The Age of Electronics

1. The discovery of the electron, and the investigations into its nature which followed, led to a revolution in physical science.

The revolution in pure science rapidly bore fruit¹ in many fields of applied science and technology, especially in the applied science of electronics. The vacuum techniques developed for the study of free electrons and cathode rays led directly to the radio valve and the television receiver. The new electronics combined with the older techniques of the telegraph and telephone produced a revolution in communications on a world scale. If the discovery of the electron had led only to radio and television it would still represent a decisive factor in the shaping of our civilization – but it led to much more.

2. Electronics produced radar. It led to nucleonics and hence to the exploitation of the immense store of energy locked in the atom. It gave birth² to the electronic computer. By the middle of the twentieth century a rapidly expanding, world-wide electronics industry was pouring out millions of parts for radio and television receivers and instruments for every branch of science and technology – instruments capable of unprecedented speed and sensitivity³.

3. Electronic devices give immense extension to our senses. We can now examine structures too small to be visible in even the most powerful optical microscope and receive signals from radio stars which started their long journey through space ages before there was any life on our planet. Electronics combined with rocketry has enabled scientists to take close-up pictures⁴ of the moon. Electronics applied to medicine has already produced significant advances in diagnosis and treatment.

4. Electronics plays the leading role in automation which is generating a second industrial revolution of wider social significance than the first.

5. Electronics has also given birth to cybernetics which offers, for the first time in history, an effective science of government based on adequate information and communication.

6. It seems very probable that electronics will dominate technology even in the distant future.

Notes

1. to bear fruit – приносить плоды, давать результаты

2. to give birth – родить, породить

3. unprecedented speed and sensitivity – небывалая скорость и чувствительность

4. to take close-up pictures – делать снимки с близкого расстояния

II.Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1. The revolution in pure science rapidly bore fruit in many fields of applied science and technology. 2. The new electronics produced a revolution in communications. 3. The discovery of the electron led to a revolution only in physical science. 4. Electronics doesn't play the leading role in automation.

III.Answer the following questions on paragraph 2:

1. What did electronics produce? 2. What did it lead to? 3. What did it give birth to? 4. What was electronics industry pouring out by the middle of the twentieth century?

IV.Translate paragraph 3 into Russian.

V.Read paragraph 4 and say where electronics plays the leading role.

VI.In paragraph 2 find the English equivalents of the following words:

электроника, радар, запас, электронная вычислительная машина, часть, прибор, телевизионный приемник, отрасль, чувствительность, технология, производить.

VII.Write out of the text the words and phrases describing general uses of electronics.

VIII. Make an outline of the text.

IX.Speak about the age of electronics using your outline.