science and technology by eguriase s. m. okaka

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

BY EGURIASE S. M. OKAKA Man’s whole struggle in life is for survival. Man is, all the time, attempting to control his environment for his maximum benefit. Man has used science and technology (the application of scientific knowledge for the benefit of man) to improve quality of life. Science and technology have helped man to understand the structure of his body and how it works, as well as what he needs to do to keep himself healthy. A clean environment, clean water, a balanced diet, exercise and rest are some of these. In medicine, science has helped man in many ways. Medical workers use physical examination, laboratory test, ultra-sound and other modern scientific test to find out accurately the nature man’s illness.

Through science, new and more effective drugs are continually developed for various diseases, such as malaria. In agriculture, scientific knowledge has helped man to increase food production and improve food preservation. Mechanization has helped to put more land under cultivation. People today, travel long distances by car, lorry, or perhaps by aero plane, rather than on foot or horseback. Improved speed of travel is the result of science. Science and technology make it possible for us to communicate by telephone, satellite phone, mobile phone, video phone and facsimile (fax) or electronic mail (e-mail) via the internet. One can even watch a soccer match on television in Nigeria as it is being played in America, thanks to the new satellite communication facilities. At home, many modern household appliances develop through science and technology, help man to save energy and do many things more quickly and easily. These appliances include: washing machine, cookers, grinders, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, pressing irons and water heaters. Comprehension Questions • According to the passage, the essence of man’s entire struggles in life is A. Control. B. Staying alive. C. Studying science and technology. D. Trying to understand the structure of the human body. • To stay healthy, a person does not need to A. Eat a balanced diet B. Exercise his body. C. Live in a clean environment. D. Fly in an aircraft. • The word man as used in the first paragraph refers to A. Men only. B. Women only. C. Children only. D. Human beings generally. • In which of the following ways has science not helped man/ A. Using modern scientific tests to diagnose disease. B. Developing effective drugs C. Using ultrasound D. Determining what happens after death. • The word mechanization used in 4 means A. Using hoes and cutlasses to cultivate land. B. Using horses and mules to cultivate land. C. Using machinery to cultivate land. D. Employing mechanics to plant seeds on a large scale. • The author’s tone in this passage is one of A. Excitement. B. Double. C. Disappointment. D. Objectivity • How many ways of sending messages quickly are mentioned in the passage? A. Seven B. Six C. Four D. eight Identification of topic sentences A paragraph is a series of sentences which are organized, coherent and all related to a single topic. Among the sentences making up a paragraph, there is a sentence (or two sentences sometimes) which serves as a sentence as a summary of the paragraph by giving the gist or main idea of what the paragraph says. In other words, the topic sentence tells the reader in a brief way what the paragraph discusses. The topic sentence is usually the first or second sentence in a paragraph. Sometimes the topic sentence could be the last sentence. It rarely appears in the middle of a paragraph. In most paragraphs, what usually follows the topic sentence is a number of supporting sentence or ideas that develop the main idea or point specified in the topic sentence. The topic sentence of paragraph 1 in the passage ‘Science and Technology’ is the first sentence of the paragraph: ‘Man’s whole struggle in life is for survival’. Exercise Identify and write out the topic sentences for paragraph 2-6 of the ‘Science and Technology’. Vocabulary of science and technology The passage below has gaps numbers 1 – 10. Immediately following each gaps, four options are provided. Choose the most the suitable option for each gap. Science and technology have assisted the world in many ways through wonderful --------1--------- (A invention B intervention C intentions D creation). Virtually every nook and cranny of the world has felt the --------2--------- (A impart B feelings C impact D action) of science and technology. For instance, in the hospital, the -------3--------- (A technology B clinical C mechanical D mercury) thermometer can be used to measure the ---------4--------- (A coldness B hotness C temperature D warmth) of the body. Doctors use a --------5----------- (A stetoscope B strethoscope C microscope D stethoscope) to listen to heartbeats. In the laboratory, scientist use the ---------6---------- (A telescope B microscope C tinoscope D binoculars) to see tiny objects while ---------7---------- (A tools B machines C apparatuses D apparatus such as beakers, funnels, tripods, stands and burners are used to perform ----------8------------ (A experiments B experiences C magic D operations). At home, science and technology have also helped humans to cook food quickly using ----------9---------- (A microscope B macrowave C telewave D microwave) ovens and the use gas cooker with electric -----------10----------- (A recognition B ignision C ignition D matchbox) produces a flame, thereby saving the time, money and the energy expended on match. By Eguriase S. M. Okaka