In the modern world, large and even. Without borders: why modern culture strives for borderlessness. Peaceful space exploration

Poverty and misery of billions of people remains one of the global problems of humanity in the 21st century. In 1992, according to the decision of the UN General Assembly, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was established, which has been regularly celebrated on October 17 since 1993. This date was not chosen by chance. Five years before the decision of the UN General Assembly, on October 17, 1987, in Paris, on Trocadéro Square, a rally for human rights and the elimination of poverty was held, which attracted about 100 thousand people. Its participants linked human rights violations in the modern world with the fact that millions of people are still forced to live in poverty. First of all, this concerns the countries of the third and fourth world - the least developed countries in economic terms.

Despite the colossal scientific and technological progress that accompanied the world in the twentieth century, social inequality in the modern world is only growing. Moreover, social differentiation is worsening in all countries of the world, including developed countries. In simpler terms, the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. Thus, according to research, by the beginning of 2016, the 62 richest people in the world had the same amount of assets as 3.6 billion people - representatives of the poorest half of the world's population. Over the past six years, since 2010, the wealth of the world's 3.6 billion poor has decreased by US$1 trillion. At the same time, the assets of the 62 richest inhabitants of the planet doubled and amounted to 1.76 trillion. US dollars. While multi-billionaires do not know where to invest their extra funds, billions of people on the planet live in poverty, hundreds of millions live in terrible poverty, on the brink of survival.

The food problem is still very acute in the world. Hunger is not something from the distant past, but a terrible component of the present. A large amount of both scientific and journalistic literature has been written about the scale of hunger in the modern world, but the persistence of this problem forces politicians, public figures, sociologists and journalists to return to it again and again. Even today, people continue to die from hunger, including small children, in Africa, some countries in Asia and Latin America.

The total number of regularly undernourished people in the modern world is estimated at almost a billion people. According to a UN report, at least 852 million people suffer from hunger. In the modern world, more than 1.2 billion people, which is approximately a fifth of the total population of the planet, live on less than one US dollar a day. Malnutrition is to blame for 54% of child deaths in the modern world. These conclusions were made by experts from the World Health Organization. The main reason for hunger is not only that in third and fourth world countries people do not receive enough money to eat at a normal level, but also in natural conditions that do not allow efficient farming and self-sufficiency in food due to constant droughts , the advance of sands onto the savannah. Numerous military-political conflicts also play an important role, contributing to the destruction of a normal economy, even an underdeveloped one.

Most of the malnourished and starving people are in Tropical Africa. This region is considered the epicenter of hunger in the modern world. Moreover, the number of hungry people in Africa has a pronounced tendency to increase, which is directly related to the increase in the birth rate. The world's highest birth rates are in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a number of other African states. It is clear that all these countries belong not even to the third, but to the fourth world, into which researchers include the least economically developed and poorest states. The food problem is very serious in North-East Africa, especially in Somalia. Here, persistent droughts put millions of people on the brink of survival.

But it’s not just Africa that can be seen as a “hungry continent.” Millions of people are regularly malnourished and hungry in the countries of South and Southeast Asia - in Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan. It also experiences a very high birth rate coupled with increasing poverty and worsening social polarization. India itself, despite the fact that it is considered a regional power and a relatively economically developed country, is not able to solve the problem of hunger. The reasons for this are a very high population, high unemployment, coupled with the presence of hundreds of millions of people without education or any professional qualifications.

The total number of undernourished people in Latin American countries is somewhat lower. Here the “hunger belt” passes primarily through the Andean countries, primarily Bolivia and Peru, as well as through the “isthmus” countries, primarily Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. In the Caribbean, the "hunger island" is Haiti. As for the countries of Europe and North America, the problem of hunger is less relevant for them compared to the rest of the world. Here, chronic malnutrition is characteristic only of representatives of certain social groups that have “dropped out” of society - the homeless, street children. In the post-Soviet space, the problem of malnutrition is acute in the countries of Central Asia - in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. However, in Russia too, many citizens belonging to low-income segments of the population are chronically malnourished. In the least advantageous position are single disabled people and pensioners with low pensions, large families with low incomes of spouses, as well as citizens leading an antisocial lifestyle - homeless people, tramps, chronic alcoholics.

