We have the solution! our new 1500 watt cnc-controlled laser cutter is at your disposal

Task 6. Read the text to check if your questions are answered. Is technology described in the text a new one?

We have the solution! our new 1500 watt cnc-controlled laser cutter is at your disposal

The Process

Laser technology is not new, but it is only recently that the full benefits have become available to manufacturers.

Taking light and passing it through a series of lenses makes the light source so great that its power density is several million times that of the sun - this laser energy is then used to cut almost any material.

The light is directed down towards a CNC-controlled table making it very easy to produce accurate complicated shapes without distortion, giving burr-free, smooth, and perfectly square edges.

The Materials

The laser is suitable for cutting:

• All types of steel including stainless and spring steel.

• Most non-ferrous metals.

• Plastics, wood, fibreglass, and almost any other material you care to mention!

The Capacity

• Carbon Steel - up to 13 mm

• Stainless Steel-up to 10 mm

• Plastics-up to 40 mm Wood - up to 40 mm

• Rubber - up to 40 mm

• Table movement 1650 mm x 1250 mm

The Advantages

• Short lead time

• No tooling costs

• Low set-up costs

• Extremely accurate

• Highest quality

• Minimal heat affected zones

• Design flexibility

Task 7. Watch the video “Lasers” and answer the question – how do lasers work?

Task 8. Summarize everything that you have learned about the applications of lasers and laser technologies.

Task 9. Prepare a presentation on any application of lasers or laser technology.

UNIT 2

INNOVATIONS

LESSON 1

BEST AND WORST INNOVATIONS

Task 1. Answer the following questions.

1. What is innovation? How do you understand this word?

2. What role do innovations play in our life? Think of some innovations that has had the greatest influence on our lives.

Task 2. Read this text about the best and worst innovations.

BIKES ARE BEST AND GM FOOD THE WORST, SAY RADIO 4 LISTENERS

Since the beginning of April BBC Radio 4's You And Yours has been asking listeners to vote for the most significant technological innovation since 1800 and what they would most like to disinvent. The answers, revealed in tomorrow's programme (Thursday 5 May, 12.04 pm) are the bicycle and GM foods. The washing machine emerged as listeners' favourite technological invention for the home.

The humble bike beat such technological innovations as electro-magnetic induction ring (which gave us the means to harness electricity), the internal combustion engine and the germ theory of infection (which gave rise to vaccination as we know it today).

The survey was launched on Friday 1 April on Radio 4's flagship consumer affairs programme, taking up the theme of this year's Reith Lectures: The Triumph Of Technology, given by Lord Alec Broers. Experts from the field of science and technology as well as listeners were asked for their nominations.

The nominations included:

• Bicycle

• Communications satellite

• Computer

• Electro-magnetic induction ring

• Germ theory of infection

• Internal Combustion engine

• Internet

• Nuclear power

• Transistor Radio

Visitors to the You and Yours website were also asked to complete an online survey, designed to investigate attitudes towards technology.

Participants were asked which innovation they'd most like to disinvent (GM foods came top with 26% of the vote, followed by nuclear power at 19%).

The piece of technology that most people would like to see invented is an AIDs vaccine (35%) with interplanetary commuter transport lagging behind at 15%.

When it came to voting for a technological innovation that was of most use in the home, 34% of listeners voted for the washing machine, with central heating coming second with 25% of the vote.

Looking ahead to the regulation of technological advancement, 43% said it should be down to independent international bodies.

Task 3. Do you agree with the respondents? Why? Why not? Give your reasons.

Task 4. In no more than 12-15 sentences, summarize the information you learnt from the text.

Task 5.Below you can find the description of some very successful recent inventions, which are currently part of our daily lives. Match the correct name of the invention with its corresponding description.

1. iPod, or MP3 player

2. PS2

3. 3G phone

4. GPS

a)

With an XXX, you have a portable music player that is big enough to hold your music and small enough to take with you everywhere. In just minutes, you can fill your XXX with music. Just connect your XXX to your computer, and you can keep all your music updated. When you get your XXX, you'll want to start listening to music right away. No matter how many songs you have, you can find the right one with XXX’s easy-to use interface. Just use the Click Wheel to browse through your music by playlist, song, artist, album, or genre. You can use the XXX controls to adjust the volume, jump to a specific location in a song, or customize settings. When you're on the move, use the hold switch to disable the controls so you don't accidentally press one of the buttons, interrupting your music.

b)

QQQ still has the same awesome processing power, the same immense, diverse library of great games, the same fantastic DVD and CD-playing capabilities, the same amazing array of entertainment possibilities in a single, simple-to-use console. The newly-integrated NETWORK connector gives you the power to directly hook your console up to a broadband Internet connection and take a variety of network-enabled games and applications online. It's possible to compete, cooperate or even chat with fellow QQQ owners across Europe and, in some cases; the rest of the world. QQQ is home to an unmatched library of games, many of which are totally exclusive titles. Groundbreaking, award-winning games series will never appear on anything other than a QQQ console. Whether you're after an in-depth challenge, a quick fix of accessible, sociable fun - or anything in between - QQQ is the only choice that counts. Additionally, if you're upgrading to QQQ5 the console plays virtually all existing titles. Using QQQ's additional power, it's also possible to enhance both the loading times and visuals of these older games.

c)

The next generation, known as ZZZ; can send and receive far more information -including data and video clips - than existing models. It offers users a wide range of high speed services, including video calling and messaging, e-mail, games, photomessaging and news and information services. At the moment, you probably have access to the internet and the web browser offered by your operator. However, the technology which powers ZZZ communications will offer a much richer and faster service, about the same as broadband connections for Interact connections to your home PC, The ZZZ has a larger screen to display web pages, while some smaller models have limited web functions. More powerful batteries are needed, while hands-free devices are becoming more common in order to listen to audio and music.

d)

The YYY is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. YYY works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. There are no subscription fees or setup charges to use YYY. YYY satellites circle the earth twice a day in a very precise orbit and transmit signal information to earth- YYY receivers take this information and use triangulation to calculate the user's exact location. Essentially, the YYY receiver compares the time a signal was transmitted by a satellite with, the time it was received. The time difference tells the YYY receiver how far away the satellite is. Now, with distance measurements from a few more satellites, the receiver can determine the user's position and display it on the unit's electronic map. A YYY receiver must be locked on to the signal of at least three satellites to calculate a 2D position (latitude and longitude) and track movement. With four or more satellites in view, the receiver can determine the user's 3D position (latitude, longitude and altitude). Once the user's position has been determined, the YYY unit can calculate other information, such as speedy bearing, track, trip distance, distance to destination, sunrise and sunset time and more.

Answers:

1	2	3	4

Task 6. Watch the video “2008 Best inventions” and answer the question – which invention do you think is the best and why?

Task 7. Work with you partner or in small groups of 3-4 people. Discuss the following questions.

1. What technology would you most like to see invented?

2. What technology would you most like to see disinvented?

3. What technological innovation is of most practical use in your home?

4. Which technological change has given the greatest benefit to society?

5. If you could only take one piece of technology to your Desert Island, what would it be?

6. Who should regulate the development of new technology?

Task 8. Present the results of your discussion to the class.