Ciclo I 2021

READING AND TECHNOLOGY

Programa de Extensión
Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras
Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Ciclo I 2021
 Reading and Technology

Contents

- Unit 1: Technology Heroes p. 2

- Unit 2: The Digital World p. 10
- Unit 3: Computers p. 19
- Unit 4: The Internet p. 28
- Unit 5: Social Networks p. 35
- Unit 6: Cell Phones p. 47
- Unit 7: Apps p. 61
- Unit 8: Video Games p. 72

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 UNIT 1 – TECHNOLOGY HEROES

Reading 1
Skills:

- Main idea and details

- Make inferences

- Cause and effect

Getting started: Do you know people who have been vital in the development of technology?

HEDY LAMARR
The Hollywood film star behind the invention of Wi-fi and mobile phones.

The Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr was born in

Vienna in1914, as Hedwig Kiesler. She was a very
clever girl, always interested in how things
worked - she loved taking her music boxes to
pieces and putting them together again.However,
she also loved acting, so she left school early
without qualifications and started drama school.

Hedy the film star

Hedwig first worked in Czechoslovakian films, and
she quickly became a successful actress, often
called 'the most beautiful woman in the world'.
She married in 1933, but her husband didn't want
her to work, and kept her locked in the house.

Finally, in 1937, she ran away to Paris. There she

met an American film producer, and under her
new name, Hedy Lamarr, she was soon a famous
Hollywood actress. Hedy's problem was that she
soon got bored with film roles that were just
about being beautiful. She didn't enjoy Hollywood
parties, and liked to spend her free time inventing
things.

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 Wartime work

At the beginning of World War II, Lamarr and composer George Antheil developed a radio system using
spectrum technology for Allied torpedoes in order to make it difficult for the enemy to locate them.
This system was patented in 1942. She also helped improve airplane aerodynamics for Howard Hughes
Aircraft Company during the war. Although the US
Army did not adopt Lamarr's invention until 1957,
nowadays various spread-spectrum techniques are
incorporated into Bluetooth technology and are
similar to methods used in some versions of Wi-Fi.
To recognize the value of her work, she was
posthumously inducted into the National Inventors
Hall of Fame in 2014.
* Adapted from Headway Elementary. Oxford University Press.

Answer the following questions:

1. Why is Hedy Lamarr considered a prominent figure?

a. Because of her amazing Hollywood career.
b. Due to her participation in the war as a soldier.
c. She became the greatest female inventor of all times.
d. She had a key role in the development of modern technologies.

2. How is Hedy described in the first paragraph?

a. She hated acting.
b. She was curious.
c. She was a great student.
d. She was a good musician.

3. What made her escape to Paris?

a. The war
b. She wanted to go to school.
c. A husband who didn’t let her be free.
d. Her desire to work in a technology company.

4. True or false: Hedy’s ideas were implemented immediately.

5. Organize the following events in chronological order based on the information in paragraph 4:
a. Her invention was officially registered.
b. After her death, she was honored and received the recognition she deserved.
c. Lamarr created a system to make torpedoes undetected.
d. The military didn’t implement her creation until almost two decades later.
e. She worked for an aviation enterprise.

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What do you think?
Would you like to be recognized as a famous celebrity or as an important scientist?

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Reading 2
Skills:

- Main idea and details

- Scanning

Getting started: Is it really necessary to mix technology and education?

ENOVA

a. In 2013, the Mexican learning and innovation network, Enova, was recognized with a Tech Award.
The awards are given annually by The Tech Museum of Innovation in the USA. Enova delivers education
to people in Mexico who don't have any other access to computers. The non-profit network was
founded by Jorge Camil Starr along with two of his oldest friends. When they were growing up, they
travelled around Mexico to go surfing and saw the potential that was being wasted in small towns with
no infrastructure. Jorge later explained how doing his degree in economics around the time that the
Internet was developing led to the idea of taking quality education to these low-income towns via
technology.

b. Enova's first task was to look at the failure of the existing systems. Computers had been used in
community development far twenty years in Mexico, but the success rate of these projects was poor.
Jorge realised that the systems had to be simplified. Enova took two important decisions. The first was
that each educational centre would be run by only one person with full responsibility. The second was
in the way they would deliver educational content - using video games. Almost all of Enova's academic
material has been designed as games. The children were motivated to learn because the games were
fun to play. But to the surprise of Enova, they found that the children's mothers also wanted to play
the games as well. Enova had discovered a way to bring education to adults too.

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 c. Jorge is keen to emphasize that Enova doesn't assume it's successful just because people go to their
centres - the impact of the educational programmes is carefully measured. Enova follows the students
who graduate and those who drop out. Students who abandon their studies are asked why, and the
information is used to try and improve the programmes. Enova also measures students' success on
the external government exams, which gives an independent assessment of its impact. Although
there are still about 80 million people in Mexico without computer access, there are now 70 Enova
centres reaching over 350,000 people.

* Adapted from Keynote upper-intermediate. Natural Geographic Learning.

Answer the following questions:

1. Read the article about Enova. Match the headings (1-3) with the paragraphs (A-C).

1 An innovative approach
2 Award-winning social enterprise
3 Making sure it works

2. Read the article again. Find this information:

1 the organization that gave the Tech Award

2 the country Enova works in
3 the founders of Enova
4 Jorge Camil Starr's area of study
5 the first thing Enova did
6 two things Enova decided to do
7 an unexpected consequence of teaching the children
8 three ways Enova measure its success rates

What do you think?

Should students have computers with them during their classes? Brainstorm ideas (pros/cons).

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Reading 3
Skills:

- Organization

- Identify synonyms

Getting started: What is the best device humans have invented?

ALAN TURING
The persecuted and
eventually pardoned Alan
Turing was the great mind
that was able to crack the
Enigma machine, a type of
enciphering machine used
by the German armed
forces to send messages
securely. During the
Second World War, Turing
worked for the Government Code and Cypher School, Britain's codebreaking center that produced
ultra-intelligence. Turing played a crucial role in cracking intercepted coded messages that enabled the
Allies to defeat the Nazis in many crucial combats, including the Battle of the Atlantic. By doing so, he
helped win the war.

In the latter part of the war, he worked for the Radio Security Service. There, he developed his
knowledge of electronics with the assistance of engineer Donald Bayley. Together they designed and
build a portable secure voice communications machine called Delilah. This device was intended for
different applications, but it couldn’t be used with long-distance radio transmissions.

After the war, in 1948, he became Director of the Computing Machine Laboratory at Victoria University,
where he worked on the development of a software for one of the earliest computers- the Manchester

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 Mark 1. Turing wrote the first version of the Programmer's Manual for this machine, and was hired as
a consultant in the development of a commercialized machine, the Ferranti Mark 1.

In 1951, he turned to mathematical biology, finally publishing his work "The Chemical Basis of
Morphogenesis" in January 1952. He was interested in morphogenesis, the development of patterns
and shapes in biological organisms. Turing's work on morphogenesis remains relevant today and is
considered a seminal piece of work in mathematical biology.

Turing is widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence.
The creation of the Turing Machine is widely regarded to have been the foundation of modern theories
of computation and computability. From the iPad to Facebook, much of the technology we use today
can be traced back to Turing's genius. Mobile phones too owe their existence in part to this great man's
intellect and vision.

Glossary:
- Crack: to find the solution to a problem.
- Encipher: convert a message into a coded form.

1. Organize the following events in the life of Turing in chronological order:

1____ 2____ 3____ 4____ 5____

a. He released a book
b. He worked on a computer program
c. He designed a device to talk with people.
d. He worked for an intelligence agency.
e. He was able to decode messages from the enemies.

2. In each paragraph, look for synonyms of the following words or phrases:

- Paragraph 1: vital, allowed, beat

- Paragraph 2: final, help

- Paragraph 3: employed

- Paragraph 4: is still, very important

- Paragraph 5: extensively, considered

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What do you think?
If you could use only one, which one would you use? A computer or a cell phone?

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 UNIT 2 – THE DIGITAL WORLD

Reading 1
Skills:

- Details

- Author’s purpose

Getting started: Have you ever bought something online? Was it a positive experience?

GET REAL! CAN THE DIGITAL WORLD EVER REPLACE

THE PHYSICAL WORLD?

It was Amazon that started Internet shopping by moving book sales online. So why on earth
did they later open a physical bookstore? lt seems they discovered that people may buy a book
online, but what makes them want to buy the book, is seeing it as a real object in a physical place.

Virtual learning
Virtual universities now provide free video lectures to millions of students. Online tests mark
themselves automatically, students grade each other's essays, and there are Internet forums, too. But
don't the students miss face-to-face discussions with each other? And isn't an enthusiastic teacher
better in a classroom than on a video?

Old words, new meanings

Nearly all workers today spend time sitting in front of a computer screen,
and we seem to lose touch with the physical world. We even forget that
many of the words we use digitally come from the real world.
For example, graphic designers used to cut out text and pictures with
scissors, and paste them into a document to get everything in the layout
right!

Physical survives
People thought downloading and streaming would take over music sales completely, and that we'd
enjoy being free of physical CDs. But the sales of even vinyl records are booming, and it's the same in
other areas. Board games are still popular, despite all the digital games around. And the number of high
quality print magazines has been growing, too.

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 A book in the hand ...
Perhaps Amazon realized that although we may enjoy the
convenience of e-Books, we don't love them in the same way
that we love real books in our hands and on our shelves. We
don't even feel that the e-Books we've bought are ours. And
it just doesn't seem right that the greatest of all the classics,
War and Peace, looks the same on an e-Book screen as a two-
page report on traffic problems.

Overall then, while digital has its fans, it's clear that many
people still feel the need for something physical that they can touch and feel.

Glossary:

- Cut: to delete (= remove) part of a text on a computer screen in order to place it somewhere else.
- Paste: to copy or move text into a document from another place or another document.
- Layout: the way in which the parts of something such as the page of a book, a website, a garden or a
building are arranged.
- Streaming: a method of sending or receiving data, especially video, over a computer network.
- E-book: a book that is displayed on a computer screen or on an electronic device that is held in the
hand, instead of being printed on paper.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the author’s attitude towards the digital world?

2. What did Amazon do that was surprising?
3. What might students in online universities miss?
4. Which words have we forgotten the real meaning of?
5. What are some examples of the physical world surviving despite the digital fever?
6. Why is it difficult to love e-Books themselves?

What do you think?

Do you think virtual learning can replace face-to-face education?

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Reading 2
Skills:

- Details

- Vocabulary in context

Getting started: Do you know what a database is?

DATABASES

A database is a collection of related data, and the software used in data bases to store, organize and
retrieve the data is called the database management system, or DBMS. However, we often use the
word database to cover both meanings. A data base can manage any type of data, including text,
numbers, images, sound, video and hyperlinks (links to websites).

Information is entered into the database via fields. Each field holds a separate piece of information,
and the fields are grouped together in records. Therefore, a record about an employee might consist
of several fields which give their name, address, phone number, date of birth, salary and length of
employment with the company.

Records are grouped together into files which hold large amounts of information. Files can easily be
updated - you can always change fields, add new records or delete old ones. An electronic database is
much faster to consult and update than a card index system and occupies a lot less space. With the
right software, you can keep track of stock, sales, market trends, orders and other information that can
help your company stay successful.

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 A database program lets you create an index - a list of records ordered according to the content of
certain fields. This helps you to search the data base and sort records into numerical or alphabetical
order very quickly.

Modern databases are relational - that is, they are made up of related files: customers and orders,
vendors and purchases, students and tutors, etc. Two database files can be related as long as they have
a common field. A file of students, for example, could include a field called Tutor ID and another file
with details of the tutors could include the same field. This key field can be used to relate the two files.
Databases like Oracle, DB2 and MySQL can manage these relationships.

A database query function allows you to extract information according to certain conditions or criteria.
For example, if a managing director wanted to know all the customers that spend more than €8,000
per month, the program would search on the name field and the money field simultaneously.