The problem of malnutrition is closely related to the problem of low incomes. In third and fourth world countries, most people, even having found work, are forced to subsist on very little money, which is incomparable to the salaries of even unskilled workers in developed countries. In developed countries, the concept of poverty in recent decades has become increasingly associated with the ability of citizens to realize access to a basic consumer basket, which includes not only food, but also, for example, medical services. In some Western European countries, the criterion of poverty is already the lack of a bank account with savings. On the other hand, in the Russian Federation, the poor are understood to be citizens with incomes at or below the subsistence level, which, by the way, is established by the state. There are ongoing debates in society about how well the established living wage corresponds to the real consumer basket necessary for a Russian citizen to live a full life.

For modern Russia, low incomes of the population remain an acute problem. The first decade of the 21st century in the Russian Federation saw a gradual decline in the number of citizens of the country with incomes below the subsistence level. So, if in 2000 42.3 million people had incomes below the subsistence level, i.e. 29% of the population - in fact, every third Russian, then in 2012 we managed to reach the lowest figure - 15.4 million people, which at that time amounted to 10.7% of the country's population. However, then the number of low-income citizens began to grow again. Thus, in 2016, 21.4 million people, accounting for 14.6% of the population, were classified as citizens with incomes below the subsistence level. It should also be noted that the share of social payments provided by the state in the income of Russians is growing.

There is an acute housing problem in Russia. The vast majority of citizens cannot afford to purchase housing, including a mortgage. Thus, in 2012, even before currency inflation, 81% of the Russian population did not have sufficient funds to purchase housing with a mortgage. The housing problem is closely connected with a number of negative phenomena for the country. For example, it directly affects the birth rate in the country, since young families who do not have their own housing or have cramped living conditions often for this reason refuse to have a child for a time or completely. A significant part of the country's population, unable to purchase modern housing that meets the necessary requirements, is forced to live in dilapidated and dilapidated housing, putting their lives and health at risk. Even in some large cities there are streets and areas deprived of basic amenities, for example, gas and central sewerage, what can we say about rural areas and small settlements. The service life of the so-called “Khrushchevkas”, built for the rapid resettlement of people from barracks. But so far it has not been possible to renew the housing stock to the required extent, especially since most citizens cannot afford to purchase new housing under construction.

The solution to the housing problem lies in the spectrum of reconsidering the role of the Russian state in the field of construction and distribution of housing. In the 1990s, the state virtually withdrew from housing construction, which led to the total commercialization of the housing market. The scale of construction and distribution of social housing cannot be called significant. In Russia, the system of non-commercial rental of residential premises is completely undeveloped, which could partially solve the housing problems not only of the poor, but also of prosperous citizens. The state could help solve the housing problem by regulating prices for economy-class housing, preventing speculative activity in this area. Finally, the state should also devote resources to creating a state (municipal) housing rental market, prices on which would allow low-income groups of the population to rent residential premises for a long time.

The high level of poverty in Russia is associated with colossal social polarization, which began to grow in the 1990s and has now reached such proportions that place Russia among the world leaders in social inequality of the population. Over the twenty-odd years of the existence of post-Soviet Russian statehood, social inequality in Russia has increased fourfold. According to the RAS report, published in 2013, edited by academicians S.Yu. Glazyeva, V.V. Ivanter and A.D. Nekipelov, the level of social stratification between the richest and poorest Russians has reached 16:1, while the critical value of stratification is 10:1 and even 8:1. However, solving the problem of poverty and social inequality is impossible without appropriate regulatory measures from the state.

Academicians S.Yu. Glazyev, A.D. Nekipelov and V.V. Ivanter in his report proposes the introduction of a progressive tax scale as one of the most important measures aimed against social stratification. Progressive taxation exists in many developed countries of the world and provides impressive revenues to the state budget, which finance, among other things, the social sphere. In their report, scientists note that it is possible to reduce the number of poor in Russia and reduce social inequality if the cost of living is raised to the level of the real cost of the basic consumer basket, which allows meeting human needs for food, clothing, medical care, etc.

Secondly, an increase in the minimum wage is proposed. In Russia, a unique situation has developed for developed countries, where working citizens, including specialists with higher education, can be below the poverty line. It turns out that a citizen who works honestly and fulfills his professional duties, which often require higher education and high qualifications, is unable to ensure even the realization of his basic needs at the expense of his wages. The working poor in Russia still include many workers in the fields of education, culture, healthcare, and housing and communal services. This is a paradoxical situation when a cultural, educational or healthcare worker with a higher education and impressive work experience in his specialty receives a salary that is below the subsistence level for working Russians.

