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Scientific and Technological Progress
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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 in practice improving the life of people.
Let's compare our life nowadays with 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. I mean refrigerators, TV sets, computers, microwave ovens, radio telephones, what not. They would seem miracles to them that made our life easy, comfortable and pleasant.
On the other hand, the great inventions of the beginning of the 20th century, I mean 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. Millions of investigations and the endless number of outstanding discoveries have been made. Our century has had several names 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 age of the conquest of space when 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. But still we are grateful to the outstanding men of the past and the present who have courage and patience to disclose the secrets of the Universe.
*Exercise 8. Discuss the text with the class. Use the following points:
· The main achievements and discoveries of the 20th century;
· The spheres of discoveries;
· The advantages and disadvantages of the inventions and discoveries;
· The main inventions of the 21st century.
Exercise 9. Match the name of the inventor with his/her occupation and discovery/invention:
| Occupation | Name | Invention/Discovery |
| Famous navigator or explorer | Alexander Bell | Discovered the Americas |
| Designer of cars | Roald Amundsen | Led the first successful expedition to the South Pole |
| Explorer of polar regions | Alec Issigonis | Created the design of the Mini |
| Physicist and chemist | Marie Curie | Invented the telephone |
| Biologist and Pharmacologist | Christopher Columbus | Discovered the elements radium and polonium together with her husband |
| Inventor | Alexander Fleming | Discovered penicillin |
Exercise 10. Translate the following sentences into English:
1. Це є важко переоцінити роль науки та сучасних технологій в нашому житті.
2. Протягом тисячоліть науковці досліджують закони Всесвіту та відкривають секрети природи.
3. Наші предки не мали жодного уявлення про технічний та науковий прогрес.
4. Такі наукові відкриття як телевізор, холодильник, радіо та мікрохвильова піч є невід’ємною частиною нашого повсякденного життя.
5. Багато вчених зробили свій внесок в розвиток сучасних технологій.
6. 20 століття – це час відкриття першого атому.
7. Ми живемо зараз у інформаційній ері, коли комп’ютери охоплюють всю земну кулю.
*Exercise 11. Do a test using your general knowledge:
1. Technology provides us with many labour ______ devices for our homes.
A safely B safe C saving D saved
2. We are becoming quite _________ on machines like computers.
A dependent B dependently C depending D independent
3. Not every country is as _______________ advanced as Germany.
A technology B technological C technologist D technologically
4. Science has always depended on ___________ to determine if theories are really correct.
A experiences B experiments C expediences D ecpeditions
5. There have been huge ____________ in our lives as a result of scientific developments.
A improvements B improvisations C improvement D impoverishment
6. Scientists believe that there must be a ________ explanation for everything.
A rational B irrational C rationed D rationale
7. Most successful scientific laboratories receive ___________ from companies and governments.
A sponsors B sponsoring C sponsorship D sponsored
8. One of the most important qualities for any scientist is _________.
A curious B curiously C curiousness D curiosity
*Exercise 12. Answer the following questions:
1. What famous Ukrainian inventions do you know?
2. What is the most important invention of the XX century? Why?
3. What invention has changed our world?
4. What invention do you consider to be useless? Why?
5. What world famous inventors do you know?
**Exercise 13. Do a project on the following situation:
Imagine you take part in a round table discussion “Science in our life”, speak on the most significant invention of the XXI century and prove its value in our society.
**Exercise 14. Do a crossword:
Great Inventions
Down
1. Wright Brothers, 1903
2. Recordings, Thomas Edison
6. Clothing fastener, W. L. Judson, 1893
7. Mr. Jolly spilled an oil lamp on his wife’s tablecloth. When he tried to rub out the stain, the tablecloth got cleaner.
8. Writing machine, W. A. Burt, 1829
11. Dr. Schlatter was making a new drug when he spilled some on his fingers. He licked his finger and discovered it tasted sweet.
15. Donald Duncan saw a weapon from the Philippines that could be quickly retrieved if the hunter missed the target. The weapon was tied to a string.
Across
3. Coherent light, Gordon Gould, 1958
4. For making clothes, Elias Howe, 1845
5. Electric illumination, Thomas Edison
9. While cleaning Petri dishes, Sir Alexander Fleming discovered a mold that killed bacteria, 1928
10. Wireless communication, Guglielmo Marconi, 1896
12. George de Mestral came home from a walk in the woods to find his jacket covered with cockleburs. He put the cockleburs under a microscope and saw that the spikes ended in little hooks.
13. Mr. Spencer was working with radar equipment when he noticed a candy bar had melted in his pocket.
14. Copy machine, Chester Carlson, 1942
16. Long distance watching, Philo T. Farnsworth, 1928
17. Separate fibers from seeds, Eli Whitney, 1793