Tag: technology

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The 1970s gave birth to the digital age. A period when the personal computer was introduced, giving us the ability to transfer information at almost lightning speed. But what would happen if the advancements and breakthroughs arrived at the pace of a tortoise instead of a hare? Or what would happen if it all just came to a complete standstill?

Read the lesson and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

Computers have become intertwined with nearly every aspect of our society, and their disappearance would be inconceivable. We take them for granted, as we do the technological advancements that appear every few years, almost like clockwork. Computers get quicker, the Internet offers more information, and other household devices like TVs and DVD players simply do more. But what would happen if the advancements and breakthroughs arrived at the pace of a tortoise instead of a hare? Or what would happen if it all just came to a complete standstill?

It’s a realistic scenario. and microchip manufacturers are concerned. The chips, which power all our electronics nowadays, have begun to reach technological limits because they just can’t shrink much more in size. To stave off the impending problem, manufacturers have poured billions of dollars into research and development, working toward chips that blend computing muscle with innovative behavior. The microchips will handle their tasks with greater finesse, and thereby hopefully avert the looming problem. Think smart chips are capable of adjusting their function based on the needs of the program and the user. However, the paucity of answers beyond that point serves as a portent for the end of the digital age. perhaps occurring around 2020.

It’s a race among chip manufacturers, as they scramble to maintain Moore’s law. Gordon Moore, the founder of Intel, anticipated that the processing power of a chip would double every two years. So far, he’s been right on the money. In fact, microchips have outstripped expectations, for their processing power has better than doubled every two years. A slowdown or end of the digital age would prove detrimental to the economies around the world. Electronics would cost more, on top of which consumers wouldn’t upgrade because of fewer new products.

Source: headsupenglish.com

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think the proposed scenario will happen in the future?
2. What do you think would happen if there were a technological crash?
3. How often do you use computers? Would a technological slow down concern you?
4. Do you think there are greater problems facing the world in the near future? If yes, what are they?
5. What do you think computers will be like 5/10 years from now?

B2 -Upper Intermediate

Isn’t it heart-breaking to hear news about someone dying because they took pictures of themselves while on thin ice or in a dangerous spot? How ironic is it that some people risk their lives just to make others like or envy them on social media?

Read the lesson on how life-threatening selfies could be and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

http://breakingnewsenglish.com/1509/150926-selfies.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your reaction to this story?
2. How fond are you of taking selfies? What’s the most incredible selfie you have ever taken?
3. Why do you think a lot of people are obsessed with taking selfies?
4. What are your thoughts on risking one’s life in the name of cool selfies?
5. What’s the most outrageous accident/death by selfie have you ever heard of?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In this day and age, technology hasn’t only made our life easier, it has also been keeping us safe.

Read the article below to know more on how computers and programs are being used by the task force to combat crime.

New technology in the world of police and crime aims at making it easier to catch criminals. Researchers and computer experts are working on new computer programs that try to find out which areas of a city might be more prone to crime than others.

The software analyzes how police have patrolled certain districts of a city in the past and compares this information to present day data. This data is also compared to behavior patterns of criminals.  While it may take humans hours to spot a certain pattern, machines can do this in a short time. The program has been successfully tested in the United States and Great Britain.

Software giants like IBM are helping combat crime. The company states that over the past years it has helped to bring down crime in Memphis by 30%. Software programs help find out where the city’s hotspots are so that police can concentrate on patrolling certain areas.

In Los Angeles, a similar program is being tested with the help of another computer company. The city’s police supervisor states that working with serious data is far better than just tracing calls and hoping to get lucky in catching a criminal.

In Great Britain, millions of pounds have been spent on TV surveillance. Although government officials say that CCTV is working, critics say that despite getting camera images from all over the country, there are not enough police officers patrolling the streets.

In the future, the European Union hopes to combine both techniques – sophisticated computer software paired with camera surveillance. One of the problems is that there is too much video material, which makes it impossible for the police to examine. With special software, a lot of footage could be examined in a relatively short period of time.

Source: http://www.english-online.at/news-articles/technology/new-software-helps-catch-criminals.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Are there hotspots in your city? Talk about your experience being in this hotspot.

2. What are the things that the police or local government doing in order to keep your city safe?

3. Do you think that more technology should be used to keep your city safe?