Can the problem of poverty, poverty and inequality be eradicated in the modern world and in Russia in particular? As for the modern world as a whole, even hopes for the elimination of poverty and misery in the countries of the third and fourth world can be immediately dismissed. Economic underdevelopment, natural conditions, high birth rates, political instability - all these factors minimize hopes for solving the problem of social inequality in African countries and many countries in Asia and Latin America.

At the same time, modern Russia has the necessary political, economic, and cultural potential to actively solve the problems of poverty and inequality. However, this requires an appropriate policy of the Russian state in the economy and social sphere. A lot of things in the country's economic and social policies need to be revised. In the meantime, the economic problems experienced by the country do not allow not only to increase the volume of social assistance, but also to maintain them at the same level. In particular, in 2016 and 2017. Maternity capital will no longer be indexed, which previously increased by 5.5% every year. But, at the same time, the state does not yet risk changing fiscal policy by introducing progressive taxation, diligently avoids raising the topic of revising the results of privatization, refuses to introduce luxury taxes, i.e., does not want to infringe on the interests of the richest Russians to the detriment of the interests of the millions of people living on the verge and below the poverty line.

To collate the findings for Homo Sapiens communities, Dunbar returned to anthropology. The researcher found that the number of people in rural traditional settlements fluctuates within the limits he assumed - up to two hundred people. In his work, the scientist suggested that the number of neurocortical neurons is electrically excitable brain cells that process, store and transmit information using electrical and chemical signals- limits the body's ability to process information, which in turn limits the number of relationships a person can simultaneously maintain. When the group size exceeds this number, it becomes difficult for the individual to maintain the number of contacts.

Modern communication looks like this

And indeed, if you ask representatives of the older generation how they met and learned any news, they will answer that they met on holidays with friends, went for walks together, said goodbye to each other, meaning the next meeting, and when the hostess I wanted to cook an unusual dish, so I asked my friends for the recipe. And the number of these acquaintances on average did not exceed 150 people. All of the above examples suggest that in the past people interacted with each other much more often. They had to personally communicate both with a familiar circle of people and meet new people, which, undoubtedly, perfectly developed their social skills. It is possible that it was this experience of our parents and grandmothers that affected the mutual understanding of generations - today young people increasingly communicate online, and this applies to both friendships and love relationships.

Today, the ability to obtain all the necessary information at any time by simply googling it has significantly reduced the need for live communication between people. Why call your friends or meet with a friend who has the information you need when there is the Internet? Gradually, this led to people communicating less in person and more online. Thus, it is more difficult for modern teenagers to meet strangers and to socialize in general than for representatives of previous generations.

Dopamine networks and true friends

Social networks and the profiles that we create on them play a huge role in the modern world. Some psychologists call pages on social networks the creation of an improved version of oneself, since every person strives to make a good impression on others and often provides false information about himself. It turns out that communication itself has changed today, it has become more superficial. A certain disunity of interests also appeared - if in the past the whole country watched “The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed” and common topics for conversation could be found with almost everyone, today the picture is completely different. The advent of the Internet and such streaming services as, on the one hand, gave us imaginary freedom of choice, and on the other hand, made the opportunity to meet a person with similar interests in real life more difficult.

Instagram has begun testing “no likes” in some regions of the United States. According to the company's new policy, likes will only be available to the author of publications, and not to his subscribers

Moreover, based on Dunbar's work, it can be falsely concluded that the number of people on social networks should not exceed 150 people. But in reality, we add a large number of people as friends, half of whom we have never met or will not see at all. The numbers in the friends tab today are a source of dopamine, but not real happiness.

According to a recent study, a person is only able to maintain five truly close contacts throughout his life. This is why the top five people are highlighted separately on your social media feed. But with the rest of the conditional 145 friends, communication is a little strange - about once a year or six months we congratulate each other with messages, for example, “happy birthday,” as if letting the other person know that we remember his existence. But such “zombing” on social networks cannot be called full-fledged communication. It turns out that our ancestors communicated with each other much more, more often and more productively than we do, and this communication was often a key factor in their well-being in life.

