Word study science technology

10000+ результатов для ‘science and technologies’

Методическая разработка может использоваться преподавателями на уроках английского языка, а также учащимися
в процессе самостоятельной работы и при подготовке к ЕГЭ.

В данной разработке представлены
различные типы аутентичных текстов, которые помогут вам обогатить ваш словарный запас, познакомиться с интересными факта ми,
а также повысить свой уровень
знаний.

Science and Technology

№
1. Read about some important scientific discoveries. Match the discovery
and the field of science it
is connected with. There is one extra field
which you should not choose.

1)     In 2003, scientists unveiled the most detailed map of the cosmic microwave background – the light emitted by the universe moments after the big bang.
It reveals that only 4% of the universe is ordinary matter. A quarter is dark
matter. The rest is mysterious dark energy
that drives the expansion of the universe.

Field:                                                                      

2)   In 2004, South Korean researchers
claimed to have cloned a human embryo. But the research, led by Woo Suk Huang,
became a scandal when it emerged the results were fabricated.

Field:                                                                      

3)    The
international space station
welcomed its first inhabitants, while missions to the
moon and Mars both detected frozen water. Planet hunters spotted hundreds of
worlds beyond our solar system, including
some that may be habitable.

Field:                                                                      

4)    Work began on the international
thermonuclear experimental reactor in Cadarache, France. The project
aims to generate cheap and plentiful power through nuclear
fusion.

Field:                                                                      

5)   Scientists find evidence that schizophrenia, dyslexia
and Tourette syndrome
are caused by faulty
wiring in the brain. Other
research shed light
on how the brain stores
memories.

Field:                                                                      

6)     The
European Nuclear Research
Organisation near Geneva started up the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s most
powerful particle accelerator. Discoveries at the laboratory will decide the direction of physics for the next two decades.

Field:                                                                      

7)   The
remains of Ardi, a 4.4m year
old female and the oldest putative human ancestor,
left, were unearthed in Ethiopia.
Short for Ardipithecus ramidus, the skeleton
dates back to the dawn of humanity. In 2003, the
remains of a diminutive and hitherto unknown species of human were unearthed on the Indonesian island of Flores.
The discovery of Homo floresien sis, or «hobbit», is regarded as the most important anthropological find in 50 years. Adults
of the species stood
just 1m tall and lived
as recently as 13,000 years
ago.

Field:
                                                                     

From the Guardian
Major Breakthroughs of the Decade

№ 2. Read an extract from the article ‘Does Modern Technology Affect Teens?’ Six sentences have been removed from the article.
Choose from the sentences
A–G the one which fits each gap
(1–5). There is one extra sentence which you do not
need to use. There is an example
at the beginning (0).

A teen wants to help change the world and
make it a better place to live.                                      To
him, the best way to contribute to these changes is through modern technology.

Before the advent of
the computer, the teens spent much time and effort in using their manual typewriters and had headaches in using
erasing liquids, retyping their works, crumpling their papers and throwing them
to the baskets. The computer changes this.

It shortens their time, saves a lot of money for
supplies and helps create presentations that wowed their teachers.

If the computer affects
the teens, the Internet catapulted the teens in greater heights. The Internet
revolutionized the way teens look at the world and the future.                                          Most
of all, it gives them the opportunity to interact with other teens and discuss
relevant issues making them mature and real decision
makers. The Internet allows them to post comments and sug gestions to various
organizations, government agencies and other concerned personalities. If before the teens had a hard time to criticize government leaders for their shortcomings, mod ern technology had encouraged them to
speak up and be counted. The teen wants to be heard, and they got it!

Another technological breakthrough is the cell phone. Almost every teen owns a cell phone, some the lesser types, others
the most advanced ones.                                           Some TV
networks had programs allotted
for public announcements and interactions, and these teens express
their criticisms, observations and requests for positive actions from the
government. Problems are now attended to, thanks to the teens and their cell phones.

