Текст «History of Cartography»

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Cartography is the science of making maps. But this definition is not enough to explain what cartography is today. In fact, it has changed a lot in the last few years thanks to new technologies. And now, with the Internet, it is changing again.

The first maps were made by the ancient Greeks and Romans. They used information from travellers who went to different parts of the world. Then they drew these places on a piece of paper. These early maps were not very good. The travellers often gave wrong information. Sometimes they even made up stories about the places they visited.

In the 20th century, mapmaking became a serious job. Mapmakers learnt to use new technologies like aerial photography. This helped them make more accurate maps. In the 1960s, computers came into use. Mapmakers started using computers for the first time. They could put information about places on a computer. Then they printed out the information on a piece of paper. This was a big change. It meant that mapmakers did not have to draw everything by hand.

But computers also brought some problems. Computers are not very good at drawing shapes. So the maps did not look very nice. Also, the process of getting information on to a computer took a long time. In the 1990s, new technologies solved these problems. Computers got faster and better. And new software let mapmakers work with shapes. They could make beautiful maps on a computer screen. They could also get information from anywhere in the world. This was a big change. Now mapmakers can make maps without going to the place. They just sit in front of a computer and get information from the Internet.

What is the future of cartography? Some people think that computers will replace mapmakers. But I think this is not true. Computers are very good at getting information, but they are not very good at deciding what information to use. Mapmakers can do this.

In my opinion, the future of cartography is on the Internet. Today, there are many maps on the Internet. Some of these are just electronic versions of paper maps. But some are new maps. These maps are different because they change all the time. For example, there are maps of traffic in cities. These maps show where there are traffic jams right now. Maps like this are very useful. In the future, there will be more like this.

I. True- False statements:

1. Cartography is the science of making maps.

2. The first maps were made by the ancient Egyptians.

3. The early maps made by the Greeks and Romans were very accurate.

4. Mapmakers in the 20th century used computers for the first time.

5. Computers made mapmaking easier and faster in the 1990s.

6. Mapmakers can now make maps without visiting the place.

7. Some people believe that computers will replace mapmakers in the future.

8. All maps on the Internet are just electronic versions of paper maps.

II. Answer the questions:

1. What is cartography?

A. The science of making maps.

B. The process of drawing shapes on a computer.

C. The study of ancient Greek and Roman maps.

D. The use of new technologies in mapmaking.

2. How did the first maps come about?

A. Travellers provided accurate information to mapmakers.

B. Mapmakers drew places based on their own experiences.

C. Ancient Greeks and Romans made up stories about places.

D. Mapmakers used information from travellers to draw maps.

3. What technological advancement helped mapmakers create more accurate maps in the 20th century?

A. Aerial photography.

B. Computers.

C. New software.

D. The Internet.

4. Why did mapmakers face challenges when using computers for the first time?

A. Computers were slow and had limited capabilities.

B. Computers were not good at drawing shapes.

C. Mapmakers had to go to the place to gather information.

D. Mapmakers had to draw everything by hand.

5. What is the author's opinion on the future of cartography?

A. Computers will replace mapmakers completely.

B. Mapmaking will always be an important job.

C. Mapmakers will become assistants to computers.

D. People will stop using maps in the future.

6. What is a characteristic of new maps on the Internet?

A. They are electronic versions of paper maps.

B. They are static and do not change over time.

C. They provide real-time information, such as traffic updates.

D. They only show information about natural disasters.

Адрес публикации: https://www.prodlenka.org/metodicheskie-razrabotki/554059-tekst-history-of-cartography