ROBOTS

A Japanese manufacturer unveiled a futuristic home robot on September 16,

which may consign housework to be a thing of the past – for the rich.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries started selling its internet-linked, meter-high
Wakamaru robot with an astronomic price tag of $150,000. Just 100 of the
home helps will initially be available. The robot is the brainchild of renowned
Japanese designer Toshiyuki Kita, who said his creation was “designed in
the shape of a human being so that it is not considered simply a machine”.
He added the robot has an “independent personality” and that its “cute
expression and form make it appear friendly to everyone”. Wakamaru is the
end product of a collaboration with six other companies.

The robot packs an impressive array of features. It is capable of recognizing

up to ten individuals by name, it has a vocabulary of 10,000 words and can
navigate its way around the house. The Wakamaru website cites three
major functions that will enrich and aid the lives of its users: “He enables
natural and enriched communication in accordance with real-life situations;
he acts autonomously according to his own life rhythm; and he provides
information and service by accessing the Internet.” This means he can
remind you to exercise, take phone messages and greet friends when they
visit. Wakamaru is an innovative marvel of gadgetry and an impressive feat
of robotics. However, it needs a commensurate innovation in price reduction
to make it affordable by all.

2. HOME ROBOT: If you had a home robot, what would you want it to do?
Look at the following functions and features and talk about which ones
appeal to you.

a. The robot can talk. It has a vocabulary of 10,000 words.

b. It can recognize your face and say “good morning”.
c. It can tell you when you have e-mail and read it to you.
d. When you are not at home, it will alert you by e-mail of burglars.
e. You can connect with it via a cell phone and see what it sees with its
camera.
f. It makes toast and coffee in the morning.
g. It gives you advice on what to wear to work / school / a party.
h. It will answer and open the front door.

6. 2-MINUTE DEBATES: Engage in the following (for-fun) 2-minute

debates. Students A take the first argument, students B the second. Change
partners often.

a. Robots will control us one day. vs. Impossible.

b. Robots will give us more free time. vs. Something else will take up our
time.
c. Robots are scary. vs. Don’t be ridiculous.
 d. Robots will make us lazier and fatter. vs. Robots will help us exercise.
e. Robots will be more intelligent than us. vs. We will always be more
intelligent.
f. One day, it will be difficult to tell humans and robots apart. vs.
Impossible.
g. Robots will attack humans in the future. vs. Impossible.
h. Robots will always be too expensive for most people. vs. Prices will
tumble.

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a. unveiled collection
b. consign achievement
c. astronomic idea
d. brainchild quotes
e. collaboration relegate
f. array equivalent
g. cites revealed
h. marvel collusion
i. feat wonder
j. commensurate whopping
 ROMANCE

Italian scientists have discovered that a chemical in the brain responsible for
romantic love fades in intensity over the course of a year. This perhaps
explains why that giddy, euphoric, head-over-heels-in-love feeling that
takes our breath away at the start of a relationship diminishes over time.
Researchers from the University of Pavia determined that levels of a protein
called Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) greatly increase when a person first falls
in love. Raised NGF levels spring from the rush of adrenalin, renewed vigor
and confidence and lust for life that occur when new love blossoms. Levels
of NGF greatly decrease over a year or so as security within the relationship
sets in. There is then less urgency to constantly woo a potential partner to
ensure they are yours.

Research leader Dr. Enzo Emanuele reported: “We have demonstrated for
the first time that circulating levels of NGF are elevated among subjects in
love, suggesting an important role for this molecule in the social chemistry
of human beings.” His research team analyzed the protein balance in the
bloodstream of 58 volunteers aged between 18 and 31. All of the
participants had recently started a new relationship and had that starry look
in their eyes. The researchers compared the levels of NGF in the starry-eyed
group with those in 58 people who were single or in steady relationships.
The increased prevalence of the molecule in the new romantics caused
sweaty palms and butterflies in stomachs. It may also induce young men to
buy red roses and candlelit dinners.

2. DATES: In pairs / groups, discuss whether the following things are

important when going on a romantic date. What experience(s) have you had
with them?

