ING RED

It’s that time of year again: the insects are back. But this summer we’re seeing a new breed of flying bug -- robotic bees! Inspired by actual flying insects, a team at Harvard University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have just successfully tested the RoboBee, an autonomous, robotic bug that can fly. According to the text, why will this summer be different to any other?. The number of flying insect species will most certainly double. Robotic devices will take over the insect world. A robotic device which emulates flying insects is expected to be the talk of the day. Bees and other flying insects will be substituted by robotic devices.

It’s that time of year again: the insects are back. But this summer we’re seeing a new breed of flying bug -- robotic bees! Inspired by actual flying insects, a team at Harvard University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have just successfully tested the RoboBee, an autonomous, robotic bug that can fly. How many branches of science have been involved in developing the prototype?. One. Two. Three. Four.

Possessing the same size, mass and weight of a large house fly or bumble bee, the RoboBee will eventually have the ability to fly around in large swarms and perform beneficial tasks, like assisting humans in agricultural production and exploring hazardous environments. But that is still 20 to 30 years away, says Prof. Robert Wood, who leads the Harvard team of researchers and students responsible for creating and testing the RoboBee. What are we told about the RoboBee?. It possesses some characteristics of flying insects. It feeds from the same sources as other flying insect. There are no apparent differences between a real insect and the artificial prototype. It has better flying abilities than any other insect with similar characteristics.

Possessing the same size, mass and weight of a large house fly or bumble bee, the RoboBee will eventually have the ability to fly around in large swarms and perform beneficial tasks, like assisting humans in agricultural production and exploring hazardous environments. But that is still 20 to 30 years away, says Prof. Robert Wood, who leads the Harvard team of researchers and students responsible for creating and testing the RoboBee. What uses could the RoboBee have?. To assist humans in their activities. To improve pollination of certain endangered plants. It is a chance to test new technologies. It is not specified.

Possessing the same size, mass and weight of a large house fly or bumble bee, the RoboBee will eventually have the ability to fly around in large swarms and perform beneficial tasks, like assisting humans in agricultural production and exploring hazardous environments. But that is still 20 to 30 years away, says Prof. Robert Wood, who leads the Harvard team of researchers and students responsible for creating and testing the RoboBee. When could this robotic device be developed on a commercial scale?. Within the next twenty years. At least a decade from now. Before the year is out. Two decades from now at the earliest.

For now, RoboBee is tethered to a power source and controlled by a computer inside a lab to ten seconds before breaking. One of their initial goals was get the RoboBee to hover, which proved exceedingly difficult because the fragile robots are unstable. Wood said the RoboBee can now fly up “One of the reasons we love this project is because it has so many engineering challenges,” Wood said,” we are trying to solve these interesting problems, ranging from microfabrication, small-scale power, new sensors, new actuators, new forms of computation, [and] coordination algorithms.” What was the biggest challenge when the development of the RoboBee began?. To obtain funding for such an extravagant project. To get the device to hang steady without moving either back or forth. To achieve optimum flying weight. To get the device to fly both forwards and backwards.

Wood said Wood said “One of the reasons we love this project is because it has so many engineering challenges.” Wood began the project more than 10 years ago as PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley. He said he got the idea from a documentary about disappearing bee colonies: “My colleagues had recently seen a documentary called ‘The Silence of the Bees,’ which was describing this colony collapse disorder. We thought, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be great if there was some way we could engineer some sort of assistance to this.” The founder of the project is …. certain the results will have no scientific value. hopeful that manned flights will soon be a possibility. passionate about his work. skeptical about the success this venture will have.

Wood said Wood said “One of the reasons we love this project is because it has so many engineering challenges.” Wood began the project more than 10 years ago as PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley. He said he got the idea from a documentary about disappearing bee colonies: “My colleagues had recently seen a documentary called ‘The Silence of the Bees,’ which was describing this colony collapse disorder. We thought, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be great if there was some way we could engineer some sort of assistance to this.” Where did the idea for this project come from?. A television programme. A radio show. A family reunion. A university lecture.

Woods continued his research on the RoboBee at Harvard after joining its faculty. He said his team’s biggest obstacle was inventing the micro-technology required to fabricate robots of this scale. All of the actuators, wings and mechanisms inside the robots were made from scratch. Why was this project so demanding for everyone involved?. Not everyone who is participating is working with the same objectives in mind. The technology necessary to make the project a success is exceedingly expensive. Most of the mechanisms used had to be specifically hand-crafted. Some of the scientists developed an allergy to the device.