The best database packages also include network facilities, which can make businesses more
productive.

For example, managers of different departments can have direct access to a common data base. Most
aspects of the program can be protected by user-defined passwords and other security devices. For
example, if you wanted to share an employee's personal details but not their commission, you could
protect the commission field.

*Adapted from Infotech. Cambridge University Press.

Complete these statements about databases using information from the text.

1. A database management system is used to

2. Information is entered into a database via
3. Each field holds
4. Updating a file means
5. Some advantages of a database program over a manual filing system are:
6. Access to a common data base over a network can be protected by using

Solve the clues and complete the puzzle.

1. A collection of data stored in a PC in a systematic way.

2. A unit of a data base file made up of related fields.
3. A single piece of information in a record.
4. A database maintains
separate, related files, but combines data elements from the
files for queries and reports.
5. Some companies have several computers sharing a data base
over a
6. To look for specific information, for example the name of an
employee
7. To classify records into numerical or alphabetical order.
8. A tool that allows you to extract information that meets certain criteria.

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What do you think?
What fields would you include for a database of your music collection?

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Reading 3
Skills:

- Details

- Vocabulary in context

- Make inferences

Getting started: Could machines/robots totally replace human beings in the future?

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE DIGITAL WORLD?

Independent internet and digital media analysts think there will be a number of important trends in
this new decade. These include cheaper smartphones, declining sales of tablets, the increasing use of
IoT technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR), and continuous growth in the
digital economy. They also expect a rise in cyber-attacks, which will lead to better security protocols,
especially to help protect their connected cars or smart homes. Improved connection speeds, especially
for Europe, and better mobile and home internet services are also part of the future.

It is predicted that there will be fusions between networks, technology, television, media,
transportation and industry. For instance, companies like Google and Apple could start working more
in the automotive industry, major tech companies would move into television and streaming services.

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With sustained growth in online services, the industry experts expect a gradual shift away from owning
to using. For example, people sharing cars via an app, or streaming music and video-on-demand films,
rather than buying products or downloading. The move towards more on-demand, subscription
services is possible because of the increasing use of ad-blocking software which, in turn, could make
the abundance of free internet services (like YouTube) a thing of the past.

Bitcoins and online payments will impact the future of financial institutions. Some banks could even
close some of their branches as more people now use the internet for online banking. Further
development in internet services will help cut intermediaries in other industries, too. Other
considerations include Big Data and how EU legislation is dealing with data privacy and protection, as
well as how, in the future, more access to personal data might affect people’s insurance premiums or
requests for loans.

These analyses also predict modest growth in the western world, but a bright future for Chinese, Indian
and African industries. In telecommunications, Asia and the Pacific will become the world’s largest
market during the next decade, while growth in the main European markets will be weak, and possibly
even negative.

Glossary:
- Digital Media: Digital Media is a blend of technology and content, like video games, social media or
mobile applications.
- Trends: Tendencies
- IoT technologies: IoT (Internet of Things) describes the network of physical objects— “things”—that
contain sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data
with other devices and systems over the internet.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Computer science related to smart machines capable of performing tasks
that typically require human intelligence.
- Virtual Reality (VR): Environment full of scenes or objects that look real.
- Automotive: Related to motor vehicles.
- Ad-blocking software: They are simple software programs that prevent ads from being shown on
websites.

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 - Big data: extremely large data sets that may be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends,
and associations, especially relating to human behavior and interactions.

*Adapted from https://www.cbronline.com/what-is/what-is-the-future-of-the-digital-world-4926789/

1. What is a problem described in paragraph 1?

a. The rise of virtual reality
b. Computer security
c. Low internet speed
d. Expensive mobile phones

2. The word they in paragraph 1 refers to

a. attacks
b. analysts
c. trends
d. sales

3. The phrase for instance in paragraph 2 can be replaced by

a. for example
b. on the contrary
c. in addition
d. because of

4. Which could be a consequence of the use of bitcoins and online payments?

a. People will lose a lot of money.
b. Some bank employees could be fired.
c. Some financial institutions could operate in Asia.
d. Bitcoins will replace the Euro in some European countries.

5. Which app does NOT belong to the categories mentioned in paragraph 3?

a. Uber
b. Rappi
c. Netflix
d. Spotify

6 Which country is more likely to have a successful digital economy in the next decade?
a. The United States
b. Argentina
c. France
d. Japan

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What do you think?
In your opinion, how much will AI evolve?

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 UNIT 3 - COMPUTERS
Reading 1
Skills:

- Details

Getting started: Do you use a computer every day? What do you use a computer for mostly?

TYPES OF COMPUTERS

There are a lot of terms used to describe computers. Most of these words imply the size, expected use
or capability of the computer. While the term computer can apply to virtually any device that has a
microprocessor in it, most people think of a computer as a device that receives input from the user
through a mouse or keyboard, then processes it, and displays the result on a screen.

1. PC
PC is a general term. The personal computer (PC) defines a computer designed for all-purpose use by a
single person. While a Mac is a PC, most people relate the term with systems that run the Windows
operating system. PCs were first known as microcomputers because they were a complete computer
but built on a smaller scale than the huge systems in use by most businesses.

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2. Desktop
A PC that is not designed for portability is a desktop computer. The expectation with desktop systems
is that you will set the computer up in a permanent location. Most desktops offer more power, storage
and versatility for less cost than their portable version.

3. Laptop
Also called notebooks, laptops are portable computers that integrate the screen, keyboard, a pointing
device or touchpad (incorporated mouse), processor, memory and hard drive. All this comes in a
battery-operated package slightly larger than an average book.

4. Tablet
A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating
system and touchscreen display. It has a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets
do what other personal computers do, but they lack some input/output abilities that others have.
Modern tablets largely resemble modern smartphones, the only differences being that tablets are
relatively larger than smartphones, with screens 7 inches (18 cm) or larger.

5. Workstation
The fifth type of computer is a workstation. A workstation is simply a desktop computer that has a more
powerful processor, additional memory and enhanced capabilities for performing a special group of
tasks, such as 3D Graphics or game development.

*Adapted from https://computer.howstuffworks.com/10-types-of-computers.htm#pt10

Glossary:
- Microprocessor: A microprocessor is a component that performs the instructions and tasks involved
in computer processing.
- Input: the act of putting information into a computer.

- Operating system: An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware,
software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.

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 - Touchpad: The touchpad on a laptop does the same job as the mouse on a desktop PC. It is sometimes
also called a trackpad. The touchpad is used to control the mouse pointer, also known as the cursor.
- Touchscreen: A touch screen is a display device that allows the user to interact with a computer by
using their fingers.

Match the descriptions with the type of computers:

1. PC a. It’s a light computer you can take with you. It includes a mouse. ____

2. Desktop b. It’s more sophisticated and has better components than a desktop. ____

3. Laptop c. It’s bigger than a cellphone and you can control it with your fingers. ____

4. Tablet d. It’s a standard name to refer to computers. ____

5. Workstation e. Bigger than a laptop and more efficient. You keep it at home. ____

What do you think?

Computers are used in different types of fields and activities nowadays. What is something that we still
do manually or that has not incorporated computers yet? Will this change any time soon?

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Reading 2
Skills:

- Details

- Vocabulary in context

- Make inferences

- Understand negative facts

- Scanning

Getting started: What are 3 advantages of having a tablet?

TABLET COMPUTER
A large 10.1 in (25,6cm) The Tablet is 0.3 in
HD screen is capable of (7mm) thick and weighs
displaying more than a about 15.2 oz (432 g.)
million colors.

Without a doubt, the biggest revolution in computing in recent years is the rise of the tablet computer.
With the increasing power and decreasing size of computer components, it has been possible to pack
a lot of processing power into a small frame. Computers have become smaller, more mobile, and easier
to use than traditional desktop or laptop computers. Tablet computers like American company
Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD 10 are designed to be lightweight and portable yet fast enough to complete
everyday computing tasks. A powerful processor allows users to easily switch between different tasks,
such as watching videos, reading e-books, and playing games.

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 Tablet Components
The main component of a tablet computer is the large touch screen, which has to be highly efficient so
that it doesn’t drain the battery. It achieves this by adjusting the number of times the image displayed
on screen is updated. When showing videos or games, the display is refreshed 60 times a second, so
the eye sees a consistently moving image. However, when the display is of a static subject, the refresh
rate is lower, saving valuable energy.

Kindle Kids Edition

The Kids Edition of the Fire HD 10 tablet comes in a robust, protective carry case to protect against
damage from accidental drops. A modified user interface allows parents to control their child’s online
activity and limit usage to apps, games, and books that are adequate for them. The tablet also comes
preloaded with educational applications designed to engage children between the ages of 3 and 12.
The tablet has 32 GB of storage, enhanced Wi-Fi, immersive audio, and up to 12 hours of reading,
browsing the web, video watching, and music listening.
*Taken from How Super Cool Tech Works. DK Publishing.

Glossary:
- E-book: a book that is displayed on a computer screen or on an electronic device that is held in the
hand, instead of being printed on paper.

1. The word yet in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

a. because
b. but
c. also
d. in order to

2. The word drain in paragraph 2 relates to

a. charging the battery
b. destroying the battery
c. increasing the life of the battery
d. decreasing the power of the battery

3. According to paragraph 2, what activity is more likely to spend less battery energy?
a. Playing video games
b. Reading an e-book
c. Having a video call
d. Watching a video on YouTube

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4. What are 3 characteristics of a tablet like the Kindle Fire?
a. It’s heavy, fast and it works with energy.
b. It’s not heavy, it’s fast, but you can’t use it to read books.
c. It has an efficient processor, it’s light, and you can take it everywhere.
d. The battery needs to be charged constantly, it is light, but the processor is slow.

5. What is NOT true about the Kindle Kids Edition?

a. Parents can prevent their children from watching inappropriate content.
b. The battery can run continuously for about half a day.
c. You don’t have to pay for some educational apps.
d. It may be damaged easily.

6. Based on the information you find in the text and the picture at the beginning of the reading, what
do these numbers have to do with?

a. 32

b. 10.1

c. 3-12

d. 0.3

e. 432

What do you think?

Should kids have access to tablets or cellphones from an early age?

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Reading 3
Skills:

- Details

- Author’s attitude

- Make inferences

- Scanning

Getting started: Is there a specific computer you would like to buy? Why?

SURFACE BOOK
Able to work as a laptop, a tablet computer, or a touch-sensitive canvas, the Microsoft Surface Book
shows how computers are changing to match the way we live and work. This fully portable and highly
flexible gadget provides super-
fast file transfer and a whole
experience for people who like
to play video games, design,
edit videos, make movies, or for
2-D/3-D animation, and other
graphic-intensive tasks. The
Surface Book is a laptop with a
detachable screen that can
function separately as a tablet
computer. To work as a tablet,
the screen houses the memory,
storage, processor, and a battery. The keyboard base has an additional battery.

The keyboard and trackpad are both comfortable to use, and the port selection is one of the greatest
features of this computer, which includes some full-sized USB ports and an SD card reader. This laptop
stands out due to its fast performance and even longer battery life than other models. It also includes
a stylus pen that can be used for drawing and navigation on the screen. The pen can be connected to

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 the computer by Bluetooth. The laptop is encased in magnesium, a tough but lightweight metal. The
whole device weighs about 31/3 lb (1.5 kg) and is just under an inch (23 mm) thick when folded shut.

Laptops have come a long way since the Osborne 1, which was released in 1981. It weighed nearly 10
times as much as a Surface Book and was four times the price. Its main drawback, however, was its tiny
5 in2 (13 cm2) screen.

*Adapted from How Super Cool Tech Works. DK Publishing.

Glossary:
- Gadget: a small tool or device that does something useful.
- Port: a place on a computer where you can attach another piece of equipment, often using a cable.
- Stylus pen: a stylus is an object similar to a pen that people use to point, sign, and draw on all types
of touchscreens and electronic devices.
- Inch (in.): a unit for measuring length or height, equal to 2.54 centimeters. There are 12 inches in a
foot.

