Listening

Listening on page 62 Read these questions before listening and discuss them in pairs. 1. What functions are already included on a mobile phone? 2. Which ones do you find useful? 3. What else do you expect a mobile phone to do for you?

Listen to the tape and tick the descriptions you have heard. □ a mobile that “thinks” □ a mobile that spends your money □ a mobile that can teach you English □ a mobile that chooses your holiday

□ a mobile that makes tea □ a mobile that is a computer □ a mobile that wakes you up □ a mobile that orders your food

Listen to the tape again and answer these questions. Which mobile does Mary think she will buy and why? Mary wants to buy the mobile that turns itself on when it receives important calls. She missed three yesterday when her mobile was switched/turned off.

2. What extra applications do mobiles have now? Mobiles can take photographs and act as a computer now.

3. What extra applications will they have with the 3-G mobiles? They will be able to monitor how you use your phone. They will book holidays, choose the airline, hotel and an appropriate place to stay. They will authorize paying for them too.

4. Why is Mary worried? Mary is worried because it might spend her money. 5. What advantages do the 3G mobiles offer? The advantages are that it helps people who are busy at work to order goods at the cheapest price or book holidays, air tickets, etc.

6. What do you think might go wrong? The mobile may spend money unwisely or spend more than a person can afford. You may forget the spending and not include it in your accounts of your personal income.

Listening text WHICH ONE SHOULD I CHOOSE? Mary Brown is asking her friend, Zhang Jie, for advice. MB: Hallo, is that Zhang Jie? This is Mary. I’m thinking of buying a new mobile phone. What do you suggest?

ZJ: Hallo Mary. I’m happy to help. It’s lucky you could get through ZJ: Hallo Mary. I’m happy to help. It’s lucky you could get through. I’ve been having some trouble with the line and I keep getting cut off. If the line goes dead, ring me back immediately on my mobile and it should be OK. Now what do you want your mobile to do?

MB: Well, I’ve heard about mobiles. that are computers and can take MB: Well, I’ve heard about mobiles that are computers and can take photographs as well. Do you think they’re a good idea? ZJ: Mmm. Yes, they’re useful. I can use the Internet even when I’m on the train.

MB: So you suggest one like that then? ZJ: Not necessarily. It seems there’ll be some new mobile phones coming on the market next year. They’re going to be even more powerful than the ones on the market now.

MB: What are they going to do? ZJ: Oh, you’ve no idea what they’re planning! These new phones will be able to organize your life. They’re called 3G phones because they’re the third generation of mobile phones. They “think” for you.

MB: How can they do that? ZJ: Well, they’ll be able to monitor how you use your phone. When you plan a holiday, the phone will know which airline you like to fly with, and will book the seats and the hotel. Then it’ll pay for you.

MB: Wow! I’m not sure I’d be happy with that! I don’t like the idea of a machine spending my money. ZJ: Well, many businesses already use mobile phones to buy goods. They leave them to order goods when they are at their cheapest.

MB: Do they really. Well, I never MB: Do they really? Well, I never! What I need is a mobile to stop me missing important calls. I missed three yesterday because my mobile was switched off. ZJ: You can have that too. There’s a new mobile coming out soon that

will turn itself on when important calls come through. MB: Are you sure? If that’s the case, that’s the one for me! Thank you, Zhang Jie, I think I’ll wait for that one. Goodbye. ZJ: Goodbye.

Listening task on page 67 Listen to the tape and decide if you agree with the people on the tape. What do you think it was? Fill in the chart below with the ideas of the two girls and then make your own suggestions.

The girls’ suggestions Reasons for Reasons against 1. wheels go forwards and backwards, not round and round a roundabout has four wheels and a floor

The girls’ suggestions Reasons for Reasons against 2. 3. the appearance a tent made of metal and not cloth a caravan no room to sleep in it, not easy to park at night can move, big enough to carry a family

I think Leonardo designed an ________ because __________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ early car the picture seems to show a vehicle that can move backwards and forwards, has four wheels and can take people for a ride. It does not have beds or room for beds, so it cannot be a caravan. It is made of metal so it cannot be a tent. It does not go round and round so it cannot be a roundabout.

Listening text WHAT CAN IT BE? Ellie Smith is discussing with one of her friends Tang Ling, what this invention by Leonardo might be.

ES: Look at this drawings! What do you think this is supposed to be? TL: I don’t know! It doesn’t say, but let’s see if we can work out what it is. ES: OK. Now let’s see. It looks a bit like a tent but has four wheels underneath.

TL: You’re right but when you look at the second picture with the wheels you can see that it had a floor to stand on and wheels below that. Do you think it was a roundabout for children?

ES: Good thinking. But the way that he placed the wheels shows that it must have been for going forwards and backwards, not round and round. No, I don’t think it was a roundabout.

TL: Let’s look at it again. Do you think it’s made of metal TL: Let’s look at it again. Do you think it’s made of metal? The wheels seem to have handles to move them. ES: In that case it must have been large enough for more than one person. You would have needed four people—one to move each wheel. So it cannot be a tent as that is made of cloth.

TL: Yes, I think you’re right. ES: It also seems to have something like sticks coming out of the body. Do you think they are for decoration? TL: Perhaps. That is possible as we know Leonardo was an artist.

ES: Yes and if that were the case, perhaps it was for fun for the family. It could carry four people to move the wheels and then another one or two children to help. Maybe six altogether. TL: Wow! So it must have been made of metal. Nothing else could carry all that weight.

ES: True! The wheels must be made of wood or metal. TL: Do you think it’s a caravan? ES: Yes, that makes sense. It would be big enough but there doesn’t seem to be any room to sleep in it. And it wouldn’t be very easy to park for the night. So perhaps it was an early car?

TL: Well, let’s look in the guidebook TL: Well, let’s look in the guidebook. Oh no—it seems you’re not correct. ES: Gracious. So what on earth can it be? TL: Think again about Leonardo’s life. Can’t you guess?

Speaking Task

Look at the picture. In pairs discuss what this invention of Leonardo da Vinci was. Several alternative explanations are provided, but only one is correct. Is it: A a water lift? B: a messenger? C a water slide? D a lift / an elevator?

Look at these Chinese inventions and in pairs discuss what you know about them. An abacus

A water-powered clock A printing press

Think about what they were used for and the date they were invented Think about what they were used for and the date they were invented. Collect the information by doing some research. Fill in the chart and prepare to talk about one of the inventions to the class.

What was its possible use? Why? When and where did it appear in Europe? 1 An abacus is used to calculate mathematical problems including equations. It is more efficient than using the brain alone. It was never used in the West, but it is closest in function to a modern personal calculator.

What was its possible use? Why? When and where did it appear in Europe? 2 The printing press was used to print messages from the Emperor to the people. It helped the efficiency of government. Gutenburg (1398-1468) began to print books on his press about 1450 AD in Germany.

What was its possible use? Why? When and where did it appear in Europe? 3 A water-powered clock was used to measure the position and movement of the stars in the sky. It dates back to the Northern Song Dynasty. The West did not even discover the sun was the centre of the universe until Copernicus in the fifteenth century AD.

Writing Task

You have been asked to write an entry for an encyclopedia about one of these three Chinese inventions. Choose one and prepare to write your report. You will include a photograph or drawing, but you must explain some important points in your report:

a description of the object what it was used for how it was used when it was invented

Make sure that each point is a new paragraph Make sure that each point is a new paragraph. Make the first sentence of each paragraph a topic sentence and then add all the information. Finish the report by stating when it was produced in China and when it was found in Western countries.

Thank you.