“What really gets us excited [are] the fundamental technologies that needed to be developed along the way,” Woods said. Beyond the technological implications of the RoboBee, he hopes a project this cool will attract swarms of kids to the engineering field. What additional benefits is the founder of the project hoping for?. To be recognized worldwide. To win the Nobel Prize for engineering science. To attract young people to take an interest in engineering. To sell the finished product to teenagers.

Technology is changing at a rapid pace. Within a short span of time, we have witnessed a vast change in the technological sector, and its impact on our daily lives can be felt. With the rate at which the technology is evolving, it is hard to predict what will happen in the near future. What is today everyone’s handy gadget may not be so tomorrow. With the passage of time and the evolution of technology, new products will appear in the market but only a few will reign, the rest will disappear. However, the change they introduce into our lives will remain, or in other words, the changes in the technology will change our lives. Of that we can be sure as we have already experienced them. According to the text, why is it difficult to predict the future of technology?. Because only a few people are interested in technology. Because technology develops so quickly. Because most devices are never useful. Because people resist new inventions.

Technology is changing at a rapid pace. Within a short span of time, we have witnessed a vast change in the technological sector, and its impact on our daily lives can be felt. With the rate at which the technology is evolving, it is hard to predict what will happen in the near future. What is today everyone’s handy gadget may not be so tomorrow. With the passage of time and the evolution of technology, new products will appear in the market but only a few will reign, the rest will disappear. However, the change they introduce into our lives will remain, or in other words, the changes in the technology will change our lives. Of that we can be sure as we have already experienced them. What does the text suggest about the impact of technological products?. Most products remain popular for a very long time. New products have no lasting influence on our lives. Only the most successful products stay, but all bring some kind of change. Technology has little effect on people’s daily lives.

Technology has changed the life of all those who have come in contact with it. Some changes are more direct tan others and their effect more permanent. Such to the extent that it changes the way we perceive things and in fact, it determines how we get along in life. What these technologies are that actually cause such major changes in the life of a person can’t be exactly pointed out as every one of us are influenced by different technologies and other non-technological things. But nevertheless, we are very much affected by the technological changes that assist us in our daily lives. Our lives have been influenced to a point of no return by these advances in devices and services. According to the text, how has technology affected people’s lives?. It has had little impact on how people live. It has transformed lives to the point that there is no turning back. It has only changed the way people communicate. It has made life more difficult for most people.

Doubling the efficiency of solar devices would completely change the economics of renewable energy. Here is a design that just might make it possible. Harry Atwater thinks his lab can make an affordable device that produces more than twice the solar power generated by today’s panels. The feat is possible, says the Caltech professor of materials science and applied physics, because of recent advances in the ability to manipulate light at a very small scale. According to the article, it has been reported that ... there is a possibility that solar devices might double their actual efficiency. renewable energy companies are halving the price for solar devices. solar devices are not as efficient as they were thought to be. the efficiency of solar panels cannot be improved.

Doubling the efficiency of solar devices would completely change the economics of renewable energy. Here is a design that just might make it possible. Harry Atwater thinks his lab can make an affordable device that produces more than twice the solar power generated by today’s panels. The feat is possible, says the Caltech professor of materials science and applied physics, because of recent advances in the ability to manipulate light at a very small scale. Why might it be possible to double the amount of energy produced by a solar panel?. Because the size of a solar panel can now be doubled. It is now possible to manipulate light in a way that was previously impossible. Semi conducting materials used to build solar panels are now of a better quality. Converting solar energy into electricity has been simplified.

Solar panels on the market today consist of cells made from a single semiconducting material, usually silicon. Since the material absorbs only a narrow band of the solar spectrum, much of sunlight’s energy is lost as heat: these panels typically convert less than 20 percent of that energy into electricity. But the device that Atwater and his colleagues have in mind would have an efficiency of at least 50 percent. It would use a design that efficiently splits sunlight, as a prism does, into six to eight component wavelengths—each one of which produces a different colour of light. Each colour would then be dispersed to a cell made of a semiconductor that can absorb it. Solar panels today are ... sometimes made using silicon. rarely made from silicon. mostly made from silicon. always made using silicon.

