5 Technology

How did people’s

daily
lives change as a
result
What you will do of these inventio
ns?
This unit is about technology for communication and entertainment. Which do you thin
k are
These are the skills you will practise. Which are the most useful to you? the most importan
t?
Tick the boxes.
Put them in orde
r.
Listening and speaking
Skill Skill code
■ Listen to instructions and give instructions Lr/E3.1c, 2c; Sc/E3.4e

■ Ask for help by phone Lr/E3.1c, 2a, 3b

■ Describe problems and solutions Sc/E3.4f

■ Take part in a discussion Lr/E3.4a, 6b, 7c; Sd/E3.1d, 2a, 2b

■ Make comparisons Lr/E3.2e; Sc/E3.1a, 3b, 4f

Reading and writing

Skill Skill code
■ Understand the main events and ideas in a text Rt/E3.1a, 4a

■ Select relevant texts and find information quickly Rt/E3.6a, 7a

■ Prepare and write reports Ws/E3.2a; Wt/E3.1a, 1b, 2a; Ws/E3.2a

■ Correct spelling mistakes Wt/E3.4a; Ww/E3.1a, 1b

Project work
At the end of this unit, you will find out about something new in the shops and
produce a report about it for your class.

E3 ESOL Unit 5 Page 1

Attitudes to technology
Activity A ● Listening to different points
of view
Yasmin and Andy work together. It is their coffee
break. Yasmin is reading the user guide for her
new phone.

Listen to the conversation and answer these

questions.
a Who doesn’t like modern technology?
Why not?
b Whose life has improved because of
technology? Why?
c Whose opinion do you agree with most?
Yasmin’s or Andy’s?

Activity B ● Language: used to

1 Look at this sentence. Underline the verbs which Remember
tell you about the past and now. ● Use used to + infinitive for repeated
actions or situations in the past which
Phones used to be simple, but now you contrast with the present.
need a complicated instruction booklet.

2 Listen to the conversation again. Complete the sentences below.

Past Present
a You ................... to dial the number and that was it. Now it ............. more complicated.

b I used ............. have difficulty finding telephones, but ................... there’s a phone in my pocket.

c Life used ............. ............. harder for people like me. Computers ................... help a lot.

d Children ................... ............. ................... outside. Now ................... ................... computer games all day.

Activity C ● Talking about improvements in technology

1 Do you think life has improved as a result of technology? In what ways?
Write down an example.
2 Work in groups. In turns, read out the sentences that you wrote. Do other
learners agree or disagree with the statements? Try to use phrases like these:

That’s true. You may be right, but … I wouldn’t say that.

Page 2 Unit 5 E3 ESOL Lr/E3.2b, 2d, 3b, 6b; Sd/E3.1d; Ws/E3.2a

Instructions
Activity A ● Vocabulary: verbs for technology
1 Look at the pictures. Discuss what is happening
in each one.

..........................................................................................

press
..........................................................................

..........................................................................

.........................................................................................................

2 Look at the verbs. Match them to the

adjust click connect delete
pictures. Use a dictionary to look up
any new words. insert key in press select

Activity B ● Listening to instructions: searching the Internet

1 Yasmin’s friend, Marta, wants to find some information on the Internet. She has
never used it before. Yasmin is giving her instructions over the phone.

Listen and complete these sentences.

a To find the information you want, ..............................................................................

a search page.

b .................................................... you enter the web address.

c Then, ..................................................................................................................... , you see a box.

d ....................................... some key words for the thing you’re interested in.

e Oh, and .............................................................................. with spelling. It’s really important.

f ........................................................ to select ‘UK’.

g ....................................... , click on the search button.

h .............................................................................. you get a list of web pages.

2 Work in pairs. Choose one of the pictures. Give instructions using some of the
phrases in task 1.

Sc/E3.4e; Lr/E3.2c E3 ESOL Unit 5 Page 3

A great inventor
Activity A ● Reading: selecting a website
Yasmin’s son, Walid, wants help with his homework. He has to write about a
famous inventor. Yasmin suggests he finds out about the inventor of Braille. She
tells him to search on the Internet to find out more.

