Possible answer: The article is about a problem. Tied to is a negative phrase and it’s bad that people don’t have real conversations.
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1 BEFORE YOU READ
PAIRS How many minutes do you spend on your phone every day?
How about in front of your TV or computer?
VOCABULARY 03-22 Listen. Then listen and repeat.
device: a technology item such as a phone or tablet screen: the fl at glasas front of a TV or computer task: something you have to do
positive: good
active: doing a lot of things, having a lot of energy
explore: think about or do things that are new to you
creative: good at thinking of new ideas
power: strength
a little while: a short period of time
2 READ
PREVIEW Read the title and fi rst two sentences of the article. Then look at the photo and the chart. Is the article about a problem or a solution? How do you know?
03-23 Listen. Read an article about technology. What do you think “tied to our devices”
means?
TIED TO OUR DEVICES
You hear it all the time, “My kids are always looking at their phones!” Or, “People are always texting. They don’t have real conversations!” Look around you—at the offi ce, at home, on the street. Almost everyone is using at least one device. Very few people are just sitting, doing nothing at all. We are always using a device or looking at a screen. A recent study of 30 countries showed that people spend a lot of their free time in front of a screen—an average of more than seven hours a day. What’s wrong with that? Maybe a lot.
When people are using their devices, they often don’t pay close attention to what is happening around them. They don’t really listen, so they don’t remember details. They often don’t sleep well, and so they have less energy. Some people believe that their devices help them do more than one task at the same time. But studies show that when people do many tasks at the same time, they usually don’t do any of them very well.
Turning off your devices—even for a short time—can be very positive. Maybe you are thinking—no phone, no computer? So boring! That’s true; you may get bored. But that’s not always bad.
When you’re not doing anything, your brain is still active. It’s free to explore and be creative. Why do think your best ideas come when you’re taking a shower? You can‘t take your devices with you! The author J.K. Rowling understands the power of doing nothing. Many years ago, she was on a long train ride with no book and no devices. She wasn’t doing anything, but her mind was working hard. During that journey, she got the idea for Harry Potter. So, turn off your devices for a little while and do nothing.
It could be the beginning of a great idea.
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Indonesia China Brazil Vietnam USA Colombia Thailand Saudi Arabia United Kingdom Mexico Germany South Korea Canada Japan France
Screen time per day (in minutes)
Source: Millward Brown, 2014
LESSON
36 UNIT 3
4
EMMA DAVIS
@EmmaD
Check out this article. I think I need to spend less time on my phone …
READ ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH TECHNOLOGY
UNIT 3 T-36
LESSON 4 READ ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH TECHNOLOGY
Choose a warm-up activity from the Warm-Up Activity Bank on page xxii.
• Read the lesson title aloud. Ask, What are some problems people have with technology? Do you have any problems with technology?
• Then read the social media message, and ask Why do you think Emma needs to spend less time on her phone? Does anyone feel the same way as Emma?
1 BEFORE YOU READ
• Have Ss discuss the questions in pairs. Then bring the class together and have them share answers.
• On the board, make a chart with rows for phone, TV, and computer. Then add columns for time periods:
0–59 minutes, 1–2 hours, 3–4 hours, and more than 4 hours. Ask, How many of you spend less than an hour on your phone every day? Write the number of Ss who raise their hands in the 0–59 minutes column chart. Repeat this process for the other columns. Then ask about the time Ss spend in front of their TVs and computers. Which type of screen is the most popular in your class?
• Draw attention to the vocabulary words. Play the audio.
Ask Ss to listen and repeat.
• Ask questions to make sure Ss understand the definitions. For example, ask, What is another type of device? What else has a screen? What is a task you do every day?
EXTENSION Have Ss write a sentence using each of the words. Solicit volunteers to write their sentences on the board. Have them leave a blank line where the vocabulary word goes. Ask the rest of the class to guess which word is missing from each sentence.
2 READ
• Review the concept of making predictions before you read. If appropriate, have Ss review the Unit 1 Reading Skills box on page 12.
• Ask Ss to look at the title, the first two sentences, the picture, and the chart in the article. Ask, What are the people in the picture doing? (looking at their devices) What does the chart show? (how much time people spend looking at screens)
• Solicit volunteers to share their answers to the questions.
• Have Ss read and listen. If appropriate, let them read and listen again.
• Solicit volunteers to share their answers to the question.
• Draw Ss’ attention to the chart in the reading. Explain how the chart works. Say, The left side of the chart lists countries. The bottom of the chart lists how many minutes people from those countries spend on screens
per day. Ask, Which country spends the most time looking at screens? (Indonesia) Which country spends the least time? (France) How many minutes do people in the USA spend on screens? (about 450 minutes) Have Ss see if their country is listed. If it is, ask, How does your country compare? If their country is not listed, ask them to find a country that has a similar culture, or to compare their country to the USA. Ask, Does the article describe what you observe in your own country?
OPTION Ask Ss to underline any words or phrases they are unfamiliar with. Write the words on the board and define them. Encourage Ss to write the words in their notebooks.
TEACHING TIP When you assign a reading in class, have higher-level Ss read the entire article silently on their own. Then have them summarize what they read.
frenglish.ru
3 CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
READING SKILL Read the Reading Skill.
Answer the questions.
1. The topic of the article is using electronic .
2. What is the main thing the writer wants to tell you about the topic?
a. Our devices are not good for our health.
b. The time that people spend on their devices is increasing.
c. It is a good idea to spend some free time without devices.