1. Considering the author’s attitude towards the Microsoft Surface Book, what’s a word that would
describe the computer?
a. Heavy
b. Inexpensive
c. Multifunctional
d. Hard to operate

2. Who is less likely to use the Microsoft Surface Book?

a. An office assistant
b. A gamer
c. A filmmaker
d. A graphic designer

3. The word houses in paragraph 1 can be replaced by

a. builds
b. contains
c. ejects
d. separates

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4. What can be stated about the Osborne 1?

a. It wasn’t an expensive computer.

b. It must have weighed around 10 kilograms.
c. It had a huge display.
d. It was the inspiration to design the Microsoft Surface Book.

5. In each paragraph, look for synonyms of the following words:

Paragraph 1: gives, complete, removable

Paragraph 2: characteristics, contains, strong

Paragraph 3: launched, almost, nevertheless

What do you think?

Is the Microsoft Surface Book a good option?

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 UNIT 4 – THE INTERNET

Reading 1
Skills:

- Details

- Organize information

Getting started: What do you use the internet for?

A TYPICAL WEB PAGE

Look at the screenshot of a typical web page. How many of the features (a-k) can you say in
English?

a……. b……. c……. h……. k....... f…….

e……. d…….

i……. g…….

j…….

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 Read the text and label the features on the screenshot with the terms in bold.

A typical web page

At the top of the page is the URL address. URL means Uniform Resource Locator - the address of a file
on the Internet. A typical URL looks like this: http:/ /www.bbc.eo.uk/radIo/.

In this URL, http: // means Hypertext Transfer Protocol and tells the program to look for a web page.
www means world wide web. bbc.co.uk is the domain name of the server that hosts the website - a
company based in the UK; other top-level domains are .com (commercial site), .edu (education), .org
(organization) or .net (network); radio is the directory path where the web page is located. The parts of
the URL are separated by . (dot), I (slash) and : (colon). Some sites begin ftp: // a file transfer protocol
used to copy files from one computer to another.

The toolbar shows all the navigation icons, which let you go back one page or go forward one page.
You can also go to the home page or stop the current transfer when the circuits are busy.

Tab buttons let you view different sites at the same time to look for information. When a web page
won't load, you can refresh the current page, meaning the page reloads (downloads again). lf you want
to mark a website address so that you can easily revisit the page at a later time, you can add it to your
favourites (favorites in American English), or bookmark it. When you want to visit it again you simply
click show favourites. Near the favourites button, you find a round icon, which will display your account
photo. This is the user icon, which is connected to one of your web accounts (Microsoft, Google, etc.)

On the web page itself, most sites include a search box so that you can look for certain information
within the web page. There’s also an icon that represents a magnifying glass. This is the Zoom. So, if
you click on this button, you can make the website bigger. Most sites also feature clickable image links
and clickable hypertext links. These are known as hyperlinks and take you to other web pages when
clicked.

*Adapted from Infotech. Cambridge University Press.

What do you think?

What’s your favorite web site?

29
Reading 2
Skills:

- Associate information

Getting started: Are you familiar with the concept of Internet of Things (IoT)? What is it?

INTERNET OF THINGS

There are more devices connected to the internet than there are people on Earth. As this number
increases, and the devices become interconnected, it has formed the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT
can give people remote access to their house and office and allow them to interact in new ways with
public spaces such as stores, tourist attractions, and transportation networks. The data collected by
these devices is used to build intelligent systems that help people live healthier and more efficient lives.

In the home, the IoT works by coordinating smart devices and analyzing the behavior of their owner.
This means that one system, such as a smart fridge, can learn to manage a person’s groceries
automatically, taking into consideration the habits of the owner. It can also attempt to improve the

30
 owner’s health by suggesting solutions to simple problems, such as ordering healthier food for the
refrigerator or diagnosing an illness.

Human inputs are analyzed, and patterns established. For example, if you normally watch TV on
Tuesday nights, the TV and the lights will learn this; the TV will turn on and the lights will automatically
dim on Tuesday nights if you are there. The oven can be controlled remotely or
follow instructions from a recipe to come on at the right temperature and at the right time for each
day’s meals.

In the future, the Internet of Things will transform the home, connecting everyday devices together.
They can all be operated remotely from central controllers, but these systems also share information
and respond automatically to each other’s actions.

*Adapted from How super cool tech Works. DK publishing.

Brainstorm ideas:

Based on the information presented on the text, how can the Internet of Things be used for…?

- Home security

- Home during summer/winter

- Traffic

- Take care of your pet

- Agriculture

What do you think?

What future uses of the Internet of Things can you imagine?

31
Reading 3
Skills:

- Main idea

- Details

- Cause-effect

- Vocabulary function

- Make inference

Getting started: Can the internet decrease the gap between rich and poor people?

COMCAST TO PROVIDE WI-FI TO LOW INCOME

STUDENTS THROUGH LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTERS

Last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, Comcast, an American telecommunications conglomerate,
launched a program to provide free Wi-Fi in community centers as part of an effort to improve internet
access for students in low-income areas. The so-called “lift zones” have provided free internet
connectivity as well as access to hundreds of hours of educational and digital skills content to help
families be part of this online learning process.

32
The first 200 lift zones included community centers in cities such as Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia,
Trenton, and St. Paul. Other community centers in Atlanta, Denver, Detroit, Miami, San Francisco,
Seattle, and Washington, DC were added later.

“The COVID-19 crisis has put many low-income students at risk of being left behind and has accelerated
the need for comprehensive digital equity and Internet adoption programs to support them,” Comcast
executives said at that moment. “Lift Zones are intended to help those students who, for a variety of
reasons, may be unable to connect to distance learning at home, or who just want to have another
place in which to study.”

Back in June 2020, Comcast said it would continue to offer free access to its 1.5 million public Xfinity
Wi-Fi hotspots through the end of 2020, and they also extended free internet service to new customers
on its Internet Essentials plan, which is designed for low-income families.

Comcast was one of several broadband internet providers to commit to an agreement to keep
Americans connected back in March 2020, when the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and
resulting lockdowns kept people working and studying from home. The providers promised not to
terminate services for residences or small businesses that were unable to pay their bills because of
the pandemic. The agreement also included a provision to open Wi-Fi hotspots to any American who
needed them.
*Adapted from https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/17/21441222/comcast-wifi-community-centers-low-income-students

Glossary:
- Hotspot: a place in a hotel, restaurant, airport, etc. that is fitted with a special device that enables
you to connect a computer to the internet without using wires.
- Broadband: a way of connecting to the internet that allows you to receive information, including
pictures, etc., very quickly and that is always active (so that the user does not have to connect each
time)

33
1. What has led Comcast to provide free internet to a big number of Americans?
a. The injustice in America.
b. A new government law.
c. The Covid-19 pandemic.
d. A rival internet provider.

2. The phrase such as in paragraph to is used to

a. express quantity.
b. introduce an example.
c. express contradiction.
d. Introduce a consequence.

3. A student with a lot of noise at home will be more likely to

a. quit his/her studies.
b. pay for a Comcast internet service.
c. move to Chicago as they have 200 lift zones.
d. go to a community center to join his/her online classes.

4. Complete the following graph using the words in the box below. Use the graph to explain the cause-
effect situations described in the text.

Lockdown Online learning Low-income parents with kids can’t pay internet services
Covid-19 Comcast provides free internet

• 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5

What do you think?

During the Covid-19 emergency, have similar measures been taken to help poor people in your country?
Are these measures necessary?

34
 UNIT 5 – SOCIAL NETWORKS

Reading 1
Skills:

- Details

- Analyze infographics

- Evaluate evidence

Getting started: Which was the first social network account you opened?

THE ORIGIN OF SOCIAL NETWORKS – AN INFOGRAPHIC

A. Answer the following questions based on the infographics below.

1. Which seemed to be the greatest social network before the end of the decade of 2000s?
2. Which one is older, Facebook or YouTube?
3. Which fundamental Facebook item was introduced before the end of 2000s?
4. Which Facebook feature didn’t last more than a year?
5. Which big negotiation took place in 2012?
6. Which big social network began to collapse early in the 2010s?
7. Which social network had more users between 2012 and 2013?

B. Read the following statements. Which of these characteristics are important for a social
network to be successful?

1. It should connect users around the world.

2. It should have chatrooms.
3. It should limit interaction between people.
4. It should help people build relationships.
5. It should allow people to express themselves.
6. It should have an original purpose and function.
7. It should focus on an attractive design.

What do you think?

Which social networks do you use?

35
36
Reading 2

Skills:

- Details

- Author’s purpose

- Vocabulary in context

- Understand referents

- Associate information

Getting started: Have you ever thought of creating a social network? What kind of social network
would it be?

HOW TO CREATE A POWERFUL SOCIAL NETWORK

PLATFORM

How did Mark Zuckerberg change the world? He built a global community that brings people closer
together. Mark’s vision of community opened a door to many variations of social media network
platforms that today exist such as Twitter or Instagram. Today, Facebook has 2 billion monthly users,
Instagram 1 billion users, and Twitter 330 million users worldwide. Mark Zuckerberg’s work is important
because he had one brilliant idea that greatly impacted the humanity. Other social media spaces were

37
also created because their CEOs were smart enough to recognize a good opportunity at the right time.
Nowadays, building a social network website from scratch is a much easier process than before, and it
can be done quickly by following certain suggestions.

Consequently, we have compiled a list of 8 steps that you need to follow in this process:

1. Identify your community

If you don’t want to lose time and money, you need to identify your community. The process of
identification needs to be done in the initial stage. A social network is created to meet certain needs of
the population. Identifying preferences and dislikes of your community will help you understand the
psychological factors that affect them as consumers and what you can do to get their attention.
Sometimes the need for what you are offering won’t exist on the market, that’s why collecting
demographics and psychographics data will give you the power to create that need.

2. Define the characteristics and functions

The definition of the features and functions of your network is tightly related to the identification of
your community. What your community wants and needs is important to create the features of your
social network website. What do you want your users to do? You need to think about categories such
as user functions, administrative functions, or advertising. You should define the type of content that
will circulate, what they can post, and how they will register. There are a lot of things to be considered
at this phase.

3. Choose the right technology

Identifying the features and functions of your social media network will determine the platform where
you can create your own network. Evaluating technology is something that must be done by
professionals. Hiring a consultant to help you compare tools is the best solution. It will save you time
and money. If you choose to do it by yourself, then you have to be careful and analyze all the options
you have. You can apply different CMS such as Ning, Drupal, Ruby on Rails, or .Net. You can also check
existent social networking platforms and what technologies they use. This learning process will help
you understand various issues and opportunities for your social media network.

38
4. A must have structure
Experts say that certain general and important rules apply for building all web pages, and these must
be considered when designing your platform because you are trying to engage users in social activity
and keep them longer on your site. There are three significant aspects that you have to incorporate if
you want your social media network to be successful and profitable:

• Customer service – Working along with a hosting company can change your life. They will deal with
technical issues and any other issue related to your platform.
• Security – Use reliable security systems that will make your users feel safe without worrying about
privacy intrusion and data leaks.
• Scalability – When you start building a social network you have to consider how much it is going to
grow. Your social media platform has to be able to expand easily and quickly as many more users join
it.

5. Design Activity Stream

Nowadays, activity streams are the center of every social media website. The fascination people have
with their friend’s activity is real. We want to know what they are doing, how they are feeling every
moment of the day. Not developing quality activity stream can affect the attractiveness of your social
network. This is the focal point behind the success of launching a social network. You can use Joomla ‘s
plug ins or Drupal’s activity stream module that accomplishes this very well. In this way, you can always
see the comments, likes and shares, which are shown in your news feed. You can make publications in
the form of tweets or posts, and decide what to show in your activity feed, and who can see your
updates.

