Characteristics of Popular Scientific Texts
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What is a characteristic of non-specialized or popular scientific texts at the lexical level?

  • Extensive use of noun strings
  • Few or no abbreviations (correct)
  • Exclusive use of technical jargon
  • Frequent use of abbreviations

    • What is the primary goal of academic research into ESP and popularization?

  • To develop a new theory of relativity
  • To improve the dissemination of scientific knowledge across communities and cultures (correct)
  • To create a new genre of scientific writing
  • To explore the history of scientific writing

    • Which of the following features is characteristic of specialized scientific texts?

  • Extensive use of personalization and multimedia elements
  • Oversimplification and definitions
  • Frequent use of nominalization and modality (correct)
  • Schematization and exemplification

    • What is a key difference between A Brief History of Time and A Briefer History of Time?

    <p>The level of technical complexity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the fundamental postulate of the theory of relativity, as described in the passage?

    <p>The laws of science should be the same for all freely moving observers, no matter what their speed</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of popular scientific texts at the textual level?

    <p>Schematization, exemplification, and oversimplification</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of 1988 in the context of academic research into ESP and popularization?

    <p>The year academic research into ESP and popularization began</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary distinction between specialized and non-specialized scientific texts?

    <p>The level of technical complexity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary objective of the framework proposed by Cloître and Shinn's 1985 model?

    <p>To classify and distinguish popular scientific texts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of ESP research, as mentioned in the content?

    <p>Identification of features of intra- and inter-specialist level scientific texts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following authors is NOT associated with research on ESP and genre analysis?

    <p>Jenkins</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary characteristic of popular exposition, as identified by Cloître and Shinn's 1985 model?

    <p>Intended for the largest audience possible</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the didactic/pedagogical level of scientific exposition, as identified by Cloître and Shinn's 1985 model?

    <p>To communicate scientific knowledge to non-specialists</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of intra-specialist level scientific texts at the lexical level, as identified by ESP research?

    <p>High word formation and borrowings</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of the research by Jenkins, Rodger, White and Gribbin, and Mellor?

    <p>Analysis of popular scientific texts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary distinction between intra-specialist and inter-specialist level scientific texts?

    <p>Field of specialization</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary motivation behind the creation of a new edition of a successful book?

    <p>To reach a different audience, including younger readers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What feature of the new edition makes it more appealing to its intended audience?

    <p>The inclusion of colorful illustrations and humorous images</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the result of the changes made to the new edition of the book?

    <p>A less specialized and more popular text</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the frequency of god's mention in the new edition of the book?

    <p>33 times</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What kind of tone is used in the new edition of the book to cater to younger readers?

    <p>A tone that is less ironic and humorous</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main goal of 'scientifically correct' or 'ideologically acceptable' vulgarization of science?

    <p>To make scientific knowledge more accessible to a wider audience</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of the new edition of the book in terms of its ideological neutrality?

    <p>It is more ideologically neutral</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the implication of the changes made to the new edition of the book in terms of ESP and genre analysis?

    <p>It is more concerned with catering to a specific audience or genre</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is notable about the predictions made by Brief and Briefer?

    <p>They were sober and prophetic, suited to the time period.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What phenomenon is observed in both Brief and Briefer?

    <p>Hybridization</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary difference in the granularity of Brief and Briefer?

    <p>Brief has a higher degree of granularity than Briefer.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the target audience implied for Brief, based on its features?

    <p>Inter-specialist to didactic level</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Hawking describe Brief in the Foreword of Briefer?

    <p>A lengthy dissertation befitting a college-level course in cosmology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is suggested as the reason for the shift in style between Brief and Briefer?

    <p>A different target audience for the two books</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of the ESP passages in Brief compared to Briefer?

    <p>They are more detailed and technical in Brief.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is implied about the content of Brief, based on Hawking's admission?

    <p>It was based on Hawking's lecturing material, assembled over the years.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary goal of Hawking's writing, as mentioned in the text?

    <p>To educate people without a scientific education on mathematical concepts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between Hawking's first book and Briefer?

    <p>The amount of specialized knowledge presented</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Hawking emphasize as a challenge for the general public?

    <p>Keeping up with rapidly advancing frontier of knowledge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary feature of specialized scientific texts, according to the text?

    <p>Granular blocks of information</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of Hawking's writing, as stated in the last chapters of both books?

    <p>To educate the general public on scientific concepts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between popular and specialized scientific texts?

    <p>Level of technical content</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of genre analysis in the context of scientific communication?

    <p>To investigate the dissemination of scientific knowledge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of ESP in the context of scientific communication?

    <p>English for Specific Purposes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Characteristics of Non-Specialized and Specialized Texts

    • Non-specialized texts:
      • Lexical level: few or no abbreviations, few or no noun strings, (over-)Anglicization
      • Syntactic level: little use of nominalization, little use of modality, personalization wherever possible
      • Textual level: schematization, exemplification, oversimplification, definitions, reformulation, explanations, multi-media elements
    • Specialized texts:
      • Lexical level: high word formation, borrowings, noun strings, abbreviations, latinization
      • Syntactic level: nominalization, high modality, passive voice, depersonalization
      • Textual level: thematization, schematization, cohesive conjunctions, hedging, omissions, crypticity (exclusiveness)

    Popularization of Science

    • Cloître and Shinn's 1985 model:
      • Four levels of scientific exposition:
        • Intra-specialist exposition (from specialist to specialist in same field)
        • Inter-specialist exposition (from specialist to specialist across fields)
        • Didactic/pedagogical exposition (from specialist to non-specialist)
        • Popular exposition (intended for the largest audience possible)
    • Popularization of science:
      • Aims to make scientific knowledge accessible to a broader audience
      • Features hybridization phenomena, mixing specialized and non-specialized levels of exposition

    Analysis of A Brief History of Time and A Briefer History of Time

    • A Brief History of Time:
      • Features a high degree of granularity, with large chunks of ESP passages linked by short popular sections
      • Places at the inter- (sometimes intra-) specialist to didactic level
      • More didactic than popular, and often more specialized than didactic
    • A Briefer History of Time:
      • Features a more balanced alternation between specialized and non-specialized sections
      • Tends towards a predominance of the popular from both a quantity and a quality viewpoint
      • ESP sections are much reduced and do not go into such detail as those in Brief

    Target Audience and Purpose

    • A Brief History of Time:
      • Target audience: inter- (sometimes intra-) specialist to didactic level
      • Purpose: to teach "people without a scientific education" how to "master mathematics"
    • A Briefer History of Time:
      • Target audience: a broader audience, including younger readers
      • Purpose: to provide a more accessible and simplified explanation of scientific concepts, leaving out some of the more technical content

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    Description

    This quiz covers the characteristics of non-specialized or popular scientific texts, including lexical, syntactic, and textual features.

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