Tag: technology

Autonomous Vehicles

B1 – Intermediate

What will future cars look like? Can future vehicles prevent road accidents? Will it really be possible for a car to take us from point A to B without controlling it?  Let’s discuss the Autonomous or driver-less cars of the future and find out more about it.

Listen to the podcast carefully and study the featured vocabulary words.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-170105

Discussion Questions:

  1. Will self-driving cars be safer than human-controlled ones? Explain.
  2. Do you think that robot cars can handle life-or-death situations/decisions? Explain.
  3. Would you buy an autonomous car for yourself? Why or why not?
  4. What problems do you see with autonomous vehicles?

Japan Set For Invisible Trains

B1 – Intermediate

Japan is known for its technological advances. In 2018, the country will be launching its first invisible train.

Read the article below to know how this transport could be invisible. Be ready to practice your speaking skills by talking about transport systems.

A Japanese architect has designed a train that is not only fast but blends into the landscape so well, that onlookers find it hard to see. Such invisible trains are expected to be introduced to the Tokyo area in 2018.

Kazuyo Sejima, the Japanese architect who has designed the new high-speed train,  is known for creating glass buildings that blend into their environment. This is the first time, however, that she has designed something that is actually moving.

The invisible trains will be made out of reflective material that has been used on other objects in the past, for example, the Louvre-Lens museum in France.

Seijima has created the train for Seibu railway company’s 100th anniversary. The company, famous for their colourful high-speed bullet trains,  already operate 180 km of railway lines around Tokyo. The new invisible trains will be travelling on a limited number of routes in Japan.

Not only the outside of the trains will be new. Seijima has created the interior with bigger windows and more seat space. According to the train company, passengers will have the experience of a train ride in a moving living room.

Words

  • according to = as said by …
  • anniversary = birthday
  • blend = to mix together
  • design = plan and create
  • experience = feeling
  • however = but
  • interior = the inside
  • introduce = here: to start travelling
  • invisible = something that you cannot see
  • landscape = countryside
  • limited = only a certain number
  • onlookers = people who stand nearby and see the train
  • operate = here: trains that travel
  • passenger = here: person who travels in a train
  • reflective = something that sends back most of the light that shines on it
  • seat = where a person sits

Discussion Questions:

1. Describe the train that Kazuyo Sejima designed? Why is it called an invisible train?
2. How would you describe the trains in your country?
3. Have you taken the different trains in Europe? Have you visited other European countries using trains?
4. Would you say that public transportation in your country is very effective? What else could it improve on?

The Next Generation of Roads That Talk to Cars

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The safety of travellers and drivers on the road have always been a priority. From building better road infrastructure to using technology to ensure a driver’s safety.

Watch the video below to know more of how advanced technology is upping its game when it comes to road safety. Be ready to express your thoughts about it.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do smart-roads work? How can roads communicate with cars?
2. According to the video, what are the benefits of self-driving cars?
3. Which states in the US are already working on smart-roads?
4. What are your thoughts on self-driving cars?
5. Do you think smart-roads will work in your country?

Pros and Cons of Artificial Intelligence

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has been preoccupying people from all different walks of life. Whether you’re a scientist, an engineer or a mother of two, questions will always be asked. Is it good? Or does it bring more harm?

Click the link below to read the article about the pros and cons of artificial intelligence.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pros-cons-artificial-intelligence-mike-fekety

Discussion Questions:

  1. Talk about all the things you know about AI.
  2. Talk about its pros and cons.
  3. In your opinion, what are some of the most worrisome threats associated with AI at the moment? How can we deal with them?
  4. How prevalent is AI used in your country these days? How about at your job? And in your community?
  5. How can AI help address some of the world’s most pressing problems?

Zuckerberg Presents AI Assistant Jarvis

C1 – Advanced

Mark Zuckerberg, creator and CEO of social media giant Facebook, has been working on developing his very own AI (Artificial Intelligence) assistant for a year now.