Try imagining of a day
that a teen has to be late because he must go to the library but has no way of
informing his parents except to scamper to the nearest public phone which might
be congested of callers. Or he has to find his way over dusty bookshelves to
look for the needed book. What about those teens who are really shy to stand up during forums,
and instead will opt to keep silent with a big idea buzzing
in his head. What a pity!

These teens really want a change, and modern
technology is the answer.                             They must not allow
these high tech tools to enslave them,
but rather, utilize
modern technology to its fullest for the good of mankind.

by Clint Jhonson
Source: www.uberarticles.com

№ 3. Read an extract from the article ‘How Technology Is Changing Our Lives’.
For questions 1–10, choose from the people A–H. Some of the people may be cho sen more than once.
There is an example at the beginning (0).

Which person says that technology helps him/her:

0.  

make purchases online

1.  
work from home

2.  
enjoy better
medical service

3.  
lose weight and stay in shape

4.  
feel connected all the time with his/her family
and friends

5.  
live a full life in spite of his/her
illness

6.  
meet new people online

7.  
learn about everything that is going on worldwide

8.  
make his/her hobby more interesting

9.  
watch live video

10.  
make a career

A.

«Internet technology has totally changed
my life. I review my online bank statements,
make transactions and pay bills, all through
online portals. I go shopping
for electronics, books and DVDs  all through the Internet. I pay online,
and then I track my shipment online. I log on to the web portal of my
telephone company to review my phone bills, pay them and change or request new
services with a click of the mouse. I practice digital photography and compose music as a hobby and those fields are full of different
technologies to help me direct the images and music.»

B.

«I totally embrace new technology. Because of
broadband Internet, I am able to work from my
bosses’ home or my home and was able to quit a job that I hated
and that kept me stressed out to the max. Because of cell phones,
we are able to forward
the business phones
when we are out or on the
road. Laptop computers also help making the job mobile when necessary. My life
has been improved in many ways since I got on line. I have made many friends
across the south from chatting.
I never would have met any of these people if not for the Internet.»

C.

«I am autistic
but I have struggled to communicate with those around me. I married a young woman, we had kids, and she was
already internet comfortable. I discovered the whole universe of the Internet.
Now I can write, send, and receive,
to and from virtually anyone.

Without this thread of technology I would have remained isolated
and utterly un influential. And, if communication
technology has helped me to this degree, imagine what it has done for those who
are not autistic.»

D.

«I would like to share some interesting things
happening in India. Five years ago, tele phones
in the home were only for the rich. These days getting a phone service is like
getting a pizza. It is that easy. Medical technology in India has developed to
a great level today. Twenty years ago there was no proper drugs for diabetics.
My grandfather died because of it. But today, diabetes is controllable. Lots of
facilities are open. When new technology arrives, there will be positive and negative results.
But positive results
are greater in my opinion.»

E.

«I am a veteran of the U.S. Army. I spent most of my adult life searching for a career in
jobs that had very little
potential for career
opportunities for me. I became
extremely passion ate about
Web development, and it has shaped the rest of my life. I have several of my
own Web sites, as well as sites that I have built, managed and maintained for my employers. Technology in general, and the Internet,
in particular, have inexorably changed
my life and put me on a career path that I would never have
discovered if not for the technological boom of personal computers, the
proliferation of the Internet, my desire to find a better life for myself, and
my dissatisfaction with my current career path.»

F.

«For the past seven years I have worked as an
exploration geologist in Mongolia for a Canadian company. Communication was
always an issue with expatriates working overseas. Satellite telephones have
helped me to keep in touch with my family but the per minute cost prohibited long or chatty calls. Now, I can talk to anyone in the world who has either a phone
or an Internet connection with «voice over IP (VOIP)» Internet telephoning. Now I can call
my mom in Canada from my western
Mongolia ger (round wool tent) field office any time of
the day or night for just eight cents a minute. I can see her face on my laptop as I left her a Web cam
on my last visit home. I can watch live Web
cam video of my eight month old daughter in Mongolia. I can hear her talk into the microphone and see it all in «real time» with a Skype «Voice over IP» Internet telephone system.»

