Before reading the text look up at the dictionary the meanings of the following words and word combinations:
irrespective -
however -
lateral -
to decrease -
frequency -
safety -
despite of -
moreover -
to reduce -
reasonable -
IV. Read and guess what the following words and word combinations mean:
personal computer, to communicate, electromagnetic and electrostatic fields, monitor, system block, ergonomic parameters, position, operation, stress, radiation, natural, concentrate, information, printer, scanner, megapolise, factor, action, distance.
V. Read the text and translate it into Russian:
The computer and health
Part I
What is the personal computer for us? Someone constantly uses PC in the work, for someone the computer is necessary only for entertainment, and someone studies with its help or communicates with the friends. And computer, which for many became almost the best friend, influences us. Influence of the computer on the user is variously. First, it is electromagnetic and electrostatic fields (from the monitor, system block, devices of input-output and others). The vision is influenced by work of the monitor. The ergonomic parameters of the keyboard and mouse, and also position behind the computer and mode of operations with it influence on a bone-joint and muscular systems. Besides, the dialogue with the computer can be accompanied by a stress.
The personal computer is a source of several kinds of radiation: ionizing (x-ray) and not ionizing (electromagnetic low and super low frequency, and also electrostatic). Ionizing radiation damages cells of the man and animals. As to computers, the x-ray radiation created by a cathode-beam tube inside the monitor is insignificant. It is effectively shielded by glass of the tube. So, it is comparable to a natural radiating background. That is irrespective whether you sit in front of the monitor or in other room.
Each device, which makes or consumes the electric power, creates electromagnetic radiation. This radiation concentrates around the device as an electromagnetic field. The basic parts of the personal computer are the system block and various devices of input-output of the information: the keyboard, printer, scanner and monitor. When all these devices are switched on, the complex electromagnetic field is formed in area of a workplace of the user. At first it seems that it is an obvious minus. However, it is hard to speak about danger of a resulting field just due to non-uniform distribution of fields from each device, because the unidirectional electromagnetic radiation is much more unpleasant. Besides, one shouldn’t forget about the lines of electro transfers, transformer substations, and switchboards nearby located. Electrical household appliances radiate too. For example, microwaves or TV sets. In large megapolises all these factors affect people so powerfully that the radiation from the computer becomes only one of the components of influence on the man. The electromagnetic radiation cannot be seen, heard, touched. It is important to note that the radiation goes not only from the screen but also from lateral and back surfaces. However, it decreases with the removal from a source, and if the user is even at 30-40 cm from the monitor, the influence of electromagnetic radiation on him is insignificant. The electromagnetic radiation of high frequencies carries the pernicious influence on organism of the man. But the computer is a source of a low-frequency electromagnetic field. There are a huge number of researches and supervisions showing the safety of an electromagnetic field of low and super low frequency. Thus, despite of a huge number of researches, danger of an electromagnetic field of low and super low frequency was not proved. Moreover, its action is simply insufficiently investigated. However, it is necessary to reduce time of a "dialogue" with electromagnetic radiation working on a reasonable distance from the monitor and not too long behind the computer.
Grammar