Английский язык для студентов-бакалавров технических факультетов. English for the Undergraduates of Engineering. Учебное пособие

b) Read Text 4 and match the points a-f with the paragraphs 1–5. There is one extra point.

1.Human creativity is limitless. From the smallest chip … to the Solo Trek… to “buildings in bubbles”… to the Internet. The Internet is everywhere and will probably become your home’s primary connection to the outside world – thanks to the increasing power of computer equipment and an explosive growth in bandwidth.

2.Bandwidth is the ability of a communications “pipe” – a phone line or a TV cable, for example – to carry information. And there are larger “pipes”, that carry much more information in the form of fibre optic cable. In a few years, the transfer of enormous amounts of information will be instantaneous. Combine the real-time ability of bandwidth with “ubiquitous computing” (computers in everything) and a huge amount of possibilities open up.

3.A short time ago, two French surgeons were able to carry out a transatlantic operation (the surgeons were in New York and the patient in France) with the help of these combined technologies. In the future, a surgeon will not have to travel for a surgery. He or she will sit at a console and will be able to use remote control surgery on astronauts in space or on soldiers on battlefields. He /She will be able to perform more than one surgery a day, in different locations and in real time.

4.Soon, home appliances – such as a refrigerator, a cooker or a coffeemaker – will have special chips that will deliver information to an interactive device connected to the Internet. Your Internet refrigerator, for example, will order what you need from the supermarket.

5.Electronic ink – with microprocessors, circuits and paper-thin batteries – will probably replace paper. The future will bring us books with

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digital ultra-thin paper, printed with electronic ink. You will be able to download the pages of any book into your digital pages from the Internet. You will be able to use a whole library from a computer database. In a few years, all knowledge will be stored in digital form, will be transmitted over networks, and indexed by computer. Will “conventional” libraries disappear completely? I hope they will not.

3.23. Find the words in Text 4 that mean the following.

1.A very small piece of silicon marked with electronic connections that is used in computers and other machines.

2.The amount of information that can be sent each second through an Internet connection.

3.A large amount of information stored in a computer in an organized way that allows individual pieces of information to be found quickly.

4.A piece of electronic equipment inside a computer that makes it

work.

5.Storing information such as sound or pictures as numbers or electronic signals.

3.24. Match up the words in the right and the left columns to make expressions.

3.25. Put the verbs in brackets into the Future Simple Tense.

One day, your sweater 1) ________(provide) power to your MP3 player, mobile phone or palmtop computer. You just 2) _________ (need to stand) in the light. Why 3) ________ it ________ (be necessary) to stand in the light? The matter is that your sweater 4) _______ (be made) of synthetic fibres that 5) _______ (generate) electricity when they are exposed to the light.

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3.26. Complete the chart

3.27. Write an essay on the topic “the Role of Science and Technology in the 21st century”. You may address the following:

a.science and life in the home

b.technology and the workplace

c.education for science and technology

d.predictions for the future

3.28. Choose the option which does not fit each space.

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology ("nanotech") is manipulation of 1) …. on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular 2) … . The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological 3) … of precisely manipulating atoms and molecules for 4) …. of macroscale products, also now referred to as molecular nanotechnology. A more generalized description of nanotechnology was subsequently established by the National Nanotechnology Initiative, which defines nanotechnology as the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers. This definition 5) … the fact that quantum mechanical effects are important at this quantum-realm scale, and so the definition 6) …. from a particular technological goal to a research category inclusive of all types of research and technologies that 7) … the special properties of matter which occur below the given size threshold. It is therefore common to see the plural form "nanotechnologies" as well as "nanoscale technologies" to refer to the broad 8) … of research and applications whose common trait is size. Because of the variety of potential applications (including industrial and military), governments have invested billions of dollars in nanotechnology research. Until 2012, through its National Nanotechnology Initiative, the USA has invested 3.7 billion dollars, the European Union has invested 1.2 billion and Japan 750 million dollars.

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Nanotechnology as defined by size is naturally very broad, including 9) …. of science as diverse as surface science, organic chemistry, molecular biology, semiconductor physics, microfabrication, etc. The associated research and applications are equally diverse, ranging from extensions of 10) …. device physics to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, from developing new materials with 11) … on the nanoscale to direct control of matter on the atomic scale.

Scientists currently debate the future 12) … of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology may be able to create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in nanomedicine, nanoelectronics, biomaterials energy production, and consumer products. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same 13) …. as any new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental 14) …. of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well as speculation about various doomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology 15) is … .

3.29. Here are some historical points related to nanotechnology. What are the questions?

1.……………………………….? – Renowned physicist Richard Feynman discussed the concepts of nanotechnology in 1959.

2.……………………………………….? – In his talk There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom Richard Feynman described the possibility of synthesis

via direct manipulation of atoms.