G.

«Technology has changed my family’s and my life.
We have seen many advances in tech nology here in Ethiopia  we are happy at home watching satellite
news, films and documen taries, which
keeps us well informed. Mobile
phones have also contributed to changes in our
life, making them easier. My children have their own phones, as do my wife and
I, as well as a fixed landline at home and in our offices. It is wonderful.»

H.

«I have always been a fan of technology, the most
recent item I purchased that has had a major impact on my life  and my health  is the Apple iPod. I have always known that the only way to lose weight
and maintain it is to eat right
and exercise. I changed my diet but the exer cise was slow to follow. Then my
iPod arrived. All excuses for not to strap on my sneakers and go for a run literally jumped out the
window. I always need music to motivate me, but just the process of selecting a
CD sometimes took so long I had only a few minutes to get ready for work. Or I would listen to the same CD
over and over again until I was not longer motivated during the run. But now
with a full selection of up to 5,000 songs and the ability to download new music, I never get bored and increased my distance from a one mile to three miles a day in just a couple months.
As a result, I lost nearly 30lb and feel great.»

№ 4. A. Read the article below
quickly to say if the following statements
are true or false.

1)  
Technophobia is a new term. T/F

2)  
Today we are living
in the Age of Technology. T/F

3)  
Most phobias are expressed by a strong
physical reaction. T/F

4)   Some
people worry that they will lose their friends because
they cannot keep up with the times. T/F

5)  
Experts in the field of technology are becoming older and older.
T/F

6)  
In most cases lack of self confidence is the cause of technophobia. T/F

7)  
Knowledge and learning is the way to rectify
the situation. T/F

Technophobia

by Katherine Bilsborough

Technophobia – What?

Technophobe:
Someone who does not like, trust, or want to use technology, especially
computers. (Macmillan English Dictionary)

Technophobia is not a new term and technophobes
have existed since the Industrial Revolution and probably for a lot longer
in some shape
or form. Today
we are living in the Age of Technology. Things that were once deemed
Science Fiction are becoming a reality. We either accept these changes and move with the
times or we resist and become technophobes.

Technophobia – Why?

The reality is much simpler
than saying that technophobes fear technological advance. Technophobes are anxious because
the environment in which they live and work is changing. Most phobias are expressed by a strong
physical reaction. People
who are claustrophobic suffer palpitations
and anxiety attacks when they are enclosed in a small area. An agoraphobic
suffers in a similar way if they are exposed to the great outdoors. Technophobes, on the other hand, experience milder symp toms. They
suffer feelings of self doubt and anxiety. They often feel insecure and
obsolete. Some worry that they will lose their job because they cannot keep up
with the times. In more extreme cases, technophobes convince themselves that
technology will take over the world or that humans will be con trolled by computers and robots. At other times they are afraid that if they press the wrong button on
their keyboard, the computer will explode.

Technophobia – Who?

In most cases technophobes belong to older generations who were not
brought up playing with computer games and mobile phones.
They have never sent a text message
or heard of an i pod. Not only do they not possess a DVD, they
still have not worked out how to use their VHS. These examples seem to validate
the old saying: «You can’t teach an old dog new tricks». It is
understandable that technophobia exists. Experts
in the field of technology are becoming younger
and younger. Being taught by somebody who is young
enough to be your grandson goes against the laws of nature. Traditionally
information and knowledge has been passed down from older generations to
younger generations. Young people were taught to respect their elders in part
because of the knowledge they possess. If this system is turned upside
down, then what happens to the respect
for our elders?

Technophobia – The answer.

