Text c. An Invention

An invention is known to consist of two parts: the idea and its execution. How does the idea originate? It may be that it sometimes emerges like a flash of lightning; but usually after laborious searching it will hatch itself out of innumerable errors; and by comparative study will gradually separate the essential from the nonessential, and will-slowly permeate the senses with ever greater clarity, until at last it becomes a clear mental picture. The idea itself originates neither from theory, nor deduction, but by intuition. Science is merely the means of investigation and proving, but is not the creator of the idea.

But even when idea has been scientifically established, the invention is not yet complete. Only when nature herself has given an affirmative reply to the question, which the test has put to her, is the invention completed. Even then, it is only a compromise between the imagined ideal and the attainable reality.

Part III

These words will help you to understand the text:

encourage (v) – поощрять, поддерживать

discourage (v) – препятствовать

promote (v) – содействовать, способствовать

create (v) – создавать

creative (a) – творческий, созидательный

Inquiry (n) – запрос, зд. Научные изыскания

pursue (v) – преследовать (цель), заниматься

tradesmen (n) – (амер) ремесленники

gap (n) – разрыв

share (v) – разделять, принимать участие

applied sciences – прикладные науки

Exercise 1. Read Text D and sum up the major ways of promoting technology.

Text D. Science and Technology: An American Record

No country has a monopoly on inventive genius. Any given scientific discovery is likely to be based on the ideas of people from different nations and different times. However, countries can encourage or discourage scientific inquiry and technological development. From its emergence as an independent nation in the 18^th century, the United State has encouraged science and invention. It has done this by promoting a free flow of ideas, by encouraging the growth of “useful knowledge” and by welcoming creative people from all over the world.

Constant innovation in ideas and techniques helps to make the U.S. a leader in science and technology.

In Europe scientists or natural philosophers as they called them­selves, pursued knowledge for its own sake. They often talked about "true science" as something apart from the concerns of everyday life. They usually left the application of science to mechanics and trade­smen. But there was a wide knowledge gap between the two groups.

American science was closely linked with the needs and feelings of the people. Many of the leaders of the new nation were enthusias­tic about science and warmly welcomed scientists and technologists from other lands.

A lot of scientists came to the United States to share in the na­tions rapid growth and the opportunity to apply new scientific ideas to practical uses.

Scientists are drawn to centers of scientific achievements. There, new ideas breed more new ideas.

Thinking of scientific understanding and technological know-how led to f. type of applied science for which Americans became renow­ned.

Americans have an outstanding records of applied science and tech­nological achievements. From zippers to lazers, Americans have pro­duced more successful inventions than any other people on Earth.

Science and technology to-day in the United States and throughout the world, are creating new worlds. And it is responsibility of all people, as well as scientists, to make sure that these new worlds represent a genuine improvement in the quality of life for human beings everywhere.

Exercise 2. Think of the situations for these answers:

1. Countries can encourage or discourage scientific inquiry and technological development.

2. Scientists usually have left the application of science to mechanics and tradesmen.

3. Scientists working in the rapidly developing countries can hope for considerable material as well as intellectual rewards.

4. Each new idea, each new development in science leads to many others.

5. American science was closely linked with the needs and feelings of the people.

Exercise 3. Speak on your ideas and suggestions of the technolo­gical rise. Use these formulas:

to my mind, I think, I suppose, I would suggest, as for me.

Exercise 4. Read and practice the following short dialogue with your group-mates:

• When we use the word "technology or technique" most of us auto­matically think of machines.

• In a way, that’s right, though seems rather oldfashioned.

Technique certainly began with the machine.

• Surely. Machine is historically the first.

Exercise 5. Join the statements to make small dialogues, using the following expressions:

that is why, that’s true, that’s right, in a way, to some extent.

The dialogue in exercise 4 may be used as a pattern.

1. Growth of technique power today has no relation to the growing use of the machine.

2. Machine is dependent upon technique.

3. Technique certainly began with the machine.

1. All the rest developed out of mechanics.

2. Many of the up-to-date industries are known as high-technology- industries ("high-tech").

3. High-tech industries depend on the latest developments in tech­nology.

4. High-tech industries tend to be highly automated.

5. High-tech industries need fewer workers than traditional indus­tries such as steelmaking, for example.

Exercise 6. Render into English this historical review of the most important developments that turned America to the high -tech society.

