Technological Progress

ТЕМА: Technological Progress

Read, write and learn the following words:

arrangement – домовленість, згода

beneficial – вигідний, корисний

growth – зростання

up-to-date technologies – сучасні технології

to depend (on) – залежати (від)

to ease – полегшувати

to improve – удосконалювати

harmful – шкідливий, небезпечний

Read the text below. Choose from (A—H) the one which best fits each space (1—6). There are two choices you do not need to use.

PROGRESS IN TECHNOLOGY

Today, the high-tech industry is the world’s fastest growing manufacturing industry. It has created millions of new businesses and jobs.

In addition, high-tech devices have speeded up work 1) ___ and industries. Nearly every business depends on high technology to make work faster and easier. In this way, too, the high-tech industry has helped the economy to grow.

Not very long from now everything will 2)_ . Everything is being created to quicken, to improve and to ease. The usage of 3) __ gives students the opportunity to share their ideas among themselves, access information from all over the world and ensures an educated and cultivated future. Modern technology has also created new problems. Many of these problems come about because technology 4)___ .

Technology improves our lives in many ways, but it also creates new problems and hard choices. For example, it’s not easy to balance economic growth and protection of the environment.

The manufacturing of electronics parts uses thousands of poisonous chemicals. In the past 30 years, these chemicals have polluted the ground and water 5) ____. In addition, many workers have become sick after being around these materials.

Electronic products have also created a huge problem of poisonous waste. Most people throw away their 6)____ . When they do, the harmful chemicals poison the ground and water. Today, this kind of «e-waste» is the fastest growing waste problem in the world.

A up-to-date technologies

B changes the environment

C for computer animation

D old televisions and computers

E transformation from one image into another

F in all kinds of businesses

G be computerised

H near electronics factories

Read the text and do the task.

BILL GATES

Washington, on October 28th, 1955. Bill’s father Bill Gates Jr. worked for a Seattle law firm and Bill’s mother Mary taught at school until they started their family. Bill’s parents were married in 1951 and two years later gave birth to their first child, Bill’s older sister, Kristanne. Two years after Bill was born and in 1964 the third and final Gates was born, her name is Libby. As a child Bill enjoyed rocking back and forth, today he still has a habit of rocking when he is thinking about something. Bill was very bored at school and his parents knew it, so they were always trying to supply him with more information to keep him busy. Bill’s parents finally decided to put him in a Private School where he would be challenged more. The Lakeside private school had just bought a new computer when Bill arrived and he was immediately hooked. In a week he knew more about the computer than his teacher at Lakeside. Learning the BASIC programming language was easy for Bill, and he was soon writing his own programmes. Bill’s love for computers and math led him to a new place around his neighbourhood that was renting computer time. He made an arrangement with the owners that he would get free computer time if he found things that made the computer crash. During this time Bill met Paul Allen, his business partner for the rest of his life. Together they started a small company called Traf-O-Data, they sold a small computer with their own programme that could count traffic for the city. The company was not a big success, but it earned the two boys some money as well as good business skills. Bill also wrote a schedule programme for his school, which he changed a bit to put little Bill Gates in a class full of the prettiest girls. Bill was considered by his classmates and his teachers as the smartest kid in school.

After graduating from Lakeside Bill entered Harvard University in 1973, one of the best universities in the country. Bill was also bored here so he spent most of his time programming, playing poker and seeing how little work he could do and still get excellent marks. He told his teachers that he would be a millionaire by the time he was thirty. This was one of the few times he underestimated himself, Bill was a billionaire when he was 31. One of Bill’s teachers said, “He is a great programmer, but he is a very unpleasant human being”. The intense life-style Bill had during his first year in Harvard made him ill for most of the summer of 1974. Bill soon left Harvard for business opportunities in programming which turned him into a multi-billionaire.

Later he met Melinda French, who he married, and they now have 3 children. It’s very interesting that even with all his money Bill drives himself to work in an average family car. Bill is a keen reader, and enjoys playing golf and bridge.

Read the text carefully and put these events in the order they happened.

 1) Bill started Traf-O-Data.

 2) Bill got married.

 3) Bill went to a private school.

 4) Bill met Paul Allen.

 5) Bill went to Harvard University.

 6) Bill’s mother worked at school.

 7) Bill started writing his own programmes.

 8) Bill was ill for the whole summer.

 9) Bill sold his first programme. …

Are the sentences true or false?

1. Bill has 2 sisters.

2. Bill is moving when he is thinking.

3. 3) Bill liked school very much.

4. Bill was bored in both schools.

5. Bill had higher knowledge of computer than his school teacher.

6. Bill spent a lot of money to have an opportunity to work on the computer.

7. Traf-O-Data was a waste of time and energy.

8. Bill made a programme which put him in the same class with the prettiest girls at school.

9. He had to study hard at Harvard.

10. One of Bill’s teachers said Bill was a nice person.

11. Bill knew he would become a millionaire.

12. Bill dropped out of Harvard. 13) Bill has a driver.

Read the text. Choose from (A—G) the one which best fits each space (1—7).

THE RISE OF TECHNOLOGY ADDICTION

The rapid growth of portable technology 1) __ people are becoming addicted to gadgets and their uses. Experts believe that even the decision-making process of the average person can be adversely affected. Professor Kakabadse said, «It’s an addiction to portable technology, which 2) __ practically to bed, to the cinema, to the theatre, to a dinner party. The symptoms are, like with any other addiction, that people spend more time using their technology 3) __ on socializing or on family time».

One of the conclusions reached by experts was that «tech overload» is the price people have to pay for always-on communication, where the line between work and play 4) __.

In fact, there is even some evidence that being bombarded with information 5) ___ is actually beneficial.

Professor Fred Mast, of the University of Lausanne, said, «I think that we can become overloaded. It depends on the situation, but I think we are underestimating the brain’s capacity 6) _ new challenges». Experts have also noted how different types of technology have developed their own etiquette. For instance, an email can wait two days 7) but a text message demands an almost immediate reply.

A to adapt to

B than spending it

C to be answered

D you take with you

E has caused fears that

F has become blurred

G from all directions