Unit 4

INVENTIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES

Pre-Reading Activities

1. Translate the following words into Russian: semiconductors; penicillin; gunpowder; electricity,
nail; light bulb; paper; wheel; internal combustion engine; optical lenses; fire; nuclear fission, vaccination
(vaccine).
Reading
2. Read the text:

The Greatest Inventions of All Time

Technology is a core component of the human experience. We have been creating tools to help us
tame the physical world since the early days of our species. Any attempt to count down the most important
technological inventions is certainly debatable, but here are some major advancements that should probably
be on any such list (in chronological order):
1. It can be argued that it was discovered rather than invented. Certainly, early humans observed
incidents of it, but it wasn’t until they figured out how to control it and produce it themselves that humans
could really make use of everything this new tool had to offer. The earliest use of it goes back as far as two
million years ago, while a widespread way to utilize this technology has been dated to about 125,000 years
ago. It gave us warmth, protection, and led to a host of other key inventions and skills like cooking. The ability
to cook helped us get the nutrients to support our expanding brains, giving us an indisputable advantage over
other primates.
2. It was invented by Mesopotamians around 3 500 B.C., to be used in the creation of pottery. About
300 years after that, it was put on a chariot and the rest is history. They are ubiquitous in our everyday life,
facilitating our transportation and commerce.
3. The earliest known use of this very simple but super-useful metal fastener dates back to Ancient
Egypt, about 3400 B.C. If you are more partial to screws, they’ve been around since Ancient Greeks (1st or
2nd century B.C.).
4. They – from glasses to microscopes and telescopes, they have greatly expanded the possibilities of
our vision. They have a long history, first developed by ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians, with key
theories of light and vision contributed by Ancient Greeks. They were also instrumental components in the
creation of media technologies involved in photography, film and television.
5. This navigational device has been a major force in human exploration. The earliest one was made
of lodestone in China between 300 and 200 B.C.
6. It was invented about 100 BC in China, it has been indispensable in allowing us to write down and
share our ideas.
7. This chemical explosive, invented in China in the 9th century, has been a major factor in military
technology (and, by extension, in wars that changed the course of human history).
8. This19th century invention (created by Belgian engineer Etienne Lenoir in 1859 and improved
by Germany’s Nikolaus Otto in 1876), this thing that converts chemical energy into mechanical energy
overtook the steam engine and is used in modern cars and planes. Elon Musk's electric car company Tesla,
among others, is currently trying to revolutionize technology in this arena once again.
9. This thing – while sometimes controversial, the practice of it is responsible for eradicating diseases
and extending the human lifespan. The first … (for smallpox) was developed by Edward Jenner in 1796.
A rabies … was developed by the French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur in 1885, who is credited with
making it the major part of medicine that is it today. Pasteur is also responsible for inventing the food safety
process of pasteurization, that bears his name.
10. Probably one of the single most important things in our lives, if the power it had never been
harnessed we wouldn’t have even a fraction of what we have in the world today. No TV’s, no microwave
ovens, no computers, no air conditioning.
11. If you are not sitting in the dark then you should be thankful to Thomas Edison for inventing it.
Joseph Swan did similar work in Britain at the time, and eventually the two merged their ideas into a single
company, Edison. This thing itself works by transmitting electricity through a wire with high resistance known
as a filament. The waste energy created by the resistance is expelled as heat and light.
 12. It was discovered by the Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming in 1928, this drug transformed
medicine by its ability to cure infectious bacterial diseases. It began the era of antibiotics.
13. This process of splitting atoms to release a tremendous amount of energy led to the creation of
special reactors and atomic bombs. It was the culmination of work by a number of prominent (mostly Nobel
Prize-winning) 20th-century scientists, but the specific discovery of it is generally credited to the Germans
Otto Hahn and Fritz Stassmann, working with the Austrians Lise Meitner and Otto Frisch.
14. They are at the foundation of electronic devices and the modern Digital Age. Mostly made of
silicon, these devices are behind the nickname of “Silicon Valley”, home to today’s major U.S. computing
companies. The first device containing this material was demonstrated in 1947 by America’s John Bardeen,
Walter Brattain and William Shockley of Bell Labs.
Post-Reading Activities
3. Work in pairs. Find the information from the text “The Greatest Inventions of All Time” as quickly
as you can.
1. The name of the scientist who is responsible for inventing the process of pasteurization.
2. When did the era of antibiotics start?
3. It gave us warmth, protection, and led to a host of other key inventions and skills like cooking.
4. Where was the first navigational device made?
5. Very simple but super-useful metal fastener.
6. What does the process of splitting atom do?
7. Joseph Swan and Thomas merged their ideas into a single company. What was the company’s
name?
2. Read the text “The Greatest Inventions of All Time” again and complete the sentences.
1. John Bardeen, … and William Shockley demonstrated in 1947 the first Semiconductor.
2. A rabiesvaccine was developed by … and biologist Louis Pasteur in 1885.
3. Wheel was invented by Mesopotamians to be used in … .
4. Paper has been indispensible in allowing us to write down … .
5. Optical lenses were also instrumental components in the creation of media technologies …
photography, film and television.
6. We wouldn’t have even a fraction of what we have in the world today without … .

