This app knows how you feel – from the look on your face

1.Work in pairs and explain the meaning of the words and phrases in the box. Use a dictionary if
necessary.
evolve newly-wed sense enjoyment empathy smirk
recognise genuine indicator confusion disgust suspect expressive
emotive visually impaired binge eating

2.Discuss the questions in pairs.

1 What emotions do these emojis express?
2 Do you ever use emojis? Which ones? Where do you
use them, e.g. email, text messages, social media?
3 Is it sometimes difficult to find the right emoji to
express how you are feeling? Why?
4 What other ways can you use to express your feelings
online?

3.Watch part 1 of the talk. Are the sentences true

(T) or false (F) according to Rana?
1 At the moment it’s difficult to connect emotionally
with others in text messages, emails, etc.
2 Rana was with her husband in Cambridge.
3 The human face can show 45 emotions.
4 It’s hard to teach a computer the difference between a smile and a smirk.
5 The computer studied lots of similar faces.

4.Watch part 2 of the talk. Which emotions does Cloe demonstrate?

1 a little bit happy 6 no emotion (‘poker face’)
2 angry 7 sad
3 confused 8 scared
4 disgusted 9 surprised
5 nervous 10 very happy

5.Watch part 3 of the talk. Choose the correct option to complete each sentence.
1 Women in the UK / USA are more expressive than men.
2 The most expressive age group is people older / younger than 50.
3 People with learning difficulties could use their phones / wear special glasses to help them understand
other people’s emotions.
4 Rana can / can’t think of many other ways her technology could be used.

6.Watch part 1 of the TED Talk and choose the correct option to complete each sentence.
1 Rana says that our emotions influence … c she felt homesick.
a what we learn.
b how we shop. 4 Action unit 12 is …
c everything about our lives. a a facial muscle.
b a smile.
2 Fifteen years ago, Rana … c an emotion.
a got married.
b went to live in the UK. 5 A smirk and a smile …
c became a computer scientist. a look the same, but mean different things.
b look different, but mean similar things.
3 Rana was frustrated because … c look similar, but mean different things.
a her laptop couldn’t understand her feelings.
b she spent a lot of time alone.

This app knows how you feel...

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6 A computer learns to recognise different b learning about the characteristics of a face.
expressions by … c storing information about emotions.
a looking at thousands of pictures.

7.Read the extracts from part 3 of the talk. Match the paraphrases in bold with the original versions in
the box. Then watch and check your answers.
down the line especially close to my heart fighting a losing battle
golden opportunity tracked your mood visually impaired want to
share

Where is this data used today? I would like to tell you about (1) ............................................... some
examples that are very important to me (2) ............................................... . Emotion-enabled wearable
glasses can help individuals who are not able to see very well. (3) ............................................... read the
faces of others … What if your wristwatch knew how you were feeling (4) ............................................... ,
or your car sensed that you’re tired, or perhaps your fridge knows that you’re stressed, … I think in five
years from now (5) ............................................... , all our devices are going to have an emotion chip … As
more and more of our lives become digital, we are failing when (6) ............................................... trying to
curb our usage of devices in order to reclaim our emotions. And by humanising technology, we have this
important chance (7) ............................................... to reimagine how we connect with machines …

8.Complete the sentences with the words in the box.

characteristics curiosity gender homesick joy wrinkles
1 There are several ....................... of a leader.
2 There were tears of ....................... in her eyes as she held her grandson for the first time.
3 Talking to my parents on the phone sometimes makes me feel a bit ........................
4 Despite his age, he was very good-looking, with just a few ....................... around his eyes.
5 A: Why do you want to know? B: Oh, just ....................... – it’s not important.
6 The competition is open to everyone, regardless of race, age or .......................

9.Complete the sentences in your own words. Then work in pairs and compare your sentences.
1 I felt homesick once when I …
2 I get a sense of curiosity when …
3 The person in my family with the most wrinkles is …
4 The characteristics of a good friend are …
5 Joy for me is …

10.Work in groups. Think of different ways Rana’s software could be used. Think about:
• advertising
• entertainment (TV, films, concerts, theatre, etc.)
• health and medicine
• people with physical problems and learning difficulties
• shopping and fashion
• social media
• other areas

This app knows how you feel...

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