Первые американские отрасли промышленности значительно зависели от квалификации рабочих, занятых в небольших мастерских, которые обслуживали местный рынок и только. Но так как в США был большой дефицит рабочей силы, то наниматели приветствовали любой новый ме­тод, любое изобретение, которые могли сократить потребность в рабо­чей силе. И одним из таких усовершенствований было введение завод­ской системы, которая собирала много рабочих в одном рабочем месте, а производила товары, распределяемые на обширной территории.

Другим нововведением была "американская система" массового произ­водства (1800г), требовавшая уже точного машиностроения для произ­водства взаимозаменяемых деталей, что позволило собирать конечный продукт поэтапно, а рабочим специализироваться на отдельной операции. Третьим условием подъёма американской промышленности послужило ис­пользование новых источников энергии в промышленном производстве (паровая машина).

Новые формы организации производства и бизнеса, такие как банки и корпорации, значительно способствовали росту производства. Первый банк в Америке появился в 1780-х годах. Строительство железных до­рог с 1830-х ознаменовало начало новой эры для США.

Обеспечив транспортные связи между отдаленными районами, железные дороги увеличили деловую активность и способствовали появлению новых

населенных пунктов. Строительство железных дорог увеличило также все возрастающую потребность в угле, чугуне, стали, помогая развивать тяжелую индустрию.

Стала быстро развиваться новая отрасль, специализирующаяся на производстве станков и инструментов, т.е. на инструментах, исполь­зуемых в производстве других товаров. И уже к 1913 г. более 1/3 мирового промышленного производства приходилось на США.

The following words and word combinations may be useful for this work: transportation links, machine tools, come from (зд.-приходить­ся); facilitate, skills, developments, precision engineering, in stages.

Exercise 7. First look through round-table discussion "She Prob­lems of the Technological Society". Help the Russian participants in this discussion.

- You see, were facing one of the problems: the opportunities of the modern technology are not realized to full capacity. And the society loses a lot because of that.

- Совершенно верно. Потери огромные. Это означает, что многие потен­циально разрешимые проблемы остаются не решенными, а цели не дос­тигнутыми.

- It's really so. Moreover we waste our technological resources or use them insufficiently.

- Вы правы. И одной из причин этого является то, что правительство, в целом, и средства массовой информации (mass media), в частности, не готовы решать такие огромные задачи, как подготовка обществен­ности, необходимые, если наше общество собирается в полной мере использовать свой технологический потенциал.

- I agree with you. But I'd like to add that there is an incomplete understanding of what technology is and its signficance.

- As for me, I must say that we should remember that there’re often good reasons for not developing or utilizing a particular technology. The fact that it exists and can be developed is not sufficient reason for doing so.

- Ну, конечно же. Например, стоимость разработки может оказаться слишком высокой по сравнению с ожидаемой выгодой (benefits).

- Sorry for interrupting, but a new technological device may be so dangerous in itself that it is never developed.

- Да, да. Правильно. И тут возникает еще одна серьезная проблема - проблема отношения общества к технологии и как одно из проявлений такого отношения - технофобия (technofobia).

Exercise 8. Keep the discussion going on.

Speak out on 1) the reaction of the society to technology

2) the advantages and disadvantages of high-tech

Use these words and word combinations:

to be in deep trouble unemployment

overpopulation crime

inflation pollution

to give everyone a job to cleen up

shortages to educate

to clothe

Exercise 9. Be prepared to discuss the following statements. Formulate the topics for your discussion.

1. The new generation of managers began the careful study of factory operations with the aim of finding the most efficient ways of organizing tasks which helped to lower the costs of production still further.

2. Critics of United States foreign policy charge, American firms with using their economic power to influence foreign governments into adopting policies that serve US political and economic in­terests rather than local interests.

