Back to the Future listening + reading

Have you seen the film Back to the Future 2?

If so, summarise the story for the other members of the class.

2Listen to the first part of the report and make notes on

the film’s plot below.

2
Listen to the second part of the report and make notes below on which
predictions for 2015 the movie got right and which ones it got wrong.

B
Read the article on the next page about other predictions from the movie.

1/2
Back to the Future
January 2015
These are the 2015 predictions ‘Back to
the Future 2’ got right, wrong
“Back to the Future Part II” made
some incredible predictions in
the ‘80s for what the year 2015
would look like.
Well, we have finally arrived to
that future where Marty McFly
rides hover boards and flying cars
rule the air, but although we have
flat screen TVs and biometric
identification, we still don’t have
self-lacing shoes or rejuvenating
clinics.
Here’s a list of all the things the
1989 film got right and what it
got wrong.
Things the film got right:
- Flat Screen TVs: Televisions
have definitely changed a lot
since the ‘80s and in 2015
we’ll see even more innovative
versions of flat screen TVs. We
can expect more 4k televisions
and the world’s first see-through
television.
- Video conference technology:
Marty really did see the future
with this one. Let’s see, we have
Skype, Face Time, Oovoo, Snap
Chat and a whole array of video
real-time conference programs.
- Biometric identification:
We already have biometric
technology on our phones and
in 2015 we can expect to see
more of it. Soon people won’t
just be able to unlock phones and
computers with their finger print,
b Which of the developments do you think are the most useful and which of the
ones that have not come true would you like to see happen?
NY Daily News
they’ll also be able to open doors
by using their heartbeats with
the Nymi band. Consumers will
probably get to see other similar
innovations as well.
- 3D: Just like it was depicted in
the film, everything seems to be in
3D nowadays. We see it in movie
theatres, video games, home TV
and even in comic books.
- Holographic displays: Sharks
may not be popping up randomly
to advertise movies, but remember
Tupac’s resurrection at Coachella
back in 2012? Holograms have
been around for a while, but in
2015 we can definitely expect
more use of that technology.
- Drones: They are everywhere!
In 2015 drones will keep making
national headlines and will also be
more prominent in the consumer
market. The movie definitely
got this right. Well, except that
drones don’t walk our dogs yet
like they do in the movie.
Things the film got wrong:
- Rejuvenation masks/clinics:
A whole lot of people would
appreciate these rejuvenating
masks and clinics, but
unfortunately the technology for
that is not here yet. We won’t be
able to peel off our face and look
young and beautiful like Doc did
in the movie.
- Hover board: Although several
2/2
listening + reading
people have attempted creating a
hover board, there still isn’t one
like the red anti-gravity board
Marty uses in the movie to soar
the sky.
- Self-lacing shoes: If these
existed, the lives of every child
would be so much easier. Actually,
the lives of everyone would be
much easier. Although self-lacing
shoes do not exist yet, they might
in a near future. Nike is reportedly
working on self-tying sneakers.
- Stationary exercise bicycles
at Cafes: It’d be a bit ridiculous
if these existed. Let’s hope that
throughout the year 2015 gyms
and cafes remain separated.
- Fax machines and phone
booths: This is one of the biggest
predictions the movie got wrong.
In the movie everywhere the
protagonist went there would
be fax machines. Although they
are still used, they are not as
prominent as the movie depicted
them to be. Phone booths are also
seldom. Those two are definitely
technology of the past.
- Flying cars: It’d be amazing to
have air highways and flying cars.
However, cars aren’t like the rest
of the technology that is rapidly
growing and changing. There
have been people who’ve invented
flying cars, but none that look
like the DeLorean DMC-12.
Back to the Future
student pages 2
Teacher’s notes 1
Transcript C track 4
LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST: We have arrived.
Part 1 It’s the future - or one version of the future imagined in
1989.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BACK TO THE FUTURE 2”)
CHRISTOPHER LLOYD: (As Dr. Emmett Brown) Marty,
you’ve got to come back with me.
MICHAEL J. FOX: (As Marty McFly) Where?
LLOYD: (As Dr. Emmett Brown) Back to the future.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: Well, that exact date is still in the
Part 2 future, but we thought it would be fun to take a look at
how much the movie got right in its version of 2015.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And what was a little off. First, flying
cars...
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BACK TO THE FUTURE 2”)
LLOYD: (As Dr. Emmett Brown) Where we’re going we
don’t need roads.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Not quite standard issue as predicted,
but the idea may not be so far off. A company called
AeroMobile successfully tested a two-seater car-airplane
hybrid last year.
SIEGEL: And speaking of flying, yes, we do have
hoverboards. They cost $10,000, but the Hendo
hoverboard company has created a working model that
looks surprisingly similar to the one in the movie, minus
the bright pink paint.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Speaking of, we can’t seem to escape
the ‘80s neon fashion craze. Even that’s still around today.
But this trend hasn’t caught on.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BACK TO THE FUTURE 2”)
LLOYD: (As Dr. Emmett Brown) All kids in the future wear
their pants inside-out.
SIEGEL: No, the kids don’t wear their pants inside-out, at
least not on purpose. But there was another thing Marty
McFly put on in the movie that will apparently be a reality
this year.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BACK TO THE FUTURE 2”)
FOX: (As Marty McFly) Power laces, all right.
SIEGEL: Power shoelaces - it’s not clear exactly when
they’ll be ready, but Nike is working on the concept.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And while the film did forecast a
clunkier version of Google Glass, there are no smartphones
week of 12.01.15
listening + reading
advanced (C1)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: “Back To The Future 2,” part of
the ‘80s sci-fi trilogy starring Michael J. Fox, finds the
characters Doc and Marty McFly traveling in a flying car
to the year 2015.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BACK TO THE FUTURE 2”)
LLOYD: (As Dr. Emmett Brown) At 4:29 p.m. on Wednesday,
October 21, 2015.
FOX: (As Marty McFly) 2015? We were in the future.
to be seen. But the movie shows fax machines, which are
still a thing - well, kind of.
SIEGEL: The McFly kitchen of the future features a food
rehydrator to instantly prepare a pizza.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, BACK TO THE FUTURE 2”)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: (As food rehydrator) Lithium
mode on.
SIEGEL: But in the real 2015, there is 3D-printed pizza
technology. This native New Yorker has yet to try it
though.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BACK TO THE FUTURE 2”)
LLOYD: (As Dr. Emmett Brown) Great Scott.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And Robert, thankfully in the real
2015, we’re not on our 19th sequel of the hologram “Jaws.”
But “Back To The Future 2” did do well with its prediction
of drones. They didn’t call them that in the movie, but in
the film, a little flying robot walks a dog and also takes
photos for USA Today.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BACK TO THE FUTURE 2”)
FOX: (As Marty McFly) Oh, this is heavy.
SIEGEL: Wait Lulu, there were still newspapers in that
version of the future and gladly there still are. And one
more thing, the real 2015 is only a couple of days old. And
with Jon Lester recently traded to Chicago, what seemed
like a low-blow gag in the movie...
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BACK TO THE FUTURE 2”)
FOX: (As Marty McFly) Wait a minute - Cubs win World
Series.
SIEGEL: Hey, it could happen.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BACK TO THE FUTURE 2”)
FOX: (As Marty McFly) Against Miami?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Who knows what the future holds?
(SOUNDBITE OF BACK TO THE FUTURE THEME SONG)