Bionic bodies

A: Robotics, the science of designing and operating robots, is well documented. What is perhaps less well known is the effect this has had on people. Today, the science of prosthetics – part medicine and part engineering – has made the fitting of elaborately functioning prosthetic limbs and joints commonplace. Orthopaedic surgeons routinely replace malfunctioning hips and knees when those joints wear out or succumb to disease. Surgery to fit artificial shoulders, slowly developed during the past 30 years, is no longer rare. What is new are the advances made in bionic prostheses – new limbs which can be attached to a patient’s existing nerves and that work as hands, arms, legs or feet, no longer simply plastic replacements but functioning, useful appendages.

B: For Campbell Baird, a Scottish hotelier, the news that he would have to have his arm amputated was devastating. He could no longer keep his job and drastic changes had to be made in how he lived. Given the accelerating rate of cancer that would have taken more than just his arm, Mr Baird had little option. Now, however, he has been offered a chance to recover some of his old abilities as a solution has arrived in the form of a robotic prosthesis – a new arm powered by complex electronics which permit the wearer to control movement through micro switches and pressure points. The new limb allows Mr Baird to carry out functions that for 16 years he had found impossible.

C: Although admitting that the bionic arm was no match for the real thing, Dr David Gow, who has led the research project for 10 years, commented that bionic limbs are superior to more traditional limb replacements as they restore a biological function controlled by electronics rather than nerves. Bionic limbs require considerable electrical power to operate and it is only the development of advanced new motors in recent years that has allowed the researchers to make the step forward. With four basic functions, the limb Mr Baird was fitted with has been given an additional degree of realism by covering it with a thin, flexible covering the colour of skin. There are even wrinkles and fingerprints. At a cost of $32 000 it will take some time before such prostheses are available to the general public.

D: Certainly an amazing story, but not perhaps as amazing as that of Denise Monroe, an 11-year-old American girl born without shoulders or arms. Before her operation, she used her feet to do everything, including, writing, eating, and even brushing her teeth. Revolutionary new technology allowed scientists to recreate shoulder sockets to which the bionic arms can be attached. The only problem that really remains is financial. For Denise, the $210 000 needed for her operation was raised by charity but there are many more people on the waiting list.

E: Slightly less expensive is progress currently being made with regard to artificial internal organs. Although many versions are in early experimental stages, it is advancing fast, and some are already in general circulation. At least three new implanted heart devices are now undergoing clinical trials, and the eyes, the liver and other organs are all being researched.

F: Bionic ears, or cochlear implants, have a long history, too. The first primitive versions were implanted in 1957 and thousands of hearing-impaired people are now using far more sophisticated versions. One of many such devices, the Clarion, has an external sound processor which converts incoming sounds to digital code, then transmits the code in sound waves to the ‘bionic ear’, sited beneath the skin at the side of the head. From there a thin internal electrode winds through the cochlea past the damaged hair cells, and sends the coded signals directly to the acoustic nerve at a million impulses a second

Look at the following statements and decide if they are right or wrong according to the information given.

Write

TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage.

16. A better understanding of the causes of amnesia has allowed researchers to find cures.
17. Older people are more likely to suffer from amnesia.
18. Some forms of amnesia are self-induced.

Questions 19 – 23

Match a type of amnesia with a description.

1. more isolated than other forms
2. failure of short-term or recent memory
3. clear memories only since the onset of amnesia
4. the result of the sufferer’s habits
5. possibly a result of temporary blood- flow problems.

Working from home

A: Can you feel your anxiety and stress levels increasing every time you get caught in a traffic jam? Do you find it difficult to control your tongue when your boss points out your shortcomings yet again? Do you just not have the right kind of office attire, hate spending hours shopping for it and, frankly, would feel much better if you only had more independence, more freedom, more flexible hours and fewer people on your back? Do you yearn for state-of-the-art technology in your home, that … wait for it … you haven’t had to pay for? If you are shouting an enthusiastic ‘Yes!’ in answer to these questions, then it could be time to make a career and life change that may not even require you to quit your job. Just suggest to your boss that you wish to become one of the new breed of executives whose office is based at home.

B: Working from home is a relatively new phenomenon, but is becoming an increasingly popular option with both businesses and employees. The technology available to us now means that we no longer need to be in the same office building as our colleagues to communicate effectively with each other. E-mail, video conferencing, mobile telephones and more, mean that we can do business just as efficiently, regardless of our location.

C: Companies may choose to employ a proportion of their staff as home-based workers, as, of course, a workforce set up in such a way requires far less office space and fewer parking facilities. The fixed costs of a business can be dramatically reduced. Employees can enjoy the added benefits of freedom to schedule the day as they choose and freedom to spend more time at home with their families. Working from home can be a particularly valid option for young mothers who wish to pursue their careers but find it impossible to be out of the house for nine or ten hours per day.

D: We can even go so far as to say that the working-from-home phenomenon could be one of the answers to the pollution problems which the modern world has inflicted upon itself. Fewer people travelling to work every day equals fewer cars. Fewer cars, of course, equates to lower CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Governments have been trying for years to persuade us to forsake our private car journey to work each day for the hideous experience of a crowded bus or train, but this is still unpopular. Most of us have been resistant, even when parking fees in city areas have been on the rise and unpredictable traffic patterns mean we have to leave our house 30 minutes earlier than necessary anyway. But working from home gives us no excuse whatsoever to emit CO2 into the atmosphere twice a day in our working week.

E: But what are the drawbacks to working from home? There must be some or everybody would be doing it. For many of us, work is a means of escaping our nearest and dearest and making our own mark on the world. The relationships we have with our colleagues, be they good or bad, are a significant part of our life and should not be overlooked – after all, full-time workers spend a third of their day in their workplace. After-hours pursuits of a game of squash or a pint in the pub become part of our daily routine. We cement sound friendships at work and an astounding percentage of us meet our life partner at our place of work. The people there have similar ambitions and business interests and we are, after all, social animals. The majority of us become depressed and withdrawn if we do not have enough interaction with others. Some people who work from home feel that, because they do spend a large proportion of the day at home alone with few distractions, they are actually much more productive and can get tasks done in a much shorter time than in an office environment. Others, however, may be demotivated by the isolation and find it difficult to get down to tasks which have a more intangible deadline.

F: As with most aspects of life, a balance is probably the best solution for the majority of workers – a job based at home which requires regular contact with colleagues at regular meetings. Management surveys show that successful business is easier if we operate as a team: brainstorming and sharing ideas and offering support and motivation to each other. After all, we are only human and we need others to complain to if we have a bad day at work!

Questions 26 – 29

Complete the sentences below. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text.

26. Without office technology we couldn’t .
27. With fewer requirements for space, businesses can benefit from lower static .
28. Despite political pressure, public transport is still .
29. It is important that the social aspects of working in an office are not

Questions 30 – 34

Complete the summary by using words from the box below. Write the correct letter A – H.

Technology has allowed us to (30) at home instead of the office. For the company, there are (31) incentives and for the employee there is more (32) . There are even (33) for the environment. However, there is a (34) factor to be considered.

Questions 35 – 40

Choose the appropriate heading for each paragraph of the following text from the list below.

List of headings

1. Time for a change?
2. Social impact
3. Management decisions
4. Flexibility of technology
5. Wasted time on the road
6. Technology keeping us at home
7. Benefits for all
8. Business in the workplace
9. Keeping it clean
10. The best of both worlds

35. Paragraph A
36. Paragraph B
37. Paragraph C
38. Paragraph D
39. Paragraph E
40. Paragraph F