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Which events surprised you the most in 2017? What are your predictions for 2018?

PBS News January 2018

Predictions for 2018 and beyondTo say that we’re in the midst of change and uncertainty is an understatement. The world feels fragile, chaotic and full of conflicting realities. Ambiguity reigns, and radical uncertainty is lurking behind every decision.

Yogi Berra noted “The future ain’t what it used to be” and it’s in that spirit that I’m offering this year’s predictions:

2018-2023 PredictionsChina’s effort to rebuild the Silk Road becomes the world’s most important economic development. Although slow to get started, the program eventually drives another commodity boom and a renaissance of investor interest in Africa and Pakistan.

As nations increasingly find themselves budget-constrained, funding for the United Nations is continuously cut. UN peacekeeping missions are dramatically reduced. What was once the multilateral body’s most expensive and longest-standing effort in the Democratic Republic of Congo sees steep reductions, and unexpectedly results in an emerging peace as the country’s factions conclude

development of valuable resources is better than constant conflict.

Despite promising advancements in biotechnology, the market for human organs booms, leading some countries to legalize the buying and selling of body parts. For-profit trading companies match buyers and sellers, spurring a major backlash from religious organizations. Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go hauntingly refuses to be dismissed as pure fiction.

B

Which of the predictions above do you think will happen?b

Discuss the following questions and then read the first part of the article and check your ideas. According to the journalist...

1 ...what will be the world’s most important economic development?2 ...funding for which international organisation will be cut leading to unexpected peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo?3 ...the market for what (the subject of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go) will boom?

B What do you think the journalist predicts about the food we eat, technology titans such as Amazon, and Venezuela? Read the next part of the article and check your ideas.

As the global demand for animal protein continues to

grow, countries acknowledge the overwhelming need for

grains to feed both people and livestock. Many nations begin

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building strategic fertilizer reserves, leading to a scramble for scarce phosphate and potash resources. As diners increasingly focus on the water and carbon footprint of their meals, fish (and edible insect) consumption surges.

Policymakers propose regulations to curtail the power that technology titans such as Amazon, Google, Apple, and Facebook have acquired by dominating their domains. Some call for

the tech giants to be broken up, a proposition that gains momentum globally. The profit outlook for the major technology companies deteriorates, leading to lower valuations.

Venezuelan chaos intensifies, resulting in a full-blown humanitarian crisis that draws global attention. Despite efforts to mitigate hunger by distributing rabbits, the regime is unable to contain desperate Venezuelans that

head for Colombia. Americans begin boycotting Citgo, a subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, and the iconic CITGO sign, which has been a fixture on the Boston skyline for more than 50 years, is taken down.

Can you see yourself eating more fish and insects in the future? Do you think that the technology titans will be broken up? How do you think the situation will finally be resolved in Venezuela?

b

B Discuss the following questions and then read the final part of the article and check your ideas. According to the journalist...

1 …what will several countries peg their currencies to?2…what will the boom in electric vehicles, surge in solar and wind generation, and steady, ongoing demand for handheld mobile electronics drive a global scramble for?3…what will the world’s leading countries jointly agree to tax to offset the social costs of their adoption?4…what will cause a fall in the sale of antidepressants Prozac, Zoloft and Valium?5…what will begin to replace traditional transportation?

As currency wars intensify, several countries peg their currencies to a cryptocurrency, leading some to question the US

dollar’s long-standing reserve currency status. The global search for non-printable currencies drives the price of gold to new highs.

The boom in electric vehicles, surge in solar and wind generation, and steady, ongoing demand for handheld mobile electronics drives a global scramble for materials (lithium, copper,

cobalt, nickel, graphite) necessary to enable power storage. Battery technology improves dramatically.

In a shocking display of global coordination, the world’s leading countries jointly agree to tax robots to offset the social costs of their adoption. Some governments funnel those revenues into universal basic income schemes, such

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as the one Finland deployed in 2017, to keep their economies growing.

