www.DailyStep.

com
Level 5: Advanced Daily Audio Lessons

DailyStep-5_news-webcams-002_GB-04

James: I don’t really see how the school can argue that the remotely

activated webcams were only there as a security feature when the whole

reason the case came to light in the first place was when one of the pupils

got told off for the way he was behaving at home.

Sarah: Yes, presumably as he was at home, there was no question of the

laptop having been lost or stolen, so it’s a pretty clear cut case of spying,

if you ask me.

James: Yes, the school does seem to have shot itself in the foot, really. I

mean, if they wanted to spy on pupils, they should at least have made it

clear to the teachers not to let on that it was taking place.

Sarah: Hmm, I imagine the teacher who told the boy off has come in for

a bit of a telling off himself. In fact, come to think of it, I wonder if the

teachers were also issued with free laptops. If so, then presumably the

same spying techniques could have been used against them.

Page 1
DailyStep English, London, UK. © DailyStep Ltd. www.dailystep.com
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
www.DailyStep.com
Level 5: Advanced Daily Audio Lessons

Situation: James and Sarah wonder if the school also been spying on the teachers.
Style: general conversation
Note: This conversation is about a newspaper article which reported that a school in the
USA was being sued by some of its pupils after it emerged that laptops that the school
had given to its pupils had remotely activated webcams that were being used to spy on
the pupils at home.
.
Functions:
1. Expressing a flaw in an argument: I don’t really see how the school can argue
that the remotely activated webcams were only there as a security feature when
the whole reason the case came to light... (note: please copy the tone and
emphasis carefully here.)
2. Saying that something is almost certainly true: so it’s a pretty clear cut case
of spying if you ask me.
3. Talking about something appears to be true: Yes, the school does seem to
have shot itself in the foot, really. (note: please copy the tone and emphasis
carefully here.)
4. Introducing a new point that has just come to mind: In fact, come to think
of it, I wonder if the teachers were also issued with free laptops (note: please
copy the tone and emphasis carefully here.)
5. Developing an argument: If so, then presumably the same spying techniques
could have been used against them. (note: please copy the tone and emphasis
carefully here.)
.
Notes:
1. remotely activated webcams = webcams that are operated by remote control
2. as a security feature = as something to make them more secure
3. the case = the subject
4. came to light (idiom) = became known / became public
5. in the first place = at all / at first
6. told off (phrasal verb) = punished verbally
7. there was no question of = there was no possibility of
8. there was no question of the laptop having been lost or stolen = it wasn’t possible
that the laptop had been lost or stolen
9. a pretty clear cut case of (idiom) = it’s a very clear example of... with no room
for doubt
10. spying = observing secretly or illicitly
11. if you ask me = in my opinion (more formal)
12. shot itself in the foot (idiom) = made a very silly mistake (that has made it look
bad and caused harm to itself)
13. to spy on (phrasal verb) = to observe illicitly / to watch in secret
14. made it clear to the teachers = explained to the teachers that it was important
15. issued with = given
16. to let on (phrasal verb) that = to tell people that / to reveal the secret that
17. taking place = happening
18. told the boy off (phrasal verb) = reprimanded the boy (more formal) / verbally
punished the boy (note: we never actually say it like this!)
19. has come in for (phrasal verb) a bit of a telling off (phrasal noun) himself = has
also been reprimanded (more formal)
20. come to think of it = now that I think of it
21. I wonder = I ask myself
22. issued with = given

Page 2
DailyStep English, London, UK. © DailyStep Ltd. www.dailystep.com
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
www.DailyStep.com
Level 5: Advanced Daily Audio Lessons

23. If so = If that is true / If that is the case (more formal)

24. presumably = I presume (more formal)
25. techniques = methods

.
Audio file name: DailyStep-5_news-webcams-002_GB-04
.

Page 3
DailyStep English, London, UK. © DailyStep Ltd. www.dailystep.com
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step