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60
possibilities for the benefit of men.
Science is also important to 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. In some cases, such as technology for taking salt out
of ocean water, technology may be essential for our lives on the Earth.
The study of science also provides people with an
understanding of natural world. Scientists are learning 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 developments of the human race. The study
of the natural world may help to improve life for many people, all over
the world.
A basic knowledge of science is essential for everyone. It
helps people to find their way in the changing world.
TEXT 2
Pre-reading task
1. What role have scientific and technological developments
played in human's life?
2. What proves that science and technology are closely related
today?
3. Read the text “Science and Technology” and discuss the
following questions in group:
a) What does the term «technology» refer to?
b) What does the term «industrial technology» mean?
c) How is scientific activity in the 1970s estimated?
d) What facts prove that the scientific revolution in the 16th
century was the time that science and technology began
to work together?
Science and Technology
In recent years, scientific and technological developments
have drastically changed life on our planet as well as our views both of
us as individuals in society and of the Universe as a whole.
Today, science and technology are closely related. Many
modem technologies such as nuclear power and space flights depend
on science and the application of scientific knowledge and principles.
Each advance in pure science creates new opportunities for the
development of new ways of making things to be used in daily life. In
turn, technology provides science with new and more accurate
53
What Is It?
Imagine a room filled with many spiders, each spinning its own
web. The webs are so interconnected that the spiders can travel freely
within this maze. You now have a simplified view of the Internet — a
global collection of many different types of computers and computer
networks that are linked together. Just as a telephone enables you to
talk to someone on the other side of the earth who also has a phone,
the Internet enables a person to sit at his computer and exchange
information with other computers and computer users any place in the
world.
Some refer to the Internet as the information superhighway.
Just as a road allows travel through different areas of a country, so the
Internet allows information to flow through many different
interconnected computer networks. As messages travel, each network
that is reached contains information that assists in connecting to the
adjacent network. The final destination may be in a different city or
country.
Each network can "speak" with its neighbor network by means
of a common set of rules created by the Internet designers. How many
networks are connected worldwide? Some estimates say over 30,000.
According to recent surveys, these networks connect over 10,000,000
computers and some 30,000,000 users throughout the world. It is
estimated that the number of connected computers is doubling each
year.
What can people locate on the Internet? It offers a rapidly
growing collection of information, with topics ranging from medicine to
science and technology. It features exhaustive material on the arts as
well as research material for students and coverage of recreation,
entertainment, sports, shopping, and employment opportunities. The
Internet provides access to almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and
maps.
There are, however, some disturbing aspects to consider. Can
everything on the Internet be regarded as wholesome? What services
and resources does the Internet offer? What precautions are in order?
The following articles will discuss these questions.
TEXT 3
Pre-reading task
1. Can you name common resource which is provided by
Internet?
2. Do you have your own e-mail address?
3. Do you think that e-mail is better than ordinary post service
procedure?
