For Traveling
GPS/Global Positioning System: a device that gives directions to a specified destination using on-screen instructions or a voice to tell the driver when and where to turn and give other important driving details; these devices are also useful on a boat, and walkers can use portable, handheld ones; some cell phones have a GPS built in
Other apps: different apps allow you to use the Internet, check e-mail, and stream television from a device installed in your car; most modern car engines are also built, tuned, and repaired with the use of computers
e-tickets: airline tickets that you purchase online and print out before you leave for the airport
airport check-in: a system that enables you to confirm your flight and print out your boarding pass using your computer and printer before you leave for the airport
airport scanner: a machine that inspects your baggage or your body for security purposes before you board an airplane
For Banking
ATM/automatic teller machine: a machine, located at a bank, shopping center, airport, or other convenient place, that enables you to deposit or withdraw money with the use of a special ATM card issued by your bank
online banking: using a connection to the Internet to do all of your business with your bank, including paying bills, moving money from one account to another, tracking loan payments, and so on
For Shopping
credit card: a plastic card with a number issued by a bank that allows you to purchase items without paying cash, then pay for them at the end of the month in one transaction; high interest charges are made if the bill is not paid in full by a certain date
debit card: a plastic card similar to a credit card issued by a bank that allows you to purchase items without paying cash; the amount you spend is immediately deducted from your bank account
self checkout: machines at checkout lines (usually in grocery stores) that enable you to pay quickly without the assistance of a cashier
price check: a machine placed in a store that allows you to electronically find the price of an item for sale there
Internet shopping: purchasing products through the Internet using a credit card
Everywhere Else
Electronic devices affect practically every area of our lives. In our homes, garage door openers, programmed heating, air-conditioning, and other appliances, security systems, baby monitors—even our children’s toys—are more and more based on ever-changing technology. The same is true regarding our health care, with machines that see inside our bodies, such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and CAT (computerized axial tomography) scan machines and others that inspect our skin, bones, eyes, and teeth; radiation machines, heart pumps, laser surgery, and electronic hearing aids are just a few of the many ways that technology has helped improve the quality of our lives. Art and music have been transformed. Our schools are incorporating technology in an effort to improve learning. In our towns and cities, among many other functions, electronic devices control traffic and enable the police to fight crime. Offices cannot function without the use of electronic devices, and industry depends on technology in the manufacture of almost everything. In short, without technology, our lives would be brought to a standstill.
A good GPS can be a lifesaver when you are lost.
By using ATMs when you travel to another country, you can avoid having to change your cash into local currency.
Often if you don’t find what you want in a store, you can find it and purchase it online.
exercise 21-1
1. Make a list of the items or services listed in Unit 21 that you own or use regularly. After each one, write the brand name and tell what you use it for. (Most people refer to their electronic devices by their brand names.)
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2. Write a paragraph explaining how your life has changed in the past ten years because of new technology.
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3. Challenge #1: Go through this entire section—Part V, Units 17 through 21—and identify all of the items that are sold under brand names. See if you can list the brands that are currently on the market.
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4. Challenge #2: Make a list of any other new technological products and devices you find. Update your list as often as necessary.
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