Science and technology ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)

 

ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)

UNIT 36

Science and technology

 

A	Technology in business Scientists and technologists are pushing back the frontiers1 of knowledge every day. Scientists publish their findings2 and they are developed into commercial applications. We have become very skilled at harnessing3 technology in all sorts of creative ways. New cutting-edge design4 is transforming our daily lives and our businesses. But things do not always run smoothly5. There can be difficulties installing equipment and hardware can suffer from wear and tear6. Viruses can cause systems to crash and lead to the loss of important data. A power cut may cause machinery to lose power and production may be halted until power is restored. If computers have to be shut down7 for even a short time, it can cause a variety of problems. 1 extending the limits 2 results 3 making use of 4 the most innovative design 5 work without problems 6 damage caused by ordinary use 7 switched off completely Common mistakes • Findings is almost always used in the plural. Scientists publish their findings, NOT finding. • Research is uncountable. They published some interesting research, NOT researches.
B	Innovations ••• <  > We asked you to tell us which technical innovation has most improved your life. ü I never carry much ‘real money’. I just put a card in a slot and enter my PIN. ü It's so much easier to swipe a card than use a traditional key. ü Remember when you had to rush out to the bank in your lunch hour? Online banking is fantastic. ü My music collection used to take up a whole wall of my room. Now I’ve got far more music stored on my phone. ü How did people manage without mobile phones? I love downloading new apps! ü Wi-Fi hotspots1 are fantastic – I can easily get online using my own laptop. ü I travel a lot and it’s great to be able to get remote access to my email. ü Remember when you had to get off the sofa to switch channels on your black and white TV? Now you turn your huge flat-screen TV on and off by remote control! ü High-definition TV – the picture is fantastic compared with before. ü I use satnav2 in the car all the time – much easier than looking at a paper map. 1 public places where people can access the internet via a wireless signal 2 short for satellite navigation
	Tip go to www.newscientist.com and click on a link that appeals to you.

 

EXERCISES

 

36.1	Look at A. Correct the collocation errors in these sentences. In some sentences there is more than one error. 1 If you switch off your computer without shutting it properly, you may lose data. 2 I didn’t expect everything to run gently in my new job but I didn’t imagine it would be quite as difficult as it was. 3 Alex had some technical problems initiating his new computer equipment. 4 The company is famous for its cutting-side design. 5 If they’d serviced their machines regularly, they wouldn’t have had to halt producing. 6 Vic dreams of making a discovery that would help to push out the frontiers of science. 7 Scientists usually publicise their findings in academic journals. 8 There was a power break this morning. The power went off at ten and it wasn’t restorated till midday. 9 Noah loves pure research but his brother is more interested in the application of research to practical projects and in harassing new technology for commercial ends. 10 They carried out researches over a ten-year period and finally published their finding this month.
36.2	What are the people in the pictures doing? Answer using a collocation from B.
36.3	Answer these questions using collocations from the opposite page. 1 What three technological developments have made watching television a better experience? 2 What might happen if the computer systems in a company suddenly became overloaded, or there was a serious problem with the software or hardware? 3 Is it always necessary for people to visit the bank personally to do their business? 4 What might you try to find at an airport if you, say, wanted to check your email from your own laptop? 5 You want to watch TV but a boring programme has come on. What do you do? 6 You are tired of performing the same tasks on your phone. You want something different. What can you do? 7 What eventually happens to electrical items that you use a lot?
36.4	Use a dictionary to help you answer the questions. 1 What collocations with screen can be used to mean (a) TV and (b) the cinema? 2 What can online collocate with as well as shopping and banking? 3 What can remote collocate with as well as access and control?

 

ANSWER KEY

 

36.1 1 If you switch off your computer without shutting it down properly, you may lose data. 2 I didn’t expect everything to run smoothly in my new job but I didn’t imagine it would be quite so difficult as it was. 3 Alex had some technical problems installing his new computer equipment. 4 The company is famous for its cutting-edge design. 5 If they’d serviced their machines regularly, they wouldn’t have had to halt production. 6 Vic dreams of making a discovery that would help to push back the frontiers of science. 7 Scientists usually publish their findings in academic journals. 8 There was a power cut this morning. The power went off at ten and it wasn’t restored till midday. 9 Noah loves pure research but his brother is more interested in the application of research to practical projects and in harnessing new technology for commercial ends. 10 They carried out research over a ten-year period and finally published their findings this month.   36.2 1 She’s swiping a card. 2 He’s entering his PIN. 3 He’s using satnav. 4 She’s switching TV channels by remote control.   36.3 1 high-definition TV (HD TV), flat screen TV and remote controls 2 The systems might crash. 3 No, online banking is now available at most banks. 4 a Wi-Fi hotspot 5 switch channels 6 download a new app 7 They suffer from wear and tear.   36.4 1 (a) the small screen (b) the big screen (also the silver screen) 2 online dictionary / education / course / magazine 3 remote mountain village / past / possibility / manner