6. Create Status Update Features

Status updates are crucial. Every social media user wants to express their feelings and thoughts anytime
of the day. You need to design the perfect tools that will make the status updates an easy experience.
Status updates are incredibly addicting. If this feature is not easy to use, users will abandon your social
media platform immediately. In other words, interaction with other users is everything. There are a lot
of open-source platforms you can use for developing quality status update features.

39
7. Quality Viewing Data options
You also need to create features that will increase the visibility of the content on your social media
platform. Remember, users will see only what you allow them to see. Do you have enough data viewing
options available? If the answer is no, think about what your users will have access to. Is it about popular
upcoming stories, popular stories in the last 24 hours, popular stories in the last 7 days, etc.? Remember
when Facebook launched their timeline features? Everyone was fascinated by the fact that they could
access history data so easily, with just one click. The data viewing features must be easy to use and
accessible. Additionally, everyone has different preferences, so allowing people to access and adapt
their experience is a big plus and will keep them coming back again and again to your social network
platform.

8. You need to attract the right users

The next step is attracting the right users. There are a lot of tools that will help you create awareness
on the market. Before people start talking about your social media, they need to be aware of it. Digital
marketing has tools to increase awareness and has available options that will help you reach your goals
without spending so much money. For example, you can prepare an email database and use it for
newsletters. You can create your own blog where you will discuss your new social media platform.
Connect with other networks and interact with lots of people so that they hear your platform exists.
Besides, you can activate paid ads to try to get more attention from people who don’t know your social
network.

With the numerous available resources today, creating a social media platform is easier than it was in
the past. Doing quality research is a necessary activity before you start, and if you have a good idea and
follow the steps we have described, you may be able to create something unique. Just remember, the
right information can save you time and resources.

*Adapted from https://www.inc.com/john-rampton/how-to-create-powerful-social-network-platform-in-.html

Glossary:
- CMS: A Content Management System, or CMS, is a piece of software designed to help users create
and edit a website.

40
 - Hosting company (web host): Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server for use by
clients, as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center.
- Leak: a deliberate act of stealing and/or giving secret information (e.g. WikiLeaks).
- Activity stream: An activity stream is a list of recent activities performed by an individual, typically on
a single website. For example, Facebook’s News Feed is an activity stream.
- Open source: A software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be
redistributed and modified according to the requirement of the user

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the purpose of the author in this text?

a. To describe the origin of social networks
b. To show how important Facebook is now
c. To give tips to build a good social network
d. To suggest tech platforms to develop apps

2. The phrase from scratch in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

a. based on someone else’s experience
b. from the very beginning
c. without an effort
d. fast

3. To create a social network, what should be done in the first stage?

a. Pay a software developer to design the appearance of your platform.
b. Understand what people need, like or dislike.
c. Design the sections of your website.
d. Copy what Facebook has done.

4. The word features in section 2 is closest in meaning to

a. characteristics
b. futures
c. updates
d. necessities

5. What suggestion does the author make in section 3?

a. You should trust your abilities to develop your own platform.

b. You should talk to someone who knows about different technologies.
c. You should take some courses to learn to build platforms.
d. You should save a lot of money because this process is expensive.

41
6. The word these in section 4 refers to

a. experts
b. web pages
c. users
d. rules

7. Match the following topics with the sections that develop them.

a. A record of people’s social network interaction ____ Section 6

b. The information users can see ____ Section 4
c. Safe web experience ____ Section 8
d. Getting people to join your network ____ Section 7
e. How people feel ____ Section 5

What do you think?

Choose a social network and identify the previous stages. Does this social network contain the
characteristics that were listed in the text?

42
Reading 3
Skills:

- Details

- Cause-effect

Getting started: What are the positive and negative aspects of using social media?

THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

At the close of 2019, the number of social media users worldwide had hit 3.5 billion. Social media’s
rapid growth has had a significant impact on our daily lives – transforming how we connect with not
only each other, but also with the world. So, now that we have started a new decade, what future
changes can we predict to see on the horizon?

Regulations
Although social media has clearly brought benefits to society and companies, it also brings dangers such
as cyberbullying, online harassment, depression, and body image insecurities. As a result, the UK
government has announced that they will be watching social media companies to take more
responsibility for their content. The pressure to regulate the digital sphere will almost certainly restrict
how advertisers can target users and what content can be promoted. For instance, Facebook already
allows users to manage interest-based ads under account settings and we should expect more

43
companies to follow this trend. Stronger regulations could encourage users to increase trust in social
media networks. This will potentially reflect in higher engagement.

Data and privacy

Events such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal made us realize the power of social media and data as
well as the limitations of current social media regulations. Users are becoming aware that data is power.
One example of this is that searches for ‘My Activity’ on Google have been increasing year on year.
Users are already changing their privacy settings in order to include the minimum information on social
media and accounts are being deleted. Users will continue to push for this with heightened privacy
concerns as the world becomes ever more digital. Demographically, younger audiences are increasingly
conscious of data privacy and security, which will further add to the soft and hard restrictions placed
upon social media. This trend may well open alternative commercial models for social media networks,
such as subscriptions which allow a reduced need for personal data. Another possible solution would
be to reward users that share their data.

WeChat-like social networks

As more people rely on their phones to make payments and manage their finances, the opportunity for
social media developers to blend social and financial functionalities into one platform is growing.
Chinese platform WeChat is the perfect example of how social media, commerce and entertainment
can be integrated. More than a social media network, it allows users to do day-to-day tasks such as
storing their IDs, paying their utilities and getting access to public services, including booking doctor
appointments, applying for visas and checking driving records. Western social platforms will try to
follow WeChat, but it is unlikely that they will be allowed to play the role as fully as WeChat does in
China. This is because in most countries, data privacy concerns and increases in regulation will be
pushing social networks in the opposite direction.

Multi-networking
The number of social media accounts per person has been growing among all demographics. The multi-
networking effect is a response to the increase number of platforms options, but it's also being caused
by a degree of specialization (e.g. Twitch, Pinterest, and TikTok). However, in a busy world as the one
we live in, people don’t always have time to check different platforms. A good solution is using a social
media dashboard where people can check all their different media profiles in just one place, being

44
Buffer Publish a good example. Social media usage will continue to increase in developing countries,
but it has generally reached a peak in advanced economies.

How we consume content will change

The way we consume content is always changing and therefore new social media networks will emerge
as a natural response to these changes. Younger demographics will be the earlier adopters, as we saw
with Snapchat and now with TikTok. Video has become the most popular format. Views of video
content increased by 258% since 2016, and on Twitter a video is 6x more likely to be retweeted than a
photo. It’s not hard to guess that new social media platforms will be focused on video and powered by
AI. Additionally, voice search is increasing which will also impact social media behavior in the coming
decade as people type less and start relying on voice recognition systems to do this job for them. While
phones will remain the main device for accessing social media, the usage of AR and VR devices will also
increase in the next decade as they get lighter and more versatile.

Shifts from the current climate

At the close of the decade social media was making headlines for its negative impacts. Due to COVID-
19, screen time has increased as individuals download apps to stay connected with friends and family,
and to keep entertained. Some platforms will emerge from this dark time with a larger, more diverse
and better user base than ever before and perhaps social media will regain respect by returning to its
origins, a way for us to all stay connected. It can be challenging to predict the future of social media as
it’s a fast-changing environment but hopefully it will move towards a safer and more democratic place.

*Adapted from https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2020/04/21/the-future-social-media-the-turn-the-decade

Glossary:
- Trend: A general direction in which a situation is changing or developing.
- AI: Artificial intelligence
- Voice search: Application that provides a verbal exchange of questions and answers in the user's
native language.
- AR (Augmented Reality): This refers to computer-generated simulations that integrate the real world.
- VR (Virtual Reality): A computer-generated reality that projects the user into a 3D space.

45
Complete the chart below based on the situations discussed in the text.

Problem-solving Map
Aspect Problem Solution Future Consequence
Regulations Users may trust social
networks more, and
more people will join
different networks.
Using dashboards like
Buffer Publish where
you can check all your
media profiles.
Lack of stronger Subscriptions /
privacy policies to Reward users that
protect users. share data.
How we consume
------------------------ ------------------------
content
More social networks
will try to follow the
-------------------------
model of this Chinese
network.

What do you think?

Is it possible to imagine the decline of Facebook? Will people stop using it in the near future?

46
 UNIT 6 - CELL PHONES

Reading 1
Skills:

- Details

- Scanning

Getting started: Do you remember your first cellphone? What was it like?

HOW MUCH CELL PHONES HAVE ACTUALLY CHANGED

OVER THE YEARS

It’s difficult to imagine a time without cell phones connecting us to people across the city, the country,
and the world. Aspects like being able to change our background, type with a full keyboard (plus emojis)
and send unlimited messages were all developed and introduced over a long period of time.

The first phone weighed over two pounds

In 1973, the first call from a Motorola mobile device was made with a phone that look like a brick and
weighed about 2.4 pounds. Martin Cooper, an executive at Motorola, picked up the large device, one

47
that only worked for 30 minutes after a 10-hour charge, and called Dr. Joel Engel, an engineer at their
rival company. Over the past half-century, the cell phone has become much smaller and easier to carry
around, and it’s evolved to connect us in ways that Cooper and Engel perhaps never imagined.

In 1983, Motorola released a $4,000 phone

It took about 10 years to make the phone Cooper used for the first call available to the commercial
public. In 1983, Motorola released the DynaTAC which was still big and heavy and cost approximately
$4,000. But it wasn’t until 1989 that phones began to get smaller with the Motorola MicroTac, a flip
phone small enough to fit inside a shirt pocket.

Nokia got involved in the 2000s

At the turn of the century, Nokia appeared in the cell phone market. The Nokia 6000 series introduced
phones with durable, rectangular shape that fit perfectly into a palm, purse, or pocket. It was the first
cell phone made at a low price. Around the same time, Samsung released the Samsung SPH-I300 which
allowed its users to directly touch the screen of the phone to dial. Sound familiar? This phone easily
resembles a distant relative of today’s touchscreen smartphone, according to PC Magazine.

A camera phone was released by Sprint in 2002

In this year the US adopted the camera phone, something that was released in Japan first. In November
2002, Sprint started the trend with the Sanyo SCP-5300, a phone that cost $400 and could only capture
shots at 640 x 480 pixels. However, it wasn’t until after smartphones became popular that the camera,
and quality of the camera, improved.

The RAZR was more than a cellphone

By 2004, cell phone companies were competing in full force to make the phone not only function better
but look better. The Motorola RAZR was released with its slim design and color screen. With the option
to choose between silver, pink, blue, black, and a few others, it became a fashion statement as well as
a means of communication.

2007 welcomed the first iPhone

It wasn’t until the iPhone made its debut in 2007 that cell phones began transitioning from their role
as a means for communication to a tool for daily tasks. With the first iPhone, Apple introduced

48
touchscreen functions, internet access through Safari, a virtual keyboard, and full rich-text email
access. Although at the time the iPhone was revolutionary, the BlackBerry eclipsed the new release,
maintaining popularity. With BBM instant messaging, everyone from teens to businessmen and rappers
were obsessed with the Blackberry. 2007 was the year that Twitter introduced shorter messages, and
also the first time in history that Americans received and sent more texts than phone calls, according
to the New York Times.

Apple launched the App Store in 2008

Just one year after the first iPhone release, Apple launched the App Store with 500 apps, and over 10
million applications were downloaded the first week. Android did the same a few months later with 50
apps in their store and the BlackBerry App World was created after that.

The iPhone 4 changed everything

In 2010, the iPhone 4 made its debut. It was a slim, futuristic-looking phone with a battery life that
could keep up with the demand of users everywhere. In just a year, they improved the iPhone 4 with
the iPhone 4S adding the first personal assistant, Siri. The same year, Samsung experimented with a
larger size phone again, the Galaxy Note.