Here is the result of Walid’s search. Read it quickly and choose the best web page
for him to read.

Braile

1 National Braille Press 4 Braille Monitor

Leading provider of Braille books and The Braille Monitor is a magazine that covers
electronic books for blind people. ... the events and activities of the National
www.nbp.org/ – 4k Federation of the Blind and addresses the
2 Braille Institute of America many issues...
The Braille Institute is a private non-profit www.nfb.org/bralmons.htm – 32k
organisation which helps blind people to lead 5 Louis Braille – fact sheet
normal lives. ... Information about the blind Frenchman who
www.brailleinstitute.org/ – 27k invented the reading system for blind people.
3 HotBraille – Free online transcription service Louis Braille was born in France in …
HotBraille.com is a web-based Braille www.rnib.org.uk/wesupply/fctsheet/braille.htm –
transcribing service. Send Braille letters, learn 11k
Braille, meet people, all for free. Games to
learn Braille ...
www.hotbraille.com/ – 8k

Activity B ● Reading for information

1 On the next page is the fact sheet about Louis Braille which Walid found
through his web search. Look through it quickly and find this information.
a What happened in each of these years – 1809, 1813, 1819, 1821, 1827?
b What three writing systems are referred to in the text?

2 Make notes about the main events in Louis Braille’s life.

Example
When Main events

1809 born in France

Page 4 Unit 5 E3 ESOL Rt/E3.1a, 4a, 6a, 7a

 Louis Braille was born in France in 1809. When he was
four years old, he lost his sight in an accident. In those
days, a blind child had no future. Blind people used to
beg on the streets because they could not work. But In 1827, the first book in ‘Braille’ was published.
Louis Braille was fortunate. There was a new school for Braille’s invention enabled blind people to read quickly
blind boys in Paris, and he got a place there when he and easily. Moreover, they could also write in Braille,
was ten. using a simple small machine.
The teachers taught him to read using his fingers. Nowadays, Braille is used in almost every country in
They used special paper with big raised letters that the the world and in almost every language. There are
children could feel. Reading in this way was difficult and thousands of books that blind people can read for
very slow, and blind people couldn’t write anything by pleasure and for study at schools and universities.
this method.
In 1821, a man called Charles Barbier visited the
school. He showed the students his invention, which he
called ‘night writing’. This writing system used groups
of 12 raised dots to represent sounds. Its purpose was
to enable soldiers to communicate silently at night. The
dots were easy to print by hand, but the 12-dot system
was complicated, so soldiers didn’t like it.
Louis Braille realised that this system would be good
for blind people if it was simpler. After a lot of work,
he created a system which used only six dots for each
sound.

Activity C ● Reading: main ideas

Read these sentences summarising the main points of each paragraph in the fact
sheet.

Which three summaries are not correct? Say why.

Paragraph 1: Louis Braille was more fortunate than other children.
Paragraph 2: Blind children could learn to read slowly, but they couldn’t write.
Paragraph 3: Braille heard about a system of writing with dots.
Paragraph 4: He made the system more complicated.
Paragraph 5: Blind people could read books easily, thanks to Braille.
Paragraph 6: People don’t use Braille’s system nowadays.

E3 ESOL Unit 5 Page 5

Making choices 1

Activity A ● Language: questions for

comparing products
1 Look at the pictures below. Where are
these people? What are they doing?

2 Read the questions below. Match them to the pictures.

a Have both of them got sockets for games machines? 2

b Which of these is the least expensive?

c How does the cheapest one compare with the other two?

d Do they both have teletext?

e Has it got headphones?

f Is the big one more expensive than the other one?

g Is it as strong as the others?

h Which one has the better sound quality?

i Will they all be cheaper next week?

3 Listen to the three conversations and check your answers.

Activity B ● Speaking: role play

Work in pairs. Choose one of the situations above. Prepare a role play.
Choose another situation, change roles and repeat.

