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1、M7U1 READINGUnit 1 Living with technologyThe evolution of video and sound devicesEarly history of TVThe first public TV broadcasts were made in the USA in 1925. Later, in 1928, the first long-distance TV broadcast was made between the UK and the USA. Regular public broadcasting followed shortly afte
2、rwards, first beginning on 11 May 1928 in New York and on 20 August 1929 in London.Many different people contributed to the development of TV. Most early TV broadcasts were made using a system developed by John Logie Baird in the UK. However, his system was very primitive and had many drawbacks. An
3、American, Philo Farnsworth, made important breakthroughs in the development of TV in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Modern TVs use many of the principles first discovered by Farnsworth.John Logic Baird constructed the first colour TV in 1928, but it was not until 1938 that the first colour TV progr
4、amme was broadcast. It took more than two decades, though, until 1951, for regular colour TV broadcasts to begin in the USA. Regular colour TV broadcasts were delayed in the UK until 1967. However, within a short time nearly all TV broadcasts were made in colour, and within five years more colour TV
5、s than black-and-white TVs were being used.The modern age：satellite TVSatellites were used to broadcast TV beginning in 1962. Satellites allow TV to be broadcast live over vast distances, with everyone receiving the same broadcast at the same time. They also make TV accessible to people who live far
6、 away from cities, and satellite dishes can often be seen distributed throughout the countryside and remote areas. Of course, only a small percentage of people own satellite dishes. However, most people still benefit from satellite TV, as local TV companies broadcast the signals they get from satell
7、ite receivers to the population living nearby.Early history of sound recordersIt all began in 1877, when Thomas Edison made the first recording of a human voice on his invention, the record player. Early record players used round tubes to record on. However, in 1887 Emile Berliner, a German living i
8、n the USA, invented a record player that used discs as alternatives to tubes, and so the modern record player was born. The first record players had to be wound up by hand and only played records that were two minutes long. Times surely have changed!Sound and video recordersIn 1928, the first tape r
9、ecorders used to copy sound were made in Germany. Most early recorders employed steel tape to record on, which made them heavy and difficult to use, or paper tape, which was easier to use but often broke. It was not until the early 1950s that most tape recorders began using plastic tape as they do t
10、oday. Meanwhile, electrical components eventually became so small that, by the late 1960s, portable cassette players were developed, along with video recorderswhich were used by TV stations. By the late 1970s, video recorders small and cheap enough for home use were introduced.Sound and video go dig
11、italIn 1982, the first CDs were made available. CDs are often used for storing and playing music because they have a much better sound quality than traditional records and cassettes. In 1993, the VCD was born, and in 1995, the DVD was invented. The DVD is now the standard for recording and playing b
12、ack video.The futureWith the development of digital technology, sound and video can now be stored on a PC, on the Internet, or using some form of portable storage. This will soon make records, cassette recorders, CDs, DVDs and even TVs things of the past. Technology is now changing faster than most
13、people can keep pace with. Who can foresee what the future will bring?ProjectTo phone or not to phone?In the USA, the Amish-a Christian group-are famous because they drive carriages instead of cars, do not use TVs or refrigerators, and do not have personal telephones. Many people assume the Amish mu
14、st have religious reasons for their many rules, but this is not true. In truth, whenever a new technology is introduced, the Amish meet and discuss its advantages and disadvantages. They then vote on whether they will accept it. The Amish reject cars because they like having tight communities where
15、everyone lives close together. They have no TVs or refrigerators because their homes do not have electricity-they do not think it is necessary and dislike dealing with strangers, such as the people who work at the electric company.Since the Amish value seeing each other face to face, they oppose hav
16、ing telephones in their houses. However, in each community there is often a small building that has a telephone for emergencies.The telephone is very convenient for communication, and most people in the world today cannot live without it. However, maybe the Amish have a valid point. Which is more of a friend, someone you often talk to over the phone or someone you often talk to face to face? And, if you need help, who can help you better, someone
