LESSON 3

Teens and Technology

In this lesson you will listen, speak, read and write about teens and technology through
interviews and a report.
Do you like technological devices? Which one do you use the most? What do you use it for?

Before Listening A Radio Interview

1 In pairs, look at the words in the box and make predictions about how
technology will change things in the future.

home - shopping - museums - cell phones - transportation

While Listening
2 Listen 13 to the radio interview and mark if the opinions belong to Jack ( J)
or Ellen (E).
a. You won’t need a key for your home.
b. Everybody will shop online.
c. We will visit museums using virtual reality.
d. Cell phones will be so small we will attach them to our eyes.
e. Markets will still probably exist.

3 Listen again and underline the correct option.

a. Jack believes fingerprints will replace keys / eyeballs.
b. Ellen agrees / disagrees with Jack about homes.
c. Jack believes street markets will / won’t exist.
d. Jack thinks technology will help shoppers / scientists.
e. The interviewer jokes that technology can’t help predict earthquakes / people
decide what to eat.

After Listening
4 Pronunciation · Listen 14 and repeat the sentences. Notice the difference in
the pronunciation of the underlined words.
Glossary a. I don’t think so.
.
187 b. That is something that technology can’t help you with.
See page

5 Listen 15 to the sentences and mark (✓) the words you hear.
a. bang bank
b. sing sink
c. wink wing

6 Write sentences with the words in activity 5. In pairs, read them out loud and
have your partner say the word he or she hears.

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2
Unit

Speaking Task Giving Opinions

1 Read the sentences and underline the phrases that introduce opinions.
a. I’m sure there will be lots of new inventions.
b. I don’t think you will need a key to your home.
c. In my opinion, the Internet will become more and more popular.
d. I’m sure we won’t have to visit museums.
e. I believe that cell phones will become so small that they will be attached
to an eyepiece.
f. I suppose that is something that technology can’t help you with!

2 Read the phrases in the box and write them in the correct columns.

I agree - I disagree - I’m not sure...

That’s right - Certainly - That’s not correct

Agreeing Disagreeing

3 Write your opinion in response to each of the following statements.

a. Robots will be common in homes and schools.

b. People will live on Mars by the year 2050.

c. Next century, we will eat all of our food in the form of

vitamin tablets.

d. Doctors will find a cure for cancer in the next ten years.

4 In pairs, take turns reading out your opinions from activity 3.

Have your partner agree or disagree.

5 Continue the conversation.

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 LESSON 3

Before Reading A Report

1 Look at the pictures and make predictions.
a. What technological devices can you see in the picture?
b. What functions can they perform?
c. How is technology changing?
2 Match the phrases with the pictures from the text.
a. Texting
b. Talking
c. Listening to music
d. Playing games
e. Taking pictures

16

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smar t

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2
Unit

While Reading
3 Read the sentences and write T (true) or F (false).
a. E-kids are young people who use a lot of modern technology.
b. In the past, more young people had cell phones than now.
c. Young people spend 36 minutes texting on their cell phones.
d. Young people spend the least amount of time playing games on their phones.

4 Read the clues and complete the words.

a. T You can watch movies on it.
b. C Students use it to do homework.
c. M p You can use this to listen to music.
d. C p These are used to communicate on the move.
e. L You use this to find information.

A recent report in Europe was based

upon a survey
asking 2,000 young people about the
ir cell phones.
The report showed that around half
of all 11-to-14- A recent art
year-olds use their phones for non icle reported
-talking activities. music techn what teenag
These activities included listening to ology in the ers think abo
music, playing believed tha future. Twen ut
games, and watching TV. t there will n ty -five percen
time. Kids are ot be any CD t
very social. T s in five years
to communic hey use elec ’
ate or to pla tronic device
results show y w ith their frien s
that 11-to-14 ds. Research
of one hour -year-olds sp
and 39 minu end an avera
time is spen te s a day onlin ge
t chatting to e. Much of th
the Internet. friends or pla is
ying games
over
In this techn
ological worl
multitasking d, kids are g
. For examp etting bette
le, many youn r at
to music wh g people liste
ile they do th n
people think eir homewo
it is good fo rk. In fact, a
r children to lot of
They believe use the com
that compute p u ter.
think, study, r games can
and learn be help childre
tter. n
Portable ele
What will e-kids use their cell phones ctronic devic
for in the smaller, and es will becom
more access e cheaper,
future? Some people think that more the future w ible. This me
and more a n s that kids in
kids will use their cell phones to make ill be able to
videos. Video books, and se do their hom
nd e-mails w ew ork, read
cameras might become obsolete. The hile traveling
way we listen to school.
to music is also going to change. Mos
t 11-to-14-year-
olds listen to music on their MP3 play
ers. Not many
young people use CD players anymor
e.

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 LESSON 3

5 Look at pages 56 and 57 of your text. Find out what people use the following
objects for today.
a. A cell phone
b. A computer
6 Match the activities to the the bars in the graph.

Daily cell phone use for 11-to-14- year-olds in Europe

a. Listening to music: 18 minutes 1.5 hrs

b. Talking: 36 minutes
1 hr
c. Texting: 1 hr, 13 minutes

d. Playing games: 25 minutes 30 min

e. Watching TV: 15 minutes

7 Complete the phrases with the words in the box.

surf - chat - play - listen to - do - make

a. homework
b. video games
c. with friends
d. phone calls
e. the Internet
f. music

After Reading
8 Speaking · Conduct a Survey.
a. In groups, discuss the questions.
• How often do you do the activities in exercise 6?
• Which activities do you prefer doing? Why?
b. Conduct a class survey. Find out the most popular activity.

