Not without my iPod!

Unit pork

2

Vocabulary

Inventions

Look at the photos A-H. Which of these gadgets do you use every day?

Read the text and match the definitions with four of the gadgets A-H.

Are you an expert on inventions?

1- Although it wasn’t commercially available since 1920’s, the concept of electrically

powered transitions of images was first sketched in 1878 as the telephonoscope.

2- We must be careful when use this object because it has some hazards. Liquids can

superheat; closed containers, such as eggs, can explode by using it and any

metal object placed into it will act as an antenna, resulting in an electric

current.

3- It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989. The killer game that

pushed it into the upper reaches of success was Tetris since was widely

popular, and on the handheld format could be played anywhere.

4- As a result of the invention of this, it became possible to erase a typographical error

typed with a typewriter.

1

2

H Game Boy

B I-pod

F Vacuum

C Clips

G Tipp-Ex

D Eraser A Microwave

E Television

3

Match the verbs a-d with the gadgets 1-7.

Some verbs match more than one gadget.

a) switch on / switch off

b) turn up / turn down

c) log in / log off

d) plug in / unplug

1) television

2) hair dryer

3) digital camera

4) computer

5) MP3 player

6) remote control

7) vacuum

Choose the correct alternative.

1- Can you....….the CD player? It’s too loud!

A turn down B switch on C log in

2- You need to…………before you can look at

the website.

A plug in B log in C turn down

3- It’s dark in here. Why don’t you………the

lights?

A turn on B switch on C plug on

4- The DVD player isn’t working. Is it……..?

A logged off B turned up C plugged in

Now you!

In pairs, listen to the description of the invention of your classmate and then, try to guess it. You can ask your classmate if you have problems with it. Help yourself by looking at the Useful expressions.

3 4

Useful expressions

Describing objects

It’s a thing for + verb + -ing…

It’s a thing you use to + infinitive…

It’s a kind of…

It’s made of…

It’s made

of metal. Is it a fridge?

No

It’s a thing for

joining papers?

Yes

It is a clip!

4

Reading

Answer the following questions and discuss them

with your classmates:

a) Which is the most important invention in

the history of human kind? Why?

b) Which is the one that most influence your

daily life? Why?

c) Do you know who invented the telephone?

And the light bulb?

Scan the text to find:

a) The year when the telephone was invented. b) The name of the companies that Vladimir Zworkin worked for. c) The nationality of the inventor of the first automobile. d) The name of the inventor of the zig-zag stitch machine.

Read the article about inventions below and match sentences A – E with gaps 1 – 5

A James Watt improved Newcomen's design and invented what is considered the first modern steam engine in 1765.

B American Charles Jenkins and Scotsman John Baird followed the mechanical model while Philo Farnsworth, working independently in San Francisco, and Russian émigré Vladimir Zworkin, working for Westinghouse and later RCA, advanced the electronic model.

C In 1875, Alexander Graham Bell built the first telephone that transmitted electrically the human voice.

D However, it was a steam-powered model. In 1885, Karl Benz designed and built the world's first practical automobile to be powered by an internal-combustion engine.

E Isaac Singer invented the up-and-down motion mechanism.

1

3

2

Reading strategies

Scanning for specific information

Scanning (reading something quickly) helps

you locate specific information in a text. Pay

attention to the type of information you are

searching for (dates, places, names). Looking

for capital letters and numbers can help.

4 Are the following statements true or false? Find information in the text to justify your answers.

a) The telephone transmits human voice mechanically.

b) Farnsworth and Zworkin worked together to develop the electronic based television.

c) The main problem with Nicéphore's photographic process was that the final images were not

permanent.

d) Watt's steam engine was based on Savery's design.

e) Edison's light bulb lasted longer than Swan's.

5 Find words in the text that mean:

a) Important points in the progress or development of something (paragraph 2).

b) Able to move itself by means of a motor (paragraph 4).

c) The outer coverings of fruits, grains, or seeds (paragraph 5).

d) The amount of time during which light is allowed to enter a camera in order to produce a photograph

(paragraph 6).

e) A piece of thread that is passed through a piece of material with a needle (paragraph 8).

5

Top 10 inventions

The Telephone The telephone is an instrument that converts voice and sound signals into electrical impulses for transmission by wire to a different location, where another telephone receives the electrical impulses and turns them back into recognizable sounds. (1)___________________________

Computers There are many major milestones in the history of computers, starting with 1936, when Konrad Zuse built the first freely programmable computer.