The iPhone 8 embodies the future

Released in 2017, Apple’s iPhone 8 was a phone made from the most durable and beautiful glass,
designed for the kind of lives we live with our cell phones now, one where we carry them everywhere.
It’s water resistant and has wireless charging features so that we never have to go without a phone.
Apple also released the iPhone X with the slogan "Say hello to the future." One of its main features,
face recognition, is being used to potentially push Apple Pay and the security around it.
Tech and phone companies continue to compete which means the cell phones they are creating will
continue to evolve. It’s hard to say what will be next, and it’s even more difficult to know how the
changes will affect the way we communicate and, potentially even, the way we think.

*Adapted from https://www.insider.com/the-history-of-the-cellphone-2018-7#the-first-phone-weighed-over-two-pounds-1

Glossary:
- Flip phone: This is a phone that is more compact when closed. Then, when you open it, it reveals the
screen, keypad, speaker and microphone.

49
 - Safari: It is a Web browser developed by Apple, Inc., and is the default browser of the operating
systems used in its product lines such as OS X for the Mac and MacBook computers and iOS for the
iPhone and iPad mobile devices.
- BBM: Known by its full name BlackBerry Messenger, it was a mobile instant messenger and
videotelephony application included on BlackBerry devices.
- Apple Pay: Apple Pay is a mobile payment and digital wallet service by Apple Inc. that allows users to
make payments in person, in iOS apps, and on the web.

Answer the following questions.

1. Did you experience any of the moments mentioned in the text?

2. What were the main characteristics of the 1973 Motorola mobile device?
3. Was the 1983 Motorola DynaTAC cheap?
4. What phone is described as durable, small and inexpensive?
5. Where was the phone camera initially introduced?
6. Which cellphone stood out because of its nice design?
7. What big change took place in the United States in 2007?
8. When were people able to download apps for the first time?
9. Which big phone was released in 2010?
10. What technology could be used in the future for financial transactions?

What do you think?

Cellphone challenge: Could you spend the next week without using your cellphone? Why (not)? Which
would be the positive and negative aspects?

50
Reading 2
Skills:

- Details

- Simplify meaning of sentences

- Vocabulary in context

- Cause-effect

Getting started: Have you ever had an accident with a cellphone?

THE SCIENCE BEHIND EXPLODING CELL PHONES

Cell phones are now one of the basic needs of people. Almost all people now have their own cell
phones. However, many people might not yet be aware about the risk of explosion among cell phones.
In 2016, as a matter of precaution, Samsung recalled its Galaxy Note 7 due to several cases of explosion.
But exploding cell phones are not only Samsung's problem. There are many cases happening with other
brands of cell phones, so there is something behind such explosion that only science can explain.

51
Why do cell phones explode?
Most cell phone explosions did not come from cell phones themselves. Most of the time, the batteries
are the ones to blame. The common cause of battery explosion is when it is recharged too much. This
is what happened with the Galaxy Note 7 and other brands of cell phones. On the other hand, battery
defects are the primary reason. In a cell phone's battery system, there are separators that prevent two
electrodes from connecting with each other. When the separators don't work properly, it is more likely
that these two electrodes will touch one another, and this will cause explosion.

When two electrodes come into contact, the electrolytes directly receive all the energy that is supposed
to stay in the battery. This is unusual as it is the electrodes on the side that should receive it. Electrolytes
are unstable and very sensitive to heat. When there is too much heat, electrolytes react and cause
other chemicals to produce gas, which elevates the existing level of heat. And every time such chemicals
react more and more, gas is produced, which at the same time produces more heat. This condition
leads to a thermal escape that causes fire.

Why do overcharging cause batteries to explode?

Most cell phones use lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are designed to prevent or tolerate
overcharging. They are created like a bucket in which the bucket will never break when you keep on
pouring liquid into it. What will happen is that liquid will only overflow but will not break the bucket.
When batteries explode, the probable reason is factory defect. Some batteries do not explode even
after overcharging it. However, there is a limit in everything. Princeton University materials scientist
Dan Steingart says, “The battery is like a rubber band. When you're charging the battery, you're
stretching the rubber band; when you're using it, you're releasing it. Just like a rubber band can break
if you stretch it too much, putting too much energy into one side will ruin the battery.”

Overcharging and battery defects usually simply ruin the normal function of the battery. When the
battery does not _______ properly, it simply sends the power to electrolytes, which are not supposed
to receive it as electrolytes cause explosion when reacting with other chemicals.

How to prevent battery explosion?

Scientists are now studying and developing a certain type of electrolyte that does not easily cause
explosion. This type of electrolyte is called ionic fluid. Ionic fluid is less susceptible to heat, and it is

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 stable and safe. It requires much more heat to make it explode or to cause explosion. However,
scientists are still working on the downside of using ionic fluid. The problem in using ionic fluid is that
it can affect battery life. This is because heat delivers energy and power. Anything that reduces heat
also reduces energy and life in the case of battery.

For now, scientists are still developing safer and better alternatives. Meanwhile, users must take into
account safety precautions to prevent cell phone batteries from exploding. As much as possible,
overcharging must be avoided. Furthermore, users should avoid using incompatible chargers. Most
chargers that are incompatible with batteries can cause explosion, too.

*Adapted from http://www.towerfast.com/press/post/the-science-behind-exploding-cell-phones

Glossary:
- Overcharge: To keep your cell phone connected even if the battery capacity is already full (100%).

Answer the following questions:

1. What sentence summarizes the information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 1?

a. Samsung repaired their phones, and people could use them again to call.
b. Samsung took all the cell phones that were on stores back to their factories.
c. Samsung lost many cell phones because they exploded in an incident.
d. Samsung redesigned its Galaxy Note 7, and it didn’t explode anymore.

2. Which element is described as unbalanced and responsive to high temperatures?

a. Electrolytes
b. Separators
c. Battery
d. Electrodes

3. What sentence explains the information in the highlighted part in paragraph 4?

a. Your cell phone can fall on the ground, but it won’t break.
b. Water can penetrate your cell phone, but it won’t get damaged.
c. You can keep on using your cell phone, but the charge will not decrease.
d. The cell phone can reach its maximum capacity, but nothing bad will happen.

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4. What word can be inserted in the blank in paragraph 5?
a. charge
b. work
c. explode
d. relax

5. The word as in paragraph 5 can be replaced by

a. like
b. how
c. while
d. because

6. What is the main reason why cell phones explode? Choose 2 options.
a. They are charged more than they should.
b. Their separators are not properly built.
c. Their batteries may have imperfections.
d. Their electrodes are not put together.

7. The word downside in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to

a. danger
b. shortness
c. reduction
d. disadvantage

8. What’s the problem with ionic fluid?

a. It decreases the life of the battery.
b. It may explode as well.
c. It damages the cell phone.
d. It does not charge the phone well.

Here are some sentences from the text. In each case, complete the second sentence so that it means
the same as the first. Do NOT use more than three words.

1. Cell phones are now one of the basic needs of people.

Cell phones are so ____________ for humans.

2. The electrolytes directly receive all the energy.

All the energy ______________ by the electrolytes.

3. The battery is like a rubber band.

The battery is _________ to a rubber band.

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4. Users should avoid using incompatible chargers.
Incompatible chargers should ______________.

What do you think?

What are some other dangers of using cell phones?

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Reading 3
Skills:

- Details

- Make inferences

- Author’s attitude

- Understand vocabulary from context

Getting started: What is something you wish your cell phone could also do?

FUTURE MOBILE PHONES: WHAT´S COMING OUR

WAY?

The mobile phones of the future are expected to be more closely related to our day-to-day lives than
ever before. Some futurologists and industry experts predict that in years to come mobile phones will
become remote controls for our whole lives, while others say that in the future mobile phones will
literally run our lives for us. One thing’s for certain: the technology involved in mobile phones and
mobile networks has developed so rapidly over the last few years that it's going to be an exciting ride.
Here is a list of some of the things we might be able to expect from the phones of the future:

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Holographic displays
From Star Wars to Ironman, holograms have long been a regular feature in sci-fi and futuristic fantasy
films. But how close are we to touch-free technology on smartphones? Back in March 2014, rumors
were flying around about the then-unreleased iPhone 6 containing holographic functions that allowed
you to beam virtual displays to interact with. Unsurprisingly, this technology didn’t make it onto the
iPhone 6 or later phones. Holographic phones could one day be a reality, though. Especially if the
Holoflex prototype showcased by researchers from Queen’s University in Canada could see the light of
day. As the name suggests, the HoloFlex is both holographic and flexible, allowing users to bend the
handset to view the 3D display from different angles and interact with the images on screen. Named as
the world’s first holographic, flexible smartphone, the HoloFlex is still in development and won’t be
available any time soon.

Flexible Frames
For a long time now, phone companies have talked of creating a smartphone that is so robust that it
can actually be folded in two by the user. One such vision was Nokia's The Morph phone, a prototype
that was showcased back in 2008 and promised to "transform the user's experience". Designed by
Tapani Tyhanen, who was director and head of Nokia's Research Center Laboratory in Cambridge, The
Morph could be folded, bent and reshaped to suit the user’s needs. The Morph phone could be
wrapped around your wrist, transformed into a GPS-enabled belt clip for hiking and extreme sports, or
used as a flat screen for watching videos. Similarly, Samsung has been showing off other types of flexible
concept phones at technology shows for years now, but so far, the closest it has come to bringing the
technology to market was the Galaxy Round smartphone.

Educational tools
Some experts believe that in the not too distant future, mobiles will change the way we learn and teach.
With more than one-in-three school children having a mobile phone, a future where camera and voice
recorder phones are both learning and teaching tools is highly possible. The multi-functional nature of
mobile phones as both learning and teaching aids could be increasingly popular, especially as different
types of apps are released every single day. It's possible that in the future, mobile phones will be used
in the classroom as a collaborative tool that can help the teacher and the students work on different
topics.

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Eco-friendly smartphones
Companies are always looking to make their products more environmentally friendly, and phone
makers are no exception, with researchers looking into biodegradable materials and cleaner energy
charging. At the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona in 2016, Kyocera showed a solar-
powered prototype. However, this technology won’t replace the need for a wall charger anytime soon.
This phone was primarily designed for users who work outdoors, as well as people who like to be away
from a power source for an extended period of time, such as people hiking or camping. Still, the
company claims that three minutes of sunshine will give you enough charge for a one-minute phone
call, which could provide users with an emergency charging option if their mobile dies far from home.
Another concept phone promising a green alternative to electrical charging is the 2009 Mechanical
Mobile prototype by Mikhail Stawsky. Unlike the solar powered prototypes, the Mechanical Mobile
runs on kinetic energy. The idea behind the design is that you spin it round on your finger to charge it
up. The obvious benefit of this, besides helping the environment, is that you could charge this phone
pretty much anywhere. However, it’s unclear how much finger-spinning it would need to boost the
battery significantly, and we can predict there will be many broken phones (and possibly broken noses)
as the result of this activity.

Your new best friend

From setting alarms and reminders to checking our Facebook feed, doing online shopping and
managing our finances, we reach for our phones as soon as we wake up and don’t really put them down
until we’re ready to sleep. As smartphone technology becomes ever more intuitive, we’re growing
increasingly attached to our mobiles. So, why not have a phone that you can interact with on a whole
new level? Some years later, Julius Tarng designed a prototype called the Modai, a modular handset
aiming to turn your smartphone into your best friend. This companion device was inspired by human
behaviors and designed to help users connect to it physically and emotionally. Remember the movie
Her? The Modai phone would greet you in the morning, and keep silent at night, and would adapt to
different situations in much the same way a human would. So, if you overslept, it would create a faster
route to work using its GPS, or if you visited a new place, it would recommend stuff to do.

We see a future where everything is connected and our smartphones – or whatever replaces it – can
communicate with virtually every possible device. As long as you have it with you, your front door will

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 open once you get near it, you’ll be able to unlock your car and start the engine just by having your
phone around. Who knows what else we will be able to see?

