4. Match the questions in column a with the answers in column b.

А	В
l. Why is this robot worth buying?	a) No need. They are ready-made on disks.
2. What can this robot do?	b) Buying new equipment for the lab.
3. What do you suggest doing with the grant received?	c) None.
4. Are there any difficulties in operating this device?	d) Without using additional devices.
5. What about compiling pro­grams for the robot?	e) It is an up-to-date model.
6. How do you switch from one program to another?	f) Well, it is capable of performing various tasks like walking, talking an moving objects.

5. Will you agree with the following statements? Give your reasons.

1. It is impossible to create thinking machines.

2. The three approaches to artificial intelligence are all imperfect.

3. 'Computer brains' have numerous disadvantages.

4. Neural networks are modeled after the human brain but they are worse than rule-based systems.

5. Stimulus-response robots 'live and learn' like children. This makes them dangerous as it is difficult to foresee their reaction and they can get too clever.

6. Match the words with the similar meaning.

precise	evidence
capable	surroundings
creature	able
data	one more
clever	exact
additional	to carry out
to perform	being
environment	intelligent

7. Make up all possible word combinations and translate them.

artificial intelligence

intelligent creature

precise definition

dangerous task

repetitive environment

humanoid robot

to imitate humans

conscious instructions

8. What is necessary to create moving robots? Fill in the following table:

Mechanism	Function
sensor … …	… navigation …

9. You are taking part in the students' conference devoted to the latest achievements in technology. Deliver a report on the topic 'Robots -humans with artificial intelligence.

Unit 4 part 1. The Era of High-Tech Pollution

1. Answer the following questions:

1. What do you know about the ecological situation in the world?

2. According to this text, what do the authorities of European countries do with old appliance?

3. Is it possible to burn computer casing? If not why?

4. What can we do with electronic waste?

5. Your ideas concerning air pollution in Ukraine.

6. What can you tell me about nuclear waste in Ukraine and Chernobyl?

2. Read and translate the text:

Nowadays, the recycling of high tech garbage is becoming a big concern. In the last few decades we've been like children in a toy shop, rushing to get our hands on the latest electronic gadgets. Manufacturers have obligingly brought out new toys faster than we can buy them. And of course the more we buy, the more we have to throw away.

The speed of turnover is very high. Anyone who has ever bought a computer will be aware of the fact that a PC is out of date as soon as you buy it. But while frustration is transient, the toys on the scrap-heap are not. Computers have an average lifespan of five years, and the speed of development, combined with plummeting prices, is reduc­ing this further. If a computer has a fault, is more economical to throw it away and buy another than to mend it.

This trend isn't confined to computers either. Germany, Europe's richest nation, discards 1.5 million tons of electrical appliances every year. Only about 100 000 units are recycled. The vast majority are incinerated or thrown on the tip. And this causes serious problems. One of the country's major recycling firms has been charged with dumping toxic waste containing the substance PCB, once widely used in TVs and computers as insulation. Since 1985 its production has been illegal, and disposal is governed by strict rules. But the rules are not being followed.

Klaus Brodersen of Erlangen University is trying to produce a definite classification of what chemicals should and should not be allowed in the production of high tech equipment. But it is an uphill struggle. It costs up to £7,000 to analyze a single component, and so far Brodersen has examined only 200 of the 100,000 most common.

Even such seemingly simple things as computer casings are bafflingly recycle-proof. Siemens Nixdorf, which runs a very expensive recycling programm for its old equipment, says there are more than 100 different plastics in its computer casings. Few records were kept while they were being made and no one knows precisely what went into each model. The only certainty is that all the casings con­tain bromine, a kind of toxic flame retardant. It is almost impossible to recycle such plastic and just as difficult to incin­erate it. If you do manage to burn it, you produce dioxins, which are also extreme­ly toxic.

So what is to be done about electronic waste? Eco-visionaries propose a future in which appliances, not bought but leased, remain the manufacturer's responsibility to the bitter end. Who would take back the equipment - the dealer, manufacturer or importer? What if the firm has gone out of business? Who is going to monitor the manufacturers and ensure that the goods aren't just shipped to countries with laxer reg­ulations? And, of course, in the long run it's a lot more expensive to hire a TV or computer than it is to buy one.

The Swiss have addressed the problem by making a charge at the time of pur­chase to cover all disposal costs. In Germany, where such a system is on the books but has yet to come into force, there is chaos. Some firms collect without charge, others make you pay, some accept all goods, others just their own - and many refuse to have anything to do with it. Municipal authorities are just disorganized.

The answer to all these problems lies in intelligent construction, with an emphasis not only on economy but also on ease of disposal. Increasing the life-expectancy of products would also alleviate the prob­lems. The manufacturer Loewe has developed a green TV which contains just 39 grams of plastic as opposed to the standard 6.7 kilos and 50 grams of toxic materials against 5 kilos. It is expected to last up to 30 years, twice as long as other TVs. Companies like this are showing the way forward, and it is to be hoped that others will soon follow.