Television In 1884, Paul Nipkow sent images over wires using a rotating metal disk technology with 18 lines of resolution. Television then evolved along two paths, mechanical based on Nipkow's rotating disks, and electronic based on the cathode ray tube. (2) _______________________________________

The Automobile In 1769, the very first self-propelled road vehicle was invented by a French mechanic, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot. (3)___________________________________ Gottlieb Daimler took the internal combustion engine a step further and patented what is generally recognized as the prototype of the modern gas engine and later built the world's first four-wheeled motor vehicle.

The Cotton Gin Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin on March 14, 1794. The cotton gin is a machine that separates seeds, hulls and other unwanted materials from cotton after it has been picked.

The Camera In 1814, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce created the first photographic image with a camera obscura, however, the image required eight hours of light exposure and later faded. Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, whose daguerreotype managed to fix the image permanently, is considered the inventor of the first practical process of photography in 1837.

The Steam Engine Thomas Savery was an English military engineer and inventor who patented the first crude steam engine in 1698. Thomas Newcomen invented the atmospheric steam engine in 1712. (4) _______________________________________

The Sewing Machine The first functional sewing machine was invented by the French tailor Barthelemy Thimonnier in 1830. In 1834, Walter Hunt built America's first (somewhat) successful sewing machine. Elias Howe patented the first lockstitch sewing machine in 1846. (5) _______________________In 1857, James Gibbs patented the first chain-stitch single-thread sewing machine. Helen Augusta Blanchard patented the first zig-zag stitch machine in 1873.

The Light Bulb Contrary to popular belief, Thomas Alva Edison didn't "invent" the light bulb, but rather he improved upon a 50-year-old idea. In 1809, Humphry Davy, an English chemist, invented the first electric light. In 1878, Sir Joseph Wilson Swan, an English physicist, was the first person to invent a practical and longer-lasting electric light bulb (13.5 hours) with a carbon fiber filament. In 1879, Thomas Alva Edison invented a carbon filament that burned for forty hours.

Discuss with your partner the following questions.

a) Which invention would you remove from the top list? Why?

b) Which one would you add in number 10? Why?

c) After reading the text and looking at the photographs, reflect on how much the devices have changed in time and what consequences have been derived from those changes. Do they still have the same functions? Do they have any new ones?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10 ...

6

7

Look for information about the history of the invention you would add. Then write a short

summary (4-5 lines maximum) of the information you have found to complete the top ten list.

6

7

Relative pronouns in non-defining relative

clauses:

1. That cannot replace who and which. 2. Relative pronouns cannot be omitted.

Non-defining relative clauses

4 Read sentences 1 & 2. In which sentence

does the relative pronoun introduce non-essential information?

1. Steve Jobs, who became millionaire in 2008, died last week.

2. The person who devised the first mercury barometer was Evangelista Torricelli.

5 Choose the correct alternatives to

complete the rules.

We use a non-defining relative clause to give (1) essential / non-essential information about a noun.

We (2) use / do not use commas to separate a non-defining relative clause from the rest of the sentence

6 Complete the sentences with the correct

relative pronoun.

a) I Robot, _____is a film by Will Smith,

depicts the life of robots.

b) China, _______ thousands of people work really hard, develops many technological innovations.

c) Steve Jobs, ______ technology is of

excellent quality, will present the last

invention of Apple.

d) The Samsung Galaxy 3, _____ was a

big success in the USA, will be

launched in Spain next week.

e) Mark Zuckerberg, _____ was only 20

years old when launched Facebook,

is extremely rich.

7 Join the sentences using a non-

defining relative clause.

a) In Boston you can see hundreds of exhibitions of new inventions. There are more than 300 research & development departments.

b) Robots are very recent innovations. They will dominate the world.

c) Smartphones are widespread in society. They will substitute the media in 20 years.

d) In 2011 netbooks, tablets, and smartphones were replacing PCs. That year started the “post-PC Era”.

e) Our literature teacher doesn’t know anything about computers. He will retire next month.

8

“It’s the real thing”

Every year in Melbourne, Australia, there

is a special talent competition. It is

unusual and (1) excite. It is the air guitar

championship! Competitors have to

pretend to play the guitar to a piece of

music of their choice. “It isn’t easy to do,”

says one of the organizers. “In fact, it’s

very (2) tire.”

