Describe the pictures using the words from the box and supporting questions.

(http://14260.in.all.biz/ru/)

(http://www.miat.com/dangerous.jpg)

catch fire  spread  ignite  burn  smoulder  contain a fire explode  put out a fire

1. Where can you see that kind of a picture?

2. What types of hazardous goods are shown?

3. Why / how can these items present danger during transportation?

4. What are the crew’s actions in case of fire / explosion?

5. What must be done to prevent fire incidents / accidents on board an aircraft?

Role-play the situation.

Student A is a pilot of a cargo aircraft.

Student B asks him among other questions the following ones:

· what type of aircraft he controls;

· what exactly he transports;

· what packaging is used for goods;

· if he had any incident/accident connected with dangerous goods transportation;

· what exactly the crew of the aircraft did during the incident/accident;

· why he decided to became a cargo aircraft pilot.

Then tell the information you found out to another group-mate using discourse markers and connectors from the Appendix.

Unit 7.  Modern technology

High Tech

(http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/4399/ slide_4399_61790_large.jpg)

“Genius is one percent inspiration and  ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Thomas Alva Edison,               the great American inventor

Read the quotation of the unit. What do you think Edison meant?

Discuss your ideas with the group.

Search the Internet to discuss the questions:

1. What did Thomas Edison invent?

2. What other outstanding inventors do you know? What are their inventions? How did they influence our modern life?

3. What are other major technological advances of the previous centuries?

4. How have they affected the everyday life of people all over the world?

5. Imagine how different life might be if you couldn’t listen to your favourite CD or take a photo of your friends on vacation. Tell your group-mate.

6. What would life be like if you couldn’t switch on a light when it gets dark, or go to the fridge and get a snack?

7. Does our life depend on computers? Why do you think so? How?

8. What are the advantages and disadvantages of computerization / global computerization?

Aviation Technology

To what extent has computerization influenced the aviation? Express your idea in 10–12 sentences.

4. Listen to a discussion between an airline employee and a pilot and answer the

questions:

1. Why does Jean want Mehmet’s opinion about two planes?

2. What two aircraft are they talking about?

3. What technology do both aircraft use?

4. How does a pilot maneuver a fly-by-wire aircraft?

5. Which plane does Mehmet think is safer? Why?

Read the text and compare different aircraft generations. Use additional sourses if necessary.

Fly-by-wire

The speed of technological development was fully reflected in the aviation world. One of the most interesting changes is the development of automated systems.

For the earliest aircraft, flight control systems were solely mechanical (using rods, cables and pulleys). The pilot in the cockpit made use of a control stick and pedals to carry out roll, pitch and yaw. As aircraft got bigger, systems became hydraulic (using pumps, pipes, valves and actuators). As aircraft continued to grow in size and with the development of large passenger jets, the requirement to keep weight down led to the development of fly-by-wire systems. Fly-by-wire means that the aircraft is controlled by an electrical system. Nowadays fly-by-wire systems are digital and large aircraft are controlled by a computerized command system. The world’s first digital fly-by-wire aircraft was Airbus A320. Boeing was also developing digital fly-by-wire systems.

Large aircraft usually have at least four parallel computerized control systems to deal with situations where one or even two computers might be down.

6. Answer the questions:

1. Why do you think the fly-by-wire systems have developed?

2. Can you think of any advantages / disadvantages of the new improvements in flight control systems?