Solar panels on the market today consist of cells made from a single semiconducting material, usually silicon. Since the material absorbs only a narrow band of the solar spectrum, much of sunlight’s energy is lost as heat: these panels typically convert less than 20 percent of that energy into electricity. But the device that Atwater and his colleagues have in mind would have an efficiency of at least 50 percent. It would use a design that efficiently splits sunlight, as a prism does, into six to eight component wavelengths—each one of which produces a different colour of light. Each colour would then be dispersed to a cell made of a semiconductor that can absorb it. What happens to most of the solar energy absorbed by conventional solar panels?. It is converted into electricity. It is stored in the solar cells. It is refracted by a mirror coating. It is lost.

Solar panels on the market today consist of cells made from a single semiconducting material, usually silicon. Since the material absorbs only a narrow band of the solar spectrum, much of sunlight’s energy is lost as heat: these panels typically convert less than 20 percent of that energy into electricity. But the device that Atwater and his colleagues have in mind would have an efficiency of at least 50 percent. It would use a design that efficiently splits sunlight, as a prism does, into six to eight component wavelengths—each one of which produces a different colour of light. Each colour would then be dispersed to a cell made of a semiconductor that can absorb it. How much solar energy is converted into electricity in a conventional panel?. Less than a fifth of the energy absorbed. Under a quarter of the energy absorbed. Over a fifth of the energy absorbed. Less than a third of the energy absorbed.

Atwater’s team is working on three designs. In one, for which the group has made a prototype, sunlight is collected by a reflective metal trough and directed at a specific angle into a structure made of a transparent insulating material. Coating the outside of the transparent structure are multiple solar cells, each made from one of six to eight different semiconductors. Once light enters the material, it encounters a series of thin optical filters. Each one allows a single colour to pass through to illuminate a cell that can absorb it; the remaining colours are reflected toward other filters designed to let them through. How does the new design mentioned differ from that used in conventional solar panels?. It magnifies natural light before it reaches the solar cells. It filters one colour from the spectrum of light. It divides light into several colours. It compresses natural light through coloured filters.

Atwater’s team is working on three designs. In one, for which the group has made a prototype, sunlight is collected by a reflective metal trough and directed at a specific angle into a structure made of a transparent insulating material. Coating the outside of the transparent structure are multiple solar cells, each made from one of six to eight different semiconductors. Once light enters the material, it encounters a series of thin optical filters. Each one allows a single colour to pass through to illuminate a cell that can absorb it; the remaining colours are reflected toward other filters designed to let them through. What purpose do the optical filters have?. They protect the cell from harmful solar radiation. They help to keep the solar cell cool. The aim of each filter is to let a single colour through. Functioning in unison, the filters allow only a single colour to pass through.

In the first prototype, sunlight is collected by a reflective metal trough and directed at a specific angle into a structure made of a transparent insulating material. Another design would employ nanoscale optical filters that could filter light coming from all angles. And a third would use a hologram instead of filters to split the spectrum. While the designs are different, the basic idea is the same: combine conventionally designed cells with optical techniques to efficiently harness sunlight’s broad spectrum and waste much less of its energy. What do the three designs mentioned have in common?. They all use nanoscale optical filters. Each one relies on conventional solar cells combined with optical methods. They all replace conventional solar cells completely. Each design produces electricity from heat instead of light.

It’s not yet clear which design will offer the best performance, says Atwater. But the devices envisioned would be less complex than many electronics on the market today, he says, which makes him confident that once a compelling prototype is fabricated and optimized, it could be commercialized in a practical way. Apart from efficiency, what other advantage do the new designs have?. They are made using cheaper materials in comparison to conventional panels. They allow solar panels to be much smaller than the ones currently available. Overall, they are much simpler. They can be set up to function anywhere.

The project by WWW Foundation aims to help people in rural Africa access the web: ➢ The system allows people to access the web using radio and mobile phones. ➢ The project ends later this month, but three of the partners will continue to collaborate. ➢ They will publish open-source software to encourage take-up What is the purpose of the project being developed by World Wide Web Foundation in Africa?. To set up a profitable internet business for locals. To allow people living in the countryside who cannot read or write, to access the internet. To improve connectivity and data transfer. To teach people living in rural communities how to read and write through free web applications.

The project by WWW Foundation aims to help people in rural Africa access the web: ➢ The system allows people to access the web using radio and mobile phones. ➢ The project ends later this month, but three of the partners will continue to collaborate. ➢ They will publish open-source software to encourage take-up When will the funding for this project cease?. In the current month. Next month. As soon as the budget allocated to this project runs out. By next autumn.

