TECHNOLOGY IN OUR LIVES

1. Study the words.

operator

register

cashier,

miniature

2. Read and translate the text

Technology plays a role in all aspects of our lives - the way we work, and the way we live at home. The speed of technological change in the past 100 years has been incredible.

The early telephones were large, and they didn't even have dials or buttons. You picked up a receiver and talked to an operator who made the call for you. Nowadays, cellular telephones fit in our pockets, and we can use them to make phone calls from anywhere to anywhere. In grocery stores, cashiers used to punch keys on cash registers to enter the price of each item. These days, scanners read bar codes on products packaging, and the prices are recorded by a computerized cash register. In the past, we made a trip to the bank to deposit or withdraw money. Now we can use ATMs (automated teller machines). And many people now do their bank transactions at home online.

Modern technology has dramatically improved our lives. Personal computers enable us to create documents, store information, and analyze data - at work or at home. The Internet allows us to send and receive e-mail messages, connects us to the World Wide Web, and allows us to go shopping online from our homes. Miniature cameras that patients can swallow permit doctors to diagnose medical conditions without surgery.

"Smart homes" operated by computers turn lights on and off as people enter or leave rooms and enable homeowners to "call their houses" to turn on the heat or air conditioning.

Many people feel, however, that technology has its price. With automated supermarket checkout lines, ATMs and online banking, and Internet shopping, we can meet our daily needs without having contact with other people. Life with technology can be very lonely! Also, many people are concerned about privacy. Technology makes it possible for companies or the government to monitor our use of the Internet. Our credit card numbers, bank account information, medical information, and other personal data are all stored on computers. Protecting that information will be an important issue in the years ahead.

3. Match the words and their meanings

4. Choose the best alternative to fill in the blank in each of the following sentences

1. Cellular telephones …in our pockets.

a. suite

b. go

c. fit

2. The computerized cash registers … the prices of products.

a. say

b. write

c. record

3. Modern technology has improved our… of living

a. pass

b. method

c. way

4. Many people can do their bank …at home on line.

a. conditions

b. protections

c. transactions

5. Personal computers can… information.

a. swallow

b. store

c. scan

5. Read the text again to decide if the statements are true or false. Correct the false ones using the facts from the text.

1. Nowadays telephones are large and we are to talk to the operator who makes the call for us.

2. Nowadays, personal computers are great help at home and at work.

3. The Internet has rather limited possibilities today.

4. With the Internet we can meet our daily needs without having contact with other people.

5. Privacy is not the point the users of the Internet are concerned about.

6. Answer the following questions

1. What was the way people communicate with each other in the 60s?

2. What were the drawbacks of the early telephones?

3. What jobs can computer do for us?

4. The world has incredibly changed, hasn’t it?

5. What made the world change so greatly in the past years? Give examples.

7. Discuss with your partner (or groupmates).

1. New information you have got from the text.

2. Speak about your experience in using the Internet.

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