 Red roses  Love poems / Love letters

 Candlelit dinners  Holding hands
 Movie theaters  Goodnight kisses
 Moonlight  Your idea ___________________

6. ROMANCE OPINIONS: What do you think of these opinions on

romance? Talk about them with your partner(s).

a. Scientists can never use chemistry to explain love and romance.

b. I want to know why my relationships become a bit boring after a year.
c. Some races or nationalities are a lot more romantic than others.
d. Being head over heels in love is the best feeling in the world.
e. Romance is highly over-rated.
 f. The best part of being with a new boyfriend / girlfriend is the first few
weeks.
g. Who needs romance? It’s way too expensive.
h. Being in love makes us too irrational.
i. Red roses and candlelit dinners make the world go round.
j. I wish people were more romantic.

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a. fades predominance
b. giddy chase
c. euphoric established
d. vigor dizzy
e. woo function
f. elevated get-up-and-go
g. role diminishes
h. steady increased
i. prevalence motivate
j. induce blissful
Men funnier than women, says scientist

Men are naturally funnier than women. This is the claim of a UK male professor, Sam Shuster. He conducted
research on 400 different people as he unicycled around his town. He observed the reaction of onlookers and
discovered that men made more jokes about him than women, and that men’s jokes were more aggressive. He said
three-quarters of male “jokers” mocked him and made nasty comments, while most women tended to tease him
with a smile. He said: "The difference between the men and women was absolutely remarkable and consistent."
Professor Shuster believes the male hormone testosterone is the cause of men being funnier. He found that teenage
boys were aggressive in their humor and this aggression changed with older men into a funnier form of joking.

Earlier research suggests women and men use humour differently. One study said women tend to tell fewer jokes
than men and male comedians outnumber female ones. Another showed men look more for a punchline. Men also
use people they know as the subject of their jokes, often in a negative way. Married men seem to like hearing and
making jokes about mothers-in-law. British comedian John Moloney disagreed with Professor Shuster’s findings. He
said that in his 21-year career in comedy, he had never noticed that men were funnier than women. He stated: "The
difference is that if a group of women were together and the conversation lulls, they don't automatically start telling
jokes, which men do. It then becomes a bit of a competition, but that doesn't mean to say men are funnier."

3. MEN AND WOMEN: With your partner(s), decide on whether men or

women are better at these things. Try to give real-life examples. Change
partners and share your findings.

 telling jokes  organizing a party

 driving  tidying
 reading a map  cooking
 apologizing  telling lies

4. JOKES: With your partner(s), discuss which of the items below are the
subjects of jokes in your country. Can you tell and explain a joke?

 husband or wives  bosses

 in-laws  members of the opposite sex
 people from other countries  sex
 royalty or national leaders  religion

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1. claim a. made fun of

2 reaction b. quietens
3. mocked c. extraordinary
4. remarkable d. (be) inclined to
5. aggression e. topic
6. tend to f. assertion
7. subject g. hostility
8. negative h. conclusions
9. findings i. response
10. lulls j. bad
Workers may soon experience major and unwelcome shifts in the lengths of
their working lives, if an American consultant is to be believed. The age at
which people look forward to early retirement might be consigned to the
history books. Instead, we may be hanging up our boots at 85 instead of
65. Stanford University biologist Shripad Tuljapurkar told a science
convention in the USA that medical advances could increase human
longevity dramatically over the coming decades, rudely reshaping our
perceptions and realities of work. Tuljapurkar predicts modern economies
will not be able to support their increasingly numerous retirees, greater
numbers of who are opting to leave the workforce at increasingly younger
ages.

Professor Tuljapurkar forecasts that most people living in today’s

industrialized societies can expect to become centenarians because of
advances in medicine and genetic science. He believes once geneticists
unlock the key to the ageing gene, society will have to quickly undergo
shifts of seismic magnitude. He predicts a rude awakening for many workers
once they discover their insurance and pension companies have not catered
for elongated life spans. Dreams of spending one’s golden years with a nest
egg may have to be put on hold for a decade or two. “Some people believe
we are on the brink of being able to extend human lifespan significantly…We
have doubled human lifespan in the last century”, he said. As a result,
accepted societal parameters will change considerably.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most
interesting and which are most boring.