Watch the video and read the article as he introduces ‘Jarvis’ to the world.

Zuckerberg Presents AI Assistant Jarvis

Discuss:

1. Talk about Jarvis.
2. Do you feel comfortable talking to your mobile phone? If yes, what do you usually ask your AI assistant to do? If not, kindly explain the reason why.
3. What other functions would you like AI assistants to be able to carry out?
4. What other ultra advanced technology would you like to be able to see and use in your lifetime.

Amazon Opens Convenience Store with a Twist

B2 – Upper intermediate

Amazon is opening a physical store in Seattle where purchases are automatically completed using a phone app. There will be no cashiers, no checkout lines. Just grab what you want, scan it, and walk out.

Read the article below to know more about Amazon Go – the convenience store with a twist.

http://www.voanews.com/a/mht-amazon-opens-physical-convenience-store-with-a-twist/3623667.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Would you be concerned with this kind of service getting hacked or is there no difference than buying online?
  2. If this works do you think more stores will do this since they wouldn’t need to hire so many employees and could save money lowering the price of items?
  3. Would you rather shop in a store where you could just walk in, grab what you want and walk right out instead of waiting in a line or would you be willing to keep things the way they are so people could keep their jobs?

Reasons Violent Video Games Contribute To Youth Violence

gamers-are-crabby

B2 – Upper intermediate

A number of studies have been conducted to see the relation of video games and having aggressive behavior, especially to younger children who are at the peak of developing their social lives.

Read the article below and be ready to express your thoughts.

10 Reasons Violent Video Games Contribute To Youth Violence

Discuss:

1. Studies on whether violent video games lead to aggression in children have been mixed. Some studies have found a strong connection, while others find no link. What is your stand?

2. Do you think children could lose their sense of reality and Fiction due to violent video games?

3. What can parents do to avoid this aggression in children ?

Huggable Robots

C1 – Advanced

For kids, going to the hospital can be a terrifying and sometimes boring experience. An interesting innovation from researchers and roboticists may be a good solution- a robot companion.  This robot’s creators aim to know if it can can have therapeutic value for hospitalized children. Can it really alleviate sick children’s anxiety, pain, and isolation?

Let’s meet this blue bear who’s making sick kids less blue.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think of “Huggable”? How does a child respond to it?
2. What suggestions did one of the kids give to make it a better robot companion?
3. How else can we make a doctor’s visit less dreadful for children?
4. Did you enjoy hospital visits when you were a kid? How about now?

Facebook Plans to Combat Fake News

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Facebook has been under a lot of criticism for being a portal for posting and spreading fake news particularly on the altered results of the recently concluded US elections.

Read the article on Facebook’s plans on fighting against fake news on their website.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38039506

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “arbiter” mean? “He noted Facebook did not want to discourage the sharing of opinions or become ‘arbiters of truth’.” Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym or similar expression.
  2. What does “uncharted territory” mean? “What Facebook’s challenges over fake news reveal, I think, is that we’re in completely uncharted territory.” Use the phrase in a sentence. Give a synonym or similar expression.
  3. What does “astute” mean? “Zuckerberg’s global ambitions will live or die on his ability to be an astute political operator.” Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym or similar expression.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the measures that Facebook is taking in order to stop the spread of fake news on their site?
  2. What do you think Dave Lee meant when he said, “we’re in completely uncharted territory”?
  3. Why is addressing this issue crucial?
  4. How can we spot fake news?
  5. Tell us about fake news you read or heard of recently.

Self-Driving Electric Delivery Trucks

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Here’s a short article about how technology in driving is getting more and more advanced. Read the article below then express your thoughts about it.

http://fortune.com/2017/12/07/anheuser-busch-tesla-semi-trucks/

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think there still should be a human passenger to monitor driver-less vehicles?
2. Do you think having driver-less vehicles will be a positive or negative thing in the long run?
3. Do you know if there have been any testing of driver-less vehicles in your country or laws passed to allow them?