Zombing is a like or a happy holiday greeting from a person with whom you do not communicate, both online and in real life.

I would like to note that the Internet and the information age have not only enriched the Russian language with the latest borrowings, but also changed etiquette. Thus, in the modern world, the ability to put down your smartphone in time and not take too many photographs in the presence of others is highly valued.

Black Mirror is no longer a TV series

Fans of social science fiction have probably watched at least one episode of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror. The first episode of the third season talked about how likes on social networks affect social status and determine position in the world. And if the relationships between people in the world shown in this episode look like an exaggeration, then the reality has actually not gone so far - a taxi driver today can actually lose his job if a client gives him only one star out of five a couple of times. And the way almost all interactions between people take place in modern China seems to make you think: “Isn’t this the world of “black mirror””?

Still from the series “Black Mirror” (season 3, episode 1)

Of course, the advent of the Internet and modern technology has changed more than just friendships and relationships. Today, the Internet influences almost every aspect of our lifestyle - from basic needs to the most luxurious things. And as we step into the future, it is logical to assume that dependence on the Internet and its role in our lives will only increase. The modern world is blurring boundaries, resembling a global city that exists thanks to the Internet. After all, despite the fact that communication today is increasingly superficial, we can now communicate with anyone, anytime, anywhere. has become a kind of guide to all information and queries about beauty, health, fashion, lifestyle, personal hygiene and much more. Moreover, we can not only work from the comfort of home, but also receive education while sitting in the comfort of our own chair. The Internet has become a huge platform for the free exchange of knowledge. Yes, we see each other’s faces less often, but we have Wikipedia.

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Concluding this article, I cannot help but note that along with the endless opportunities that have appeared thanks to the Internet, there are no less reasons for concern. Our society is rapidly transforming and the “okay boomer” meme, which recently swept the world’s social networks, is a clear example of this. The generation of baby boomers - people who were born between 1943 and 1963 - truly does not understand millennials and especially representatives of generation Z. The fact is that the social environment in which boomers grew up was completely different from the environment in which surrounds modern children and teenagers - and they, among other things, are surrounded by the screens of smartphones, tablets, televisions and limitless flows of information.

The cast of the series “Friends” is almost complete. The inscription at the top is “Boomers”

Changes affect worldviews and even jokes. What was considered funny 20 years ago and what they joked about in the series “Friends” today causes indignation among young people. The values ​​that the boomer generation conveyed are becoming outdated at an incredible speed, which only fuels the misunderstanding between people. But I see the inability, and sometimes even reluctance, of network users as no less dangerous. It's no secret that pseudoscientific and dangerous ideas, for example, about the dangers of vaccination, are spreading with incredible speed and success in Russia.

No matter how our society changes with the development of technology and the advent of the Internet, we still remain people with our inherent thinking errors, the need for communication and intimacy with others. Perhaps the best thing each of us can do today is to stop for a minute and think about what direction and where we are going.

The word “creative” used to be synonymous with “disorganized.” Today we want to see a person creative and free-thinking; we admire when a non-standard approach is found to a task.

There are two methods for solving problems:

• Analytical- you select solutions and then determine which one is correct.
• Intuitive (insight method)- the solution comes to your mind ready-made.

It is difficult to go beyond the boundaries when trying to solve a problem analytically, but the insight method is perfect for this.

Scientists have checked Insight solutions are correct more often than analytical solutions both methods and found that the insight method gave more correct answers than analysis. Brain scan showed The Origins of Insight in Resting-State Brain Activity: People who solve problems in this way activate the anterior cingulate cortex. This area monitors conflicts between brain regions and identifies opposing strategies. With its help, a person can see non-obvious ways to solve a problem and direct attention to them.

In addition, during epiphanies, people noted more distracted attention. It allows you to see the whole without focusing on the specific.

Distracted attention is typical for a person in a relaxed state and in high spirits. You're not completely focused on the task, but you're not with your head in the clouds either. Perhaps this is why most epiphanies come to people in, for example, in the bathroom. If you have such an insight, along with it will come the confidence that the decision is the right one. And, judging by scientific data, he should be trusted.

No matter what method you use to solve problems, you do it better than your not-so-distant ancestors.

We are smarter than people who lived 100 years ago

IQ test scores have been increasing since 1930 The Flynn Effect: A Meta-analysis by three points every decade. This trend is called the Flynn effect, named after the professor who discovered it, James Flynn.