Workers / working lives / sociologists / retirement / history books / medical

advances / longevity / centenarians / keys / genes / pensions / nests / eggs

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change
topics and partners frequently.

4. GOLDEN YEARS: Talk about each of these times in our lives. What are
the things we typically do during these periods? Would these things change
if we lived to be much older and retired at 85 years old?

 Teenage years  In our 50s

 Our twenties  60 to 69
 Being thirtysomething  Being a septuagenarian
 Our 40s  Over 100
5. LONGEVITY OPINIONS: What do you think about these opinions?
Students A agree with them, Students B disagree.

a. Scientists should never try to make us live longer.

b. Increasing our lifespan increases the problems associated with
overpopulation.
c. It’s better to die naturally than take medicine to live longer and work
until 85.
d. People retiring at 85 means a much wiser and experienced workforce.
e. A retirement age of 85 will turn us into a population of slaves.
f. Extending the retirement age is only good for pension companies.
g. Early retirement is one of our basic human rights.
h. Living to be over 100 would be fantastic.

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a. consigned extended
b. hanging up our boots abruptly
c. rudely selecting
d. numerous breakthroughs
e. opting verge
f. advances relegated
g. seismic boundaries
h. elongated enormous
i. brink retiring
j. parameters abundant
A recent study conducted in Britain has discovered that February 6 is the
day when most Britons take the day off sick. Professor Cary Cooper, who
conducted the research, said absenteeism due to fake illnesses is
particularly prevalent on this day. Apparently, early February instills in
many workers a sense of gloominess and “many people are still feeling the
post-Christmas blues”. The study showed that over 50 percent of 4,000
interviewees took at least one fabricated sick day each year. There was
considerable regional variation, with Londoners skiving off an average three
days a year, compared to 13 for workers in the northern city of Liverpool.
Most people phoning in sick feigned coughing or sore throats to add a touch
of authenticity to their falsification.

Reasons varied for taking a “sickie”. There was widespread consternation at

the dearth of official and national holidays, even though British workers fare
well compared with their counterparts across the Atlantic. Other reasons
cited included a need to recharge batteries after the Christmas and New
Year break, an extension to a weekend break, time to recover from a
hangover or simply to catch up on sleep. Many people also expressed a
reluctance to use the odd day’s holiday from their overall vacation
entitlement. Most British workers prefer to take a two-to-five week block
off, rather than fritter it away here and there. The good news for bosses is
that the incidence of workers lying to take a day off is decreasing.

3. FEELINGS DAYS: Look at this list of randomly chosen days of the year.
In pairs / groups, talk about how you usually feel on these days. What kinds
of things do you usually do around these times?

 February 6  September 8
 April 22  October 19
 June 17  November 24
 July 31  December 31

4. EXCUSES: Take part in mini role plays. Student A is a boss / teacher,

student B is a worker / student. The boss / teacher does not think the
worker’s / student’s excuses for taking a day off are good enough. The
excuses are below:

a. I had to wait for the TV repairperson.

b. I had a bad headache.
c. The car didn’t start.
d. I was exhausted from the weekend.
e. I had a toothache.
f. I had to meet my friend at the airport.
g. I was depressed.
5. SICK: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you
associate with the word “sick”. Share your words with your partner(s) and
talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

6. OFF SICK: Which of the following are good reasons for taking a day off
from school / work sick?

 Wanting more national holidays  Having a hangover

 To recharge one’s batteries  To catch up on sleep
 Go on a date  To avoid a busy day at work /
 Because it was raining school
 Feeling blue

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a. prevalent disquiet
b. instills fabrication
c. skiving off recuperate
d. feigned lack
e. falsification shirking
f. consternation squander
g. dearth widespread
h. recharge batteries faked
i. fritter away prevalence
j. incidence produces
British parents could soon face a fine and prison if their children misbehave at school.
Britain’s government wants to introduce tough new laws to improve discipline in schools.
They want to make parents more responsible for their sons and daughters. Some of the
new measures include making parents attend parenting courses, paying a $1,700 fine or
going to prison. The Schools Secretary Ed Balls said current policies on unruly behaviour are
not strict enough. Many British schools suffer from high levels of bullying, truancy and low
academic achievement. He wants parents to play their part in making sure their children
achieve. "Every parent has a responsibility to back our teachers and make sure the rules are
[followed]," he said.