If ignorance is, in most cases, the cause of technophobia, then it follows
that knowledge and learning is the way to rectify the
situation. What technophobes need is information. Simple computer classes often
prove highly successful, especially where the student groups are made up of
peer groups; like minded people of a
similar age who are willing to learn but who have no desire to be patronised by
fellow students who are twenty
years younger and possibly quicker
on the up take. It is equally
impor tant that groups of technophobes who have decided «to give it
a go» have an appropriate teacher; some body as similar as possible as
themselves in age. Somebody who will send out a message that says «If I can do it, then so can you».

Source: www.britishcouncil.org

B. Look through the article again. Answer the
questions briefly and fill in the
table. Use a number, a word or a word combination. There is an example at the beginning (0).

0)  
Since when have technophobes existed?

1)  
What do technophobes fear?

2)  
What kind of
people suffer palpitations and anxiety attacks when they are enclosed in a small area?

3)   What kind of people feel anxious if they are exposed to the great outdoors?

4)  
What will control humans
according to technophobes?

5)  
What gadget have older generations never heard of?

6)  
What do technophobes need?

7)  
What proves to be highly successful with technophobes?

№ 5. Read the text below. Complete the sentences. Choose from the sentences
A–I the one which fits each gap (1–7). There is one extra sentence which you do not
need to use. There is an example
at the beginning (0).

The human
species’ use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources
into simple tools. The prehistorical discovery of the
ability to control fire increased the available sources of food and the
invention of the wheel helped humans (0)                                                                              . Recent
technological developments, including
the printing press, the telephone, and the Internet,
have

lessened physical barriers to communication and (1)                                               . However,
not all technology has been used for peaceful purposes;
the development of weapons of ever increas ing destructive power has
progressed throughout history, (2)                                                      .

Technology has affected society and its surroundings
in a number of ways. In many soci eties, technology has helped develop more
advanced economies (including today’s global economy). Many technological
processes produce unwanted by products,
known as pollution, and deplete
natural resources, (3)                                                                               .

Technology refers to tools and machines (4)                                               . It
is a far reaching term that may include simple tools, (5)
                                                   ,
or more complex machines,

(6)   
                                         . The word «technology» can
also be used to refer to a collection of techniques.

Technology can be viewed as an activity that forms or
changes culture. Additionally, tech nology is the application of math, science,
and the arts for the benefit of life as it is known.
A modern example is the rise of communication technology, (7)                                                                  .

Source:www.en.wikipedia.org

A.  
that may be used to solve real world problems.

B.   
allowed humans to interact
freely on a global scale.

C.   
in travelling and controlling their environment.

D.   
that is debated by scientists, historians and politicians

E.   
to the detriment of the Earth and its environment.

F.  
which has lessened barriers
to human interaction.

G.   
such as a space
station or particle
accelerator.

H.   
from clubs to nuclear
weapons.

I.     
such as a crowbar or wooden spoon

№ 6. Read the short story below. For questions 1–7,
choose the answer (A, B,
C, D) which fits best according to the text.

Light Verse

The very last person
anyone would expect to be a murderer was Mrs.
Avis Lardner. Widow of the great astronaut martyr, she was a philanthropist, an art collector, an extraordinary hostess,
and, every one agreed, an
artistic genius. But above all, she was the gentlest and kindest human being one could imagine.

Mrs. Lardner had received a generous pension, and she
had then invested wisely and well. By late middle age she was very wealthy.

Her house was a showplace, a veritable museum,
containing a small but
extremely select collection of extraordinarily beautiful jew eled objects. She had one of the first
jeweled wristwatches manufac tured in
America, a jeweled dagger from Cambodia, a jeweled pair of spectacles from
Italy, and so on almost endlessly.

All was open for inspection. The artifacts were not
insured, and there were no ordinary security
provisions. There was no need for anything
conventional, for Mrs. Lardner main tained a large staff of robot
servants, all of whom could be relied on to guard every item with imperturbable concentration, irreproachable honesty, and irrevocable efficiency.