She tells us that there are a lot of

competitors this year. ‘Last year we were

a bit (3) disappoint. Not many people

came. But this year lots of people are (4)

interest. There are some famous

musicians, like Super Dave. He’s a big star

in Sydney. He’s (5) amaze.’

‘Some people think that air guitar is silly,’

adds one of the contestants, ‘but they are

just jealous. They’re too (6) frighten to get

up and do it themselves. Air guitar isn’t

faking it – it’s the real thing.

tired disappointed amazed

Frightened annoyed disappointed

traded fascinated embarrassed

amazed tired needed excited

Vocabulary

Adjectives ending in –ed and -ing

Read sentences A and B and answer

questions 1 and 2.

A The concert was boring so I left early.

B I was bored by the concert so I left early.

1- Which adjective describes a feeling?

2- Which adjective describes the cause of

a feeling?

Look at the text and create the adjective

that fits using –ing or –ed.

Choose the correct adjective to

complete the sentences.

1. I think that internet is a fascinating

/ fascinated tool.

2. My younger brother is really

annoyed /annoying. He always gets

on the computer before me.

3. We were very disappointed

/disappointing with the new iPhone.

4. Electricity is a really excited

/exciting invention.

5. My sister is interested / interesting

on computers.

6. When thunders switch off the light

is really frightening / frightened.

7. I broke down three MP3s. I felt very

embarrassed / embarrassing.

8. I was really tired / tiring after

playing video games for 5 hours.

Pronunciation

/id/, /d/, /t/ endings

Listen and repeat the words.

Underline the word which has an /id/

ending.

Listen and repeat the words. Pay

attention the endings. Underline those

that have an /id/ ending, circle the ones

with /d/ and cross the ones with /t/.

3 1

2

1

2

9

Speaking and conversing

1 Imagine you are going to live on a remote island for six months. You can only take two of

these objects. Talk about all of them and decide which two you will take and why.

2 Listen to Marta and Pablo doing part of the task and answer the questions.

1. Which objects do they talk about and in what order?

2. Which object do they agree to take?

Now you!

Decide with your partner which two objects you will take and why. Use the Useful

Expressions below.

Start like this:

-So what shall we take with us?

-Well, I would like to take…

Useful expressions

Shall we take a…?

What about (taking) a…?

I think we should take…

I want/ I´d like to take

Ok/ Right!

I suppose you´re right (but)…

That´s true (but)…

10

Often use longer / shorter sentences than in informal letters.

Use / do not use contractions, for example: “he’s”; “isn’t”.

Use / do not use colloquial language, for example “cool”; “guess what”.

Writing

A formal letter of complaint

Read A and B, both of which are extracts from letters. Which letter has the most formal style? Why?

A

B

B

3 Decide whether expressions 1- 10 are

formal or informal.

1

2

Formal Informal

Dear Mrs. Smith √ Hi there! I am writing because… I would be grateful if you could…

I’m just writing to… What about…? I look forward to hearing from you.

Write soon. All the best Yours sincerely,

Yours faithfully,

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to complain about an MP3 player which I bought recently. The first time I used the player, I noticed that the sound quality was very poor. I would appreciate it if you could give me a refund.

Hi Sue, My birthday party was fab, thanks. I got an MP3 player, but guess what? It sounds awful! I took it back to the shop, but the shop assistant was horrible. She said there was nothing wrong with it!

Read extracts A and B again. Then choose

the correct alternatives to complete the

rules.

In formal letters we:

11

21 Seaton Road Birmingham

B4 7QX 15 January 2006 Customer services Intelligent World London NW11 4TY

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about a robot dog which my friend bought from your shop in July. (1) I received the dog / My mate gave me the dog as a birthday present last week. After two days it stopped making a noise. Now the remote control does not work.

When I (2) took the stupid thing back to your shop / returned the faulty dog to the shop, the shop assistant asked me for a receipt. Unfortunately I did not have one because the robot was a gift. The shop assistant was quite rude and (3) refused to give me a refund / didn’t give me my cash back.

I would be grateful if you could let me have a refund. If this is not possible, (4) it’s OK if you give me a new dog / I will accept a replacement. I am also going to write to the manufacturer and (5) inform them of the problem / tell them all about it.

