KFUPM PYP-English Technology 1 Podcasts
Technology 1 Unit 1 Technology and society
1 Technology and society
The purpose of technology is to produce applications which improve our material environment. The people who design, test, and make these applications are called technicians, technologists, and engineers. They work in areas such as civil, mechanical, electrical, electronic, and marine engineering, and in newer fields such as information technology (IT). They use scientific knowledge and technological experience in their work. They often adapt older existing technology (e.g. radio waves) to create new applications (e.g. mobile phones).
Technology is all around us and affects every aspect of our lives. Here are some examples:
• transport — road, sea, and air travel; space exploration
• telecommunications — mobile phones, fibre optics, internet, satellites
• trade — credit and debit cards, bank ATM machines, business-to-business (B2B) internet trade
• work efficiency — washing machines, microwave ovens, computer software
• power — heating, lighting, air conditioning
• personal entertainment — DVDs, iPods, digital TVs, digital cameras
The purpose of technology is to produce applications which improve our material environment. The people who design, test, and make these applications are called technicians, technologists, and engineers. They work in areas such as civil, mechanical, electrical, electronic, and marine engineering, and in newer fields such as information technology (IT). They use scientific knowledge and technological experience in their work. They often adapt older existing technology (e.g. radio waves) to create new applications (e.g. mobile phones).
Technology is all around us and affects every aspect of our lives. Here are some examples:
• transport — road, sea, and air travel; space exploration
• telecommunications — mobile phones, fibre optics, internet, satellites
• trade — credit and debit cards, bank ATM machines, business-to-business (B2B) internet trade
• work efficiency — washing machines, microwave ovens, computer software
• power — heating, lighting, air conditioning
• personal entertainment — DVDs, iPods, digital TVs, digital cameras
• health — lasers in eye surgery, medicines
• safety and security — ABS brakes, air bags, sensors, smoke detectors
• food — food processing, agriculture
• information management — computer databases, search engines, business software
• infrastructure — roads, buildings, sewerage, waste disposal, water supply
• manufacturing — robotics in mass production (manufacturing an item in very large numbers)
Because technology is so important in society, technicians, technologists, and engineers always have to think about values, that is, whether something is good or bad. Unfortunately, some technology has both positive and negative effects on society. Using minerals such as oil, coal, iron, and uranium improves our standard of living, but can also pollute the air, water, and ground. The same rockets that allow space exploration can carry nuclear weapons. Road vehicles and planes allow fast travel but also cause accidental deaths and create global warming. The challenge for technology is how to increase the positive effects on society but reduce or eliminate the negative effects.
• safety and security — ABS brakes, air bags, sensors, smoke detectors
• food — food processing, agriculture
• information management — computer databases, search engines, business software
• infrastructure — roads, buildings, sewerage, waste disposal, water supply
• manufacturing — robotics in mass production (manufacturing an item in very large numbers)
Because technology is so important in society, technicians, technologists, and engineers always have to think about values, that is, whether something is good or bad. Unfortunately, some technology has both positive and negative effects on society. Using minerals such as oil, coal, iron, and uranium improves our standard of living, but can also pollute the air, water, and ground. The same rockets that allow space exploration can carry nuclear weapons. Road vehicles and planes allow fast travel but also cause accidental deaths and create global warming. The challenge for technology is how to increase the positive effects on society but reduce or eliminate the negative effects.
lundi 21 février 2011
podcasst from David Bonamy’s Oxford English for Careers, Technology 1 Teacher’s Resource Book