3. Work in small groups. Could you add anything else? Think how different our life would be
without these inventions. Express your opinion using the following phrases: I think that … / let me give you
some interesting examples … / could you imagine your lives without … / no doubt there are more
advantages/disadvantages … / let us think about positive/negative side … .
4. Which things in column A do you associate with the words and phrases in column B with?
A B
1) Mobile phone a) hardware
2) Computer b) instruction manuals
3) Dishwasher c) saving time
4) Internet d) health care
5) Car e) bad habits
6) Digital camera f) a better quality
7) A vacuum cleaner pictures
8) TV g) filling your time
9) Microwave oven h) being out of date
10) Ipod i) spare part
j) make your life easier
5. Work in pairs. Look at the words in the chart in exercise 5 think and choose 3 things you can’t live
without, and choose 3 things that you don’t need at all. Give reasons to your choice. Compare your
answers with your partner.
6. Unscramble the nouns defined below. Then, find them in the word search puzzle.
1) A device you type on to input information into a computer. (darobeky)
 2) An electronic letter or message you send over the Internet. (meila)
3) The part of a desk top computer where the screen is located. (omitron)
4) The secret code word you use to log on to your computer. (droswasp)
5) A collection of internet files on a particular subject, with its own homepage. (tisbewe)
6) A device use to point at the select options on a computer screen. (Hint: it is named after a small
animal. smeou)
7) A machine that makes a paper copy of a text, picture, etc. from your computer (tirnerp)
E M O N W O A R B S
M O U S E P R Y M O
A N D S B A O M P U
I S P A S S W O R D
L A R W I U E N E Y
O D I E T L B I L I
P I N R E T S T E R
A S T E R Y C O L P
L K E Y B O A R D N
D I R S T U M C O E

8. Study the text and put the parts of it in the correct order.
1 2 3 4 5

Invention of the Dishwasher

A. In 1886, Cochran proclaimed in disgust, ‟If nobody else is going to invent a dish washing machine,
I'll do it myself” And she did. Cochran invented the first practical (did the job) dishwasher. She designed the
first model in the shed behind her house in Shelbyville, Illinois. Her dishwasher was the first to use water
pressure instead of scrubbers to clean the dishes. She received a patent on December 28, 1886.
B. Cochran's machine was a hand-operated mechanical dishwasher. She founded a company to
manufacture these dishwashers, which eventually became Kitchen Aid.
C. Josephine Cochran, whose grandfather was also an inventor and was awarded
a steamboat patent, is best-known as the inventor of the dishwasher. But the history of the appliance goes
back a little further. Learn more about how the dishwasher came to be, and Josephine Cochran's role in its
development.
D. Cochran had expected the public to welcome the new invention, which she unveiled at the
1893 World's Fair, but only the hotels and large restaurants were buying her ideas. It was not until the 1950s,
that dishwashers caught on with the general public.
E. In 1850, Joel Houghton patented a wooden machine with a hand-turned wheel that splashed water
on dishes. It was hardly a workable machine, but it was the first patent. Then, in the 1860s, L. A. Alexander
improved the device with a geared mechanism that allowed the user to spin racked dishes through a tub of
water. Neither of these devices was particularly effective.
10. Read the text again and mark the sentences T (true), F (false) or DS (doesn`t say).
1. Josephine Cochran, whose husband was also an inventor and was awarded a steamboat patent, is
best-known as the inventor of the dishwasher.
2. L. A. Alexander improved the dish washing machine.
3. Joel Houghton patented a wooden machine with a geared mechanism that splashed water on
dishes.
4. Josephine Cochran had three children.
5. J. Cochran didn’t patent her invention.
6. Cochran's machine was a hand-operated mechanical dishwasher.

