CoursesIntermediate courseUnit 18
B1 Intermediate Course  ·  Unit 18 of 20

Science and Technology

Vocabulary for science, innovation, and discovery. Grammar: third conditional for imaginary past situations.

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Vocabulary

Key words for this unit.

Breakthrough
An important discovery that solves a difficult problem
The discovery of antibiotics was one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in history.
Innovation
The introduction of new ideas or inventions
Without innovation, many industries would have remained unchanged for decades.
Patent
An official right to be the only person to make or sell an invention
If she had not applied for a patent, someone else would have copied her invention.
Algorithm
A set of rules for solving a problem, especially in computing
If the algorithm had been designed differently, the results would have been more accurate.
Prototype
An early model from which later versions are developed
If the prototype had worked, the product would have launched two years earlier.
Clinical trial
A study to test whether a new medicine is safe and effective
If the clinical trials had been successful, the vaccine would have been approved.
Ethical
Following accepted moral principles
Scientists would not have continued if the experiment had not been considered ethical.
Obsolete
No longer produced or used; out of date
If digital technology had arrived sooner, film cameras would have become obsolete earlier.
Pioneering
Introducing new ideas or methods for the first time
If she had not been so pioneering, the field of genetics would have developed more slowly.
Peer review
Evaluation of scientific work by other experts in the same field
If the study had not been peer-reviewed, its findings would not have been published.
Simulation
An imitation of a real process used for testing or training
If a simulation had been run first, the design flaws would have been discovered sooner.
Artificial intelligence
Computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence
If AI had been developed earlier, it would have changed manufacturing decades ago.
Vocabulary exercises

Grammar

Third conditional — if + past perfect, would have + past participle

Use the third conditional to talk about imaginary situations in the past and their results.

If scientists had not discovered penicillin, millions of people would have died.
If the prototype had worked, the product would have launched earlier.
PartFormExample
If-clauseif + past perfectIf they had done more research...
Main clausewould have + past participle...they would have found the error.
Negativehadn't / wouldn't haveIf she hadn't taken the risk, she wouldn't have succeeded.
Alternativescould have / might haveIf we had tested it, we might have caught the error.
  Do not use would in the if-clause: If they would have tested it ✗   If they had tested it ✓. You can use could have or might have in the main clause to show possibility.
Grammar exercises

Reading

Read carefully, then answer the questions.

The accidents that changed science

Some of the greatest discoveries in history were not planned. If a scientist had not been paying attention at the right moment, the world might have been very different.

The most famous example is penicillin. In 1928, Alexander Fleming noticed that mould had grown on one of his bacterial cultures. If he had thrown the contaminated sample away, as most scientists would have done, he would never have discovered that the mould killed bacteria.

A similar story surrounds the microwave oven. In 1945, an engineer named Percy Spencer noticed the chocolate bar in his pocket had melted while working near radar equipment. If he had not investigated the cause, the microwave oven might not have been invented for decades.

The lesson is not simply that luck matters, but that curiosity does. If Fleming had not been curious about the mould, the discovery would not have been made even though the conditions were right. Great discoveries require not just opportunity, but the mind prepared to see it.

Comprehension questions
Questions — Conversation 1
Conversation 2 — A technology ethics podcast  |  <audio controls src="audio/int18-listen2.mp3"></audio>
Script 2
A technology ethics podcast
Scene: A host and guest discuss a past technology decision.
Host:What would have happened if Facebook had chosen to prioritise accuracy over engagement from the start?
Guest:If they had designed the algorithm to reward accuracy, the misinformation crisis would have been much smaller. False stories would not have spread as widely if they had not been amplified by the platform.
Host:But would the company have grown as fast?
Guest:Probably not. But if the long-term consequences had been better understood in 2009, different choices might have been made.
Host:Do you think the engineers knew?
Guest:Some did. There are internal documents showing researchers raised concerns early on. If those concerns had been acted on, a lot of harm could have been avoided.
Host:A cautionary tale for AI development today?
Guest:Absolutely. If we do not think carefully about ethics now, we may find ourselves wondering what would have happened if we had chosen differently.
Questions — Conversation 2

Writing

Guided writing task.

Task: A historical what-if paragraph
Write a paragraph (80-120 words) imagining what would have happened if a scientific discovery had not been made. Use at least three third conditional sentences.
  • Name the discovery and when it happened
  • Use a third conditional to describe an imaginary outcome
  • Use a negative third conditional to say what would not have happened
  • Reflect on how different the world would have been
0 words
Model answer
If Alexander Fleming had not noticed the mould growing on his bacterial culture in 1928, antibiotics would not have been discovered when they were. Millions of people who died from bacterial infections before that discovery might have survived if penicillin had been available earlier. If Fleming had been curious but had not investigated further, the finding would still have been lost. The history of medicine would have been very different if this combination of chance and curiosity had not occurred at exactly the right moment. It is a reminder that great discoveries often depend on both luck and the willingness to ask why.

Unit test

35 questions. You need 28/35 (80%) to pass.

Unit 17All unitsUnit 19

Writing

Guided writing task.

Task: A historical what-if paragraph
Write a paragraph (80-120 words) imagining what would have happened if a scientific discovery had not been made. Use at least three third conditional sentences.
  • Name the discovery and when it happened
  • Use a third conditional to describe an imaginary outcome
  • Use a negative third conditional to say what would not have happened
  • Reflect on how different the world would have been
0 words

Unit test

29 questions. You need 80% to pass.

Unit 17All unitsUnit 19