Reading Assignment 2 Technology Changes People’s Lives 55. EXERCISE Ef9 Noticing words that signal examples As you read the text, circle the words that signal examples and write a list of these words. Reading Selection 2 TECHNOLOGY CHANGES PEopLe’s Lives | Main Idea Why It Matters New technology is growing || Technology has already quickly. It can change the world changed communications and | in positive ways. However, medicine. In the future it may it also creates challenges for | |help solve other problems. people around the world. 1 People have always used science to find new ways to do things. But technological change has increased very quickly in the last 50 years. For instance, the development of the silicon chip! has brought revolutions’ in electronics and computers. In addition, research in biology has produced great advances in medicine. Biologists can even clone’ living creatures. A Revolution in Electronics 2. New forms of electronic circuits‘ have made computers possible. Computers and advances in communications change the way people use information. For one thing, they increase the speed at which information can be transported. The Influence of Computers 3 The earliest and most basic use of computers was for computing. That is, doing things like figuring out math problems. Today we use a calculator to figure out problems that were done on computers in the past. Electronic circuits have become faster. Computers are able to solve problems more quickly. Powerful computers can make billions of computations every second. 1. siltiscon chip (sil- computers. 2, revorlustion (rév’2-l50’shon) 1, Sudden and important changes. lone (klon) n, Produce a copy of somebody or something; reproduced asexually. 4, erlecetro-nic circuit (i-Iék-trn‘ik sir‘kit) n, System of electrically connected parts kon’ chip) n. An electronic material used in building56 Chapter 2 Thinking Critically about the Internet 4 The ability to compute quickly makes computers very helpful. For example, they are used to guide rockets and satellites into space. Air traffic controllers* use them to check airline traffic. Many cars use computers. Also, banks use computers to keep track of accounts. Information Spreads in New Ways Electronic technology has also had a great impact on how people communicate. People use cellular phones, fax machines, and computers to move information. As a result, people can do business, or just chat® from great distances. These technologies have made the world closer. ‘The Internet is one of the most exciting ways for people to communicate. People can use the Internet to find information. Businesses advertise their goods on the Internet. Governments use the Internet to provide information. In addition, people around the world can use chat rooms’ and electronic mail (or e-mail)* to send messages to one another. The result has been an amazing growth in the use of the Internet. In 1993, there were only 50 Internet sites. By 1998, there were too many sites to accurately count. Internet traffic was doubling every 100 days. How Technology forms the World Economy Electronic technology has led to changes in the world economy. For instance, computer robots now help to make many products, such as cars. Modern communications allow banking to be done electronically. Technological changes have both positive and negative effects on businesses and workers. ‘The Workplace Changes Rapid communications and information transmission have helped to transform workplaces around the world. Many white- collar workers now “telecommute.” They do their jobs by computer from home. Business people can do business around the world, . air traffic constrobler (ar traf'Ik kon-trd‘ler) n. Persons who control or regulate the landing and takeoff of airplanes. . chat (chat) v. To communicate electronically with written messages that are exchanged instantly. ~ chat room (chat room) n. Internet site where several people can chat at the same time. . e-mail (#mal’) n. A system for sending messages through computers. . telrercom*mute (t81'I-ka-moot) 1: To work at home using a computer connected to the network of one’s employer.Reading Assignment 2 Technology Changes Peoples Lives 87 from almost anywhere. They use telephones, fax machines, and computers to do their work, The Internet can instantly give workers the information they need. Nowadays some professioi have to go to their offices. 9 Technology affects manufacturing. Robots perform jobs that were once done by people. For this reason, many companies have cut the number of workers. Employment is shifting from blue- collar industries to high-tech industries. Many workers are forced to improve their skills to keep their jobs. This is because high-tech industries” need workers with more al skills. do not Economic Domination” 10 High-tech workplaces are found mainly in industrialized countries.” Industrialized countries include the United States, Japan, and the countries of Western Europe. This causes a problem for less-developed countries.” The industrialized nations dominate less-developed countries because they have technology. Technology helps make the developed countries" economically stronger. This economic strength gives the developed countries control over economic aid" in less-developed countries. Technology also gives the developed nations better ‘They can use this equipment to control the governments of less-developed countries. Source: Ruggiero, V. (1999). Becoming a Critical Thinker. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, pp. 111-112. 10, high-tech in-dusetry (hi’ték’ in’do-str8) n, Business requiring computers and advanced 11, domsisnastion (dém’2-na’shan) 1. Control or power over something. 12, insdusttriva-liezed coun-try (in-dis’tré-2-lizd kin’) n. Country having highly developed industries, 13, less-de-verloped counstry (lés di-vél’apd kiin’tré) n.Country having a low level of economic development in technology in comparison to other countries. 14, dewverloped country (di-vél’apd kin’tré) mn. Country having many industries and better living conditions. . erconsormic aid (ék’a-ndm’tkad) 1. Help or assistance in the form of money.