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2
Unit

Reading and Vocabulary Technology

1 Look at pages 56 and 57 and complete the chart with how most young people
use computers, cell phones, and watch TV.

A few years ago

Nowadays

2 Look at pages 56 and 57 again and write what the numbers refer to.
a. 69%
b. 18 minutes
c. 2,000
d. 25%
e. 1 hour, 39 minutes

3 Read the clues and find the words in the puzzle.

a. sending messages on the Internet E R T Y U S E M A I L O P L
b. connected to the Internet K R T T E X T I N G D F G H
c. to do two or more things at the same time I M U L T I T A S K I N G V
d. a device with a screen and a keyboard D D F G H J L Ñ O N L I N E
e. to send a message on your cell phone S V B N M K J E T U O S G K
E E C O M P U T E R E V I C
f. young people who use lot of technology

4 Discuss the questions.

a. How can technology help you learn?
b. Which technological devices do you think
you will stop using in the next ten years?
Discuss
c. Which technological devices do you use now?

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 LESSON 3

Language Focus Making Predictions

1 In pairs, read the predictions and answer the questions.
Video cameras will become obsolete.
The way we listen to music is also going to change.
Grammar
. There won’t be any CDs in ten years time.
174
See page
Portable electronic devices will become cheaper.
Cell phones will become smaller and smaller.
a. Do the sentences refer to the past, present, or future?
b. What is the form of the verb after the underlined words?
c. What is the negative of will?

2 Match the first part of the sentences to the second part.

a. There won’t be televisions in the future... I’ll mail you the address later.
b. I will buy a tablet... if I have enough money.
c. I’m sure you’ll like that cell phone... I’m sure he won’t like this new
cell phone.
d. Your computer is old. because everyone will watch
movies on their phones.
e. It’s great you’re coming to the party. it has lots of applications.
f. Mike’s a technophobe. When are you going to buy a
new one?
3 Complete the sentences with a suitable form of the words in parentheses.
a. Technology means that soon we (be able) to do all
ourstudying from home. We (not have) to go to school.
b. In ten years, I don’t think anyone (read) paper books.
It’s possible that we (do) everything online.
c. “Are you (help) me with my math homework?”
“No, but try this computer program. I promise it (be)
a great help.

4 In pairs, discuss the questions.

a. What do you think we will use cell phones
for in the future?
b. How is technology going to change the world?
c. Can you think of a technological device that
has not been invented yet?

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Unit

Reading Task

Predictions That Came True 17 Glossary

See page 1
8 7.

I
s it really possible to predict the future? • John Elfreth Watkins Jr. was curator of the
Some people say that they can foresee future Smithsonian Institute. In 1900, he wrote an
events, but do we believe them? article called "What May Happen in the Next
Hundred Years." He said, "Man will see around
• In the past, there were people who made
the world. Persons and things of all kinds
predictions based on their own observations
will be brought within focus of cameras…
and intuition. Then, many years later, those
thousands of miles at a span.” That’s right,
predictions came true…
Mr. Watkins predicted the existence of the
• In 1987, the movie critic Roger Ebert said, Internet– one hundred years ago!
"We will have high definition, wide-screen
televisions… videocassette tapes will be
obsolete." How many of you now have
widescreen TVs at home?
• In 1968, Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick
collaborated on the novel and movie 2001:
A Space Odyssey. In one scene in the movie,
we see two astronauts reading the news
on something that looks like a tablet! Even
more surprising, Clarke named the device the
"Newspad." Does that name sound familiar?

1 In pairs, look at the images in the article and say when you think the items
were invented.

2 Read the article and match the people to their predictions.

a. Roger Ebert the Internet
b. Arthur C. Clarke widescreen televisions
c. John Elfreth Watkins Jr. electronic tablets

3 Make predictions in the chart.

Time Prediction

In ten years,… Steps to

Writing
13.
In one hundred years,… S ee pa ge

In one thousand years,…

4 Share your ideas with the class. Vote for the following:
• the most realistic prediction
• the silliest prediction
• the most optimistic prediction

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 LESSON 3

Writing Task An Essay

1 Read the essay and underline the best title.
Glossary
187
. a. Technology: Good or Bad?
See page
b. The Best Things about Technology

18 Young people today are using more and more technology. We even
meet people online or on the phone. Technology has many positive
advantages, but I believe there are also some disadvantages.

In my opinion, technology is a good way to get both information and

entertainment. It is much faster to do research for projects, and many
games and videos are available. We can also learn about what is
happening around the world and understand different cultures.

On the other hand, technology means that people are not developing
relationships. I think that people spend too long on their phones and
computers, and find it difficult to communicate with each
other face to face. People can do so many things on
their computers that soon they will never have to
leave their homes.

I am sure that technology will continue to develop

and will play an important role in the lives of young
people around the world. However, we must be
careful that it doesn’t take over our lives completely.

2 In your notebook, write notes under the following headings.

• Topic • Negative opinions
Reading Tip • Positive Opinions • Predictions for the future
Period
Use a period (.) to end
3 In your notebook, make similar notes about one of the following
a sentence. topics.
a. Do you think the Internet is the best invention to date?
b. Is technology making us lazy?
4 Write an essay on your chosen topic. Read the tips.
Steps to • Give opinions for and against the proposed question.
Writing
S ee pa g e 13
. • Make predictions in your conclusion.
• Write four simple paragraphs based on your notes.
5 In pairs, exchange and check your essays. m e n t ar y
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