As evidence mounts pointing to the negative social impacts of constant connection, more and more people opt to deliberately disconnect for a period of time. As the popularity of a digital detox skyrockets, sales of Prozac, Zoloft and Valium fall.Human-carrying drones

become affordable and are widely deployed. They begin to replace traditional transportation, creating financial hardship for mass transit systems.

Each year, I end my predictions with the prescient words of John Kenneth Galbraith, who eloquently captures the essence of forecasters. There are, as he notes, two types: “those who don’t know

and those who don’t know they don’t know.” Feel free to decide which you think I am, but I do hope that these possibilities are useful in spurring your thoughts.

Have you ever bought a cryptocurrency? If not, do you think you will in the future? Do you have an electric car? If not, do you think you will get one in the future? Do you think it is a good idea to tax robots? Are you in favour of universal basic income schemes? Do you feel you need a digital detox? Would you be prepared to travel in a drone?

b

V Explain the meaning of the highlighted words in these extracts from the article:

1 To say that we’re in the midst of change and uncertainty is an understatement.

2 ...the program eventually drives another commodity boom…

3 For-profit trading companies match buyers and sellers, spurring a major backlash from religious organizations.

4 As diners increasingly focus on the water and carbon footprint of their meals, fish (and edible insect) consumption surges.

5 Policymakers propose regulations to curtail the power that technology titans such as Amazon, Google, Apple, and Facebook have acquired by dominating their domains.

6 Americans begin boycotting Citgo, a subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company…

7 As the popularity of a digital detox skyrockets, sales of Prozac, Zoloft and Valium fall.

8 Human-carrying drones become affordable and are widely deployed.

V Match the words to these definitions:

1 the amount of carbon dioxide a person, organization, building, etc. produces, used as a measure of their effect on the environment

2 a statement that makes something seem less important, serious, etc. than it really is

3 reduce or limit something, especially something good

4 not take part in an event, or not buy or use something as a way of protesting

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What do the highlighted expressions in these extracts from the article mean?E

PBS News January 2018

To say that we’re in the midst of change and uncertainty is an understatement. “The future ain’t what it used to be” and it’s in that spirit that I’m offering this year’s predictions...

5 a sudden major increase in trade, profits, etc. in a particular country or region

6 rise quickly to a very high level

7 cheap enough for most people to be able to buy

8 operated with the aim of making money

V Write sentences of your own with the words.

There are other expressions with in + noun. What do you think these mean? 1 in the wrong 2 in cahoots 3 in vain 4 in the driver’s seat 5 in stitches 6 in the dark 7 in dire straits 8 in public

Now match them to these definitions: V__ without any positive result __ in control __ working together or making plans together in secret __ laughing uncontrollably__ responsible for something bad __ in a very bad situation__ in view of other people; when others are present __ unaware, not informed

React to these statements using the expressions:V

1 After the hurricane they had no electricity or water.2 He privately dislikes the prime minister, but never criticises her with people around.3 I tried hard to finish the marathon in under four hours, but it took me four and a half.4 The comedian was very funny. We couldn’t stop laughing.5 I have no idea what is happening with the new project.6 I am sure Steve and Mick are working together to get me fired.7 James makes all the decisions in the company.8 The driver went through a red light and hit us.

e.g. They boycotted the restaurant because they were unhappy with the workers’ conditions there.

Predictions for 2018 reading

student pages 4Teacher’s notes 1intermediate+ (B1+)

week of 15.01.18

What do the highlighted expressions in these extracts from the article mean?E

in the midst of = with (something) happening around you in that spirit = with the same attitude / morals / intention of what has been said

V Match the words to these definitions:1 carbon footprint2 understatement3 curtail4 boycott5 boom6 skyrocket7 affordable8 for-profit

Now match them to these definitions: V3 without any positive result 4 in control 2 working together or making plans together in secret 5 laughing uncontrollably 1 responsible for something bad 7 in a very bad situation8 in view of other people; when others are present 6 unaware, not informed

React to these statements using the expressions:VSuggested answers:

1 They were in dire straits.2 He never criticises the prime minister in public.3 Your efforts were in vain.4 So you were in stitches.5 You are in the dark.6 You think they are in cahoots.7 James is in the driver’s seat.8 So he was clearly in the wrong.