*Adapted from https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/guides/future-of-mobile-phones/

Note: In the United Kingdom, people use the term “mobile phone” to refer to their cell phone. The
short form “mobile” is more common in conversational English. “Cellular phone” is the original form
to describe this kind of portable phones in the United States, although it was soon shortened to “cell
phone.” Nowadays, it is more common to hear people using the word “cell” to refer to their cell phones
in the United States, a tendency that is growing in the UK. In terms of spelling, the most important
dictionaries suggest the spelling “cell phone” (two words) instead of just one word (cellphone), an
alternative that is used a lot on the internet anyway.

Answer the following questions:

1. What can be inferred from paragraph 2?

a. Holographic functions will be part of many cell phones in the next two years.
b. The holographic function will be patented by Queen’s University and no other technology
company will be able to use this feature.
c. The HoloFlex will be bought by Apple, and the new iPhones will include holographic functions.
d. Many years will pass until we can see cell phones that incorporate holographic functions.

2. What can be deduced about the term concept phones in paragraph 3?

a. These are very popular commercial phones.
b. They are phones released in the previous two years.
c. These are just prototypes that are no sold to the public.
d. There are phones used only by sportspeople.

3. How does the author seem to feel about using cell phones for educational purposes?
a. He/she thinks it is already happening as one out of three kids has a cell phone.
b. He/she believes a cell phone can be a tool to generate interaction in the classroom.
c. He/she seems to be against using cell phones in the classroom.
d. He/she thinks a cell phone is a tool to interact, but it’s not an educational tool.

4. The word unlike in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to

a. exact
b. similar to
c. inaccurate
d. different from

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5. What is wrong with the charging technology proposed by Kyocera?
a. It could take a long time to be able to charge the phone completely.
b. The technology works only with emergency calls.
c. It could only be used in Barcelona, Spain.
d. This works only if you plug your phone into the wall for three minutes.

6. How does the author seem to feel about the idea of spinning your phone to charge it?
a. It is the best option in order to help the environment.
b. It may be practical, but it can cause accidents also.
c. It is a good way to exercise your fingers.
d. It is the worse idea ever.

7. What’s the idea behind the Modai prototype?

a. It was a concept inspired by the movie Her.
b. It was a tool with improved functions like a better GPS and a modern alarm.
c. It should be an office tool that can help you remember all the meetings you have.
d. It is a device that can adapt to your daily activities and help you with different tasks.

What do you think?

Do you think cell phones should be incorporated into the classroom as a way to help kids learn?

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 UNIT 7 - APPS

Reading 1
Skills:

- Recognize referents

- Make inferences

- Details

- Understand vocabulary from context

Getting started: Do you remember which were the first apps that you ever downloaded?

THE HISTORY OF MOBILE APPS

Some years ago, mobile apps were a rarity, but now they are an important part of our lives. Cell phones
used to have some productivity tools (a calculator, for instance), but they couldn’t offer us all app stores
can give us now. Despite the short amount of time they’ve been around, they’ve had a grand history.
In 1997, the Nokia 6110 included a built-in version of the basic arcade game “Snake,” which many
consider the first mobile app. The first iPod would also come with built-in games: Solitaire and Brick.
Back in 1983, however, a young Steve Jobs first envisioned the App Store. Jobs imagined a place where

61
software could be bought over phone lines. Shortly after Apple’s introduction of the iPod, the iTunes
store was launched, iTunes changed the way people bought and listened to music as they sold digital
music to their customers. In 2006, iTunes introduced games, acting as a precursor to the Apple App
Store. The iPhone was released in June 2007 and was a commercial success. Native apps were
developed, and just over a year later, the Google App Store was launched as well.

The original App Store started with 500 apps, meaning there is no “true” first app. Nevertheless, as new
varieties of smartphones were released, different app clients were introduced. Google Play, the
Amazon App Store, and Blackberry’s App World also gave more people the ability to enjoy various apps
on their phones. Each store had both paid and free apps from the beginning, meaning premium and
“freemium” content was always a factor.

The first installment in the popular franchise “Angry Birds” was released in December 2009 on the Apple
App Store, and it quickly became a hit. By 2015, there were over three billion downloads, making it the
most successful freemium software of all time. And while they are not as popular as they used to be at
their peak, these birds are still part of the market today.

Apple revealed almost 300,000 jobs were added to the US economy since the iPhone’s debut, calling it
“the app revolution.” Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in April 2012, an unprecedented move
in the world of technology. 2014 showed a change in app usage, from fun games and social media to
entire lifestyles. In 2019, Snapchat reported 400 million stories were created each day.

Thanks to smartwatches and smart appliances, today apps are not specific to phones anymore. Apps
have become so integral to everyday life that there are just few people who don’t use them on a regular
basis. On a personal level, apps allow families and friends to connect even when miles apart. They also
keep you in touch with professional colleagues and informed of what developments are happening.

Apps are so important for us that it’s difficult to imagine what the world would be like without them. I
remember back in 2010 Apple ran a commercial saying “There’s an app for that.” A clear prophecy or a
prediction of what would happen in the future.

* Adapted from: https://inventionland.com/inventing/the-history-of-mobile-apps/

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 Glossary:
- Built-in: Incorporated
- Freemium: A way of doing business, especially on the internet, in which basic services are provided
free of charge while more advanced features must be paid for.
- Premium: Content you have to pay for.

Answer the following questions:

1. The word They in the paragraph 1 refers to

a. apps
b. lives
c. tools
d. cell phones

2. What is stated in paragraph 2?

a. Nokia launched the first app store back in 1997.
b. The Google App store was released before the iTunes store.
c. The iTunes store can be considered the first app store.
d. When the iPhone came in 2007, the App store was launched immediately.

3. The phrase as well in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to

a. also
b. in contrast
c. positively
d. before

4. It can be inferred from paragraph 2 and 3 that

a. it is difficult to acknowledge which was the first real app.
b. Steve Jobs designed the Google App Store.
c. when the Google store was launched, it included more than 500 apps.
d. the arcades games like snake, solitaire and brick were the first official apps.

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5. The word it in paragraph 4 refers to
a. hit
b. peak
c. store
d. franchise

6. It is implied in paragraph 4 about Angry Birds that

a. it is one of the top and most popular games today.
b. its popularity has decreased.
c. it is an expensive game.
d. there are over three billion downloads daily.

7. What is something positive the app revolution brought?

a. It created thousands of jobs.
b. It helped Facebook buy Instagram.
c. It has caused Snapchat to be the main app nowadays.
d. It has made people spend around $1 billion since 2012.

8. The word They in paragraph 6 refers to

a. families
b. apps
c. friends
d. colleagues

What do you think?

Do you agree with the statement, “it’s difficult to imagine what the world would be like without mobile
apps?”

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Reading 2

Skills:

- Insert sentences into the passage

- Author’s attitude

- Organization

- Understand negative facts

Getting started: What makes you download an app?

5 SIMPLE TIPS FOR DESIGNING BETTER IPHONE APPS

As People visit the Apple or Google App Stores looking for new apps to buy, they judge their potential
purchases based on productivity, fun it can provide, and also design. We’re told early on in life not to
judge a book by its cover, but without a way to try an app, screenshots are one of the few ways a user
can judge the quality of it. Since it’s not possible for someone to judge the usability or code-quality just
by browsing the App Store, judging entirely based on design makes sense, and so apps with better
design tend to be chosen more often when compared with competing apps. So how can we design
better apps? Well, I’m glad you asked. I’ll discuss five simple tips that will help.

1. Wireframe Your App

When we talk about an app’s design, we’re talking about two main components. [2A] These two
components are user experience (UX) design and user interface (UI) design. [2B] Experience design is
all about the goals of the app, such as which characteristics to include, and how the user will accomplish

65
those goals. [2C]. That includes the colors, textures, and fonts used to create the visual style of the app.
[2D]. It’s important that you spend time designing the experience of the user. Instead of starting with
the visual design of your iPhone app, start with wireframes. A wireframe is a simple plan of your app
idea that allows you to work exclusively on the experience, ignoring the visual aspects. Draw buttons,
include text, and especially focus on making the learning process intuitive. Only start paying attention
to style once you’re confident that your wireframes represent a clean, usable app design.

2. Use Finger-Sized Tap Targets

This is the biggest aspect to improve the usability of your app: Increase the tappable area for every
button. Remember you’re designing for fingers and thumbs. Apple recommends a minimum of 44x44px
for any element the user is expected to interact with. Now this doesn’t mean that the button needs to
visually look that big. The tappable area can extend beyond the visual size of the button. This will help
users avoid the frustration of trying multiple times to tap an element. Just be careful if you have several
buttons close to each other. Make sure that your extra tappable area doesn’t interfere with other
buttons.

3. Have Only One Primary Goal Per Screen

[4A] When you’re designing a screen in your app, focus on the primary goal you want the user to
accomplish. [4B] For example, in the email list screen in iPhone’s Mail app, the user’s primary goal is to
read emails. [4C] One of your tasks as a designer is to decide what’s the most important, and then
emphasize that. [4D] Decrease the visual weight of secondary elements so that the primary action is
clear.

4. Avoid Default Button Styles

The default style for UIButtons on the iPhone is something I dislike. Almost all of the default elements
included with iOS look good. Then there is the default button. Unless you have a very boring design
style for your app, chances are, the default button styles won’t match. Customizing the look of buttons
to match your UI will make a huge difference and keep you from looking like an amateur app designer.
You can either customize the button style and include a background image, or you can draw a new
button style with code.

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 5. Add Extra Views When There’s a Lot of Information
Moving into a new view is very easy for the user. So, if you find yourself trying to add too much
information to a single view, then just add another view. In iPhone, you can see Apple does this quite
often on their “create” screens. In the New Contact view, selecting a ringtone sends you to a new view
called ringtones, which displays the list of available ringtones you can assign to that new contact.
Tapping a phone number label brings up a modal dialog with other label options (called Label). By
adding extra screens, you can avoid confusing your users with too many elements by only showing the
information they request (a concept known as progressive disclosure).

* Adapted from: https://www.webfx.com/blog/web-design/design-iphone-apps-better/

Glossary:
- Screenshot: An image of the display on a screen, for example, when showing how a program works.
- Browse: It refers to reading and scanning through data.
- Tap: To use your fingers to control your touchscreen cell phone.
- Default: What happens or appears if you do not make any other choice or change, especially in a
computer program.
- iOS: iOS is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware.

Answer the following questions:

1. The word since in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

a. although
b. from
c. because
d. when

2. Look at the four squares [] in paragraph 2. Indicate where the following sentence can be added:
The user interface design is what that experience looks like visually
a. [2A]
b. [2B]
c. [2C]
d. [2D]

67
3. What is NOT stated about the areas you need to tap?

a. Buttons need to be huge so that your fingers can tap them.

b. The area may be bigger than a button itself.

c. You should avoid putting many buttons in the same area.
d. The area must be big enough so that people don’t feel frustrated when trying to tap a button.

4. Look at the four squares [] in paragraph 4. Indicate where the following sentence can be added:
Though there’s a secondary action for composing an email, the button is off in the corner and
not emphasized

a.[4A]
b.[4B]
c.[4C]
d. [4D]

5. What does the author imply about the default button?

a. Applying drastic changes to the default button make you an amateur designer.
b. Changing the background image is a bad option when customizing the button.
c. Changing the traditional design settings is not an option.
d. The default button is not attractive at all.

6. Organize the following recommendations for designing better apps in chronological order:

1____ 2____ 3____ 4____

a. Planning an app idea will let you work entirely on the experience concept.
b. Ignoring the visual design aspects affects the perception of quality.
c. Keeping a simple view makes an enjoyable experience / Assigning other elements in new
screens.
d. Preventing restrictions in button selection for available space and size can help you with the
look of your app.

What do you think?

How does the design of and app help you decide which one to choose? Have you ever found a
good-looking app that just doesn’t work as you need to?

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Reading 3
Skills:

- Main idea

- Details

- Make inferences

- Vocabulary in context

- Understand negative facts

- Understand connections and transitions

Getting started: Do you use any indoor training app to help you keep fit at home?