There are several reasons for this pattern:

• The quality of life has increased. The nutrition of pregnant women and infants has improved, and the number of children in the family has decreased. Now people invest in the development and education of their children until they graduate from university.
• Education has improved.
• The characteristics of work have changed. Mental work, as a rule, is valued and paid higher than physical work.
• The cultural environment has changed. In the modern world, people receive much more incentives for brain development: books, the Internet, varied communication, not limited by place of residence.
• People are used to questions from IQ tests. Since childhood, we have been able to solve such problems and use abstract thinking, so we do it better.

We are much luckier than our grandparents, but our children will not necessarily be smarter. An anti-effect has already been discovered in developed European countries The negative Flynn Effect: A systematic literature review Flynn: after the 2000s, the growth of intelligence stopped and even began to decline.

Scientists suggest that the impact of the environment has not reached its peak: it simply cannot be better. People already eat well, have one or two children and study until they are 16–23 years old. They cannot have fewer children or study longer, so it is not surprising that intelligence has stopped growing.

We have become better at solving problems on paper, but does this affect real life? After all, a person is not a machine, and mistakes often occur from an incorrect assessment of information and the characteristics of our perception.

We lack critical thinking

People tend to make mistakes and see only one side of a problem. One example of this type of thinking is the availability heuristic, where a person judges the frequency and possibility of an event by the ease with which examples come to mind.

Using this method, we rely on our memory and do not take into account real statistics. For example, a person is afraid of dying from a terrorist attack or a tornado, but does not even think about a heart attack or. Simply because high-profile cases are shown more often on TV.

Such errors include the anchor effect Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases, when people's decisions are influenced by arbitrary data obtained from the environment. This effect is well demonstrated by an experiment by psychologist Daniel Kahneman. Subjects were asked to spin a wheel of fortune, on which the number 10 or 65 randomly fell out. After this, participants had to estimate the percentage of African countries in the UN. People who saw 10 on the wheel always named a lower number than those who saw 65, although they knew that this was completely unrelated.

People like this follow us everywhere. Learning to notice them is very important, especially in the modern world, where fake news and myths pour in from all sides.

To avoid becoming a victim of illusions, learn to question all information, choose reliable sources and evaluate your beliefs from time to time, even if they seem to be the only true ones.

It is also useful to communicate with a wide range of people to develop critical thinking. We are usually drawn to those who share our views. But to develop the habit of critical thinking, we need people we know who disagree with us. They will give us a lot to think about and perhaps force us to reconsider our beliefs.

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Without borders: why modern culture strives for borderlessness

Frameless windows, TVs, smartphones and even paintings. Why the modern world no longer wants to keep itself within the boundaries of reason - in a review prepared jointly with the Honor brand.

Gone are the days when we limited ourselves to one function. We are constantly learning, expanding our boundaries, striving to multitask, trying on different roles. And the culture became the same. The genres of cinema, theater, and music are boldly mixed with each other, so that it becomes almost impossible to determine where one ends and the other begins. Frames are also disappearing at the everyday level: we like to watch movies on a limitless screen with the effect of complete immersion, equip our apartments with floor-to-ceiling windows and watch videos on modern frameless smartphones.

Architecture: frameless windows and glass houses

A window that is not cut by cross beams creates a feeling of free movement of light and air, and if such a window is opened completely, the boundaries between the outside world and the house are completely erased. By the way, frameless glass is made from much stronger glass: it is no coincidence that not only windows, but also walls are often made from them. The quintessence of the trend is the world's most transparent building at the Institute of Technology in Tokyo. The rectangular box house is located in the middle of the park, and due to the transparent walls, a complete illusion of being in the forest is created. A more avant-garde version is the iceberg-shaped headquarters of the health department of the Baci Lands in Bilbao. On the contrary, it is sandwiched between classical buildings, which further emphasizes its unusual appearance.

Painting: baguette, goodbye

The trend of hanging pictures on walls without frames appeared about three years ago, but in fact, we have all encountered it much earlier. Remember, as a child, my mother attached our first works to the wall with a button? A painting without a frame a priori looks a little homemade, a little more comfortable and as if unfinished, and designers actively take advantage of this. In the new season, not only do they not “dress” works of art, but they don’t even always hang them on the wall. Large meter-long paintings can be seen standing on the floor behind a sofa or bed, against the background of plain walls. As if this is not a house at all, but a studio of a modern artist. By the way, mirrors in modern interiors are also increasingly “undressed.” This is especially true for apartments designed in a minimalist style.

