30) comparison
6. At last (line 34) sequence
7. although (line 34) contrast
8. Besides (line 36) addition
Mgter. Viviana Valenti

Exercise no.44 What is the meaning of the following words as they are used in the text?
(10x0.5=5pt)

1) lost (line 4) a. pérdida b. perdida c. perdió

2) by coming up with (line 7) a. al idear b. al encontrar c. al investigar
3) imparting (line 15) a. transmitir b. transmición c. transmitiendo
4) built (line 19) a. construido b. construida c. construyó
5) housed (line 19) a. almacenada b. hospedada c. alojada
6) incredibly (line 22) a. increíbles b. increíble c. increiblemente
7) phenomena (line 24) a. fenomenal b. fenómeno c. fenómenos
8) circulating (line 28) a. circulantes b. circulando c. circulares
9) innermost (line 30) a. más adentro b. más insertado c. más profundo
10) deliver (line 32) a. repartir b. despachar c. enviar

Exercise no.5 TRUE or FALSE? Translate the sentence or sentences that justify your answer.
( 6x2=12pt)

1. T Before Higgs scientists had made reference to the existence of a unique particle that gave
birth to the universe. (lines 1-10)
Many great minds — Democritus, Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell, Albert Einstein —
made contributions to find the universe's lost unity. Peter Higgs, a scientist in Edinburgh, added
his name to that list by coming up with an ingenious theory that proposed that the two classes
of particles, which now appear to be different, were once one and the same.
Muchas grandes mentes – Demócrito, Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell, Alterb Einstein –
hicieron contribuciones para encontrar la unidad perdida del universo. Peter Higgs, un
científico en Edimburgo, agregó su nombre a esa lista al ocurrírsele una ingeniosa teoría que
proponía que las dos clases de partículas, que ahora parecen ser diferentes, eran una y la
misma.

2. F The Hadron Collider has shown how the universe started. (lines 24-25)
If the project succeeds, it will recreate the natural phenomena of cosmic rays under controlled
laboratory conditions
Si el proyecto tiene éxito, recreará los fenómenos naturales de los rayos cósmicos bajo
condiciones contraladas de laboratorio.

3. F Better machines had been constructed before the hadron accelerator. (line 16-17)
Physicists are now counting on the most powerful particle accelerator ever constructed: the
Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to give proof of the existence of such particle.
Los físicos cuentan ahora con el acelerador de partículas más poderoso jamás construido: el
Gran Colisionador de Hadrones (GCH) para probar la existencia de tal partícula.

4. T The collision is captured at different distances. (lines 28-30)

Thus, the resulting spray of particles is registered in the pixel detectors which are positioned
around the beam containing the colliding protons in three layers, like a vast Russian doll.
Por eso/por ende/por ello, la pulverización de partículas se registra(es preferible usar “se” en
ves de “es registrada” ya que no importa quién lo hace sino lo que se hace) en detectores de
píxeles que están dispuestos en tres capas alrededor del haz que contienen los protones que
colicionan (conviene pasar “en tres capas” al lado de “dispuestos” para que la oración en
español sea entendible)
Mgter. Viviana Valenti

5. T The particles are sprayed as a consequence of the speed at which the protons travel. (lines
27-28)
As the two circulating beams pass through each other, protons from each beam hit one another.
Cuando los haces que circulan pasan uno a través del otro, los protones de cada haz
colisionan unos con otros.

6. T The machine was expected to be working before 2008. (lines 34-36)

Although there was a major incident that caused a delay of more than a year, researchers from
the participating institutes were able to collect enough data to take an initial particle-physics
recording.
A pesar de que hubo un incidente importante que causó una demora de más de un año, los
Investigadores de los institutos participantes fueron capaces de recolectar suficientes datos para
obtener una grabación inicial de partículas físicas.

Exercise no.6 Answer in Spanish. Write your answer on the other side of the paper
(3x3=9pt)
1. What was Peter Higgs convinced of?
Higgs creía que había una sola partícula responsable de dar masa a todas las cosas, que no
hay dos clases de partícula sino que alguna vez fueron una y la misma.

2. Why is the particle called ―God’s particle‖?

Porque se la asocia con el inicio, creación del universo.

3. Were the first results encouraging? Give reasons

Sí. Porque los institutos participantes pudieron recoger datos suficientes y escribir la primera
publicación científica.