Inherent trend

Inherent in

E.g.: What are the long-term risks and dangers inherent in this kind of work?

6. trial and error - a way of finding a good method that involves trying several possibilities and learning from your mistakes

7. ubiquitous /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/ - present everywhere

E.g.: The radio, that most ubiquitous of consumer-electronic appliances, is about to enter a new age.

ubiquity

8. to be driven by technology - to provide the power that makes something move

E.g.: In an age driven by technology and information, the rate at which organizations learn may be the only sustainable competitive advantage.

Unit 12.1

1. Technologically minded

syn.: to be pro-technology

ant.: technophobe

2. apparatus - the machines, tools, and equipment needed for doing something, especially something technical or scientific

E.g.: breathing apparatus, apparatus for the experiment

3. appliance - a machine or piece of equipment that you have in your home, for example a washing machine or refrigerator

E.g.: household/domestic/electrical appliances

4. device - a machine or piece of equipment that does a particular thing

E.g.: labour-saving device, nuclear device

5. engine - a machine with moving parts that uses a fuel to produce movement, for example in a road vehicle or aircraft

E.g.: a jet/diesel/steam engine

6. equipment (uncount.) - the tools, machines, or other things that you need for a particular job or activity

E.g.: safety equipment, a piece of equipment

7. gadget - a small tool or piece of equipment that does something useful or impressive

E.g.: kitchen gadgets

8. machine - a piece of equipment that does a particular job by using electricity, steam, gas etc

E.g.: cash/vending/washing/answering machine

9. gizmo - a mechanical device or part whose name is forgotten or unknown

E.g.: high-tech gizmo

10. durable - difficult to break

syn.: long-lasting, hard-wearing

11. Easy to use

syn.: simple to operate, user-friendly

12. Environmentally friendly

syn.: eco-friendly, green, non-polluting

13. handy syn.: useful, practical

14. obsolete - something that is obsolete is no longer needed because something better has been invented syn.: old-fashioned, out-of-date, outdated

15. Cutting-edge

syn.: up-to-date, high-tech, groundbreaking, state-of-the-art, advanced

16. patent /ˈpeɪt(ə)nt/ - an official document that gives someone who has invented something the legal right to make or sell that invention for a particular period of time, and prevents anyone else from doing so

E.g.: In 1878, Edison received a patent for his phonograph.

to get a patent 

to patent /ˈpeɪt(ə)nt/ an invention

17. to credit smb with sth - to say or believe that someone is responsible for a particular achievement / приписывать кому-либо что-либо, вменять что-либо в заслугу кому-либо

E.g.: Alexander Bell was credited with the invention of the telephone.

18. to acknowledge achievements - to accept that something has been achieved by somebody

syn.: to recognize achievements

19. to pass a resolution - an official decision that is made after a group or organization have voted

E.g.: The United Nations passed (= voted to support) a resolution to increase aid to the Third World.

20. to exploit - to use a situation so that you get benefit from it, even if it is wrong or unfair to do this

E.g.: We need to exploit every opportunity for media coverage.

21. to detest - dislike intensely

syn.: to hate, to loathe

22. pest - (informal) something annoying or someone who keeps annoying you, especially a child

23. nuisance - something that is annoying and is a continuing problem

24. pain in the neck - (very informal) to be very annoying

25. to drown out /draʊn/- to prevent a sound from being heard by making a louder noise

E.g.: His voice was drowned out by the traffic.

26. to get smb started on - to do or say something that makes someone talk for a long time about something

27. inconsiderate - not thinking about other people and their feelings

28. to sneak a look at - to secretly take a quick look at someone or something

29. three cheers for smb/sth- used for telling people to shout three times to show their approval of someone or something

E.g.: Three cheers for our mayor! Hip, hip, hooray!

to give three cheers for

Article “The Shape of Things to Come”

1. advance - progress or an instance of progress in science, technology, human knowledge etc.

E.g.: scientific advances, high-profile advances 

advance in/of sth 

E.g.: major advances in computer technology, ethical questions raised by the advance of genetic engineering

2. to advance at breakneck speed - to progress and become better or more developed quickly

3. to advocate /ˈædvəkeɪt/ - to publicly support a particular policy or way of doing things

syn.: to support, to endorse, to promote

advocate /ˈædvəkət/- someone who strongly and publicly supports someone or something

syn.: proponent, supporter, follower

4. apace

syn.: quickly, rapidly

5. assertion - a definite statement that something is true

syn.: statement, claim

to assert - to state firmly that something is true

6. to boost - to help something to increase, improve, or become more successful

syn.: to increase

E.g.: The theatre managed to boost its audiences by cutting ticket prices.

7. at the click/touch of a button - if a machine works at the touch of a button, it works extremely quickly and easily

8. to ditch - (informal) to get rid of someone or something because you no longer like or need them

syn.: to get rid of, to throw away, to dump, to toss

E.g.: The series was ditched after the star of the show quit.

9. driving force - someone or something that has the power to make things happen

E.g.: She was the driving force behind the project.

10. to elude - if a fact, idea, or word eludes you, you cannot remember or understand it

E.g.: The details of the case elude me.