MODERN DEVICES THAT WILL CHANGE OUR LIVES

Pre-Reading Activities
 11. Make adjectives from the following verbs: change; transit; extinct; research; refuse; co-operate;
enjoy; limit; prevent; combine; evolve; produce; help; transform; invent; apply; restore; encourage; solve.
Reading
12. Read the text:
Modern Devices That Will Change Our Lives
Many believe that we are now experiencing the most intense technological revolution of all time, and
that we are transitioning into a High Technology Age, where new advancements will make previous models
extinct. Here are some invents that are slated to be released in the very near future. These modern devices
will change our lives.
Tooth Sensor. Fear of the dentist can be a very serious issue for many children and adolescents.
According to academic researches into Dental Fear and Anxiety, some young people hate dentist visits so
much that they often refuse to co-operate, or they don’t even go to the dentist.
The truth is that no one really enjoys going to the dentist regardless of their age, even if it’s just for a
plain check-up. Scientists at Princeton and Tufts have been working a thin tooth sensor that may limit the
amount of times we will need to get our teeth checked. The sensor will alert you when it detects any bacteria
that could cause cavities, plaque buildup, or any other infections – in this way you’ll be able to prevent a
major problem, and thereby avoid the dentist’s office.
Billboard That Produces Clean Water. It seems like advertising, nowadays, is as necessary as clean
water for society to function. So it’s refreshing to see one company working hard to combine the two.
Located in Lima, Peru, and developed by The University of Engineering and Technology of Peru and ad agency
Mayo Draft FCB, the billboard is able to produce around twenty-six gallons of water per day. It uses five
filtration devices, and is helped along by Lima’s extremely humid air.
The billboard is designed not only to provide water to Peru’s largest city where 1.2 million residents
don’t have running water, but also to encourage kids to apply to UTEC and study engineering. This could be
one of the biggest technological revolutions ever, which will solve one of humanity’s biggest problems or it
could merely be an ambitious plan that won’t evolve to the next level. Only time will tell.
Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System. Developed by Second Sight, the Argus II is a device that works to
restore vision to those suffering from complete or partial blindness. It does this by capturing images via a
mini video camera in the glasses, which are then transformed into instructions that are picked up by an
implant placed on the wearer’s eye.
Once the implant has received the instructions, it sends them to an electrode array which then
forwards the visual information to the brain via the optic nerve. This is a true revolution of technology, which
offers the chance of restored sight to millions of disabled people around the world.
Post-Reading Activities
13. Replace the following words with their synonyms: gadget; phobia; problem; chance; up to date;
bulletin; pure.

14. Find the information in the text “Modern Devices That Will Change Our Lives” and say whether
these statements are true or false. Fear of the dentist can be a very serious issue for many children and
adolescents.
1) These modern devices will change our lives and the world we live in.
2) It seems like advertising, nowadays, is as necessary as clean water for society to function.
3) The billboard is able to produce around twenty-six gallons of water per day.
4) This is a true revolution of technology, which offers the chance of restored sight to millions of
disabled people.
15. Answer the questions.
1) How can the tooth sensor help to avoid the dentist’s office?
2) How much water is billboard able to produce per day?
3) In which way (How) does the brain get visual information?
1. Word formation. Match the words with the prefixes and the suffixes to form new words.
Re-; dis-; -ness; dis-; un-; -less; -ful; en-; im-.
Search; courage; blind; store; able (2); cover; use; care; honest; mature.
 2. Use these words from exercise 16 to complete the sentences, where it is necessary put them in
the correct form.
1) The Argus II is a device that works to … vision to those suffering from complete or partial… .
2) Be … ! Don’t touch the wire!
3) This is a true revolution of technology, which helps to … sight to millions … people.
4) Taylor’s strong will together with medical support helped … and continue his career.
5) Many people are … to afford expensive up to date gadgets.
6) According to academic … into Dental Fear and Anxiety, some young people hate dentist visits.
7) Without electricity our modern devices are … .
8) Tom is … . You can’t trust him.
9) The billboard is designed not only to provide water to Peru’s largest city but also to … kids to apply
to UTEC and study engineering.
10) Paul loves playing practical jokes on people. He can be a little … sometimes.
Project work
3. Prepare a presentation on one of the problems of inventions and technology. Prepare a five-
minute talk and be ready to answer your group mates’ questions.

ИСТОЧНИК:

General English for Bachelor students = Английский язык для бакалавров : учеб. пособие / сост.: Т. С.
Царская, И. В. Шукурова, Е. В. Бастинович ; Cургут. гос. ун-т. – Сургут : ИЦ СурГУ, 2019. – 63 с.