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3.……………………………………..? – The term "nanotechnology" was first used by Norio Taniguchi in 1974.

4.………………………………….? – K. Eric Drexler proposed the idea of a nanoscale "assembler" in his book in 1986.

5.…………………………………………? – A nanoscale "assembler" will be able to build a copy of itself and of other items of arbitrary complexity with atomic control.

3.30. Give a talk on the topic “NSTU’s scientific research in the field of nanotechnology”

UNIT 4. ROBOTICS

Warm-up

1.What is a robot?

2.When did the first idea of a robot appear?

3.Who was the first science fiction writer to mention this phenomenon?

4.In what areas are robots applied?

5.Do you have any robots at home? If yes, why? What domestic chores can they do?

Practise the pronunciation of the following words.

resemble [rıʹzembl], inspire [ınʹspaıə], frequently [ʹfri:kwəntlı], range [ reındȝ],

hazardous [ʹhæzədəs], bomb[ bɒm], variety [vəʹraıətı], audience [ʹo:dıəns], require [rıʹkwaıə], quality [ʹkwɒlətı], rely [rıʹlaı], infrared [ınfrəʹred], surface [ʹsə:fıs], precision [prıʹsıȝn]

Read and guess the meaning of the following international words.

sensory [ʹsensərı], automated [ʹo:təmeıtıd], functional [ʹfʌƞkʃnəl], military [ʹmılıtərı], mimic [ʹmımık], mission [mıʃn], contribute [kənʹtrıbju:t], adapt [əʹdæpt], autonomous [o:ʹtɒnəməs], intelligence [ınʹt elıdȝəns]

Words and word combinations to be memorized

sensory feedback – сенсорная обратная связь;

deal with v – заниматься, изучать; behavior n – поведение; resemble humans –быть похожим на людей;

cognition n – мыслительный процесс, процесс познания;

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to inspire v – вдохновлять, стимулировать; bio-inspired robot –биотехнологический робот; to date back – датироваться, восходить к; substantially adv – существенно;

to assume v – допускать, предполагать; in a human-like fashion – как человек;

to serve practical purposes – служить практическим целям; domestically adv – внутри страны, на внутреннем рынке; hazardous adj – рискованный, опасный;

to defuse a bomb – обезвредить бомбу; survivor n – переживший катастрофу;

shipwreck n – обломки судна; to range v – варьировать; sensor-based robots – роботы, управляемые от датчиков; average people adj – обычные, среднестатистические люди; puppetry n – куклы;

to overlap v – частично совпадать, пересекаться; general purpose robots – универсальные роботы; to perform tasks – выполнять задачи;

infrared or stereo vision – видение в инфракрасных лучах; Mars rover Opportunity – марсоход Opportunity;

еstimate v – оценивать, подсчитывать; service robots – обслуживающие роботы; to seem boundless – казаться безграничным

Read the text, translate it into Russian.

TEXT 1

Robotics

Robotics is the branch of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science that deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing.

These technologies deal with automated machines robots for short that can take the place of humans in dangerous environments or manufacturing processes, or resemble humans in appearance, behaviour, and or cognition. Many of today's robots are inspired by nature contributing to the field of bio-inspired robotics.

The concept of creating machines that can operate autonomously dates back to classical times, but research into the functionality and potential uses

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of robots did not grow substantially until the 20th century. Throughout history, it has been frequently assumed that robots will one day be able to mimic human behavior and manage tasks in a human-like fashion. Today, robotics is a rapidly growing field, as technological advances continue; researching, designing, and building new robots serve various practical purposes, whether domestically, commercially, or militarily. Many robots are built to do jobs that are hazardous to people such as defusing bombs, finding survivors in unstable ruins, and exploring mines and shipwrecks. Robotics is also used in STEM, a school program that teaches children to create and program robots.

The term "advanced robotics" first can into use in the 1980s. It is used to define any sensor-based robots that attempt to mimic human intelligence. They are used in a variety of fields ranging from manufacturing, nuclear, construction, space and underwater exploration, and health care.

Popular culture is filled with advanced robotics. The robot on the television show Lost in Space and movie robots like Star Wars' C3PO and R2D2 were some of the first seemingly intelligent robots that average people were exposed to. In 1986, movie-going audiences met Johnny 5, the little autonomous robot from the movie Short Circuit. While all of these robots appeared truly autonomous, the robots themselves were largely a combination of puppetry and acting.

By the late 20th century, the science fiction of advanced robotics and the reality of it were beginning to overlap. Advanced robots of the 21st century are considered semi-autonomous. This means that they are able to perform their tasks with a level of independence not found in automatic machines. Those called general purpose robots are able to perform their required tasks nearly independently. Some can recognize people or objects, talk, monitor environmental quality, pick up supplies and perform other useful tasks.

