redit card/kredit ,kaiTdf [n С] a plastic card given to you by a financial organization such as Visa* or MasterCard*, which you can use to buy things, and then pay the money back later; We accept all major credit cards. i Con J pay by credit card? («using а
credit card)
thical /е9М/ My] ethical problems or questions concern difficult moral decisions, about whether or not it is right to do something that has become possible because erf science: the ethico) implications of using aborted foetuses for research
fertility treatment /fa'ti^ti trirtm^nr/ fn C/U} а
type of medical treatment in which a woman is helped to become pregnant when she cannot do this naturally: There areseueral different types of fertility treatments available.
gene /d^irn/ [n C| an extremely small part of the material in a cell of a living thing, which controls the way a person, plant, or animal grows and develops. Genes are passed on from parents to children. Scientists say they have discovered a gene that со uses people to be ouerweighf as adults. I Your genes determine the colour oj your eyes and skin, and whether you will be tall or short. genetic /dpnetik/ [ad/1 related to or caused by genes, a genetic illness (=caused by your genes or those of your parents)
gene therapy /d3m вегэр!} [n Uj a type of medical treatment that changes someone's genes to help them get rid of a disease or cure a medical condition genetic engineering /d33,netik endii'nuruj/ \n U] when scientists change the genes of a person, plant or animal in order to make it stronger, healthier, bigger, more attractive etc: As a result of genetic engineering, all the apples from this farm are
technology continues on the next page
This could lead to a cashless society. But some people are worried that confidential information stored on cards, such as their medical records or bank account details might be seen or used by other people. Most people have no way of checking what personal information about themselves is stored on a smart card.
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TECHNOLOGY
There has also been a big increase in card crime and computer fraud
TECHNOLOGY
medicine
Advances in medical science mean that many more diseases can be cured or treated than ever before. New techniques include the use of lasers in operations, and new equipment makes it possible for doctors to see what is happening inside a patient's body on a monitor.
And there's the baby's head, Mrs Brown...
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exactly the same size and colour. I There are fears that genetic engineering could lead to the creation of harmful uiruses that cannot be controlled, genetically engineered [adj] a genetically engineered cow that can produce low fat milk
global /gjaobu?!/ [ad/1 including or affecting the whole world: Modern technology has made global communication fast and inexpensive. I a global ban on the dumping of nuclear waste
home shopping /Ьэит 'Jopigl-'Jcup/ (n U} a service
that lets you buy things without leaving your home, using a credit card and a computer, a phone, or a television: Call in at this web site for the very latest in home shopping and online services.
laserfieizaV }n q a piece of equipment that produces a powerful narrow beam of light that can be used in medical operations, to cut things, and to play CDs: The hospital has just spent over Elm on new laser equipment I Later on, there was a laser and firework show.
magnetic strip /maeg.netik strip/ (n C| a dark area on a plastic card that contains information stored electronically. You cannot see this information with your eyes, but it can be read by a machine: Using the magnetic strip on the drivers license, police can instantly call up people's drioing records.
manufacturing /.imenflfaektpnij/ |n U] the process
or business of producing things in factories: the decline of manufacturing in the UK I The car industry has lost thousands of manufacturing jobs
in the past few years.
medical records /medikal rebdz|-brdz/ |n plural] information about someone's health and physical condition, for example what illnesses they have had, how many children they have, whether they smoke etc: The report was based on the medical records of babies born to drug addicts.
medical science /.medikal 'salens/ in U] the use of science and technology to understand and treat diseases: Medical science still cannot explain what causes cancer.
microsurgery /maikrau.s^djan/ (n U] a way of doing medical operations, in which doctors can repair or remove parts of the body that are so small they can (Wily be seen with a microscope: His hand was attached again using the latest microsurgery techniques.
monitor/monit3r|'ma:-/ [n С] a screen connected to а computer system or video camera multiple birth /щлВДра! 'Ьх0/ \n Q when a
woman has three or more babies at the same time
Organ transplants, microsurgery, and fertility treatment* are now all very cufTimon. But new treatments can also mean new moral or ethical problems, for example whether people should be kept alive by machines when naturally they would have died. Some people think that fertility treatment should not be used
when it might result iг multiple births or if the woman receiving it is too old to have children naturally.
Other people believe tnat all new medical techniques should be available to anyone who ■ts or needs the
TECHNOLOGY
genetic engineering
Scientists can use genetic engineering to
grow сгорь and breed animaJs that cannot be harmed by common diseases, and which provide more food for people to eat. Genetic engineering or gene therapy can also be used to treat some diseases in humans, for example the cells that cause cancer can be changed. It is also possible for doctors to stop people with genetic diseases from passing them on to their children.
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However, genetically engineered plants and animals are unnatural and may affect the balance of nature. Many people believe it is cruel to breed genetically engineered animals. Biological weapons can be made that can change viruses which are normally harmless into viruses that can kilt people. There may be harmful effects of genetic engineering that we do not yet know about.