Read the texts A, B and C which are related to technology and answer the questions 1-6. Choose a, b, c or d.

A. The DVD Format War

In 2006, two rival high-definition DVD systems were launched – Sony’s Blu-ray and Toshiba’s HD DVD. Economics dictates that there could only be one winner, and now we know it is Sony. With the products inseparable on performance and technical grounds, the victor in this little war was always going to be decided through marketing. Where Sony had the advantage here is that its Playstation 3 computer games console comes pre-fitted with a
Blu-ray player. So with Playstation 3 selling over 10 million units, that meant 10 million Blu-ray DVD players were already owned by consumers, far more than the 1 million HD players sold. With this sort of sales momentum, the major retailers started to favour Blu-ray, and Toshiba have just announced that they have ceased production of the HD.

The war may be over, but what impact will the victory make? Toshiba’s decision to pull the plug on the HD DVD so early is one which financial analysts see as prudent; they had nothing to gain by staying in an unwinnable war. Consumers too might be better off. If there’s only one DVD format, then consumers don’t have to worry about product incompatibility. With only one format on the market, it might be expected that its sales would take off, but in this case there is good reason to think this won’t happen. The point is that technology is moving so fast that Blu-ray players and discs may soon be a thing of the past, whether they have a rival or not. This is because an ever increasing number of consumers are already turning their backs on DVD players to download their movies from the internet, or from their satellite or cable television provider. The future just isn’t hardware.

1. In the writer’s view, Sony’s Blu-ray won the format battle because it

                                          a. was cheaper than its rival.

                                          b. produces better quality pictures.

                                          c. was given free with another product.

                                          d. was launched earlier.

2. What does the writer think will be a consequence of Sony’s victory?

                                          a. Confusion for consumers.

                                          b. Big economic problems for Toshiba.

                                          c. A large increase in Blu-ray sales.

      d. Very little benefit for Sony.

B.  Magical Rubber

A French laboratory has recently announced the development of a new kind of synthetic rubber with an extraordinary property. Watching a demonstration of this amazing substance was quite eye-opening. The technician laid out a cylindrical length of the rubber, a yellowish material, on the worktop. She then took out a razor blade and severed the sample, and held the two pieces apart, revealing the cleanly cut ends. Then she pressed the two ends back together and released one of them. To the viewers’ great amazement, the two halves of the rubber cylinder had stuck back together. It was like a magician’s trick. An hour later the bond had strengthened so much that the technician was able to stretch the rubber to twice its initial length without any rupturing at the point it had been cut.

The secret of the substance has nothing to do with magic, of course, but lies in how its molecules are held together. A piece of normal rubber comprises a single molecule with many billions of smaller units bonded together chemically in a vast tangled network. It is elastic because the different strands in the rubber can be compressed or extended, much like a concertina. However, if the rubber is broken, then the chemical bonds are permanently severed. In the new rubber, chemical bonds are much weaker. However, when these bonds break, they are not broken permanently, but can bond again, like Velcro or tiny grasping hands.

 

3. What is ‘magical’ about the new rubber?

a. Its extreme flexibility.

b. Its incredible strength.

c. The way it sticks to itself.

d. The way it sticks to other things.

 

4. The rubber has this property because its molecules are

a. of two different types.

b. elastic and flexible.

c. very long and thin.

d. connected very loosely.

C. Techno-Addicts

In just the same way that there is often a silver lining to a dark cloud, so there is a downside to any good thing. With modern technology like mobile phones and other digital devices, the downside is addiction. Some people’s leisure time and even working hours are becoming dominated by a constant checking for new e-mails and text messages. In extreme cases, people wake up two or three times a night to check.

As creatures of habit, people can get addicted to quite bizarre things, but due to the portability of this technology, it is a much more likely object of addiction than most. In our society, of course, these devices are extremely useful – indeed, some would say they were essential – and so finding a solution to the problem is far from simple. Trying to regulate the functions of these devices, as some people have suggested, might have some impact on the ways they are used and some economic consequences for the manufacturers, but it wouldn’t prevent the addiction. A better strategy would be to educate the user. Although I would stop short of new legislation posing restrictions, cautionary notes placed on the devices can be effective in notifying users of the risks of addiction. But whatever changes we make now, the pace of technological change means the future will inevitably throw up many further unforeseen problems.

5. In the writer’s opinion, what is the reason for techno-addiction?

a. You can take technological devices with you everywhere.

b. Modern technology is extremely fascinating.

Almost everybody owns technological devices.

d. Modern technology is very easy to use.

6. What does the writer think the best solution to techno-addiction is?

a. For manufacturers to provide warnings on technological devices.

b. To take measures considering what the future will hold.

c. To teach students about technology in schools.

     d. For the government to introduce laws to control what the devices can do.

LISTENING

I. You will hear part of a radio programme in which journalist Arabella Gordon talks about the phenomenon of technophobia. For questions 1-9, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.

1. People found the new machines to be threatening and                                                                              when
they first appeared in their places of work.

2. The new weaving machines were operated by                                                                              and
                                                                       .

3. The Frame Breaking Act was a law which brought in the death penalty for                                                        .

4. William Wordsworth and William Blake believed that the Industrial Revolution was spoiling
                                                                       .

5. A computer’s apparent ability                                                                              is perceived as a threat by
many people.

6. Arabella Gordon mentions science-fiction stories in which                                                                             
have human slaves.

7. In the UK, it is the low price of electronic typewriters that makes them attractive to
                                                                       . 

8. Typewriters are more popular in developing countries where there is a shortage of
                                                                       .

9. Frederick Forsyth was a                                                                              before he was a writer.