High Tech Evolves

ANGLAIS SCIENTIFIQUE ET TECHNIQUE
Fiche de travail
Niveau : intermédiaire
OBJECTIFS
> COMPREHENSION GENERALE ET DETAILLEE D’UN ARTICLE DE PRESSE A COLORATION TECHNIQUE
> LEXIQUE : LES MOTS COMPOSES, LA SIGLAISON SUR LES FORUMS DE DISCUSSION
> SYNTAXE : PRONOMS & REFERENTS, LA FORME PASSIVE, LES AUXILIAIRES DE MODALITE, LA FORME
INTERROGATIVE
 1. Overall comprehension: read the passage, tick the right answer(s) and justify from the text
High Tech Evolves
More businesses are studying biology to solve complex management
and computing problems
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Software (1) engineers will tell you that the longer they labor to solve complex problems by manually writing code,
the more they respect the reasoning powers of the human brain. For years, artificial-intelligence researchers have gained
some of their most useful insights (2) from experts in brain function. And today the biological sciences are making
similar contributions to all sorts of technologies useful to business, from software that grows, heals and reproduces to
tiny carbon tubes that will allow computer transistors to shrink (3) to atomic dimensions even as they grow more
powerful.
Last month TIME convened (4) a five-member Board (5) of Technologists to discuss how evolutionary biology —
think of it as Earth's R. and D. department (6) — is influencing the way we build computers, write software and organize
companies. One member of our panel, Ray Kurzweil, an inventor, technology futurist and entrepreneur, observes that the
human brain has no single (7) chief executive officer (8) neuron. What gives the brain its power is not one boss but the
ability of billions of neurons to conduct trillions of operations instantaneously. In computer lingo (9), that's called
parallel processing, and it is something that today's man-made computers can accomplish only crudely (10). In
everything from biology to business, this principle — a complex whole created by simple parts — is called emergence.
Emergence has become a common way of thinking about the world: zillions (11) of little units — in this case neurons
15 — do their own thing but together make up an entity of almost unfathomable (12) complexity. Change the word neurons
to six-legged workers, and you'd have an ant colony. Change ants to online buyers and sellers, and you'd have eBay (13).
Change that to stock traders, and you'd have NASDAQ (14).
The five visionaries on our panel [...] offer a glimpse (15) of technologies — most of them already in use — that will
reshape (16) the way businesses are run and profits are made in the years ahead.
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Make 'Em Sweat
"It has become almost impossible for human beings to manage the kinds of information-technology systems that we
have created and we have foisted on (17) the rest of the world." —Paul Horn [from IBM]
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Here's a head scratcher. New products for enterprise computing come online daily, automating more and more human
activities, yet the networks are so complicated that companies must hire (18) an increasing number of IT specialists to
keep them running. Why not automate the automation?
It's a tough (19) job and one that will take much more effort than Horn and his 3,200 IBM researchers can muster
(20): it will take an entire global industry. Horn has begun a crusade to make a reality of what he calls autonomic
computing, a network equivalent to the body's autonomic nervous system. That's what tells your heart to beat faster when
you run to catch a bus or tells you to sweat when you are hot.
Time Magazine, Jun. 10, 2002. By ERIC ROSTON.
Time - High Tech Evolves, June 10 - 2002
 1. Overall comprehension: read the passage, tick the right answer(s) and justify from the text
After reading the text, answer the following True/False questions. Tick the right box and justify your
answers by quoting from the text.
1. The studies of experts in brain function are useful to artificial-intelligence researchers.
 T .......................................................................................................................................................................
F ........................................................................................................................................................................
2. The way we organize society and the world is influenced by our knowledge of the human body.
 T .......................................................................................................................................................................
F ........................................................................................................................................................................
3. Specialists draw a parallel between biology and advanced computer data processing.
 T .......................................................................................................................................................................
F ........................................................................................................................................................................
4. The brain, like computers, functions with only one main neuron.
T ........................................................................................................................................................................
 F .......................................................................................................................................................................
5. The concept of Emergence consists in creating a complex system by putting together different parts
dedicated to various tasks.
 T .......................................................................................................................................................................
F ........................................................................................................................................................................
6. The new technologies based on the concept of Emergence will not influence the world of business
and trade in the future.
T ........................................................................................................................................................................
 F .......................................................................................................................................................................
7. It is getting harder and harder to manage our information systems on a global scale.
 T .......................................................................................................................................................................
F ........................................................................................................................................................................