Page 6 Unit 5 E3 ESOL Sc/E3.1a, 4f; Lr/E3.2e

Phrasal verbs
Activity A ● Language: using phrasal verbs
1 Listen to two conversations. Listen for the phrasal verbs and then say what each
verb means.
Conversation 1: Rafid has just used his new phone. He is talking to a friend about it.

get through hold on put you through hang up

look into it cut me off call her back

Conversation 2: Marta has just unpacked her new TV/video and is talking to a friend.

try it out set it up look for it look it up work it out plug it in

switch it on play it back Look out! look after it

2 Put all the verbs in task 1 into the correct boxes.

1 Verbs with no object 2 Pronoun object in 3 Object in end-position

mid-position

get through try it out loo‡ ‰or it

Stress: In groups 1 and 2 the verb and the preposition are both stressed, e.g. set it up.
In group 3 the stress varies, e.g. look after it, but look for it.

3 Complete the sentences with a suitable phrasal verb.

a I don’t know the phone number. I’ll have to .................................................. .

b (On the phone) Hello. Could you .................................................. to the accounts department, please?

c I’ve lost my phone. Can you help me to .................................................. ?

d Before you buy a radio, you should .................................................. .

e There’s a very simple reason why it’s not working: you haven’t .................................................. !

f I phoned him, but we were cut off. I’ll have to .................................................. .

g Your phone will get damaged if you don’t .................................................. .

h What’s 27 times 7? I can’t .................................................. .

i .................................................. ! You’ll get an electric shock if you’re not careful.

Remember
● Phrasal verbs are very common in English. A preposition is added to a verb to give
a new and sometimes very different meaning.
Examples
look for (search) look into (investigate) look after (care for)

Lr/E3.1b, 2d, 2e E3 ESOL Unit 5 Page 7

Phoning customer services
Activity A ● Listening: recorded messages
Rafid wants to know how long the battery in his new phone will last,
so he is phoning the customer services number in the user guide.

1 Listen to the first recorded message.

a Which button should he press?

b Which button should he press if he wants to listen again?

2 Listen to the second recorded message.

a Which button should he press?

b Which button should he press if he wants to ask a question?

3 Listen to the third recorded message. What is the information that he wants?

Activity B ● Language: zero conditional for instructions

1 Complete the sentences from the recorded messages.

a If your phone is lost, stolen or damaged, .......................... 3.

b If you .......................... to speak to a customer services representative, press 5.

c .................................................... another kind of problem, press 5.

d If your battery .......................... to lose charge more quickly than usual, ...................
a new one.

2 Work in pairs. Choose one of these topics and prepare some instructions or
advice. Try to make three complete sentences beginning with if.
a Adjusting a television
Example I‰ the sound is too loud, ...
b Choosing a music system
Example I‰ you want good sound quality, ...
c Safety with electrical items
Example I‰ your hands are wet, ...

Remember
● ‘Zero’ conditional sentences have two clauses, one
beginning with if. Both clauses use present tenses. They are
used for giving advice, instructions or describing situations
which are always true.
● If you drop glass on a hard surface, it breaks.

Page 8 Unit 5 E3 ESOL Lr/E3.1b, 1c, 5a; Sc/E3.4e; Ws/E3.2a

Problems and solutions
Activity A ● Listening: solving a problem on the phone
Marta has a problem with her new TV/video. She wants to contact customer
services about this.

1 Look at these words and describe what you see on the three television screens.

lines or dots vertical or horizontal light or dark thin or thick large or small

2 Listen to Marta’s conversation

with the customer services
representative and answer
the questions.
a What is the problem?
b What is the representative’s
first explanation of the
problem?
c Why is this not correct?
d What is his second
explanation?
e What is his advice?
f How do we know that
Marta understands the
representative’s advice?

Activity B ● Language: using modal verbs to discuss a problem

Complete the representative’s sentences from the conversation. Use these verbs.

must be can’t be may be should

a There ...................................... a problem with the aerial socket Remember

on the television. ● Use modal verbs must + be
and can’t + be when you are
b The problem ...................................... in the television because
almost certain about a
it works with the indoor aerial.
situation because of the
c There ...................................... a problem with your outdoor aerial. information you have. Use
may + be and should + be
d You need to fix your aerial. That ...................................... solve when you are less certain.
the problem.

Activity C ● Speaking: phoning about a problem

Work in pairs. Use the information your teacher gives you.