Everyone knew the existence of those robots and there
is no record of any attempt at theft, ever.

And then, of course, there was her light sculpture.
How Mrs. Lardner discovered her own genius at the art, no guest at her many
lavish entertainments could guess. On each occasion, however, when her house
was thrown open to guests,
a new symphony of light
shone through out the rooms.

It was for the light
sculpture more than anything else that the guests came.
It was never the same twice, and never failed to explore new
experimental avenues of art. Many people who could  afford  light consoles 
prepared  light sculptures  for  amusement,  but 
no  one  could

approach Mrs. Lardner’s expertise. Not even those who considered
themselves professional artists.

She herself was charmingly modest about it. «No,
no,» she would protest when someone waxed
lyrical. «I wouldn’t
call it ‘poetry in light.’
That’s far too kind. At most, I would say it
was mere ‘light verse.'» And everyone smiled at her gentle wit.

Though she was often asked,
she would never
create light sculpture for any occasion
but her own parties.
«That would be commercialization,» she said.

She had no objection, however,
to the preparation of elaborate
holograms of her sculp
tures so that they might be made permanent and reproduced in museums of art an over the world. Nor was there
ever a charge for any use that might be made of her light
sculptures.

«I couldn’t ask a penny,» she said,
spreading her arms wide. «It’s free to all. After all, I have no further
use for it myself.» It was true. She never used the same light sculpture twice.

When the holograms were taken, she was cooperation
itself. Watching benignly at every step,
she was always ready to order her robot servants to help. «Please,
Courtney,» she would say,
«would you be so kind as to adjust the step ladder?»

It was her fashion. She always addressed
her robots with the most formal courtesy.

Once, years before, she had been almost scolded by a
government functionary from the Bureau of Robots and Mechanical Men. «You can’t do that,» he said severely.
«It interferes with their efficiency. They are constructed to follow orders,
and the more clearly you give
those orders, the more efficiently they follow them.
When you ask with elaborate politeness, it is difficult
for them to understand that an order is being given. They react more slowly.»

Mrs. Lardner lifted her aristocratic head. «I do not ask for speed and efficiency,» she said. «I ask
goodwill. My robots love me.»

The government functionary might have explained
that robots cannot love, but he with ered
under her hurt but gentle glance.

It was notorious that Mrs. Lardner never even returned a robot to the factory for adjustment.

Mrs. Lardner shook her head. «Once a robot is in
my house,» she said, «and has performed his duties, any minor eccentricities must be borne with. I will not have him manhandled.»

It was the worse thing possible to try to explain
that a robot was but a machine. She would say very stiffly, «Nothing that
is as intelligent as a robot can ever be but a machine. I treat them as people.»

She kept even Max, although
he was almost helpless.

«But why not have him adjusted?» asked a friend,
once.

«Oh, I couldn’t. He’s himself. He’s very lovable,
you know.»

«But if he’s maladjusted,» said the friend, looking at Max
nervously, «might he not be dan gerous?»

«Never,» laughed Mrs. Lardner. «I’ve had him for years. He’s completely harmless
and quite a dear.»

Actually he looked like all the other robots, smooth,
metallic, vaguely human but expres sionless.

To the gentle Mrs. Lardner, however, they were all individual, all sweet,
all lovable. It was the kind of woman she was.

How could she commit
murder?

The very last person
anyone would expect
to be murdered would be John Semper
Travis.

He was chief engineer
of U.S. Robots
and Mechanical Men, Inc.

But he was also an enthusiastic amateur in light
sculpture. He had written a book on the subject, trying to show that the type of mathematics he used in working out positronic brain paths might be modified
into a guide to the production of aesthetic light sculpture.

His attempt at putting theory
into practice was a dismal
failure, however. The sculptures
he himself produced, following his mathematical principles, were stodgy,
mechanical, and uninteresting.

