SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Task 1. Read the text about science, fill in the table, add the examples and express your opinion.

Science is important for most people living in the modern world for a number of reasons. In particular, science is important for the world’s peace and consent, for the understanding of environment, and for our world outlook.

Science is important for world peace in many ways. On the one hand, scientists have helped to develop many of the modern tools of war. On the other hand, they have also helped us understand the problem of supplying the world with energy and developed a number of solutions of the energy problem.Another important contribution of science to the world’s consent is that new methods of agriculture have been developed to fight with food shortages — to have bigger crops we use fertilizers, pesticides and sustainable agriculture.

Scientists have also analysed the world’s resources, they study the Universe and how to use its possibilities for the benefit of humanity. Science provides people with some knowledge of the natural world. Scientists are trying to predict earthquakes, are continuing to study many other natural events such as storms. Scientists are also studying various aspects of human biology and the origin and development of the human race. The study of the natural world may help improve life for many people all over the world.

Science is also important for everyone who is affected by modern technology. Many of the things that make our lives easier and better are the results of advances in technology and, if the present patterns continue, technology will affect us even more in the future than it does now.

A basic knowledge of science is essential for everyone. It helps people to find their way in the changing world.

Examples: computers, human genetic code (the human genome project), solar heating and air conditioning, theoretical models such as the theory of relativity and the Big Bang theory, satellite observations, nuclear power stations, earthquakes/ seismological predictions, genetic methods of fighting diseases, internet, Skype and cell phones, genetic engineering.

Task 2. Read the information below to talk about the scientific progress using the ‘Key Language’.

It’s difficult to overestimate the role of science and technology in our life. They accelerate the development of civilization and help us in our co-operation with nature. Scientists investigate the laws of the universe, discover the secrets of nature, and apply their knowledge into practice thus improving the life of people.

Let’s compare our life nowadays to the life of people at the beginning of the 20th century. It has changed beyond recognition. Our ancestors hadn’t the slightest idea of the trivial things created by the scientific progress that we use in our everyday life: refrigerators, washing machines, TV sets, computers, microwave ovens, cell phones... They would seem miracles to them that made our life easy, comfortable and pleasant.

Also, the great inventions of the beginning of the 20th century such as radio, airplanes, combustion and jet engines have become usual things and we can’t imagine our life without them. A century is a long period for scientific and technological progress, as it’s rather rapid. Through the millions of researches the endless number of outstanding discoveries has been made. Our century has had several periods that were connected with a certain era in science and technology. At first it was called the atomic age due to the discovery of the splitting of the atom. Then it became the space agewhen for the first time in the history of mankind a man overcame the gravity and entered the Universe. And now we live in the information era when the computer network embraces the globe and connects not only the countries and space stations but a lot of people all over the world.

All these things prove the power and the greatest progressive role of science in our life. But every medal has its reverse. And the rapid scientific progress has aroused a number of problems that are a matter of our great concern. These are ecological problems, the safety of nuclear power stations, the nuclear war threat, and the responsibility of a scientist. Also, many modern inventions have their positive and negative sides:

Key Language

…is a great invention because … but at the same time…

While … is created to … it also can…

Potentially … aims to … but in reality…

Task 3. Read the text. For each of the empty space (1–12) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was established on July 29th, 1958. It was responsible (1) _________ the USA’s space exploration programme. NASA has changed the way we live (2) _________ on Earth, and the way we look at the universe. President Dwight D. Eisenhower created it to (3) _________ the Soviet Union’s space programme. For several decades, NASA became (4) _________ in the Space Race that saw some of the greatest achievements in human history. The Apollo project put the first man, Neil Armstrong, on the Moon in 1969; Skylab was (5) _________ in 1973 and became the first space station; and the first reusable Space Shuttle blasted (6) _________ in 1981. Other milestones include the Hubble Telescope and the International Space Station.

NASA will never stop exploring. Its mission is to find (7) _________ as much as it can about our universe. In early February 2006, NASA said its aim was: ‘To explore the universe and search for (8) _________; to inspire the next generation of explorers ... as only NASA can.’ US President George W. Bush announced a new plan for astronauts to return to the Moon (9) _________ 2018. He said NASA would set up a Moon Base for future missions to Mars and (10) _________. In 2007, NASA stated it aimed to put a man on Mars by 2037. There are also plans to explore Saturn and study the Sun. NASA spacecraft are (11) _________ on their way to Mercury and Pluto. Other planned missions cover over half the solar system. As NASA’s motto says, this is ‘For the benefit of (12) _________’.

1 A from B for C of D by

2 A there B down C up D here

3 A counter B counting C counts D count

4 A involved B involves C involving D involve

5 A lunched B launcher C launched D launching

6 A on B up C down D off

7 A in B out C up D of

8 A life B living C lives D live

9 A until B since C by D at

10 A behind B beyond C before D begin

11 A present B presence C presently D presenter

12 A some B few C half D all

Task 4. Read the text. Match choices (A–I) to (1–7). There are two choices you do not need to use.

(1) _________ Bill Gates, the head of Microsoft, the creator of Basic, MSDOS, Windows and Flight Simulator, is the richest man in America. If you lived to be 70, you would have to make $100 million dollars every year of your life in order to come up with what Gates is currently worth.

(2) _________ Gates himself draws a salary around $300,000, about a tenth of that claimed by America’s best-paid company heads.

He is a one-man band: he works 15-hour days and loses his temper easily. He is addicted to competition, and to winning. He enjoys poker and fast cars.

(3) _________ By the time he was 16, he had already set up a company, and was making money from computing. Math was his strong subject, important because it shares with programming the same ways of thinking. Gates was paid to debug the local mainframe, and he also offered a data-processing service to local authorities.

When the first PC appeared on the cover of Popular Computer in January 1975, Gates, then 19, phoned the manufacturer. He claimed he had a version of Basic for the 8080 microprocessor and was ready to do business. Working night and day, Gates and a friend squeezed the language into 4K with enough space left over to run a programme.

(4) _________ The coding certainly required a high level of ingenuity.

Things were done so quickly that a bootstrap loader had to be written on the flight to deliver the completed tape.

(5) _________ Gates never forgot how his Basic was immediately pirated by computer companies all over the world. He became a very sharp businessman indeed, unwilling to give anyone a free ride.

A typical example of the Gates technique can be demonstrated by his relationship with IBM. IBM split with Microsoft and produced its own version of OS/2 to compete with Windows.

(6) _________ When OS/2 had to be Windows-compatible to stand a chance of survival, Microsoft released Windows 3.1 and made other changes so that IBM’s product was compatible only with last year’s model.

(7) _________ They wear T-shirts and anoraks, eat pizzas and read sci-fi, but they know more than the difference between ROM and RAM, and they shall inherit the earth.

A It was a task so difficult that many claimed it was impossible.

B Above all, he is a technical whiz kid.

C It’s a hard life competing against the new technicians.

D By a miracle, the tape worked when it was loaded.

E IBM is company whose management was tied to old technology.

F Of course, that wealth is largely the result of Microsoft’s astro­nomical share price.

G Gates started early.

H But Microsoft makes money on every copy of OS/2 that IBM sells.

I How do you become a billionaire?