High-tech: TVs without frames

The 360° frameless design is extremely popular among TV manufacturers: devices fit into the interior, becoming part, or rather, an extension of the space. In the coming season, they are hung on the walls, installed on special easels instead of paintings, and even placed on the ceiling. The volumetric screen (up to 200 inches or more), the absence of frames and the exotic location create a feeling of complete immersion and separation from reality.

Interiors: no skirting boards and furniture without handles

You won't be able to fall below the baseboard anymore. Until recently, an interior detail that seemed irreplaceable is becoming a thing of the past. The junction of the wall and the floor now looks minimalist, strict and graphic. No extra lines. One solid geometry. Modern furniture is also becoming more and more laconic. Handles are simplified and often disappear completely. Decor is reduced to a minimum, and the silhouettes of interior items themselves become more strict: the fewer details that distract our attention, the better.

"Global problems"(from Latin globus terrae - globe, the term itself appeared in the late 1960s) - a set of problems of humanity that faced it in the second half of the 20th century and on the solution of which the further existence of civilization depends.

Common features:

scale: affect all humanity;

suggest the international cooperation different countries (impossible to solve in one single country);

pungency: the future fate of civilization depends on their decision;

appear as an objective factor in the development of society;

urgently demand solutions.

Main (priority) global problems:

The problem of war and peace, preventing a new world war.

Demographic.

Raw materials.

Ecological.

The “north-south” problem (overcoming the backwardness of developing countries and reducing the gap in the level of development between them and advanced post-industrial countries).

6. Food.

7. Energy.

8. Use of the World Ocean.

9. World space exploration.

And so on.

All global problems are interconnected. It is impossible to solve each of them separately: humanity must solve them together in order to preserve life on the planet.

Main directions for resolving global problems:

Formation of a new planetary consciousness. Raising a person on principles humanism. Widely informing people about global issues.

A comprehensive study of the causes and contradictions, conditions leading to the emergence and aggravation of problems.

Observation and control of global processes on the planet. Obtaining objective information from each country and international research is necessary for forecasting and decision-making.

A clear international forecasting system.

Development of new technologies (resource-saving, using recyclable materials, natural energy sources).

Taking international cooperation to a new qualitative level. Concentration of efforts of all countries to solve global problems. Cooperation is necessary in creating the latest environmental technologies, a common world center for the study of global problems, a common fund of funds and resources, and information exchange.

QUESTIONS:

1. What meaning do social scientists put into the concept of “global problems of humanity”? Using knowledge from your social studies course, write two sentences containing information about global issues.

Definition: 1) Global problems are a set of problems that humanity faced in the second half of the 20th century and on the solution of which the existence of civilization depends.

Two proposals: 2) Solving global problems of humanity is possible only with the participation of the entire world community. 3) One of the global problems is the problem of peace and disarmament, preventing a new world war.

2. Name any three global problems of our time and give a specific example for each.

Ecological problem. Example: deforestation - the “lungs of the planet,” for example, tropical forests in the Amazon Valley.

Demographic. Example: the rapid increase in the birth rate in the modern world from 1.5 billion people at the beginning of the twentieth century, to 6.5 billion at the beginning of the 21st century. In the fall of 2011, the seven billionth inhabitant of the planet was recorded. The world's population is increasing exponentially and, according to the most conservative estimates, will reach 10 billion inhabitants by 2050.

The threat of a third world war. Example: if at the beginning of the 1950s of the 20th century only two countries in the world possessed nuclear weapons, then by the beginning of the 21st century there were already about a dozen of them. Moreover, some of them are in a state of “cold war” with each other, for example India and Pakistan.

3. Illustrate with three examples the relationship between problems relating to the widening gap between developed countries and Third World countries and the problem of preventing a new world war.

As examples illustrating the relationship of problems related to the widening gap between developed countries and third world countries with the problem of preventing a new world war, the following can be cited:

A significant number of local armed conflicts occur in “third world” countries, some of which have nuclear weapons (for example, the Indo-Pakistani conflict.