It was the only reason for unhappiness in his quiet,
introverted, and secure life, and yet it was
reason enough for him to be very unhappy indeed. He knew his theories were
right, yet he could not make them work. If he could but produce one great piece of light sculpture.

Naturally, he knew of Mrs. Lardner’s light sculpture. She was universally hailed as a genius, yet Travis knew she could not
understand even the simplest aspect of robotic mathe matics. He had corresponded with her but she consistently refused to explain
her methods, and he wondered if she had any at all. Might it not be mere intuition? But even intuition
might be reduced to mathematics. Finally
he managed to receive an invitation to one of her parties. He simply had to see her.

Mr. Travis arrived rather late. He greeted Mrs.
Lardner with a kind of puzzled respect and said, «That was a peculiar robot
who took my hat and coat.»

«That is Max,»
said Mrs. Lardner.

«He is quite maladjusted, and he’s a fairly old
model. How is it you did not return it to the factory?»

«Oh, no,» said Mrs. Lardner.
«It would be too much trouble.»

«None at all, Mrs. Lardner,» said Travis.
«You would be surprised how simple a task it was. Since I am with U. S.
Robots, I took the liberty of adjusting him myself. It took no time and you’ll find he is now in perfect working
order.»

A queer change came over Mrs. Lardner’s
face. Fury found a place on it for the first time in her gentle life.

«You adjusted him?» she shrieked. «But it was he who created
my light sculptures. It was
the maladjustment, the maladjustment, which you can never restore,
that  that  «

It was really unfortunate that she had been showing
her collection at the time and that the jeweled dagger from Cambodia
was on the marble tabletop
before her.

Travis’s face was also distorted. «You mean if I
had studied his uniquely maladjusted positronic brain paths I might have learned «

She lunged with the knife too quickly
for anyone to stop her and he did not try to dodge.

Some said he came to meet it  as though he wanted to die.

After Isaac Asimov From ‘Buy Jupiter and Other Stories’

1.   Mrs. Lardner was wealthy because

A.  
she had sold some beautiful jeweled
objects

B.   
she had invested her pension wisely

C.   
she created light sculpture
for rich people

D.   
she had come into a fortune

2.   Mrs. Lardner’s
artifacts were not insured because
                   

A.  
she was not afraid
of thieves

B.   
they were fakes

C.   
robot servants
guarded them

D.   
the house had a good burglar
alarm

3.   The main reason why the guests
came to Mrs. Lardner’s house
was                    

A.  
to look at the collection of jeweled objects

B.   
to see robot servants

C.   
to admire
the light sculpture

D.   
to enjoy her hearty
welcome

4.   Mrs. Lardner
treated her robots                   

A.  
as if they were people

B.   
like servants

C.   
like slaves

D.   
as if they were her children

5.   Mrs. Lardner kept Max in spite of the fact that he was                   

A.  
dangerous

B.   
slow

C.   
expressionless

D.   
maladjusted

6.   John Semper
Travis was unhappy
because                    

A.  
he could not produce
beautiful light sculpture

B.   
he did not understand the simplest aspects
of robotic mathematics

C.   
Mrs. Lardner had not invited him to her party

D.   
many of the robots
that he had produced reacted
slowly

7.   Mrs. Lardner
killed Travis because
                   

A.  
he wanted to steal the jeweled dagger from Cambodia

B.   
he had adjusted Max

C.   
he had created light
sculpture which was better than hers

D.   
he wanted
to die

For reference, see the Easier English Dictionary for Students (978 0 7475 6624 3)

For reference, see the Easier English Dictionary for Students (978 0 7475 6624 3)

For reference, see the Easier English Dictionary for Students (978 0 7475 6624 3)

For reference, see the Easier English Dictionary for Students (978 0 7475 6624 3)

For reference, see the Easier English Dictionary for Students (978 0 7475 6624 3)