WHAT IS ZWIFT – RIDE?

Whether you want to race, get fit fast, or just run or ride, Zwift is the answer. With this amazing workout
app, you can choose from more than 1,000 workouts and training plans, hundreds of daily events, as
well as countless miles of road racing.

Zwift is an app that makes indoor training fun and delivers serious results. You can train, race, or free
ride from your home, no matter what time it is or what the weather is like. Ready for a good time? Zwift

69
 delivers a fun and efficient workout. To use Zwift, you need a bike, a trainer, and a device like a laptop,
iPad, Apple TV, or smartphone. If you’re running, you’ll need a treadmill, and your favorite sneakers.

No matter what sort of ride or run you’re looking for, Zwift is your best choice. Want a structured
workout? We’ve got plenty. Some are as short as 30 minutes long, so even amateur athletes can enjoy
activities design for their own forms. Moreover, you can use customized training plans created by
World-class Coaches. Our training plans even auto-adjust if life gets in the way, and you miss a workout.
If you just want to ride, you can do that too. For longer rides, there are long races, multi-stage tours,
and more. Want to compete? There are competitions at all hours for all abilities without paying extra
money.

What about the community? Day or night, there are fellow athletes ready to work out on Zwift. So, you
can share a ride on, climb a steep mountain with friends, or see how your sprint compares with others’.
What about running lovers? Sure, we said it before, but we’ll say it again. Zwift isn’t just cycling. Zwift
Run has training plans, group runs, and more.

* Adapted from: https://zwift.com/uk/video/how-to-cycling/what-is-zwift-ride

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the main function of the text?

a. Describe how to work out in the mountains.
b. List activities that could make you a good athlete.
c. Present an app that simulates outdoor training.
d. Use an application that will train you to run a marathon.

2. The word whether in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

a. if
b. while
c. although
d. after

3. Paragraph 2 does NOT talk about

a. home workout being pleasant
b. personalized cycling training
c. starting a team race
d. necessary equipment

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4. The word choice in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
a. determination
b. option
c. interest
d. verdict

5. The word moreover in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

a. because
b. however
c. additionally
d. consequently

6. The word just in paragraph 4 can be replaced by

a. only
b. fair
c. but
d. right

7. Who is more likely to use Zwift?

a. Amateur athletes
b. Professional athletes
c. Athletes who need to train for indoor competitions.
d. Any person who wants to do some training at home.

8. Training apps have become a trend during the pandemic due to Covid-19. Plan an app that could
help people have a better time while they are locked at home. Think of the purpose, features,
design, benefit it can bring, and possible fees.

What do you think?

In this modern world, there is a growing demand for indoor training apps. Which advantages and
disadvantages do you consider these kinds of apps have?

71
 UNIT 8 – VIDEO GAMES

Reading 1
Skills:

- Details

- Organize information

Getting started: Do you usually play video games? What kind of games do you like?

THE NEXT CONSOLES

The next generation of PlayStation is nearly here. After more than a year of rumors about the
PlayStation 5, Sony has finally revealed the price, release date, and some of the games we can expect
to play. With the PS5, you should expect to see better graphics in your games, plus, the PS5’s custom
SSD promises to offer such high loading speeds that it could change the way games are designed.

Microsoft also has a powerful console in the Xbox Series X, which promises better graphics and faster
loading times, but it’s also selling the somewhat lower-powered Xbox Series S. The company continues
to make Xbox Game Pass, its Netflix-like game service, where you pay a monthly fee and have access

72
to a huge catalog of games, it doesn’t mind whether you play its games on an Xbox or a PC. And while
the PS5 will play most PS4 titles, the new Xbox consoles will be compatible with the former Xbox One.

Like Microsoft, Sony is actually selling two versions of its next-generation console. But unlike Microsoft,
the only thing that differentiates those two versions is whether it has a disc drive and how much each
one costs. The console is powered by a custom eight-core AMD Zen 2 CPU and a custom AMD Radeon
RDNA 2-based GPU that will provide 10.28 teraflops of raw graphical power. The PS5 also uses variable
frequencies on both the PS5’s CPU and GPU, which could theoretically push the graphics to run slightly
faster than normal when the CPU isn’t running at peak. The SSD has 825GB of storage and 5.5GB/s of
throughput — which could be fast enough to let game developers build levels without things like
elevator rides or corridors that actually hide levels loading in the background. If you want to expand
the console’s storage, though, you’ll only be able to do so with a Sony-certified M.2 SSD.

The Xbox Series X will also have a custom SSD, one with a full 1TB of NVMe storage but a lower
throughput of 2.4GB/s. That could be a disadvantage, meaning the Xbox Series X has slower loading
times than the PS5, but it depends on a variety of factors. Microsoft has also announced a Quick Resume
feature that will let you have multiple games paused on the console at once, and pick up where you
left off "from a suspended state almost instantly, returning you to where you were and what you were
doing, without waiting through long loading screens."

The new PS5 hardware is packed into the biggest game console in modern history. Seriously. The one
with the disc drive is approximately 390mm x 104mm x 260mm — about 15.4 inches tall, 4.1 inches
deep, and 10.2 inches wide. Compare that to the Xbox Series X (the larger of Microsoft’s next-
generation consoles), which is 301mm x 151mm x 151mm.
With all of these new features, it's perhaps unsurprising that Sony has confirmed that the old DualShock
4 controller won't work with new PS5 exclusive games. The DualShock 4 will still work with PS4 games
you play on the console thanks to backwards compatibility, but don't expect to be using it when you
play the PS5 version of Horizon Forbidden West. Microsoft, on the other hand, is promising that the
Xbox Series X will work with all Xbox controllers across all of its games.

*Adapted from https://www.theverge.com/21450334/playstation-5-ps5-sony-news-price-features-specs-hardware-games

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 Glossary:
- SSD: A solid state drive (SSD) is an electronic storage drive built on solid state architecture. SSDs are
built with NAND and NOR flash memory to store non-volatile data and dynamic random access memory
(DRAM).
- CPU (central processing unit): The part of a computer that controls all the other parts of the system.
- GPU (graphics processing unit): A component in a computer or other device that specifically handles
the conversion (= changing) of digital to visual information on the device's screen.
- Teraflop: A teraflop is a rate of computing speed that achieves one trillion floating point operations
per second. "Flops" refer to "floating point operations per second." The floating point method is similar
to scientific notation and uses an exponent to scale real numbers and support a wider range of values
than the alternative fixed-point method.
- Throughput: It is the performance of tasks by a computing service or device over a specific period. It
measures the amount of completed work against time consumed and may be used to measure the
performance of a processor, memory and/or network communications.
- NVMe (Non-volatile memory express): It is a scalable and high performing host controller interface
with command set and streamlined register interface. It is designed for data centers, systems and
enterprises that make use of storage based on non-volatile memory.

Read each sentence. Write X if it refers to the new Xbox or PS if it refers to the new PlayStation.

1. Starting a game in this console will be faster. _____

2. You don’t need to buy a new controller if you play with this console. _____
3. This console is really big. _____
4. The company that makes this console offers a subscription where you can play
many games. _____
5. In this console, you can switch from different games without exiting each one. _____
6. Its SSD doesn’t offer a complete terabyte of storage. _____
7. Its throughput is not that high as the one the competition offers. _____
8. Not all games from the previous console will be compatible with the new one. _____

What do you think?

Planned obsolescence is a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life,
so that it becomes obsolete (i.e., unfashionable, or no longer functional) after a certain period of time.
That’s something that happens with video game consoles. How do you feel about it?

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Reading 2
Skills:

- Main idea

- Details

- Author’s purpose

- Text function

- Understand references

- Scanning

Getting started: Our world is full of male-dominated occupations. Do you think the video game
industry is another example of this fact?

WHY SO FEW WOMEN DESIGN VIDEO GAMES?

There’s a stereotype that women don’t play video games, but that’s just not true. The numbers don’t
lie: 52% of gamers were female in the UK’s last major study in 2018. But if we look at the proportion of
female workers in the games industry, it’s just 28% in the UK, and approximately 20% worldwide. If so
many women are playing games, why are so few making them? It seems the problem is that women
don’t see themselves represented in games. That means they’re less likely to start a degree or career
in gaming, because they don’t feel like they belong. What’s more, gaming – like the technology industry

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– has a culture problem. For many women working in games, sexual harassment online and offline has
become something common, pay differences persist, and toxic work culture is usual.

This problem begins at university, where more men have, historically, studied video games design. In
2016-17, 88% of students on video games courses were male. “My course was very male-dominated. I
think there were four or five women and maybe 25 men in my year,” recalls Kate Killick, a senior
designer at Mojiworks who studied video games design at the University of South Wales. “At the time
I don’t think I understood how it affected my experience, but looking back, I think I felt I was a stranger
in a world of men.”

The picture is improving – the percentage of women studying video games design grew from 7% in
2014-15 to 31.5% in 2018-19. Larra Anderson, the dean of screen at London College of Communication
(LCC), says that in the Image and Digital Arts programme – which includes games design, virtual reality
and animation – more than 50% of students are now women. Andy Bossom, programme director of
games at University for the Creative Arts (UCA), also says that his institution’s games degrees have
sustained a 60/40 male/female difference for several years.

A more evenly balanced mix of students is a good first step. But the nature of the programmes and
games that are studied can have a big impact on a student’s enjoyment of the course. “Being
surrounded by people who were passionate about hardcore and AAA [blockbuster] games definitely
made me question whether I counted as a ‘gamer’,” Killick says. To deal with this, some universities
adjust video game design courses in ways to encourage diversity. Mariza Dima, a lecturer at Brunel
University, says her university _____ on games design “as a creative discipline, not just a technical one”.

To improve students’ transition into the workplace, universities are increasingly connecting them with
different types of role models. “They need windows into their future, through an education that gets
them the skills and practices,” says Anderson. “But they also need mirrors which show images where
they can see themselves reflected in their field as well. Without that, they will not be inspired or see it
as even possible for them to succeed.” The games design courses at Brunel University, University of
Southampton, LCC and UCA all invite female guest lecturers working in games. They also add games
from a diverse range of creators to the course and organize events with industry experts who can share
their own experiences and help students understand how they can be part of the industry.

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 Games themselves can also play a role in helping women consider the industry as a valid career choice,
starting with portraying them in a way that doesn’t play into offensive stereotypes. “I was always told
I was unusual as a young girl enjoying video games, but that’s just not true,” says a games designer
from the UK who wishes to remain anonymous. “If I had seen women in the games industry on TV,
magazines or online, I think I would have had the aspirations I have now much younger.”

Numerous studies have shown that diverse teams create better work and are more innovative. Without
this, things won’t change, and men will continue creating games for other men who then go on to
pursue a career in games. “Everybody is a gamer now, so it makes sense for the industry to reflect the
diversity of the audience,” Killick says. “We make better games when people from different
backgrounds bring their unique perspective and creativity to the table. I want to play those games, and
I want to work with those people.”

*Adapted from https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/feb/17/i-was-always-told-i-was-unusual-why-so-few-women-design-video-

games

Glossary
- AAA: It’s an informal classification used for video games produced and distributed by a mid-sized or
major publisher, typically having higher development and marketing budgets.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the purpose of the text?

a. To inform about the game industry in the UK.
b. To analyze the best technology schools in England.
c. To describe the steps to become a video game designer.
d. To explain why the video game world is a male-dominated industry.

2. What’s the author’s attitude towards the video game industry?

a. He/she thinks it is necessary that more women take part in video game companies.
b. He/she believes men are not doing a good job designing video games.
c. He/she laments people don’t buy games designed by women.
d. He/she criticizes the way tech schools are teaching students.

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3. According to paragraph 1, what is an assumption people make about women?
a. They are bad gamers.
b. They aren’t interested in video games.
c. They are not likely to be admitted into a tech school.
d. They could receive a high salary if they found a good job.