Lr/E3.1c, 2a; Sc/E3.4d E3 ESOL Unit 5 Page 9

Surveys and reports
Activity A ● Reading a report
This report is about a customer survey carried out by a shop selling electrical goods.

1 _____________________
The purpose of this report is to find out about customers’ experiences in our
shops and to identify areas for improvement in our service.

2 _____________________
Sales managers at three of our largest shops in Manchester, Reading and
London asked a total of 300 customers the following multiple-choice questions.
1 How satisfied were you with the quality of our products?
a very satisfied b quite satisfied c not satisfied
2 Are the staff ...?
a friendly and helpful b satisfactory c not helpful
3 Did you get good advice and information about the products?
a yes b some c not really

3 _____________________
The results indicate that the majority of our customers are satisfied with the
quality of our products. On the whole, customers also found our customer
service friendly and helpful. However, in terms of product information and
advice, customers are less satisfied. Details of the results of the survey are
shown below:
1 a 75% b 15% c 10%
2 a 69% b 19% c 12%
3 a 26% b 30% c 44%

4 _____________________
We clearly need to improve the quality of the product information and advice
that our customers are receiving in the shops. We therefore recommend an
urgent meeting of all shop managers to discuss a strategy for improvement.

Page 10 Unit 5 E3 ESOL Rt/E3.1a, 2a; Wt/E3.1a, 1b, 2a, 4a

1 Read the report. Who is it written for – the customers or the managers of the
shops?

2 How many parts does the report have? What does each one deal with?
Write these headings on the report.
Findings Introduction Survey Recommendations

3 Underline the words the writer uses to introduce the reason for writing the
report and her recommendations.

Activity B ● Writing a report

1 You are going to write a report. Choose one of these situations.

A You are involved in a project to improve facilities

at your local adult learning centre or college. You have
carried out a survey to find out how satisfied students
and other users are with the student café and to
identify any ideas for improvement.

ilities at
project to improve fac
B You are involved in a a survey
y wh ere you wo rk. You have carried out
a nurser ening
d ou t how satisfied parents are with the op
to fin ges are
and whether any chan
times of the nurser y,
needed.

2 Your teacher will give you some notes for your report. Read them and then plan
your report.
● Choose a title for your report.
● Decide how many parts the report will have.
● Decide on a heading for each part.

3 Complete this sentence explaining the reason for the survey.

The purpose of this report is …

4 Now complete this sentence with your main recommendation.

We recommend …
Remember
5 Draft your report. ● Explain the reason for your report.

6 Go back through the report and check it for: The purpose of this report is to ...
● grammar Make recommendations.
● spelling We recommend ...
● punctuation. Our recommendation is that ...

Ws/E3.3a E3 ESOL Unit 5 Page 11

What does the future hold?
Activity A ● Reading about the future
Read the newspaper article. Are the statements below true or false?

?
Is this the future? ? ?
E very year international experts meet at the
Institute of Futurology in Geneva to discuss
the future of our world.
The results this year include the following:
personal computers will almost certainly be as
small as a watch (94%) but we almost certainly
won’t have small computers inside our heads
First, each expert predicts some things that
(10%). However, we might wear very small
may happen in the next 20 years. Then the
phones under the skin below the ear (42%).
other experts give percentages to his or her
Television screens will probably be as thin as
predictions. Finally, they work out the average
paper (71%), so we’ll be able to fold them up or
percentages. For example, if a prediction gets
hang them on the wall. Blind people may wear
an average of 85%, it will probably happen,
glasses that can see and give information to the
whereas 15% means it probably won’t happen.
wearers (60%).

True False
a The predictions are all about the next twenty years. ■ ■
b The experts usually try to agree on a percentage. ■ ■
c A low percentage means the possibility is small. ■ ■
d The experts think that technology will be more visible. ■ ■

Activity B ● Language: future possibilities

1 The phrases below are used in the passage. They express differing degrees of
future possibility. Number the phrases in the correct order.
certainly will
won’t 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 certainly

will almost certainly ■ almost certainly won’t ■ probably won’t ■

might ■ may ■ will probably ■
2 Use some of the phrases to write four sentences giving your opinion about
future possibilities.

Page 12 Unit 5 E3 ESOL Rt/E3.4a; Rs/E3.2a; Sd/E3.2a; Lr/E2.4a; Lr/E3.7c

What do you think?
Activity A ● Listening: a discussion about life in the future

The topic of this TV discussion is ‘Will computers become more intelligent than
people?’ Listen and answer the questions.
a What does John think?
b What is the reason for his opinion?
c Why does Miriam disagree?
d Who do you think the host agrees with?

Activity B ● Discussion skills

Listen again. Complete the table with examples from the discussion.

Function Examples

Asking for an opinion What do you thin‡, John? Miriam, what’s your opinion?
Introducing an opinion

Responding to an opinion

Asking for a reason

Confirming understanding

Activity C ● Talking about life in the future

Work in small groups. Discuss your ideas about the future.
Give reasons for your opinions.

Use these phrases and any similar phrases that you know. …… may/might happen

ppen?
Do you think ...... will ha en
… will probably happ …… probably won’t happen
…

Lr/E3.6b, 7c; Sd/E3.1d, 1g, 2a, 2b E3 ESOL Unit 5 Page 13

▼
Project
▼

▼
You are going to find out about a new type of
electronic item that is now in the shops and report
to the class about it.

Activity A ● Get information

about new products
1 Look in a catalogue or a shop or at advertisements
and choose a very new electrical or electronic item,
e.g. a washing machine, an iron, a phone,
a camera, a computer, a music system.

2 Make a list of questions to ask about the item. For

example, you will need to know:
● what it can do
● how it compares with other models
● how to use it
● what it costs
● possible future developments (will there be something better in the shops
next month?).

Activity B ● Research and make notes

1 Get answers to your questions by talking to a shop assistant and by reading
about the item that you have chosen. Write notes.

2 If you have access to the Internet, try to find a review of the item. Find the best
price for it too.

3 Find a picture of the item.

Activity C ● Write a report for the class

1 First, plan your report. Decide what will interest the other learners.
Choose about four main headings. Then decide what you will include under
each heading.

2 Write the report, using information from your notes. Include a picture.

3 Finally, check your report carefully.

Activity D ● Tell the class about the product

Give a short talk to the other learners about the product that you have researched.
Show them the picture and answer any questions that people ask you.

Page 14 Unit 5 E3 ESOL

✓ Check it
Activity A ● Vocabulary: word families
How many other words can you make from these verbs? You’ll find some of them
in the unit.

Use your dictionary to check spellings.

Verb Other words

invent invention (noun) inventor (noun)

explain

print

discuss

predict

satisfy

produce

represent

Activity B ● Language: used to

1 Write the correct form of the verbs. Use either the present simple tense or used
to + infinitive.

a All personal computers ............................................ (be) very big.

b Nowadays, notebook computers ............................................ (be) small and light.

c Before the invention of e-mail, people ............................................ (write) letters

more often.

d Many homes ............................................ (have) bigger televisions than they used to.

2 Write some true sentences about your past.

a I used to play ......................................................................................................................................

b I used to have .....................................................................................................................................

c I used to live ........................................................................................................................................

d I .................................................................................................................................................................

e I .................................................................................................................................................................

f I .................................................................................................................................................................

E3 ESOL Unit 5 Page 15

▼
Mini-projects
▼

▼
Activity A ● Interview a friend
Ask a friend or relative to tell you some
things that he or she used to do in the
past. Ask how his or her life is different
now. Take notes.

Activity B ● Write about a friend

Use your notes from Activity A and write
a short piece about your friend. Give it to
another person in your class to proof-
read.

Activity C ● Research and write

Use the Internet or the library and find out who invented the telephone or the
television. Make some notes about the main events in the story. Then write a short
narrative.

How am I doing?
Look back at the skills listed on page 1. Then finish the sentences below.

I am confident with ......................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................

I need more practice with .........................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................

Date ..................................................................

Page 16 Unit 5 E3 ESOL

 Audio scripts
Page 2 Attitudes to technology Marta: Hang on. I’ll write it down.
Yasmin: Then, when the page comes up on your
Activity A screen, you see a box. You enter some key
Andy: What’s the book? Is it interesting? words for the thing you’re interested in. So
Yasmin: No! It’s the user guide for my new phone. if you want to compare prices of DVD
Andy: You don’t sound too happy with it. players, enter the words DVD player and
Yasmin: Well, you know, phones used to be simple, price. Have you got that?
but now you need a 40-page instruction Marta: Yeh … I think that’s clear.
book! Yasmin: Oh, and make sure you’re careful with
Andy: That’s true. You used to dial the number spelling. It’s really important. If you key in
and that was it. Now it’s more complicated. the wrong word, you may get the wrong
Yasmin: I really hate modern technology! information.
Andy: Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Marta: OK.
Yasmin: Really? Yasmin: And don’t forget to select ‘UK’. If not you’ll
Andy: Well, a mobile phone, for example ... It get lots of international sites. After that,
makes life easier for me. I used to have click on the search button. After a short
difficulty finding telephones, but now time you get a list of web pages. They’ll all
there’s a phone in my pocket – whenever I include the words you searched for. There
need it. may be lots, so look through and click on
Yasmin: That must be useful. the one that looks most useful. It’s really
Andy: And my computer. I’ve got a visual easy when you get started.
impairment, but I can write letters and Marta: Thanks. I’ll have a go.
e-mails. And my computer can read e-mails Yasmin: And get back to me if you have any
to me. I tell you, life used to be harder problems.
for people like me. Computers can help a Marta: Thanks a lot, Yasmin. That’s really helpful …
lot.
Yasmin: You’re right, of course, but ... I don’t know
Page 6 Making choices
... I mean, take my children, for example.
When I was young, children used to play Activity A
outside. Now they play computer games all
Conversation 1
day. It can’t be good for them.
Rafid: Which of these is the least expensive?
Andy: Yes. My kids are like that too. But you
Assistant: This one is the cheapest.
know, these games teach them important
Rafid: How does the cheapest one compare with
skills.
the other two?
Yasmin: Andy, this is one topic we’re never going to
Assistant: It doesn’t have as many features. For
agree on!
example, you can’t get e-mail on this one.
Rafid: I see. Is it as strong as the others? My last
Page 3 Instructions phone got broken.
Assistant: Oh, yes, it’s just as strong.
Activity B Rafid: The problem is that prices go down all
Yasmin: Don’t worry, Marta. It’s quite easy. To find the time. Will they all be cheaper next
the information you want, it’s best to start week?
with a search page. Google is the one I Assistant: I don’t think this one will. It went down in
usually use ... but there’s also Yahoo or price only last week. It’s very good value
Altavista. Have you heard of any of them? now.
Marta: Yes, I’ve heard of Google. Rafid: OK. I’ll take it.
Yasmin: First of all you enter the web address. That’s
Conversation 2
www.google.com or www.yahoo.com. And
Marta: Have both of them got sockets for games
then–
machines?

E3 ESOL Unit 5 Page 17

Assistant: Yes, they’ve both got SCART sockets. Conversation 2
Marta: Do they both have teletext? Sam: Your new TV looks good, Marta. Are you
Assistant: Yes, they do. going to try it out?
Marta: Is the big one more expensive than the Marta: Yes. I’m setting it up now. I need the user
other one? guide. Can you look for it in that box?
Assistant: No. They’re the same price, because the Sam: OK. ... It’s not in here.
small one has more features. Marta: Oh, well. The set-up’s probably quite simple.
Marta: Which one has the better sound quality? We don’t need to look it up. We can work it
Assistant: I’ll turn up the sound, and you can listen. out.
Sam: Yes. You probably just plug it in and switch it
Conversation 3
on.
Andy: Can this play CDs?
Marta: Here’s the on/off switch. And here are the
Assistant: Yes, it can. It plays CDs and it’s got a
video controls. You just press this button to
stereo radio too.
record something and this one to play it
Andy: Good. And has it got headphones?
back.
Assistant: Yes, it has. They’re very easy to use.
Sam: Hey! Look out!
Andy: Has it got tone control?
Marta: What?
Assistant: Yes, it has treble and bass controls here
Sam: You’ve just sat on a book!
and here.
Marta: Oh. It’s the user guide.
Andy: Ah, yes. I can feel them. Thank you. How
Sam: Look after it – after all, you may need it later.
do I switch it on?
Assistant: The switch is here. You can select on, off,
radio or CD. Page 8 Phoning customer services
Andy: Right. May I listen to it?
Assistant: Yes, of course. Activity A
Message 1
Welcome to customer services. Please listen carefully
Page 7 Phrasal verbs
to the following options. For payment enquiries,
Activity A press 1. For information on service plans, press 2. If
your phone is lost, stolen or damaged, press 3. For
Conversation 1
help and advice about your phone or any phone
Rafid: Oh, dear!
problems, press 4. If you want to speak to a customer
Simon: What’s the matter?
services representative, press 5 or stay on the line. If
Rafid: I need to phone my boss, but I can’t get
you need to hear the options again, press zero.
through.
Simon: Is the line engaged? Message 2
Rafid: No. Someone answered and told me to hold Thank you. For general information on making or
on. So I waited. Then she said, ‘I’ll put you receiving calls, press 1. For advice about the battery
through,’ but nothing happened. In the end and battery life, press 2. For an explanation of the
I decided to hang up and try again. symbols on your phone’s display, press 3. For signal
Simon: What happened then? or network problems, press 4. If you have another
Rafid: Well, the same person answered. I said I was kind of problem, press 5 to transfer to a customer
having problems getting through and she services representative.
said she’d look into it. And then something
Message 3
cut me off.
Thank you. Every new battery needs charging for 16
Simon: The line went dead?
continuous hours. After that, your battery will remain
Rafid: Yes.
charged for about three days on standby. However,
Simon: Call her back. You know what they say –
your phone will use power more quickly if you make
third time lucky.
or receive calls. After the first charging, normal

Page 18 Unit 5 E3 ESOL

recharging takes about three hours. The useful life of Page 13 What do you think?
your battery is about one year. It may last longer, but
if your battery begins to lose charge more quickly Activity A/B
than usual, buy a new one. Thank you for calling. Host: The question today is this: will computers
be more intelligent than people? What do
you think, John?
Page 9 Problems and solutions
John: I think computers will certainly be more
Activity A intelligent than people. The only question
is, when will this happen?
Mark: Customer services. Mark speaking. How can I
Host: Why do you think that?
help you?
John: It’s very simple. Every year, computers
Marta: Hi. I’ve just bought a combined TV and
become more and more powerful. It’s only
video, but there’s something wrong with the
a matter of time before their processing
picture.
power will be greater than ours.
Mark: OK. Can you describe the problem?
Host: You mean they’ll become more intelligent
Marta: Well, the picture’s not very clear, and there
than us?
are little white dots all over it, like snow.
John: Exactly.
Mark: Right. Have you plugged in the outside
Host: I see. That’s an interesting idea. Miriam,
aerial?
what’s your opinion?
Marta : Yes, I have.
Miriam: Well, I don’t think processing power and
Mark: OK. There may be a problem with the aerial
intelligence are the same thing.
socket on the television. Take the aerial out of
Host: That’s a good point.
the socket.
John: Why not? Why are they not the same?
Marta: OK.
Miriam: Because processing power is about making
Mark: Now plug in the indoor aerial.
calculations very fast. Intelligence is about
Marta: The indoor aerial?
understanding.
Mark: Yes. If that works, we’ll know the socket is
Host: Right, so you feel that computers may
OK.
become faster than us but not as clever.
Marta: Right. I’ve done that, and the picture is fine
Miriam: Yes. I don’t think they will ever think and
now.
understand like us.
Mark: That means the problem can’t be in the
television because it works with the indoor
aerial. There must be a problem with your
outdoor aerial.
Marta: Oh. What can I do about that?
Mark: You need to fix your aerial. That should solve
the problem.
Marta: Should I call an electrician?
Mark: An aerial specialist would be better. Look up
aerial services in the Yellow Pages.
Marta: Aerial services … Yellow Pages. OK. Thank
you very much. Goodbye.
Mark: You’re welcome. Goodbye.

