8/13/2019 F_Teologie Unit 8
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Unit 8Cultural Change
I.1 Reading and thinking about the topic. Read the following
passage :
Todays world is changing faster than ever before. We have seen
technological progress in areas wecould not have imagined only ten
or twenty years ago. Using computerized robots, a surgeon is now
able to
perform an operation on a patient in a different continent;
music lovers can download their favorite music atthe touch of a
button and then burn their own !s at home; digital photography
allows us to ta"e
photographs and transmit them instantly to the other side of the
world.What is the impact of all this technology on the way we
interact with each other# $obody is %uite
sure yet. &ome people have embraced and celebrated new
technology, which allows them to save time andeffort. 'thers are
not sure if the supposed benefits are actually worth it. They are
concerned that newtechnologies have too much importance in our
lives. They believe that some new technologies are having anegative
effect on the way people interact with each other.
I.2 Answer the following questions according to the information
in the passage
(. What are some recent innovations in the world of
technology#). Why are some people in favor of technology#*. Why are
other people concerned about technologys impact#
I.! Read these questions and share "our answers with a partner(.
+n what ways has new technology improved your relationships with
other people#
). What is the most difficult e perience you have had with new
technology# *. What technological innovations do you thin" will
occur in the ne t fifty years#-ta"en from im &anabria, Academic
Encounters. Listening. Life in Society , ambridge: ambridge
U/,)0012
II.1 Read the te#t Welcome to Weblish:
$elcome to $eblish% $ew technology always brings changes and new
additions to the language, but the
telecommunications revolution of the last few years has caused
some of the most rapid and widespreadchanges yet seen.
$ew words, such as webcast , are entering the language all the
time to put a name to concepts thathavent e isted before, and e
isting worlds are being used in a new way. 3or e ample, the words
access andtext , previously used only as nouns, are now commonly
used as verbs in phrases such as to access the
Internet and text someone . 'ther words, such as chat , which
used to mean 4casual verbal communication but now means 4live email
communication, have ta"en on entire new meanings.
+n addition, many of these 5nglish words 6 the most obvious
being computer itself 6 have spreadoutside of the 5nglish7spea"ing
world and become part of a global language of technology. Than"s to
theinfluence of the 8merican computer industry, users of 9ritish
5nglish have abandoned some 9ritishspellings in favour of their
8merican e%uivalent, such as program instead of programme and disk
instead ofdisc .
3inally, the style and tone of the language itself is changing.
8lthough they are written forms ofcommunication, the immediacy of
emails and te t messages means that their language is usually much
moreinformal than a letter would be, even in a business conte t.
8nd to the concern of many people, spelling and
punctuation are becoming much more unconventional.
&e#t message shortcuts&he senders of te#t messages ha'e
in'ented a unique language of abbre'iation. (ere are some of
themost commonCU &ee you)R8 great
8/13/2019 F_Teologie Unit 8
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*8R later +,) message- any7R are&(/ than"s&/& + 0AC
Te t me bac" U you
UR your youre$A-2... !o you want to ...# Why#
23A today2+4R4 tomorrow
II.2 After ha'ing read the te#t , match these titles to the four
paragraphsa. The spread of 8merican 5nglish
b. 8 period of huge change for 5nglishc. hanging style and
toned. hanging words and meanings
-ta"en from 5lizabeth &harman, Across Cultures , 5dinburgh:
ongman, )0012
III. ou are going to read an article about online safet". 5or
questions 1687 choose the answer A7 07 Cor 39 which "ou think fits
best according to the te#t.
0 $ 0 $I,:rotect "our computer7 b" all means7 but don;t forget
to protect "ourself7 ad'ises web safet" e#pert7Amanda says
8manda.
&o much for protecting yourself against intruders, but what
about other problems# &ay you
