Science and Scientific and Technological progress

Science is a source of progress. It develops the world we live in. Our century is an epoch of great discoveries in science and engineering. It is epoch of scientific and technological revolution, when new ideas are being born and new discoveries, inventions are being made at an ever increasing rate. Today science has become the most important factor in the development of national economy in the whole world. Scientific progress serves the interests of society, helps to increase the well-being of people and develops public education. Computer technology plays the most important role in the progress of science. The ability of computers to solve many mathematical problems more effectively than man does, has given rise to new trends in mathematics. Computer science is a new field of study and research. In recent years scientists of the world have achieved great success in the development of physics, chemistry, biology, and such astonishing, interesting science as psychology. But science may be turned both for peace and military purpose. It can take good forms and evil forms. With the help of scientific inventions politicians make weapons of mass destruction. But on the other hand researches help us in our life: at home, at work, at school and make the level of the country development higher.

It’s difficult to overestimate the role of science and technology in our life. They accelerate the development of civilization and help us in our co-operation with nature. Scientists investigate the laws of the universe, discover the secrets of nature, and apply their knowledge in practice improving the life of people. Let's compare our life nowadays with the life of people at the beginning of the 20th century. It has changed beyond recognition. Our ancestors hadn't the slightest idea of the trivial things created by the scientific progress that we use in our every day life. I mean refrigerators, TV sets, computers, microwave ovens, radio telephones, what not. They would seem miracles to them that made our life easy, comfortable and pleasant. On the other hand, the great inventions of the beginning of the 20th century, I mean radio, airplanes, combustion and jet engines have become usual things and we can't imagine our life without them. A century is a long period for scientific and technological progress, as it's rather rapid. Millions of investigations the endless number of outstanding discoveries have been made. Our century has had several names that were connected with a certain era in science and technology. At first it was called the atomic age due to the discovery of the splitting of the atom. Then it became the age of the conquest of space when for the first time in the history of mankind a man overcame the gravity and entered the Universe. And now we live in the information era when the computer network embraces the globe and connects not only the countries and space stations but a lot of people all over the world. All these things prove the power and the greatest progressive role of science in our life. But every medal has its reverse. And the rapid scientific progress has aroused a number of problems that are a matter of our great concern. These are ecological problems, the safety of nuclear power stations, the nuclear war threat, and the responsibility of a scientist. But still we are grateful to the outstanding men of the past and the present who have courage and patience to disclose the secrets of the Universe.

1. Give the Russian equivalents to the following:

§ at an increasing rate

§ the well-being of people

§ develops public education

§ to overestimate the role

§ co-operation with nature

§ changed beyond recognition

§ every medal has its reverse

§ the nuclear war threat

2. True or false:

§ Computer science is an old field of study and research.

§ Science may be turned both for peace and military purpose.

§ Science and technology accelerate the development of civilization and that’s why help us to separate from nature.

§ Our ancestors knew all the trivial things created by the scientific progress that we use in our every day life.

§ Today science has become the most important factor in the development of national economy.

§ Computers don’t solve many mathematical problems more effectively than man does.

§ Computer technology plays the most important role in the progress of science.

§ In recent years scientists of the world have achieved great success in the development of science.

3. Answer the questions:

§ Our century has had several names that were connected with a certain era in science and technology. Name them.

§ What are the problems aroused by rapid scientific progress?

§ What good forms can science take?

§ What evil forms can science take?

1. discovery 2. invention 3. computer technology 4. trend 5. research 6. military purpose 7. consequence 8. weapons of mass destruction 9. mathematical problems 10. scientific progress

a. компьютерная технология b. тенденция c. изобретение d. открытие e. военные цели f. исследование g. научный прогресс h. математические задачи i. последствие j. оружие массового уничтожения

4. Match the following words: