9. Imagine that you are an inventor. Try to design a robot to do a dangerous or boring job for you. Make notes about how it works.

GRAMMAR IN USE

These tasks can help you to practice The Past Simple Tense. Read grammar rules on p. 160 - 161 and then do the exercises.

10. Change the verbs in the following sentences into the Past Simple Tense.

1. There are many types of robots in the world.

2. Robots can make and package drugs, textiles, and foods.

3. Touch sensors also help otherwise blind robots navigate.

4. They can detect vibration, impact, and even heat.

5. Robots do more and more things humans can't.

6. Ninety percent of robots work in factories.

7. Robots assemble car body panels and weld them together, finish and paint the car bodies.

10. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Simple Tense.

Sir William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907).

Born in Belfast, Thomson 1) ….. (to move) to Glasgow as a child, and 2) ….. (to enter) university there when he 3) ….. (to be) only 11 years old. During his long career, he 4) ….. (to make) many important discoveries about heat, movement, electricity and magnetism. He 5) ….. (to work out) a new way of measuring temperature – the Kelvin Scale – and 6) ….. (to become) famous for over 50 inventions. These 7) ….. (to include) insulated cables and a compass for use at sea. The cables 8) ….. (to be) used to send messages by newly invented telegraph.

12. Choose the proper item.

1. Jacques Cousteau ….. the oceans.

a) explores b) explored c) has explored

2. He ….. a bicycle, but now he drives a car.

a) is riding b) used to ride c) rides

3. I ….. an interesting magazine at the moment.

a) don’t read b) am reading c) read

4. Mr. Jones ….. but he does now.

a) used to travel b) didn’t use to travel c) travelled

5. I ….. a noise, so I went to see what it was.

a) heard b) hear c) have heard

6. She ….. how to use computer at present.

a) learnt b) is learning c) learns

7. The ferry boat ….. every day at quarter past two.

a) leaves b) is leaving c) leave

UNIT 5

LEAD-IN

1. Make a list of what causes environmental pollution. Look at the pictures for some ideas.

2. Work in pairs and discuss what can be done to prevent damage being done to the environment?

READING

3. Read the text and answer the questions that follow. The Era of High-Tech Pollution

Nowadays, the recycling of high tech garbage is becoming a big concern. In the last few decades we've been like children in a toy shop, rushing to get our hands on the latest electronic gadgets. Manufacturers have obligingly brought out new toys faster than we can buy them. And of course the more we buy, the more we have to throw away.

The speed of turnover is very high. Anyone who has ever bought a computer will be aware of the fact that a PC is out of date as soon as you buy it. Computers have an average lifespan of five years, and the speed of development, combined with plummeting prices, is reducing this further. If a computer has a fault, it is more economical to throw it away and buy another than to mend it.

This trend isn't confined to computers either. Germany, Europe's richest nation, discards 1.5 million tons of electrical appliances every year. Only about 100 000 units are recycled. The vast majority are incinerated or thrown on the tip. And this causes serious problems. One of the country's major recycling firms has been charged with dumping toxic waste containing the substance PCB, once widely used in TVs and computers as insulation. Since 1985 its production has been illegal, and disposal is governed by strict rules. But the rules are not being followed.

Klaus Brodersen of Erlangen University is trying to produce a definite classification of what chemicals should and should not be allowed in the production of high tech equipment. But it is an uphill struggle. It costs up to £7,000 to analyze a single component, and so far Brodersen has examined only 200 of the 100,000 most common.

Even such seemingly simple things as computer casings are bafflingly recycle-proof. There are more than 100 different plastics in them. All the casings contain bromine, a kind of toxic flame retardant. It is almost impossible to recycle such plastic and just as difficult to incinerate it.

So what is to be done about electronic waste? The answer to this problem lies in intelligent construction, with an emphasis not only on economy but also on ease of disposal. Increasing the life-expectancy of products would also alleviate the problems. The manufacturer Loewe has developed a green TV which contains just 39 grams of plastic as opposed to the standard 6.7 kilos and 50 grams of toxic materials against 5 kilos. It is expected to last up to 30 years, twice as long as other TVs. Companies like this are showing the way forward, and it is to be hoped that others will soon follow.

1. What is pollution?

2. What are the main sources of high-tech pollution?

3. What is a big concern nowadays?

4. What can we do in order to make our environment clean?

5. How the problem of high-tech pollution may be solved?

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT