3 Tech talk

Reading Comprehension
You are a subscriber to City Post and you have found a letter to the editor in response to an article
about technology in the opinion section. Read the letter.

Opinion
Dear Editor
icle ‘Embrace
ck at finding your recent art
This letter is to express my sho about human’s
gy – it’s the ne xt sta ge of our evolution’ by Mandy Law
technolo to the point of
to be extremely one-sided –
relationship with technology
5 propaganda.

O
avee us time, e money and
wr ite r tel ls rea de rs tha t technology can help sav
Firstly, the
convenience of booking p plane tickets
of life . Sh e cite s the

T
energy in every asp ect for
sol uti on s such as fin geerp
ng intt sensors are also praised
rprrin
and e-b an kin g. Bio me tric

S
and offlinee.
facilitating purchases online tion that

I
e me rit in the se
ese exa mp les, the writer gives no indica
10 While there is som
giv ing
vin g up a lot of personal inf in ormation, and that no
rs of the se ser vic es are ntity theft

R
use
saf e. If suc h inf orm ati on is stolen, it could result in ide
system is 100% records were stolen
ud . In fac t, acc ord ing to one source, 421 billion data
fra

A
and than we think.
ime is very much more real
in 2016 worldwide. Cybercr
lengthy
all ove r the wo rld , so I par tially agree with the writer’s
15 My family live ve and-white issue. We must
p too soc ial me dia . However, this is not a black-
thu mb s-u ation between
cyb erb
e ully ing and the fac t that most of the communic
be aware of panies
site s is rec ord ed. The con tent may be shared with com
people on social media
us.
which want to sell things to
a modern city
r go es on to say tha t it wo uld be impossible to live in
20 The write ‘the air we breathe’
gy. She writes that drones are
without the latest technolo o thinks walking
ble tec h ha s be com e ‘pa rt of our bodies now’. She als
and weara a ‘new, richer form
and eyes fixed on screens is
around with our heads down effects of
n’. As ide fro m the nu me rous proven negative health
of interactio n seems
dg ets , the wr ite r’s vis ion of ‘quality’ human interactio
25 prolonged use of ga
actual conversation.
to overlook eye contact and
mentioned
I wa nt to po int ou t tha t several brands of the above
In closin g, s seems like
na me d an d pra ise d thr ou ghout her article. To me, thi
technologies are by any of
ng . Yo u sho uld tel l rea de rs if the article is sponsored
advertisi ar to readers that
30 the companies she me
ntions. If so, it should be cle
ious journalism.
it is an advertorial and not ser
Yours sincerely
Trevor Man
[word count: 377/ all inclusive]
22 (a loyal reader for 10+ years)
 Unit 3
Answer the following questions based on the information in the letter to the editor.

1 What is the writer’s main complaint about Mandy Law’s article based on paragraph 1?
It is extremely one-sided (to the point of propaganda). (lines 4-5)

2 According to paragraph 3, what are the unmentioned drawbacks of using convenient

technologies ?
The user has to give up personal information and such information may be stolen. (lines 11-12)
(accept any reasonable answer)

3 Trevor Man mentions ‘421 billion data records were stolen in 2016 worldwide’ (lines 13-14)
to …

A illustrate the seriousness of the issue.

B exaggerate things to attract attention.
C prove the popularity of online services. A B C D

O
D show that people should never believe in technology.
y

T
4 What does Trevor Man like about social media?
a?

S
Social media allows him to communicate with hiss family world. (lines 15-1
amily all over the worl 15-16)

a. ‘these services’

R I
5 What do these words refer to?
o?

s’ (linee 11) services that use technology

tec to bring convenience (lines 6-9)

A
b. ‘the content’
tent’ (line 18) the content of the communication between people on social media (lines 17-18)
he conte
conten

c. ‘this’ (line 28)) naming and praising of brands (in Mandy Law’s article) (lines 27-28)

d. ‘it’ (line 31) Mandy Law’s article (line 28)

6 Identify the picture that best shows life in a modern city as described by Mandy Law.

A B C D

A B C D

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 7 What is the tone of the final sentence of paragraph 5?

A worried
B sarcastic
C optimistic A B C D
D encouraging

8 Find words from paragraphs 5 and 6 that have similar meanings to the words and phrase
below.
long-term prolonged (line 25)

ignore overlook (line 26)

paid for sponsored (line 29)

9 The following thoughts were on Trevor Man’s mind when he was writing the letter to the
tes to. Write
editor. Match each of his thoughts to the paragraph it relates W the paragraph

O
number (3, 4, 5 or 6) in the box.

T
There are so many adverts What iif my passport or

S
in the newspaper already.
dy. credit card number is
cr

I
6 3
Is this another one?
e? stolen by cybercriminals?

5
How
ow

looking
oking
A R
w do you really interact
with others without
ng them in tth
the eye?
4
Someone might be using
what I share with my friends
for marketing purposes.

10 What does ‘advertorial’ (line 31) mean?

an article/editorial that is written with the intent to advertise (accept any reasonable answer)

Complete the following summary using the information in the letter to the editor. Use ONE word
for each blank.

Trevor Man has been a reader of City Post for more than (1) 10 (line 34)

years. He believes that modern technology, such as various online services and
social media, can make our lives more (2) convenient (line 7) . However, he thinks
we should know the potential risks it brings and try to prevent our
(3) personal information (line 11) from being stolen. He also points out that
overusing (4) gadgets (line 25) is proven to be harmful to our (5) health (line 24)

and texting actually lowers the quality of (6) human interaction (line 25) .
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 Unit 3
Vocabulary
You are preparing a leaflet for your school’s IT Club to introduce common Internet crimes.
Complete the leaflet using the words provided.

Four common Internet crimes antivirus

software
1. Phishing computer
‘Phishers’ usually send out emails as ‘bait’ to lure you viruses
to an authentic-looking website. This is to ‘fish’ for encryption
personal data such as your ID card number to commit identity
(1) identity theft , or your bank theft
password to make unauthorized (2) money transfers money
. Remember: always check whether you transfers

are browsing (3) secure sites or not. scams

O
secure
sites

T
2. Hacking
strong
Hacking is an attempt to break into a computer system to steal data or do d other

S
password
illegal things. Therefore, it is recommended d that
hat we protect important
i files on a

I
suspicious
computer with (4) on
encryption , so
o that
tha even when it is activities

R
hacked,
ked,
ed, the criminal cannot
canno access
ac the data. Using a
unsuspecting
(5)) strong passwo
password can also make Internet

A
it harder
arder for hackers
hacker to crack it and gain access to your users
computer. If you yyo detect any (6) suspicious activities
on your computer, you must cut off the
power
powow to prevent further damage.

3. Spreading (7) computer viruses 4. Lottery (9) scams

Is your computer slowing down? Are In this fraud, criminals send out emails
unwanted pop-up windows showing or messages telling recipients that
up on your screen? If you have these they have just won the lottery. This
problems, your computer may have is a classic trick where criminals will
been infected. Prevention? Install first charge (10) unsuspecting Internet users
up-to-date (8) antivirus software ‘service fees’, but after they
for better protection. pay up, they will never be able to cash
in their win!

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 Below is a podcast transcript about video game use in schools. Complete the script using adjectives
formed by adding the correct suffix, ‘-al’, ‘-ful’ or ‘-able’ to the words provided.

Host: Almost since the invention of video games, researchers have been
afford
carrying out (1) clinical studies to see if they can use video
change
games to make students smarter. Believe it or not, this have been
clinic (2)
successful – teaching through video games works. I have asked
digit
Dr Joseph Tang to join me today to talk about the risks and benefits of
education
such (3) educational video games.
help
mind Dr Joseph: Thanks for having me. This is a really exciting topic. Scientists have
power known for a long time now that games can be very (4) helpful
prevent for subjects such as maths, especially for students who have trouble
success concentrating.
suit
Host: In that case, why aren’t video games used
sed more often fo
for teaching?

T
Dr Joseph: The benefits are not widely known.
own. Most people think of video games
le’s minds are (5)
ople’s
as harmful. I think people’s changeab
changeable on that point,
he
e evidence. Also, video gam
once they see the games can be expensive, but

R
anging
nging too. In the past, no
that’s changing not ev
every school had the money to buy
(6)
digital devices for tth
their classrooms, but they are becoming

A
common. Complex gam
games that explore a historical period or the process
game
might still not be (7)
off evolution migh affordable . However, anyone with
ternet ac
Internet access can play free puzzle games that teach concepts from
math
at or physics.
maths

Host: Are there drawbacks?

Dr Joseph: Anytime you let your students go online, you have to be (8) mindful
of what they are doing. They are very skilled at avoiding work and
finding distractions.

Host: I imagine that is (9) preventable with proper Internet controls.

Dr Joseph: True. Also, games are not (10) suitable for every subject – or every
student. But when video games let teachers monitor their student’s
progress, and customize lessons to each student’s needs, they can be a
very (11) powerful teaching tool.

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 Unit 3
Grammar
Conditional sentences
You are writing a speech about smart home technology. Complete the speech by underlining the
correct choice in brackets.

Good morning, everyone. Today I’m going to tell you about smart home technology.
Unless you (1) ( live / had lived ) in a smart home, you (2) ( don’t know / wouldn’t have
known ) what you’re missing.

A smart home is a home in which everything works through wireless technology.

If you (3) ( want / wanted ) to adjust the temperature, you only
ly (4) ( need / needed ) to

O
use an app on your phone. If you (5) ( want / wanted ) to make tea or ccoffee in the

T
morning, you (6) ( can turn on / turn on ) the kettle or coffee maker wi
without leaving

S
your bed. If you (7) ( have / had ) a smart
art fridge, it would even order the groceries

I
you need from the supermarket automatically when you ran out. How’s that for
convenience!

R
Another advantagee of a smart home is an aadded sense of security. If you (8) ( have /

A
art home, you (9) ( would nnever need / would have never needed ) to be
had ) a smart
afraid that robbers
obbers might break
bre in without being detected. Similarly, if you were
rol all the appliances in your home remotely, you (10) ( won’t ever worry /
able to control
worry ) that you had left the heater or the cooker on when you left.
wouldn’t everr w
That’s peace of mind, isn’t it?

A smart home is also great for entertaining and relaxing. If you (11) ( connect /
connected ) the screens and speakers throughout your home, you (12) ( can watch /
watch ) a film or TV programme as you walk from room to room doing household
chores. If you want to relax, you (13) ( can adjust / could adjust ) the lighting and
music to suit your mood.

So what are you waiting for? If you (14) ( had installed / have installed ) smart home
technology, you (15) ( would have already experienced / would already experience ) all
the benefits it has to offer!

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 You are writing an essay about how future technology will change the world. Complete the essay by
underlining the correct choice in brackets.

Unlike animals, human beings have always felt the desire to improve upon nature. If we
(1) ( had not been born / have not been born / were not born ) with this impulse, our
civilization (2) ( would not develop / had not developed / would not have developed ) to its
present stage of advancement. However, the use of technology is not without its dangers. If
we (3) ( don’t think / didn’t think / had not thought ) carefully about the consequences of
our technological advancements, we (4) ( won’t exist / wouldn’t exist / wouldn’t have existed )
for much longer as a species.

uter
ter can tth
One risky advancement is artificial intelligence, or AI. If a computer think for itself, it
(5) ( made / will make / would make ) decisions independent
dent
ent of its human creators.
cre
cr What
(6) ppened ) if computers decid
( will happen / would happen / would have happened decided to do
something harmful to the planet?

Another controversial area is genetic

enetic
tic engineering, including stem
st cell research and
genetically modified food.
ood. tth technology, it (7) ( helps / will help /
od. If we are able to control this
would help ) us overcome
vercome terrible problems su
ssuch as disease and food shortages. However,
who knows what (8) ( will occur / occurs / occurred ) if we play around with the basic
building blocks Earth? If a new disease (9) ( is created / will be created / would
ks off all life on Ea
have no treatment for, it (10) ( may / must / would ) lead to a massive
be created ) thatt we hha
loss of human life.

There’s also nuclear technology, which has become a cheap and supposedly sustainable
energy source compared to fossil fuels. However, when there (11) ( is / will be / had been )
a meltdown at a nuclear power plant, a tremendous amount of radiation (12) ( is released /
would be released / would have been released ). If people and animals (13) ( had been
affected / are affected / will be affected ) by radiation, they (14) ( become / would become /
would have become ) very ill and even die.

To sum up, technological advances have great benefits as well as great

risks. If we (15) ( wish / are wishing / wished ) to benefit from technology,
we must proceed cautiously in order not to cause destruction.

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 Unit 3
Relative clauses (Review)
You are w
You writing a list of points for a presentation about medical robots. Complete the list using
‘w
who
ho’’, ‘which’,
‘who’, ‘wh ‘when’, ‘where’ or ‘that’, and the words provided.

Get ready for medical robots !

1 perform / routine duties
Nowadays, hospital patients are mainly cared for by nurses , who perform routine duties .

2 be trained / take care of patients

In the future, these duties could be done by robots that are trained to take care of patients .

3 be unable / walk
Robotic exoskeletons can be used to help patients that/who are unab
unable to walk .

O
4 give patients medicine / check their condition

T
Hospitals and care homes will use robots that/which givee patients medicine and che
check their condition .

S
5 require / precise hand movements

I
Robots can even be used in surgeries that/which
at/which hand movements/where
ich require precise ha movem precise hand .
movements
ments are
ar required
6 used to / perform these operations
erations
These robots can evenn be more precise than doctors , who used to perform these operations .

7 a regular doctor
ctor / be / not available on site
In remote
te areas,
s, robots will be needed at times when a regular doctor is not available on site .

8 take / analyse
lyse / a patient’s bl
bblood
A robot has been
eenn developed
devel
dev that/which takes and analyses a patient’s blood .

9 be / unpleasant / repetitive
Robots can perform healthcare tasks that/which are unpleasant and/or repetitive .

10 never need / a break / time off

Unlike humans, they are workers that/which never need a break or time off .

11 have / ageing populations

Finding new ways to address a shortage of healthcare workers is especially important in countries
that/which have ageing populations .

12 a human touch / be / more important

Robots also allow healthcare workers to focus on areas where a human touch is more important .

13 malfunction / hack
Some people are worried about the unreliability of robots , which can/could malfunction or be hacked .

14 these robots / bring about

Others believe that the benefits that/which these robots (will) bring about
outweigh possible drawbacks.
Accept all reasonable answers. 29
 ‘Whose’
You are writing a notice to the participating teams in the Tech Fair. Complete the sentences in the
notice on the next page by rewriting the sentences in the notes using ‘whose’.

Tech Fair – prizes and judges

1 One team will win the Creativity Award – their project is the most
creative.

2 One team will win the Best Project Award – their project gets the
highest rating from the judges.

O
3 One team will win the Best Team Award – their project sh
shows the best
use of teamwork.

4 One team will win the Green Project

the most environmentallyy friendly.

I S T
project is considered
ject Award – their projec

R
5 One team will winn the Community Welfa
Welfare Award – their project is likely

A
to benefit the local community tthe most.

6 One team will win the C

Computer Science Prize – their project shows the
best application nce.
atio of the principles of Computer Science.

7 Dr Paul Chan will be one of the judges. His book Sustainable

tainabble
Hi-tech Living was recently released by Kowloon
University Press.

views
8 Another judge will be Ms Yvonne Wai. Her gadget reviews
eople.
on an online video channel are popular with young people.

cs Inc
9 Mr Alvin Cheung will also be judging. He owns Robotics c, a
Inc,
company that produces robots.

30
 Unit 3

Dear participating teams

Thank you for joining this year’s Tech Fair. On the day of the fair, each team will present their
technology project in front of the judges to compete for various prizes. The details are as follows:

Prizes
whose project is the most creative will win the Creativity Award
1 The team
.

2 The team whose project gets the highest rating from the judges will get the Best Project Award
.

3 The team whose project shows the best use of teamwork will win the Best Team
am Award
m Aw
A a
ar

O
.

T
4 The team whose project is considered the most environmentally
ment
me
ent a lyy ffriendly
nttally
ntal
al rrien
e dl
d y will win
willl wi
w in tthe Green
he G
Gre
Gree
reen Project Award
en P

S
.

I
5 The team whose project is likely to benefit
ben e t the
enefi
efi
efit t e local
th locaal community
loca comm
co
omm
mmun
muni
unnitityy th most will win the Community Welfare Award
thee mo

R
.

A
6 The team whose
o e pr
os pproj
project
ojec
ectt sh
shows
show
ows
wss the
thhe best
best aapp
application
pplilica
pplicati
c ti of the principles of Computer Science will win the

Computer Science Prize

ennce P
Pri
rrize .

Judges

7 Dr Paul Chan , whose book ‘Sustainable Hi-tech Living’ was recently released by Kowloon University Press,
will be one of the judges .

8 Ms Yvonne Wai , whose gadget reviews on an online video channel are popular with young people, will be
another judge .

9 Mr Alvin Cheung , whose company produces robots, will also be judging

.

The Science Club

Accept all reasonable answers.

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