Robots are able to do these tasks through the use of a sensor. A simple example of this sensor is in room cleaning robots that bump a wall and understand to turn around and try another direction. Lawn mowing robots rely on underground markers to tell them this same information. Some of the most advanced robots are able to actually "see" through the use of infrared or stereo vision.

Some of the most advanced robotics of the 21st century are humanoid robots, meaning they resemble humans in their physical appearance as well as in their actions. They are considered autonomous because they can learn and adapt to changes within their environment. Johnny 5 is more of a reality

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in the 21st century than moviegoers of the 1980s could have imagined. Robots are being taught everything from how to load a dishwasher to mimicking facial expressions in response to particular types of human interactions.

One of the greatest feats of advanced robotics was seen in the rovers

Opportunity and Spirit. Opportunity and Spirit landed on Mars in January of 2004 with the intention of completing an approximately 90-day mission. As of January 2009, five years later, they were still in operation. They landed on the surface with a precision unmatched in previous missions. They operate through communications with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and continue their missions through semiautonomous interactions with the surface of Mars.

There were estimated to be about 3,540,000 service robots in use in 2006. At that time, there were additional 950,000 industrial robots. In early 2009, Microsoft founder Bill Gates predicted that every home would have a robot by 2025. Small robots like room sweepers and surprisingly complicated entertainer robots like Furby have been in homes since the 1990s. Given the advances even since those robots were introduced, the future of advanced robotics certainly seems boundless.

Exercises

4.1. Agree or disagree with the following statements. If you disagree, give your reasons.

1. Robotics is the science of designing and building robots.

2. STEM is a national strategic concept of the military defence program. 3. Most advanced robots are equipped with infrared sensors.

4. Advanced robotics defines any sensor-based robot trucks.

5. In the nearest future advanced robots will pose a substantial threat to humankind.

6. Humanoid robots are to a large extent autonomous.

4.2. Answer the questions to the text.

1.What does the term robotics stand for?

2.In what way do robots resemble people?

3.Where can robots substitute humans?

4.What area of robotics does nature make a substantial contribution to?

5.When did robotics breakthrough take place?

6.What do we call advanced robots?

7.What makes humanoid robots autonomous?

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8.What did the mission of the rovers Opportunity and Spirit include? How did they operate on the surface of Mars?

9.When do you think every home in Russia will have a robot?

4.3. Give Russian equivalents to the following.

manage tasks in a human-like fashion, to use service robots, to seem boundless, to be still in operation, lawn mowing robots, sensor-based robots, complicated entertainer robots, to recognize objects, to monitor environmental quality, to pick up supplies, to mimic facial expressions, sensory feedback, information processing, automated machines, research into the functionality, resemble humans in appearance, behaviour and cognition; advanced robotics, to complete a 90-day mission, semiautonomous interactions, adapt to changes within one’s environment

4.4. Give English equivalents to the following.

промышленные роботы, антропоморфные роботы, роботы, управляемые от датчиков; универсальные роботы, биотехнологические роботы, обслуживающие роботы, марсоход, приземлиться на поверхность, видение в инфракрасных лучах, сенсорная обратная связь, служить практическим целям, выполнять задачи как человек, обезвредить бомбу, находить выживших среди руин, перспективная робототехника, работать автономно, научно-технический прогресс, имитировать поведение человека, распознавать объекты, речь; автоматизированные машины

4.5. Match up the words in the right and the left columns to make expressions. Make up your own sentences using them.

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4.6. Complete the following points.

1.types of robots:

2.robots’ abilities:

3.dangerous jobs performed by robots:

4.domestic chores performed by robots:

4.7. Match the Russian word with its English equivalent.

изучать, заниматься – dealer, deal with, dealing, dealership автоматизированный – automate, automatic, automated, automation,

automaton

делать вклад – contributor, contribution, contribute, contributory функциональная возможность – function, functional, functionally,

functionary, functionality

дополнительный – addition, add, additionally, adder, additional исследование – investigate, investigative, investigation, investigator

4.8. Replace Russian word combinations by their English equivalents from the box.

conveyer belt, robot trucks, manually, bar-code system, automatically, fully-automated, an automatic feeder, assembly jobs, partially-automated

Automation

A:Is the factory полностью автоматизированный?

B:Not completely. Our production process is частично автоматизированный. We use robots on the production line for routine сборочные работы but some of the work is still done вручную.

A:What about supply of parts to the production line?

B:Well, the parts are автоматически selected from the store room using a система штрихового кодирования. And there is an автоподатчик which takes them to the транспортёрная лента at the start of the production line.

A:What about the smaller components?

B:They’re transported to the workstations on automated vehicles – робокары – which run on guide rails around the factory.

4.9. Speak about the history of robotics and its recent advances. Touch upon Russian scientists’ contribution to this field.

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