The measures are part of a new focus on the relationship between schools and parents. Mr.
Balls also has plans to help parents and students. He proposes to give pupils private tutors if
they are doing badly in reading and maths. He also wants doctors, health workers and social
workers in schools to provide better community services. Under Mr. Balls’ plans, parents
will have a bigger voice in how schools operate. They will complete satisfaction surveys on
how their children’s school performs. Critics say the plans are unlikely to be popular with
parents. There are also fears about poorer parents not having enough money to pay the
fines and whether they should go to prison for their children’s actions.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the
article are most interesting and which are most boring.

parents / misbehaving children / parenting courses / being strict / bullying /

truancy / relationships / private tutors / community services / satisfaction /
surveys / prison

4. FINES: Students A strongly believe parents should get a fine if their

children misbehave; Students B strongly believe parents are not
responsible for their children’s actions at school. Change partners again and
talk about your conversations.
5. SATISFACTION: How satisfied are/were you with school rules? Rate
these and share your ratings with your partner: 10 = excellent; 1 = really
bad. Change partners and share your ratings again.

_____ attendance _____ homework

_____ uniforms _____ sports

_____ bullying _____ equipment

_____ break times _____ trips

6. FINE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you
associate with the word ‘fine’. Share your words with your partner(s) and
talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1. misbehave a. students
2 tough b. orderliness
3. discipline c. behaviour
4. unruly d. perform
5. achieve e. suggests
6. measures f. (be) naughty
7. proposes g. input
8. pupils h. strict
9. voice i. actions
10. actions j. uncontrollable
Does time fly or does it go slowly? We’ve all had experiences of wanting time to pass quicker, slow down
or even stop. The BBC has reported on research on the speed time travels at. Its reporter Tom Colls
discusses a study conducted by researchers at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, USA. Lead
researcher Professor Aaron Sackett found he could make people feel that time was going more slowly and
more quickly than it really was. Professor Sacket said there was a strong link between the feeling of time
passing and levels of enjoyment. He said he showed that time really does fly when you’re having fun. “We
could manipulate people's feelings of time quite easily," he said.

The BBC’s article provides an analysis of how scientists have looked at time throughout history. The most
famous scientist they include is Albert Einstein. He said time is simply something in our minds. Professor
John Wearden, a time psychologist at Britain’s Keele University said it was difficult to analyze how time
goes by. He said most people think time goes fast and slowly. As an example he quotes his own mother,
who says days seem to last forever, but months fly by. Professor Wearden told the BBC: "Time doesn't
really go fast or slowly, it can't do….It just goes at the speed it goes." He added that time can only be
measured by a clock. Most language students might agree that time flies by when they are studying
English.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the
article are most interesting and which are most boring.

time / slow down / strong link / levels of enjoyment / having fun / people’s
feelings / analysis / scientists / our minds / psychologists / quotes / last forever
/ clocks /agree

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners
frequently.

3. TIME FLIES: Does it? Complete this table. Talk about what you wrote
you're your partner(s).Change partners and share what you heard.

When time flies & why When time drags & why
English lesson
At the dentist
Driving
Being with friends
School
Travelling
4. SPEED: Students A strongly believe time passes at the same speed for
everyone; Students B strongly believe time passes at different speeds for
different people. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

5. TIME METAPHORS: Why is time these things? Talk about this with your
partner(s). Are there similar meanings in your language(s)?

 Time is money  Time is a river

 Time is a gift  Time is a thief
 Time is a teacher  Time is an investment
 Time is a prison  Time is a garden

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. fly a. connection
2 study b. calculated
3. link c. fun
4. enjoyment d. review
5. manipulate e. cites
6. analysis f. shoot by
7. history g. continue
8. quotes h. report
9. last i. control
10. measured j. time