8. Nowadays, it is relatively difficult to find new electronic administration tools online.
T ........................................................................................................................................................................
 F .......................................................................................................................................................................
9. Specialists from all over the world must work together to improve I.T. systems significantly.
 T .......................................................................................................................................................................
F ........................................................................................................................................................................
10. A global network based on autonomic computing can be compared to the human nervous system.
 T .......................................................................................................................................................................
F ........................................................................................................................................................................
 2. Grammar in context
a) Á qui/quoi les pronoms suivants réfèrent-ils ?
1. They (l.2) software engineers
2. They (l.5) computer transistors
3. Their (l.15) zillions of units
4. Them (l.18) technologies
5. Them (l.25) networks
6. You (l.29) pronom générique
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Time - High Tech Evolves, June 10 - 2002
b) Reformuler les énoncés suivants en utilisant un auxiliaire de modalité
1. Today, it is obligatory for many companies to hire specialists to manage their I.T. systems.
Companies MUST hire IT specialists.
2. It is possible to compare complex I.T. systems to the human brain.
The human brain CAN be compared to complex IT systems.
3. Perhaps in the future computers will control entire sectors of the economy.
Computers MAY control entire sectors of the economy.
4. It has become almost impossible for human beings to manage the kinds of information-technology
systems that we have created (l.21-22).
Human beings CANNOT manage the...
5. I am sure that lots of online buyers are totally addicted to Ebay.
Lots of online buyers MUST be addicted to Ebay.
c) Transposer les énoncés suivants à l'actif ou au passif
1. This principle [...] is called emergence.
They call this principle emergence.
2. These technologies [...] will reshape the way businesses are run and profits are made.
The way businesses are run and profits are made will be reshaped.
3. Companies hire an increasing number of I.T. specialists.
An increasing number of I.T. specialists are hired by companies.
4. Horn has begun a crusade to make a reality of what he calls autonomic computing.
A crusade has been started (by Horn) to...
5. Evolutionary biology [...] is influencing the way we build computers.
The way we build computers is being influenced by Evolutionary biology.
 3. Vocabulary
a) Find in the text the English equivalents of the following words
b) Give the French equivalents of the following words
Utile
Unique
Fabriqué par l'homme
Jargon
Un ensemble
Incompréhensible
Un aperçu
Refondre
Un casse-tête
useful
a head scratcher
Software (l.1)
To solve (l.1)
To grow (l.4)
Tiny (l.5)
Board (l.7)
R. & D. (l.8)
Billions (l.11)
Trillions (l.12)
Zillions (l.14)
Réseaux
Transpirer
networks
to sweat
An ant colony (l.16)
Stock traders (l.17)
man-made
lingo
a whole
unfathomable
a glimpse
c) Pick up in the article the 4 verbs that refer to the functioning of the human body:
grows, heals, reproduces, sweat
d) Commenter la forme soulignée dans l'énoncé suivant : Make 'Em Sweat (l.20)
Them (troncation)
f) Find the meaning of the following abbreviations used on web forums:
AFAIK - As Far As I Know
ASAP - As Soon As Possible
B4 - Before
B4N - Before now
4U - For you
IKWUM - I know what you mean
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logiciel
résoudre
pousser / grandir
minuscule
commission
recherche et dvlp
milliards
milliards de milliards
des quantités
gigantesques
fourmilière
des courtiers
Time - High Tech Evolves, June 10 - 2002
IMHO - In my humble opinion
IMO - In my opinion
IOW - In other words
LOL - Lots of laughs OR Laughing out loud
RTFM - Read The “Freaking” Manual
TNX or TXS – Thanks
2L8 - Too late
 4. Formuler les questions qui correspondent aux segments soulignés
a) The biological sciences are making similar contributions to all sorts of technologies useful to
business [...] (l.3/4)
What are they (biological sciences) making?
What are they making similar contributions to?
b) [...] evolutionary biology is influencing the way we build computers, write software and organize
companies (l.7/8)
What is influencing the way we build computers, write software and organize companies?
What is it (EB) influencing?
c) [...] that's called parallel processing [...] (l.11/12)
What is it called?
d) New products for enterprise computing come online daily [...] (l.23)
What come online daily?
How often do new products come online?
e) [...] companies must hire (18) an increasing number of IT specialists to keep them running (l.24/25)
Who must hire (18) an increasing number of IT specialists to keep them running?
Who must they hire?
Why must they hire an increasing number of specialists?
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