Inkjet technology

A new use has been found for an old technology. InkJet printers are being developed which can place tiny amounts of ink precisely in the right place. Using metal inks containing very small particles of copper or silver, this technology can be used to make printed circuits. It can also be used to print electronic components including semiconductors and even batteries. Electronic paper in future could be self-powered.

The technology has much wider applications. In future it may be used to print support structures which contain human cells. These will be used to help the body grow new skin, bone, or even organs. It will be possible to print pills, insect traps, and even wallpaper which contains its own lighting.

The future of technology 107

The telephone is a wonderful invention. I can foresee the day when there will be one in every city. Unknown, circa 1890

Vocabulary

Affixes

1 Some technical words in English begin or end with common affixes. Knowing the meaning of the affix can help you work out the meaning of the whole word. Study the examples from this book.

Affix	Meaning	Example
bio	life	biotechnology
ex	out of	external
inter	between	Internet
intra	inside, within	intranet
-less	without	wireless
micro	very small	microwave
mini	small	minidisk
poly	many	polyester
pre	before, earlier	prefabricated
super	above, much greater	supermarket
tele	far, distant	telecommunications

2 Using the table, work out the words which have the following meanings.

1. medicine at a distance

2. a very small electronic chip

3. a plastic containing many molecules of carbon

4. an instrument for measuring very small thicknesses

5. concrete which has been stressed earlier

6. a computer much more powerful than ordinary computers

7. a very small processor

8. a fan which removes air and blows it out

9. a phone without a cord

10 measuring according to biological data

Customer care

Saying goodbye

How many of these informal ways of saying goodbye do you know? Do they have equivalents in your language?

108 Unit 15

Accuracy is impossible, but blurred vision is

better than none at all.

Ian Pearson, British Telecom Futurologist

Quiz

Work in groups of three. One student is the quizmaster and asks the questions for part A. The other two students work individually and write their answers. Change roles for parts В and С Then find out who has remembered the most!

A (Units 1-5)

1. Give a negative and a positive effect of technology on society.

2. What's the comparative form of fast and efficiently?

3. Name one of the ways that the Airbus 380 is larger than the Boeing 747.

4. What does ASS stand for?

5. Which part of the word engineer is stressed?

6. Name one course civil engineering students take.

7. Correct this sentence: I'm liking calculus.

8. Complete this sentence: Electrical engineering is about...

9. Which branch of technology does this picture represent?

10. What is Autocad?

11. Name one of the stages in the design process.

12. Which word means 'the first example of a new type of design'?

13. Name a famous designer.

14. In design, what is the brief?

15. Make a question to get this answer: Because it's easy to mould.

16. Name two materials used for bike frames.

17. What property describes the capacity of a material to stretch?

18. Strong is an adjective. What is the noun?

19. Name something in the world of sport made of lycra.

20. What is a laminate?

21. Which verb goes with spring?

22. Which verb describes two gears making contact?

23. Name one of the strokes of a two-stroke engine.

24. Write down this number in words: 10¹²

25. What is the adjective which describes a movement from side to side like a pendulum?

В (Units 6-10)

1. Name an item of police equipment.

2. What item of equipment do police use to restrain someone?

3. What does PIN stand for?

4. What do you call a seal which air can't pass through?

5. What can a smart gun do?

6. What are most drinks cans made of?

7. Fill the gap: Loaves are taken out of their tins suction.

8. What process is used to make CD covers?

9. What material is used to make soft drinks cans?

10. Fill in the gap: A clockwork radio is a radio clockwork.

11. What does ASV stand for?

12. What do we call a car with a petrol engine and an electric motor?

13. Name a disadvantage of electric cars.

14. What word do we use to describe 'very heavy traffic that slows down movement on the roads'?

15. If you tell a customer that you very much regret something, what are you doing?

16. What do we call the outer walls of a skyscraper?

17. Fill in the gap: All exposed metalwork is

in case of fire.

18. If something is flammable what can it do?

19. What does this signmean?

20 Which part of the word automatic is normally stressed?

21. Why does an artificial heart have two batteries?

22. What kind of switch works by air pressure ?

23. Complete this sentence: A pacemaker is a device...

24. What kind of signals does the Ultracane transmit?

25. What is the opposite of forwards?

The future of technology 109

Checklist

Assess your progress in this unit.

Tick (/) the statements which are true.

I can discuss predictions about technology I know how to use common phrasal verbs