4. According to paragraph 2, how did Kate Killick used to feel when she was studying video games
design?
a. She felt bad because she was the only woman in her course.
b. She didn’t like the program the University of South Wales offered.
c. She felt she didn’t belong to that environment.
d. She didn’t understand why they only admitted women over 25.

5. Why is the author using statistics in paragraph 3?

a. To show how the number of students admitted into digital programmes has decreased in
the last four years.
b. To explain there’s a more equitable balance between male and female students in game
programs now.
c. To describe why young people quit their studies in the United Kingdom.
d. To give examples of the best creative programs in the UK.

6. What word can be inserted in the gap in paragraph 4?

a. deals
b. teaches
c. focuses
d. specializes

7. The word them in paragraph 6 refers to

a. women
b. games
c. stereotypes
d. themselves

8. According to paragraph 7, why is diversity important?

a. It will encourage more people to play video games.
b. Different perspectives can create more industries.
c. If there’s diversity, men will stop designing violent games.
d. Workers can have a better performance and be more creative.

What do you think?

What is necessary to bring gender equity to the workplace?

78
Reading 3
Skills:

- Details

- Author’s purpose

- Make inferences

- Vocabulary in context

Getting started: Do you pay for any online entertainment service? Which one?

AMAZON’S LUNA CLOUD GAMING SERVICE: THE CABLE

OF VIDEO GAMES

Amazon has revealed its new cloud gaming service, officially called Luna. This makes it an immediate
competitor to Google’s Stadia, Microsoft’s xCloud, Sony’s PlayStation Now, and a number of other
services from major game publishers ready to stream video games over the internet. Amazon’s Marc
Whitten, the company’s vice president of entertainment devices and services, clarified one of the most

79
vital questions around Luna: what’s the business model? Based on the information we could get, this
looks like the cable of video games, for better or for worse.

Whitten says that Luna won’t follow the Stadia model, which is free but requires users to pay for
individual games to stream on the platform. It’s also not following the xCloud model, which is included
into Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription. Instead, Luna will offer individual “channels” for partner
publishers, which works similarly to Amazon Prime, which lets subscribers add individual TV streaming
service subscriptions all included into one monthly payment managed by Amazon. These channels will
be priced differently and will come with differences in benefits and restrictions.

The service will launch soon with just two channels to start. The first channel will be called Luna Plus.
Like Stadia Pro, it offers 4K streaming and unlimited hours of play, but it also offers access to dozens of
games all for $5.99 a month. It’s not clear what that game list looks like apart from the confirmed titles,
including Resident Evil 7 and Control, but the model already gives Luna an advantage over Stadia by not
requiring subscribers to pay for most of the titles they want to play. In fact, it doesn’t appear that Luna
will let users pay for any games at all.

The second channel will belong to major game publisher Ubisoft, which is offering the same as Luna
Plus (although Ubisoft is restricting users to one stream per account instead of the two allowed on
Amazon’s channel) and presumably access to most, if not all, of the company’s vast library, which offers
more than 100 games. Amazon hasn’t informed what the Ubisoft channel will cost, but the price may
be higher than Luna Plus and closer to UPlay Plus, the $14.99 subscription service Ubisoft introduced
last year.

“You’ll see other channels over time,” Whitten says. “Game publishers are pretty excited about the
idea.” It’s unclear how companies with competing cloud priorities, like Microsoft and Sony, will be
treated. However, it is believed that Electronic Arts’ subscription could arrive on Luna. In general, Luna’s
format sounds like a lucrative format for cloud gaming, mostly because it’s structured similarly to the
current streaming TV landscape. Just like Netflix or Amazon Prime, Luna Plus will give you access to the
games Amazon can acquire in exchange for its monthly fee.

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 Meanwhile, if you want to pay for additional games from other publishers, you’ll buy access to that
publisher’s Luna channel, just as you would subscribe to HBO or Netflix separately through the Amazon
Channels platform. The whole thing feels a lot like a basic cable package with add-ons you _____ for
separately.

Cloud gaming is still in its infancy, of course, and every major player is experimenting with the business
model to find out what is better, especially when the new generation of consoles are going to be
released soon. With the introduction of Luna and Amazon’s channel-based approach, we can see
another gamble on how the future of game distribution will be structured. Although this time, Amazon
is following a successful model they have incorporated in their TV service. Whether that’s a clever move
will depend on whether consumers see enough benefit in Luna and what it has to offer to add yet more
fees to the ever-growing list of monthly subscriptions.

*Adapted from: https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/24/21454901/amazon-luna-cloud-gaming-streaming-service-cable-video-games

Glossary:
- Add-ons: An extra part that is added, for example, to a system.

Answer the following questions:

1. Why does the author include the phrase for better or for worse at the end of paragraph 1?
a. To indicate that Luna is a really bad idea.
b. To clarify Luna is the best TV cable service.
c. To express Luna can bring advantages and disadvantages.
d. To suggest that streaming video games is the business of the future.

2. Which platform model is similar to Luna’s?

a. None
b. xCloud
c. Amazon prime
d. Xbox Game Pass

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3. What can be inferred about Stadia in paragraph 3?
a. Subscribers must pay for all the games.
b. Subscribers don’t have to pay any extra fee.
c. Subscribers don’t pay anything as the platform is free.
d. Subscribers must pay for the majority of the games.

4. The word vast in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to

a. big
b. infinite
c. intense
d. limited

5. What does the author think about the possible success of Luna?
a. He/she thinks Luna won’t make any money.
b. The position of the author is unclear.
c. Luna will be destroyed by the competition.
d. He/she believes it might be profitable.

6. What word can you insert in the gap in paragraph 6?

a. rent
b. pay
c. buy
d. earn

7. How does the author feel about cloud gaming?

a. He/she believes this model doesn’t have any future.
b. He/she insists Luna is the best choice for any gamer.
c. He/she thinks people are evaluating what their best option is.
d. He/she expresses cloud gaming cannot compete about video game consoles.

8. The word whether in paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to

a. if
b. while
c. when
d. although

What do you think?

How much would you be willing to pay for a video game service if it gives you access to thousands and
thousands of games?

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 ANSWER KEY

Unit 1 P2

Reading 1 - Final - latter

1. d - Assistance - help
2. b P3
3. c
4. False – No one understood how important - Employed – hired
her ideas were until years later. P4
5. a. 2 b. 5 c. 1 d. 4 e. 3
- Is still – remains

Reading 2 - Very important – seminal

1. 1B / 2A / 3C P5
2. 1. The Tech Museum of Innovation 2. Mexico
3. Jorge Camil Starr - Extensively – widely
4. economics - Considered - regarded
5. looked at the failure of the existing problems
6. Each educational center would be run by only
one person with full responsibility. / They would Unit 2
use video games to deliver educational content.
7. The children’s mothers also wanted to play Reading 1
video games. 1. He/she thinks the digital world can’t totally
8. Enova follows the students who graduate and replace the real world and material objects.
drop out. / The information is used to improve 2. They opened a physical bookstore when they
their programs. / Enova also measures students’ already had an online store.
success on the external government exams. 3. Face-to-face discussions and enthusiastic
teachers in the classroom.
Reading 3 4. Cut and paste
1. D 2.E 3.C 4.B 5.A 5. Vinyls, board games, and print magazines.
2. P1
6. We don’t feel those books are ours.
- Vital – crucial

- Allowed – enabled Reading 2

A.
- Beat – defeat
1. store, organize and retrieve information from
a database.
2. fields
3. a separate piece of information

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4. making changes, adding new records or Unit 4
deleting old ones.
5. it is much faster to consult; it occupies much Reading 1
less space; records can be easily sorted; a. go back one page
information can be easily updated; computer b. go forward one page
databased can be shared by a lot of users over a c. URL address
network. d. go to the home page
6. user-defined passwords and other security e. refresh the current page
devices. f. user icon
g. search box
Reading 3 h. zoom
1. b 2. b 3. a 4. b 5. b 6. d i. clickable hypertext link
j. clickable image link
Unit 3 k. show favorites

Reading 1 Reading 2 (Possible answers)

1. d 2. e 3. a 4. c 5. B Home security: activate locks when people
leave home. Transmit emergency notifications
Reading 2 when no one is home.
1. b 2. d 3. b 4. c 5. D Home during summer/winter: sensors around
6. a. The storage capacity (32 Gigabytes) the house are used to adjust the temperature
inside the home to keep it at optimal levels for
b. The length of the screen (10.1 inches)
the time of day and the homeowner’s
c. The target age (children between 3 and 12) preference.
Traffic: IoT takes up-to-the-minute information
d. The thickness of the tablet (0.3 inches)
from all modes of transportation to keep you on
e. The weight of the tablet (432 grams) the move. This data will then present you with
the best routes around delays—but the IoT will
not send everybody the same route, reducing
Reading 3
the chances of further jams on alternative
1. c 2. a 3. b 4. B
routes.
Your pet: A chip on your pet monitors its
5. P1: gives-provides / complete-whole /
activity and location, giving a warning if it
removable-detachable
enters forbidden areas, and opening feeders
P2: characteristics-features / contains-includes / when it is hungry.
strong-tough Agriculture: It can help collect data on
temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed,
P3: launched-released / almost-nearly /
pest infestation, and soil content. This data can
nevertheless-however
be used to automate farming techniques

84
Reading 3 Multi- Users have Using Social
1. c 2. b 3. d networki a lot of dashboar media
4. Covid-19 → Lockdown → Online Learning → ng different ds like usage will
Low-income parents → Comcast provides free accounts. / Buffer stop
Not Publish growing in
internet
enough where advanced
time to you can economies.
check check all
Unit 5 every your
single media
Reading 1 network. profiles.
A. 1. MySpace Data Lack of Harder Subscriptio
2. Facebook Privacy stronger restrictio ns /
privacy ns on Reward
3. The like button
policies to social users that
4. Facebook Places protect media to share data.
5. Facebook took over Instagram users. encourag
6. MySpace e privacy
7. Facebook regulatio
B. Opinions may vary. ns.
How we New
consume networks
Reading 2
content will appear
1. c / networks
2. b will focus
--------------- -------------
3. b more on
--------- -----------
4. a video /
5. b usage of
6. d AR and VR
will
7. a-S5 b-S7 c-S4 d-S8 e-S6
increase.
WeChat- More It is not
like social likely to
Reading 3
networks networks work due
---------------
. will try to to
Problem-solving Map ----------
follow regulations
Aspect Problem Solution Future this .
Consequen model.
ce
Regulatio Dangers Stronger Users may
ns like regulatio trust social Unit 6
cyberbullyi ns on networks
ng or social more, and Reading 1
harassmen media. more 1. Answers may vary
t. people will 2. It looked like a brick and weighed 2.4 pounds;
join
only worked for 30 minutes after a 10-hour
different
networks. charge.

85
3. No, it cost $4,000. 7. a
4. The Nokia 6000 series. 8. b
5. In Japan
6. Motorola RAZR Reading 2
7. It was the first time in history that Americans 1. c
received and sent more texts than phone calls. 2. c
8. 2008 3. a
9. Samsung Galaxy 4. c
10. Facial recognition. 5. d
6. 1. b. 2.a. 3.d. 4.c.
Reading 2
1. b Reading 3
2. a 1. c
3. d 2. a
4. b 3. c
5. d 4. b
6. a/c 5. c
7. d 6. a
8. a 7. d
8. Answers may vary.
1. necessary 2. is directly received 3. similar
4. not be used Unit 8
Reading 3 Reading 1
1. d 1. PS 2. X 3. PS 4. X 5. X 6. PS
2. c 7. X 8. PS
3. b
4. d Reading 2
5. a 1. d 2. a 3. b 4. c 5. b 6. c
6. b 7. a 8. d
7. d
Reading 3
Unit 7 1. c 2. c 3. d 4. a 5. d 6. b
7. c 8. a
Reading 1
1. d
2. c
3. a
4. a
5. d
6. b

86
87