i
Development of science and technology
a/ life in the past and nowadays / scientific 1and technological achievements2, living standards, electrical
appliances3/
b/ wonderful scientific and technological inventions 4 and discoveries5
c/ science and technology making human life easier / electronics, information technology, medicine,
telecommunication, transportation/
Mankind6 has come a long way during its existence. In pre-historic times, people´s lives and their
needs were simple – everything needed for life was at hand. People hunted7 for food and made tools8 from
stones and simple clothes to protect them from cold.
Step by step, people started changing the world trying to make their lives easier and more
comfortable9. They invented wheel and started transporting goods. They learnt to use water and wind for
energy and built water and wind mills10.
Important discoveries and inventions came in the 15th and 16th centuries – discovery of America, invention of
the printing press11, development in astronomy, medicine and biology. The industrial revolution12 of the 18th
and 19th centuries completely changed the world. It brought important inventions: the steam engine13, the
electric light bulb14, the electric motor and the first petrol-driven car.
The development of science and technology went on rapidly and the 20th century brought such
inventions as the airplane, the television, the computer, the mobile phone and the Internet. Research15 in
medicine brought new drugs and vaccines16 that prolong17 people lives. Antibiotics18, x-ray19, computer
tomography (CT), laser surgery 20and transplantation have improved 21or even saved many lives.
Research in chemistry brought pesticides 22and fertilizers23 that enable us to plant more crops and new
machinery helps to produce more food for the constantly growing population of the Earth.
At the beginning of the 3rd millennium, science and technology have deep influence24 on our lives.
They influence communication; we can talk to our friends or relatives in any part of the world using phones,
satellites or computers. We can talk part in online chats and discussions. Internet banking and Internet
shopping are becoming25 more and more popular among people because they save our time and money.
Travelling by plane has become more available 26and distance can be overcome27 much faster than ever
before.
New technologies are everywhere, even surrounding28 us at home. Our households are equipped
with modern appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers, vacuum cleaners, washing machines,
dishwashers, microwave ovens, computers, TV sets, stereos, and DVD players. All these appliances and
entertainment 30equipment 31have made our lives much easier and more comfortable than the lives of our
great grandparents.
29
1
science - veda
scientific - vedecký
technological achievements – technologické úspechy
3
electrical appliances - elektrické spotrebiče
4
invention - vynález
To invent – vynájsť;
5
Discovery – objav
to discover - objaviť
6
Mankind - ľudstvo
7
To hunt – loviť, poľovať
8
Tool - nástroj
9
Comfortable - pohodlný
10
Mill - mlyn
11
Printing press - kníhtlač
12
Industrial revolution – priemyselná revolúcia
13
steam engine – parný stroj
14
Light bulb - žiarovka
15
Research -výskum
16
Vaccine - vakcína
17
Prolong – predĺžiť
18
Antibiotics - antibiotiká
19
x-ray – rontgen
20
Surgery - operácia
21
To improve - zlepšiť
22
Pesticides – pesticídy (chemické látky proti škodcom)
23
Fertilizers - hnojivá
24
Influence – vplyv
to influence- ovplyvniť
25
Become – stať sa
26
Available - dostupný
27
To overcome - prekonať
28
to surround - obklopiť
29
to equip - vybaviť
30
Entertainment - zábava
31
Equipment – vybavenie, zariadenie
2
1. What developments are there to make our life easier than 100 years ago?
2. What improvements32 do you/your mother/ your father use daily?
3. Which three things do you find the most necessary for your life (you think you cannot live
without)? Say why they are important to you.
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Internet?
5. Will the Internet replace the work of a teacher?
6. What machines help us with the household tasks? What do you do with the time they
“saved” you?
7. Could you imagine a holiday in a cottage without electricity and mobile signal? What would
it be like? What would you do there?
8. How would a hi-tech flat look like? Would you like to live in it?
9. Do your grandparents have problems with new developments? What do they think of the
Internet and mobile phones?
10. Is there any invention you could not live without? Why?
11. Has a computer ever simplified your work?
12. What inventions in medical science help us to live better and longer?
13. Say what are these appliances or equipment used for.
REFRIGERATOR is used to…/for…
FREEZER
WASHING MACHINE
MICROWAVE OVEN
COMPUTER
STEREO
COFFEE MAKER
VACUUM CLEANER
DISHWASHER
ELECTRIC IRON
TV SET
DVD PLAYER
FOOD PROCESSOR/ ELECTRIC BLENDER/MIXER
Describe the pictures and the developments of science and technology which you can see
there
32
Improvement – zlepšenie,
to improve - zlepšiť