Text 2. What is Nanotechnology?

Exercise 8. Master the active vocabulary:

matter – материал, вещество

dimension — измерение, величина, объем

diverse — иной, отличный, разнообразный, разный

extension — распространение,предоставление

conventional — обусловленный, стандартный, условный

to approach — приближаться, подходить

assembly — общество. сбор

implications — смысл, значение

vast — обширный, громадный, огромный, значительный

to concern – касаться, иметь отношение

toxicity -токсичность

impact — влияние, воздействие

doomsday scenario — сценарий судного дня

to warrant — подтверждать, гарантировать

bond - связь, соединение

helix — спираль, винт

cellular — клеточный, сетчатый, секционный

genus – род. вид, род

to assemble — подбирать, собирать, монтировать

entities - сущность

to evolve — развивать, раскрывать

Exercise 9. Read and translate the text.

Nanotechnology, shortened to "nanotech", is the study of the controlling of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometers or smaller in at least one dimension, and involves developing materials or devices within that size. Nanotechnology is very diverse, ranging from extensions of conventional device physics to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, from developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale to investigating whether we can directly control matter on the atomic scale.

There has been much debate on the future implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has the potential to create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine, electronics and energy production. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as with any introduction of new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact 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 is warranted. A nanometer is one-billionth of a matter. A sheet of paper is about 100000 nanometers. By comparison, typical carbon-carbon bond lengths, or the spacing between these atoms in a molecule, are in the range 0.12–0.15 nm, and a DNA double-helix has a diameter around 2 nm. On the other hand, the smallest cellular life-forms, the bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma, are around 200 nm in length.

Two main approaches are used in nanotechnology. In the "bottom-up" approach, materials and devices are built from molecular components which assemble themselves chemically by principles of molecular recognition. In the "top-down" approach, nano-objects are constructed from larger entities without atomic-level control.

Areas of physics such as nanoelectronics, nanomechanics and nanophotonics have evolved during the last few decades to provide a basic scientific foundation of nanotechnology.

Exercise 10. Answer the questions about the text.

1. What is nanotechnology?

2. What does nanotechnology deal with?

3. In what fields of science has nanotechnology the potential to create many new materials and devices?

4. Is a nanometer one-billionth of a matter?

5. How many approaches are used in nanotechnology?

6. What are they?

7. Have areas of physics such as nanoelectronics, nanomechanics and nanophotonics evolved during the last few decades to provide a basic scientific foundation of nanotechnology?

8. In what scale is nanotechnology the engineering of functional systems?

Exercise 11. Complete the sentences.

1. Nanotechnology is the study of …................

2. We can directly control matter ....................

3. There has been much debate on the future .................

4. Nanotechnology raises many of the same issues such as …................

5. The advocacy groups and governments debate ….....................

6. In the "bottom-up" approach, materials and devices are built from …......

7. In the "top-down" approach, nano-objects are constructed from …...........

8. Nanoelectronics, nanomechanics and nanophotonics provide ….................

Exercise 12. Many words have been used to describe nanotechnology:

study, engineering, system, nanoscale, molecule, dimension, components, atomic and molecular scale, investigate, implications, nano-objects, nanophotonics, entities, impact of nanomaterials, toxicity.

Exercise 13. Say four of terms above that you think give the best description of nanotechnology.

Exercise 14. Give the English equivalents.

Иметь отношения, материал, распространение, влияние, токсичность, развивать, спираль, разный, величина, общество, гарантировать, сущность, клеточный, обусловленный, подходить, значительный, значение.

Exercise 15. Retell the text.