Due to the aggravation of the problem of providing raw materials and energy resources, the most developed countries of the world provoke, and sometimes themselves participate in, wars for control over sources of raw materials (for example, the war in the Persian Gulf or the US-Iraq war).

The poverty of certain regions of the planet contributes to the spread in them of the most radical, militant ideologies, whose adherents fight against developed countries (for example, Islamic terrorist organizations), etc.

4 . Read the text and complete the tasks for it.

“Most of the remaining higher species of plants and animals are now under threat. Those of them that man has chosen to satisfy his needs have long been adapted to his requirements with the sole purpose of producing for him as much food and raw materials as possible. They are no longer subject to Darwin's law of natural selection, which ensures genetic evolution and adaptability of wild species. However, those species for which man could not find direct use are also doomed. Their natural abode and their resources were taken away and mercilessly destroyed in humanity's determined march forward. An equally sad fate awaits the untouched wild nature, which is still needed as a natural habitat for man himself for his physical and spiritual life. After all, by disturbing the ecological balance and irreparably reducing the life-supporting capacity of the planet, a person in this way can ultimately deal with his own species no worse than an atomic bomb.

And this is not the only way in which man’s new acquired power was reflected in his own position. Modern man began to live longer, which led to a demographic explosion. He learned to produce more of all kinds of things than ever before, and also in a much shorter time. Becoming like Gargantua, he developed an insatiable appetite for consumption and possession, producing more and more, drawing himself into a vicious cycle of growth with no end in sight.

A phenomenon was born that began to be called the industrial, scientific, and more often the scientific and technological revolution. The latter began when man realized that he could effectively and on an industrial scale put into practice his scientific knowledge about the world around him. This process is now in full swing and is gaining more and more speed.”

(According to A. Peccei)

1) Make a plan for the text. To do this, highlight the main semantic fragments of the text and title each of them.

3) Suggest why the constant increase in production and consumption threatens the future of humanity. Make two guesses.

5) In 1900, the world's population reached 1650 million people; in 1926 it amounted to 2 billion people; the third billion took 34 years; the next billion was added in 14 years; then - for 13; the increase in population from 5 to 6 billion people took 12 years and ended in 1999. What idea of ​​the author does the given facts illustrate? What are the dangers of the continued growth of the world's population?

1. Text outline:

The influence of modern man on nature.

Growing human needs.

Scientific and technological revolution.

Those species (species of plants and animals) that man has chosen to satisfy his needs have long been adapted to his requirements with the sole purpose of producing for him as much food and raw materials as possible.

Those species for which man has not been able to find direct use are doomed because their natural habitats and their resources have been taken away and mercilessly destroyed in mankind's purposeful advance.

A sad fate awaits the untouched wild nature, which is still needed as a natural habitat for man himself for his physical and spiritual life.

3. Two assumptions:

The increase in production and consumption leads to the search for additional resources, which leads people to the most remote and untouched corners of the wild. In turn, this upsets the already precarious balance between man and wild nature.

The constant increase in production and consumption will be accompanied by an increase in waste, which could lead to a global environmental disaster. For example, an increase in carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere threatens the “greenhouse effect.”

The struggle for the redistribution of resources is the “third world war.”

Two major achievements of scientific and technological revolution:

Internet;

mobile connection.

Such facts illustrate the author’s next idea: “Modern man has begun to live longer, which has led to a demographic explosion.”

The danger is the coming overpopulation of the planet, which will not have enough resources to feed so many people. This threatens humanity with new wars, social cataclysms and other troubles.

Wild nature allows a person to enjoy the feeling of beauty, feel harmony with nature, experience a sense of peace, etc.

The information revolution taking place in modern conditions creates real technical and technological foundations for solving global problems. An economy built on a combination of market mechanisms and state regulation of spontaneous economic processes is becoming increasingly widespread, allowing for effective social protection of the population and overcoming the conflict between production efficiency and the social interests of people.

Arguments:

The idea of ​​non-violence, of solving emerging problems not by force, but by negotiations and the search for compromises, is gradually taking hold in the minds of politicians and becoming a reality. The irreconcilable ideological confrontation that resulted in psychological warfare is becoming a thing of the past. The foundations for tolerance and mutual cooperation within the world community are gradually strengthening, which creates the conditions for joint action to solve global problems.