Funding for a project to deliver voice-based technologies that enable illiterate people in rural Africa to access the web – even those without an Internet connection or a computer – is ending this month and a drive is on to ensure that the technologies will be freely available after it finishes. The project's 13 partners aim to support remote communities by creating spoken web content accessed through mobile phones or radio. Pilot services were built in collaboration with farmers, radio journalists and local ICT entrepreneurs. The partners will also publish open-source software. Who of the following are NOT mentioned as collaborating in the development of the web-based project?. People who work the land and rear animals as a way of making a living. People who work in broadcasting. Local people with technology-based businesses. Wealthy tribal chiefs.

Funding for a project to deliver voice-based technologies that enable illiterate people in rural Africa to access the web – even those without an Internet connection or a computer – is ending this month and a drive is on to ensure that the technologies will be freely available after it finishes. The project's 13 partners aim to support remote communities by creating spoken web content accessed through mobile phones or radio. Pilot services were built in collaboration with farmers, radio journalists and local ICT entrepreneurs. The partners will also publish open-source software. What other advantage does this project have to offer those who want to develop similar projects?. The software used, will soon be available for free. The project software specialists will remain in the country for another three years. It provides access to a tailor-made funding programme, tailor made. Access to the necessary software can be paid for in small monthly instalments.

A number of pilot systems were developed as part of the US$4 million project called VOICES (Voice-based Community-Centric mobile Services) that was launched in 2011. It is managed by the World Wide Web Foundation, which works to ensure universal web access, in partnership with NGOs, universities and telecommunications companies. The VOICES project has done several pilots in two key sectors: ones to do with health in Senegal and agriculture-based schemes in Mali. Where did the Foundation run the initial tests of the software systems it had been developing?. In British hospitals. In two African countries. In American agricultural regions. Across the whole of Africa.

The VOICES project has done several pilots in two key sectors: ones to do with health in Senegal and agriculture-based schemes in Mali. The ones in Mali were implemented - and will continue - in Burkina Faso and Ghana. Several voice-based services, including a virtual farmers' market, a voice-based messaging system and a citizen journalism platform have been launched, allowing illiterate people in Africa to access information and to run businesses. What makes this system uniquely different to the usual method of data transfer through the internet?. It uses voice messaging to send and receive data to and from any mobile device. It can translate any African dialect whether it is written or spoken. It uses video recordings to communicate information between users. It uses a dedicated satellite solely for this purpose.

The free, open-source voice-based technologies could be deployed to bridge the digital gap anywhere, the team says. This means that it opens opportunities for people who are illiterate or lack an Internet connection. One example, Radio Marché - Market Radio - is a trading system that helps farmers in Mali find buyers for products such as shea nuts, honey and tamarind by turning market information sent via phone into a computer-generated voice message broadcast on local community radio. How has trading benefited from this technological tool?. Products can now be advertised using local broadcasting services. Local farmers can put their prices up. Weather forecasts can be used to plan harvests. Products can now be bought online.

"We use existing channels - mobile phones and radio - as interfaces to the web and allow people to create content in their local languages," says Anna Bon, senior information and communications technology advisor at the VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands, one of the project partners. In which of the following countries is one of the project partners based?. France. Belgium. Holland. Hungary.

Last year, VOICES researchers created a tool for citizen journalism called Foroba Blon, which enabled people in Ghana and Kenya to add content to news organization Al Jazeera's website by submitting oral reports about any disruptions during the countries' elections. The system allowed people to simply call and talk in their local languages without logging in to the website. Then their audio messages were uploaded to the site for others to listen to. “Foro Bablon” is a tool which allows users to …. type in their comments. upload photos. leave voice messages. pay for items bought online.

According to the text, why will this summer be different to any other?. The number of flying insect species will most certainly double. Robotic devices will take over the insect world. A robotic device which emulates flying insects is expected to be the talk of the day. Bees and other flying insects will be substituted by robotic devices.

How many branches of science have been involved in developing the prototype?. One. Two. Three. Four.

What are we told about the RoboBee?. It possesses some characteristics of flying insects. It feeds from the same sources as other flying insect. There are no apparent differences between a real insect and the artificial prototype. It has better flying abilities than any other insect with similar characteristics.

What uses could the RoboBee have?. To assist humans in their activities. To improve pollination of certain endangered plants. It is a chance to test new technologies. It is not specified.

When could this robotic device be developed on a commercial scale?. Within the next twenty years. At least a decade from now. Before the year is out. Two decades from now at the earliest.

