Contents 1
Unit One Introduction to Science 1
Text A:What Is Science? 1
Text B:A Brief History of Science 6
Text C:The Branches of Science 19
Unit Two Technology 26
Text A:Disappearing Through the Skylight 26
Text B:The Computer—Invention of the Century 32
Text C:Introduction to PC Hardware 38
Unit Three Engineering 45
Text A:Genetically Modified Foods 45
Text B:Introduction to Engineering 51
Text C:More Power to You 59
Unit Four Environment 63
Text A:Ships in the Desert 63
Text B:Introduction to Environmental Problems 72
Text C:Energy Exploration and Environment 80
Unit Five Medicine 84
Text A:Why the Resurgence? 84
Text B:Introduction to Medicine 89
Text C:Bird Flu:What Are the Risks? 96
Unit Six Life Science 101
Text A:The Cloning of Dolly 101
Text B:Introduction to Biology:The Science of Our Lives 106
Text C:Progesterone:The Drug of Pregnancy 110
Text A:Natural Causes of Climate Change 117
Unit Seven Geography 117
Text B:Introduction to Geography 127
Text C:The Three Gorges Dam Project 134
Unit Eight Geology 140
Text A:In Search of the Elusive Megaplumes 140
Text B:Introduction to Geology 147
Text C:Meet a Geologist 160
Unit Nine Astronomy 165
Text A:Galaxies 165
Text B:Introduction to Astronomy 172
Text C:The Solar System 179
Unit Ten Space Science 186
Text A:The Space Shuttle 186
Text B:Satellites 195
Text C:China's First Spaceman Yang Liwei 201
Unit Eleven Mathematics 207
Text A:A History of Zero 207
Text B:A Brief Introduction to Mathematics 217
Text C:An Overview of the History of Mathematics 230
Unit Twelve Physics 236
Text A:Searching For Extraterrestrials 236
Text B:Physics and the Information Revolution 244
Text C:Hawking Loses Black Hole Bet 253
Unit Thirteen Chemistry 257
Text A:The Genome Is Mapped 257
Text B:Introduction to Chemistry 264
Text C:The Chemistry of Life 269
Glossary 273