E3 ESOL Unit 5 Page 19

A Answers
Page 2 Attitudes to technology b The school’s system – used big raised letters on
special paper
Activity A Barbier’s system – used groups of 12 raised dots to
Suggested answers: represent sounds
a Yasmin. (1) It is too complicated. (2) Computer Braille’s system – used groups of six dots
games are not good for children.
b Andy’s. (1) He used to have difficulty finding a Activity C
phone, but now he has a mobile in his pocket. Paragraph 1 (He was more fortunate than other blind
(2) He can write letters and e-mails, and his children.)
computer can read e-mails to him. Paragraph 4 (He made it more simple.)
Paragraph 6 (Blind people all over the world use the
Activity B2 system.)
a used; ‘s
b to; now
Page 6 Making choices
c to be; can
d used to play; they play Activity A2/3
a Have both of them got sockets for games
Page 3 Instructions machines? – 2
b Which of these is the least expensive? – 1
Activity A2 c How does the cheapest one compare with the
Suggested answers: other two? – 1
Fax: insert, key in, press, connect d Do they both have teletext? – 2
TV: adjust, select, press e Has it got headphones? – 3
Computer: delete, select, click f Is the big one more expensive than the other
one? – 2
Activity B2 g Is it as strong as the others? – 1
a it’s best to start with h Which one has the better sound quality? – 2
b First of all i Will they all be cheaper next week? – 1
c when the page comes up on your screen
d You enter
Page 7 Phrasal verbs
e make sure you’re careful
f And don’t forget Activity A2
g After that
1 Verbs with no object: get through, hold on, hang
h After a short time
up, Look out!
2 Pronoun object in mid-position: put you through,
Pages 4 and 5 A great inventor cut me off, call her back, try it out, set it up, look
it up, work it out, plug it in, switch it on, play it
Activity A back
Page 5 3 Object in end-position: look into it, look for it,
look after it
Activity B1/2
Suggested answers: Activity A3
a 1809 – born in France a look it up f call him back
1813 – lost his sight in an accident b put me through g look after it
1819 – started at a new school for blind boys c look for it h work it out
1821 – heard about Charles Barbier’s 12-dot d try it out i Look out
system of writing e plugged it in/switched it on
1827 – first book in Braille was published

Page 20 Unit 5 E3 ESOL

A
Page 8 Phoning customer services Page 12 What does the future hold?
Activity A1 Activity A
a 4 b 0 a true
b false
Activity A2 c true
a 2 b 5 d false

Activity A3 Activity B1
The battery will last for a year or maybe longer. 1 certainly won’t
2 almost certainly won’t
Activity B1 3 probably won’t
a press c If you have 4 might
b want d begins; buy 5 may
6 will probably
7 will almost certainly
Page 9 Problems and solutions
8 will certainly
Activity A2
Suggested answers: Page 13 What do you think?
a The picture isn’t clear and there are little white
dots all over it. Activity A
b There may be something wrong with the aerial Suggested answers:
socket on the television. a He thinks computers will certainly be more
c Because it works with the indoor aerial. intelligent than people.
d There must be a problem with the outdoor aerial. b Every year, computers’ processing power becomes
e Get an aerial specialist to fix the aerial. more and more powerful.
f She repeats important phrases. c She doesn’t think processing power and
intelligence are the same thing.
Activity B d He probably agrees with Miriam (because he says
a may be c must be ‘That’s a good point’ in response to her opinion,
b can’t be d should which is more positive than his response to John).

Activity B
Pages 10 and 11 Surveys and reports
Introducing an opinion: I think .../I don’t think ...
Activity A1 Responding to an opinion: That’s an interesting
idea./That’s a good point.
Managers
Asking for a reason: Why do you think that?/Why
Activity A2 not?
Confirming understanding: You mean .../Right, so
The report has four parts:
you feel ...
1 Introduction
2 Survey
3 Findings Page 15 Check it
4 Recommendations
Activity B1
Activity A3 a used to be c used to write
The purpose of this report is … b are d have
We clearly need to …/We therefore recommend …

E3 ESOL Unit 5 Page 21