What was the biggest challenge when the development of the RoboBee began?. To obtain funding for such an extravagant project. To get the device to hang steady without moving either back or forth. To achieve optimum flying weight. To get the device to fly both forwards and backwards.

The founder of the project is …. certain the results will have no scientific value. hopeful that manned flights will soon be a possibility. passionate about his work. skeptical about the success this venture will have.

Where did the idea for this project come from?. A television programme. A radio show. A family reunion. A university lecture.

Why was this project so demanding for everyone involved?. Not everyone who is participating is working with the same objectives in mind. The technology necessary to make the project a success is exceedingly expensive. Most of the mechanisms used had to be specifically hand-crafted. Some of the scientists developed an allergy to the device.

What additional benefits is the founder of the project hoping for?. To be recognized worldwide. To win the Nobel Prize for engineering science. To attract young people to take an interest in engineering. To sell the finished product to teenagers.

According to the article, it has been reported that ... there is a possibility that solar devices might reach twice their actual efficiency. renewable energy companies are halving the price for solar devices. solar devices are not as efficient as they were thought to be. the efficiency of solar panels cannot be improved.

Why might it be possible to double the amount of energy produced by a solar panel?. Because the size of a solar panel can now be doubled. It is now possible to manipulate light in a way that was previously impossible. Semi conducting materials used to build solar panels are now of a better quality. Converting solar energy into electricity has been simplified.

Solar panels today are ... sometimes made using silicon. rarely made from silicon. mostly made from silicon. always made using silicon.

What happens to most of the solar energy absorbed by conventional solar panels?. It is converted into electricity. It is stored in the solar cells. It is refracted by a mirror coating. It is lost.

How much solar energy is converted into electricity in a conventional panel?. Less than a fifth of the energy absorbed. Under a quarter of the energy absorbed. Over a fifth of the energy absorbed. Less than a third of the energy absorbed.

How does the new design mentioned differ from that used in conventional solar panels?. It magnifies natural light before it reaches the solar cells. It filters one colour from the spectrum of light. It divides light into several colours. It compresses natural light through coloured filters.

Of the three designs mentioned, how many have been made?. None. One. Two. Three.

What purpose do the optical filters have?. They protect the cell from harmful solar radiation. They help to keep the solar cell cool. The aim of each filter is to let a single colour through. Functioning in unison, the filters allow only a single colour to pass through.

Which of the designs uses a hologram to manipulate light?. The last one mentioned. It is used in each of the three mentioned. The second design mentioned uses a hologram. None of them use a hologram.

Apart from efficiency, what other advantage do the new designs have?. They are made using cheaper materials in comparison to conventional panels. They allow solar panels to be much smaller than the ones currently available. Overall, they are much simpler. They can be set up to function anywhere.

What is the purpose of the project being developed by World Wide Web Foundation in Africa?. To set up a profitable internet business for locals. To allow people living in the countryside who can not read or write, to access the internet. To improve connectivity and data transfer. To teach people living in rural communities how to read and write through free web applications.

When will the funding for this project cease?. In the current month. Next month. As soon as the budget allocated to this project runs out. By next autumn.

Who of the following are NOT mentioned as collaborating in the development of the web-based project?. People who work the land and rear animals as a way of making a living. People who work in broadcasting. Local people with technology-based businesses. Wealthy tribal chiefs.

What other advantage does this project have to offer those who want to develop similar projects?. The software used, will soon be available for free. The project software specialists will remain in the country for another three years. It provides access to a tailor-made funding programme, tailor made. Access to the necessary software can be paid for in small monthly instalments.

Where did the Foundation run the initial tests of the software systems it had been developing?. In British hospitals. In two African countries. In American agricultural regions. Across the whole of Africa.

What makes this system uniquely different to the usual method of data transfer through the internet?. It uses voice messaging to send and receive data to and from any mobile device. It can translate any African dialect whether it is written or spoken. It uses video recordings to communicate information between users. It uses a dedicated satellite solely for this purpose.

How has trading benefited from this technological tool?. Products can now be advertised using local broadcasting services. Local farmers can put their prices up. Weather forecasts can be used to plan harvests. Products can now be bought online.

In which of the following countries is one of the project partners based?. France. Belgium. Holland. Hungary.

What are the similarities between the traditional means of communication and the modern methods available today?. They are equally effective in sending information over great distances. Both of them use sound to communicate. Neither of them has the need to use electricity to function. Both of them require the user to write.

“Foro Bablon” is a tool which allows users to …. type in their comments. upload photos. leave voice messages. pay for items bought online.