The negative effects of technology in our world

Unless you live in a country or in an area where technology is prevalent, your life is most likely influenced by technology in one way or another. Take a look at the devices in your home right now. You more than likely will have a refrigerator, an electric stove, a blender, or a toaster oven. In your living room, you will most likely have a television and perhaps a computer. And a large percentage of people have cell phones so they can stay connected with their friends, family, colleagues, and business associates. The most up to date cell phones boast so many features it is like having a mini computer in the palm of your hand. Though the digital world does have a lot to offer everyone, there are some downfalls associated with our technological era. Newspapers, for one, have been significantly impacted by our digital world. There was a point in time when people were glad to pay a couple of bucks a week to have the weekly or daily paper delivered to their very own door, but with the internet and the news at just a few keystrokes, newspaper companies and other publications have suffered tremendously. Perhaps you have heard of small newspaper companies shutting down their facilities for good because of not enough revenue coming in. Another sector that has been affected negatively is the music and movie industry. As more and more people listen to music in digital formats, mainly the mp3, there is no longer a need for compact discs. The 8 track and cassette tape became obsolete, and CDs are destined for that same position. Car stereos and home entertainment systems are being set up so that you can listen to your mp3s wherever you are, and CD players are not being manufactured as much. The movie industry has also been affected negatively. Ownership of DVDs was once a great thing, but not when you can own your own movies in a digital format and store it onto your computer. These files can then be uploaded onto your laptop or other media device and can be taken wherever you go. Computers even come equipped with DVD burning software so you can create your own DVD movies. With the introduction of HD DVD and Blu Ray discs, which are more popular than the HD DVDs, there is a new demand for Blu Ray players and discs so that people can watch their favorite movies in astonishingly clear picture and sound quality. It's hard to imagine what other advancements development companies can make when we already seem to be living at the epitome of technology, but in a few years' time, don't be surprised to hear of new technologies taking the world by storm.

I. Match a word in A with a word in B:

A	B
1) to measure economic growth	a)решать неотложные проблемы
2) unemployment rate	b) приобретать знания
3) means of communication	c) отвечать за что-либо
4) to gain knowledge	d) измерять экономический рост
5) drastic changes	e) доступность образования
6) to solve urgent problems	f) невозобновляемые и ограниченные источники
7) to be responsible for	g) средства общения
8) availability of education	h) решительные изменения
9) to affect an individual’s life style	i) оказывать влияние на стиль жизни человека
10) nonrenewable and limited sources	j) уровень безработицы

II. Match a word in A with its synonym in B:

А	В
1) to vary	a) disadvantage
2) modern	b) to increase
3) to convert	c) to reduce
4) drawback	d) to change
5) to take place	e) to transform
6) to shorten	f) up-to-date
7) to rise	g) to occur
8) to produce	h) to manufacture