(6) It’d be great to hear / I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Sally Sharp

Read the example of a letter and choose the correct alternatives.

Now you!

Write your own formal letter

complaining about some gadget

that has broken down using the

patterns that you have learnt.

Use the box to help you.

4

Writing guidelines

Paragraph 1: explain the situation and describe what is wrong with the gadget.

Paragraph 2: describe what happened when you took the gadget back to the shop.

Paragraph 3: say what you want to happen next. Say what else you are going to do.

Paragraph 4: end your letter. Include a suitable closing expression.

12

Listening

3Listen to the beginning of the video review.

Is the editor's opinion about the new iPad

positive or negative? Read the Strategy for

listening to help you.

4 Listen to the rest of the video and put in the

right order the following aspects discussed in

the video, as in the example.

1. a. Screen a. Screen

2. b. Price

3. c. Name

4. d. Processor speed

5. e. Battery life

6. f. Commercial target (aim)

The new iPad: Telegraph's technology editor Shane Richmond's verdict.

Discuss with your classmates the following questions: Has any of you used a tablet pc?

Which do you prefer: tablets or laptops? Have you heard about the new iPad?

The following words and expressions are used in the video review of the iPad you are going

to listen to. Match them with their meaning and check their pronunciation if necessary. You

can use a dictionary and ask your classmates or your teacher.

a) crisp (crisper, crispest)

b) play-around

c) apps

d) responsive

e) challenging

f) to put out

g) for years to come

1. Quick to react or respond.

2. For a long time (from now on).

3. Having details that are easily seen or heard.

4. Difficult in a way that is interesting or enjoyable.

5. Action of dealing with something in a casual way.

6. To issue, release, or launch a product.

7. Computer programs that perform a particular task.

1

2

Strategy for listening

Listening for general information

When you listen for the first time, try to

get a general idea of what people are

talking about:

Listen for key words that carry

meaning.

Don't worry about understanding

every word.

13

Advertisements or commercials are texts -audiovisual or written- which try to sell products or services by showing their good qualities. Sometimes you may find a type of advertisement that takes the form of a news report or a critical review so that it looks like a piece of serious information. These advertisements are called infomercials.

Listen again and decide whether the following statements about the new iPad are true or false.

a) The screen is sharper, crisper, and

brighter than the previous one. b) The iPad 2 was heavier than the new

iPad. c) The new iPad battery life is longer-

lasting than before. d) The new iPad costs the same as

previous models. e) Some people called the new iPad

“iPad 3” or “iPad HD”. f) The editor thinks this device has not a

promising future.

Listen again and pay attention to the pronunciation of the following sentences in the video. Circle the correct letter.

1. a) It is very good. b) It's very good. 2. a) There's a huge difference. b) There is a huge difference. 3. a) The typography's gonna be so much sharper... b) The typography is going to be... 4. a) I think that is fantastic. b) I think that's fantastic.

Listen again and repeat the sentences.

8 Think about infomercials you have seen on

TV. Do you think the video you have seen is a serious piece of information or one of those infomercials? Discuss with your classmates.

9 Make a list of new iPad features that

could be improved. You can ask someone who has one or browse the web for information (discussion forums, google, websites specialized in technological reviews, etc.). Write a short paragraph containing the information that you have found.

5

6

7

Strategy for listening

Listening for specific information

When you listen, concentrate on the key

words or words related to them:

Read the questions carefully.

Don't worry about understanding

every word.

14

Compare two

devices

Tell its history

Make a tutorial

Make a review

Project!

You have to make a short video (2-4 minutes) with your classmates

(3-4 people). The video has to be about a gadget, an invention, or

any technological development that you are interested in. You are free to

choose. You are also free to choose what kind of video you are going to do.

Remember that this is team work and you all have to appear on the video. Look at

the Useful suggestions and at the Cloud of ideas to find some clues that can help you.

Ask your teacher any doubts and… Have fun!

When you finish your video you will have to make an oral presentation in front of your

classmates introducing your work and describing your experience.

Useful suggestions

First decide the topic with your

mates. The more you all like your

topic, the more you’ll enjoy, and the

better the result will be.

Then do some research. Search not

only for information about the

topic, but also for videos that can

give you ideas.

Have a brainstorming session and

visualize the video in your heads

before you actually start recording.

Practise the dialogues as many

times as you need.