Your score:

1 a) 3 b) 2 c) 1

2 a) 3 b) 2 c) 1

3 a) 1 b) 3 c) 2

4 a) 2 b) 3 c) 1

5 a) 1 b) 2 c) 3

6 a) 3 b) 2 c) 1

7 a) 3 b) 2 c) 1

8 a) 3 b) 2 c) 1

Answers:

8 – 15: You aren’t fashion – conscious at all. You think that there are more important things in life than fashion. But don’t you think the world would be a dull place if there were no fashion? It adds spice to life.

16 – 24: Clothes aren’t the most important thing in your life. However, you know what suits you and you have a personal style. But you are a little bit conservative. Why not try a different style for a change?

25 – 32: You are a fashion victim! You go for the latest styles and spend a lot of money on clothes. But there are more important things in life than clothes – try speaking to people and you’ll be surprised to find that they are nice, even if they are wearing old shoes.

Notes

casual	повседневный
to borrow	занимать (деньги)
to be fashion-conscious	интересоваться модой
to add spice to life	придать вкус жизни, вносить разнообразие
for a change	для разнообразия

Society and the future Robotic future rushes towards us

Narinda Clarkson talks to scientist Phil Whicker about what the future has in store for us.

Phil Whicker is head of a team of scientists who are turning science fiction into reality. I caught up with Phil at his high tech research laboratory in Kent to find out what they're working on at the moment.

'We've seen major technological advances over the last twenty years,' says Phil, 'and the next twenty years or so are going to be equally exciting. There are projects we're working on now that are going to have a radical effect on all aspects of our life, from health to travel to the media.

It may sound unlikely, but Phil believes that some taxi companies will have introduced robot-controlled taxis before the end of the decade. 'It's going to happen,' says Phil. 'Humans won't be driving the taxis of the future. They'll be driven by computers — by robots — which will respond to electronic signals from navigation beacons. That will make them both cheaper and safer. There are well over a million industrial robots in the world already doing things like putting cars together in factories. It's only a matter of time before we see them being used outside the factory as well. By about 2030, there'll be more robots than people in developed countries.'

So does Phil think that there won't be a place for humans in this robot-controlled future? 'No, not at all. There’ll always be things for humans to do but we’ll rely more and more on technology. For example, I predict that, by 2015, some TV news reporters will have had microsensors — tiny cameras — implanted in their eyes and we'll be able to see live on our TV screens exactly what they can see. Humans will still be doing jobs like reporting, but there'll be incredibly powerful technology to help them.'

'It's the same with mobile phones,' says Phil. 'Twenty years ago no-one had a mobile. Now they are everywhere and most people couldn’t live without them. In the not-too-distant future, we won't want to carry them around, so we'll probably implant them somewhere in the body — maybe in our teeth or in our shoulders. Scientists are already working on this.'

I wasn't convinced about implants, so I asked Phil Whicker if anyone had actually had a microchip implanted in them. 'Oh yes! Of course it's still not commonplace, but it has been done. Kevin Warwick, for example, who's a professor of cybernetics at Reading University, implanted a chip into his arm to make doors open and turn machines on. It worked perfectly. He calls himself 'part man, part cyborg'.'

Although I was shuddering a little at the thought of having something implanted in my body, Phil thinks we shouldn't be scared about the future. 'It's all about making our lives better and easier,' he says. Take going to a cashpoint. At the moment, you have to remember to take your cash card with you, and you also have to remember your PIN number. That can be very annoying, can’t it? In a few years, you'll just go up to the machine and a sensor will recognise the unique iris pattern in your eye, and know that it's you. No more bank cards and PIN numbers. Won't that be great? It'll help reduce crime, too.'

'So we will at least still be using money in ten years' time,' I suggested hopefully. 'Well, that's actually an interesting point. I think we will, but we won’t rely nearly so much on cash and credit cards as we do now. It will mainly be digital money. Supermarkets will probably have iris recognition systems too, so the money for your groceries will automatically be transferred from your bank account into the supermarket's bank account as you're standing at the checkout.'

Notes

еqually	в равной степени, одинаково
to respond	отвечать, реагировать
navigation beacon	навигационный маяк
to implant	имплантировать, вживлять
cyborg	киборг
to shudder	содрогаться, вздрагивать

Comprehension

Ex.1 Answer the following questions.

1. What does Phil Whicker do?

2. What predictions does he make about the future?

3. What advantages of technological advances does he mention in the interview?

Discussion

Ex.1 Answer the following questions.

1. Do you agree with Phil Whicker’s predictions?

2. Can you think of any drawbacks to the technological advances he talks about?

3. What jobs would you like a robot to do for you?

4. Comment on the following statement: 'Those who have knowledge, don’t predict. Those who predict, don’t have knowledge' (Lao Tzu, 6^th century BC, Chinese poet).

Space tourism

The idea of what's called Space Tourism, where ordinary members of the public queue up to buy tickets for travel into outer space and back, really stretches the imagination. According to Alan Grant, this distant dream could soon be a reality...

On Earth, governments provide a number of services, such as defence, police and a legal system. But most activities are done by individuals and companies and it is going to be the same in space. Over the past few years a growing volume of work has been done on the subject and it is now clear that setting up commercial space tourism services is a realistic target for businesses today.

Many people still think that to get the chance to go to space you have got to try to become an astronaut. Unfortunately, the chances of succeeding are tiny, simply because there are so few astronauts – and there is no prospect of a lot more being employed. However, you need not despair because you will be able to go as a visitor. So for anyone, the first thing you should do if you want to go to space is save up because the demand is expected to be strong and, in the early stages, prices will be high.

In order to stay longer in space, you could work in one of the businesses that will be set up in orbit. There will be opportunities in manufacturing – aerospace vehicle makers, orbital construction, electric power, extra-terrestrial mining, chemical engineering and other fields. So you can start university studies and try to get the sort of work experience that will ensure you are well-placed to apply for a job in any of these areas.

The general public are very interested in travelling to space. Apart from the interest factor, such tourism is the only way in which space activities can become profitable and the quickest way to start to use the limitless resources of space to solve our problems on Earth. And living in space involves every line of business, from construction to marketing, fashion, interior design and law.

It is possible to envisage a future when demand for space tourism travel will grow from thousands of passengers per year to hundreds of thousands per year. Tickets to orbit will cost less and flights will depart from many different airports. Orbital facilities will grow from just being prefabricated modules to large structures constructed for hundreds of guests.

But like any other business, space tourism will develop progressively. Starting as a relatively small-scale and relatively high-priced activity, customers will find that the service will be nearer to 'adventure travel' than to a luxury-style hotel. Orbital accommodation will be safe but rather simple. This will be a time for the pioneers who will not mind the lack of comfort.

Few projects are successfully completed without the help of people who believe in them. It is possible to take an active role in bringing space tourism about by asking airlines, hotels and travel companies if and when they intend to offer space travel. Others may prefer to lend a hand by doing research into one or more of the areas needing it, or by joining one of the many companies that are already working towards a future in space.

Notes

stretch imagination	поражать воображение
defence	система обороны
legal system	законодательство
vehicle	транспортное средство
electric power	электроэнергия
extra-terrestrial	внеземной
to ensure	гарантировать, обеспечивать
profitable	выгодный, прибыльный
to involve	включать, вовлекать, затрагивать
envisage a future	представить себе будущее
small-scale	небольшой, ограниченный