Lesson 3. Science and technology nowadays

 

I. Read and memorize the following words and word combinations:

to overestimate – переоценивать

to apply – применять

ancestor – предок

trivial– тривиальный

combustion – сгорание

gravity – притяжение, сила тяжести

to embrace – охватывать

to arouse – пробуждать

to disclose – раскрыть

responsibility - ответственность

be grateful – быть благодарным

 

II. Read and translate the text.

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 20^th 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 every day life. They are refrigerators, TV sets, computers, microwave ovens, radio telephones... 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 20^th 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. Millions of investigations, the endless number of outstanding discoveries have been made. The 20^th century 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 of 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.

 

III. Give the Russian equivalents.

The development of civilization, a recognition, the slightest idea, to mean, an invention, jet engines, rapid, investigation, an outstanding discovery, the splitting of the atom, the conquest of space, the nuclear war threat, to disclose the secrets, a matter of our great concern.

 

IV. Give the English equivalents.

Pеактивные двигатели, угроза ядерной войны, ускорять, сотрудничество, Вселенная, улучшать жизнь, двигатели внутреннего сгорания, реактивные двигатели, выдающиеся открытия, атомный век, человечество, эра, земной шар, обратная сторона медали, безопасность, быть благодарным, раскрыть тайны.

 

V. Answer the following questions.

1. What accelerates the development of civilization? 2. Who investigates the laws of the Universe, discover the secrets of nature? 3. What are trivial things that we use in our every day life? 4. What names did the 20^th century have? 5. Why was the 20^th century called the age the conquest of space? 6. We live in the information era of the computer network, don’t we? 7. What problems have been aroused with the rapid scientific progress?

 

VI. Discuss the following.

1. The role of modern technologies in the development of our society.

2. The great inventions of the beginning of the 20^th century.

3. Our century is called the atomic age.

4. Our century is the age of the conquest of space.

5. Our century is the age of information.