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What do you think of when you hear the world technology?
Brainstorm. Discuss in group.
Which modern invention could you not live without?
Explain your choice.
In your opinion, which invention has had the greatest impact on society in the last 100 years? Explain your choice.
1.Look attentively at the following images for about 3 minutes. Make an effort to memorise as many devices as possible. After the 3 minutes given, do the exercises that follow. Don’t look back at the images.
Camera
MP3 player
Radio
Telephone
Fax machine
OHP
Squeezer
CD
Microwave oven
CD player
Vacuum cleaner
Mixer
Typewriter
Slide projector
Lawn mower
Elictric drill
Fridge
Walkman
Pendrive
Computer
OLD TECHNOLOGIES
OLD TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Now, answer the following questions.
1.What are the major benefits of technologies?
2. Name three devices that have helped:
a) communication;
b) industries;
c) family life;
d) education;
e) at work;
f) society in general.
3. In your opinion, what is the greatest technological achievement? Why?
4. Will the new technologies cause unemployment or will they bring more work? Explain.
5. What social changes have cell phones and computers brought?
6. Do we still use old technological devices or just the new ones? Explain.
Read the text carefully.
Technology doesn’t always help
Technology doesn’t always help
Telephones and mobile phones ringing at the same time; e-mails being sent and replied to every single day. This is reality for many people and sometimes it is for me, too.
I really enjoy having all these ways to communicate with my family and friends or with my workmates. However, when I need to use them for other important reasons, I don’t get the same satisfaction. Last week, for example, I sent an e-mail message to the company which sold me an airlie ticket. It was completely futle because they couldn’t understand nor solve the problem by e-mail. I asked myself, “Why do they have such a nice site o the Internet if they can’t help customers who are far away?” What a disappointment!
I can tell you about another unpleasant experience I had. Last month I bought some CDs over the Internet. The next day, they sent me a message confirming my order and telling me that they didn’t have all the CDs that I wanted. They would deliver those they had and “LATER” send the others. I really hated that word “later”. Later? How much later? When? I still haven’t got them.
What I have to say about all this technology is that it was created to make things easier for us, but sometimes the result is totally the opposite. I usually like to use a mobile phone, but it really gets on my nerves when I am talking to someone and the transmission goes bad and we get cut off. Instead of helping me, technology just hinders me.
I am not addicted to these “high-tech toys”. However, it would be great if they really could be used successfully whenever we need them. Unfortunately, for me they are much more toys than they are tools to do my work. Talking face-to-face or using regular phones are still the best ways to communicate.
Juliana Zanchett from Brazil (abridged) TOPICS ONLINE
A. Say whether these statements are true or false. Correct the false ones.
a. Modern ways of communication are still unfamiliar to Juliana. _____
_________________________________________________________________
b. She likes to use modern ways of communication in all situations. _____
_________________________________________________________________
c. The travel company could solve the problem she had by e-mail. _____
_________________________________________________________________
d. The company had no site on the Internet. _____
_________________________________________________________________
e. Juliana has already done shopping online. _____
_________________________________________________________________
f. Some of the CDs she bought online haven’t arrived yet. _____
_________________________________________________________________
B. Find in the first three paragraphs of the text the words that mean the following:
a. answered ____________________
b. the act of fulfilling a need or desire __________________
c. pointless __________________
d. find a way of dealing with a problem __________________
e. clients__________________
f. showing or saying that something is true __________________
g. take or send to a place __________________
C. Give complete answers to these questions
What advantages of modern ways of communication are mentioned in the text?
2. Why does Juliana think “technology isn’t always useful”?
3. When does a mobile phone annoy her?
4. What are her favourite means of communication?
D. Passive Voice: Rewrite the sentences as suggested.
a. People sent millions of e-mails last year.
Millions of e-mails _____________________________________________________
b. The technicians didn't understand the problem.
The problem _________________________________________________________
c. Mark buys lots of products over the Internet.
Lots of products ______________________________________________________
d. My father offerred me a new mobile phone last week.
A new mobile phone ___________________________________________________
e. The kids bought different type of CDs.
Different type of CDs __________________________________________________
WRITING: What do you think? Is there life beyond the screen? In 120-150 words, write an opinion essay about the impact of New Technologies on teens’ lives. The information below might be useful to you.
ADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES
Doing different things using the same electronic gadget (calling your friends, texting, listening to music, playing games…)
Communicating with people all over the world
Communicating without leaving home (through emails, blog entries and text messages)
Chatting with our friends/ relatives
Watching/Downloading videos, movies, music…
Listening to music
Sharing information, photos, videos with the rest of the world
Searching for information (it’s easier and faster than going to the library)
Getting help with homework
Calling for help in case of an emergency
Improving your English/ Learning foreign languages
Paying bills
Playing online games
Doing online shopping
Multi-tasking
e-learning (taking online courses)
DISADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
An obstacle to communication
A false way of socializing
A waste of time since you can’t really trust anyone
No time for family and friends (the end of family life)
Less face-to-face meetings
Isolation
A distraction (in your life: you spend too many hours on it instead of doing homework, studying, enjoying other hobbies/ at school: you aren’t able to concentrate)
No time for other important activities (reading, doing physical exercise, going to the movies…)
Not getting enough sleep
A bad impact on school performance
Developing health problems
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