3. Americans have what might be called a love-hate relationship with business.

4. The competitiveness of the worldwide economy can be expected to intensify in the years ahead.

5. Sometimes business values come into conflict with other social values, advertising being an example.

6. Because of the cyclical nature of business activity, such econo­mic indicators as employment rates and investment levels are constantly fluctuating.

UNIT TWO

Topic: Work - Life's Central Activity- Grammar: Attributive Clauses without who/that/which

Review of Tenses

Part I

Preliminary Exercises

Exercise 1. Look at these words and try to give their corres­ponding Russian equivalents:

factor, plan (v), personal, line, psychologist, career, style, group (v). typical, role, chief.(a), ingredient.

Exercise 2. Transcribe and pronounce the following words:

identity, identify, leisure, engage, available, career, average (a), influence (v), opportunity, relationship.

Exercise 3. Take notice of this pattern and translate the sen­tences below:

Pattern: A (adjective) + -ty/ - ity = N (abstract noun)

active + - ity = activity;

difficult + - ty = difficulty.

1. Special attention is paid to industrial safety.

2. The control function is usually a management responsibility.

3. Young people have many opportunities nowadays but they don't always make the most of them.

4. He is a man of marked individuality.

5. Career is the central activity around which we plan our daily lives.

6. When we say that people have ability to do something, we mean that they are able to do it.

7. People who have difficulty in associating with other people are usually mare successful working alone.

Exercise 4. Give the adverb a corresponding to the following adjectives and translate them into Russian.

main - mainly; close - .... careful - ...; occupational - ...; professional - ...; large - ...»

Exercise 5. Give the Passive Infinitive forms of the following verbs:

to place, to learn, to introduce, to ask, to think, to make, to do, to choose, to plan, to serve, to call, to reach.

Exercise 6. Transform these sentences according to the model and translate them:

Model: You must perform the work on time.

The work must be performed on time.

1. You should choose your career carefully.

2. One can't learn a foreign language in a week.

3. Can you introduce me to Br.Wilson?

4. You must place books in the right order.

5. When you meet a person he may ask you "What do you do?"

6. Students must plan their daily life around their studies.

7. They can't do research without this equipment.

8. Children should serve their parents in the old age.

9. A computer can do a great amount of work in a fraction of a second.

10. We can call this idea a brilliant thought.

Remember: "For" answers the question "How long?"

"During" answers the question "When?"

The noun after "for" may have: The noun after "during" may a, an - for a long time have:

no article - for years the - during the holidays

a numeral - for two weeks a demonstrative pronoun - during

this week

some, several - for some time, a possessive pronoun - during

for several hours their visit

for ages - очень долго, целую вечность

for ever – навсегда

Exercise 7. Fill in the blanks with "for" or "during".

1 ... the lesson 4 ... most of his life

2. ... the journey 5 ... a century

3 ... hours 6 ... his stay in London

7. … the last few days 9. … our trip

8. … two days 10. … the talks

Exercise 8. Say the whole sentence in English:

1. My father has lived in Vladivostok (всё свою жизнь).

2. We have had no rain (около месяца).

3. I shall remember my school years (навсегда).

4. We talked our business (во время конференции).

5. I haven’t seen you (целую вечность).

6. I am afraid it will last (много дней).

7. It stopped snowing at last but only (на несколько часов).

8. We met each other (в школьные годы).

Words and word combinations to be remembered:

earn (v) – зарабатывать

to earn one’s living – зарабатывать на жизнь

influence (v) – оказывать влияние

leisure (n) – досуг, свободное время

leisure time – свободное время

opportunity (n) – удобный случай, благоприятная возможность

age (n) – возраст

trade (n) – занятие, ремесло, профессия

profession (n) – профессия

complex (a) – сложный

job (n) – работа, место (работы)

work force – рабочая сила

goal (n) – цель

average (a) – средний, обычный, нормальный

involve (v) – вовлекать, втягивать

to be involved in – участвовать в

major (a) – главный, более важный

amount (n) – количество

equal (a) – равный, одинаковый

similar (a) – подобный, похожий

determine (v) – определять, устанавливать

Read and translate the text