DETAILS Check all the correct answers.
1. According to the article, what can happen when people are “tied to their devices”?
a. They don’t have enough time.
b. They don’t listen carefully.
c. They don’t remember things.
d. They don’t make a lot of friends. e. They often don’t sleep well. f. They don’t do well in school. 2. In which countries do people spend more than 450 minutes a day in front of a screen?
a. United Kingdom b. Brazil
c. China
d. Mexico e. Vietnam f. South Korea
3. According to the article, what are some positive things about doing nothing?
a. You can be creative.
b. You can think about other people.
c. You can get some great ideas.
d. You can remember better. e. You can rest your brain. f. You can meet new people. FOCUS ON LANGUAGE Read. What do the underlined words mean?
1. Almost everyone is using at least one device.
a. Almost everyone is using one device.
b. Almost everyone is using one or more devices.
2. When people use their devices, they often don’t pay close attention to what is happening around them.
a. People don’t watch or listen carefully to what is happening around them.
b. People are far away from things that are happening around them.
PAIRS What was the article about? Retell the most important ideas. Use your own words.
When we use our devices …
4 MAKE IT PERSONAL
What problems do you have with screens? Complete the chart and add your own ideas.
Problems Yes / No
I don’t remember well. I don’t have much energy.
Problems Yes / No
PAIRS How much do you use your devices? Do you have any problems?
READING SKILL Find the main idea The main idea is what the writer wants you to know about the topic. To find the main idea, first find the topic. Then ask yourself: What does the writer want to tell me about this topic?
Find out how much time people spend in front of different screens: TVs, computers, phones, tablets.
UNIT 3 37 I CAN READ ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH TECHNOLOGY.
UNIT 3 T-37
3 CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
• Have Ss read the Reading Skill box silently. Then read it aloud. Explain that writers include many ideas, but the main idea is the most important one, and they should try to identify the main idea of anything they read.
• Have Ss answer the questions. Point out that all the answer options in item 2 are included in the reading.
Remind Ss they need to choose the writer’s most important point.
• Go over answers as a class.
• Have Ss read the questions and choose the correct answers individually. Remind Ss that there can be more than one correct answer to each question.
• Have Ss compare answers with a partner.
• Go over the answers as a class.
OPTION If appropriate, show Ss how to figure out the correct answer to item 2. Project the chart in the reading on a screen and find the 450 mark. (halfway between 400 and 500) Line up a ruler with this mark so that it’s obvious which countries’ bars extend beyond the 450 mark. Say, In these countries, people spend more than 450 minutes a day in front of a screen.
EXTENSION To test comprehension, ask Ss
additional questions about details in the article. Write these questions on the board:
How many countries were studied? (thirty)
What happens when people don’t sleep well? (They have less energy.)
Who is J. K. Rowling? (the author of the Harry Potter series)
Why is J. K. Rowling mentioned? (She was on a train ride with no devices and this is when she thought of her idea for the book.)
What does the author recommend at the end of the article? (Turn off your devices for a while.)
Have Ss answer the questions individually. Then go over the answers.
• Read each sentence aloud. Have Ss choose the correct meanings for the underlined phrases.
• Go over the answers as a class.
EXTENSION Ask, What device do you have at least one of? Are there times when you don’t pay close attention to what is happening around you? Have Ss write or say responses. Solicit volunteers to share with the class.
• Go over the directions and the example and ask a volunteer to complete the sentence.
• Pair Ss to discuss the article’s most important ideas in their own words.
EXTENSION Hold a class discussion. Ask groups to discuss these questions: Do you agree with the main ideas of the article? Why or why not? If some groups disagree with the article and feel that lots of screen time is a good thing, write a chart on the board with two columns: Advantages and Disadvantages. Say, What are some good things about getting a lot of screen time? What are some bad things? Write Ss’
opinions in the chart.
OPTION Ask, Which kinds of screens do you think people spend the most time using? Televisions, computers, phones, or tablets? Write Ss’ guesses on the board. Then focus attention on the box to the right of 3D. Say, We’re going to find out how much time people spend in front of different kinds of screens.
Have Ss complete the research task during class or for homework. Then ask Ss to share what they learned.
Put Ss in small groups and have them talk for a few minutes about their search results. Ask, Were your guesses about screens correct?
4 MAKE IT PERSONAL
• Tell Ss they will discuss their own problems related to device use. Read the problems listed in the chart aloud and encourage Ss to add new ones to the bottom rows.
• Have Ss write yes or no for each problem in the second column.
• In pairs, have Ss share the problems they have with screens. Say, If you don’t think you have any problems with screens, talk about why you enjoy using them.
• Have each pair share their list with the class. Write answers on the board.
• Conduct a poll from the list. For each item ask, How many of you have a problem with…? Write the number of Ss who raise their hands.
EXIT TICKET Have Ss write three sentences about the most common problems the class has with screens, using the poll figures from 4B. Collect the papers.
Check them to identify areas for review in later lessons and individual Ss who may need additional practice.
frenglish.ru
3 CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
READING SKILL Read the Reading Skill.
Answer the questions.
1. The topic of the article is using electronic .
2. What is the main thing the writer wants to tell you about the topic?
a. Our devices are not good for our health.
b. The time that people spend on their devices is increasing.
c. It is a good idea to spend some free time without devices.
DETAILS Check all the correct answers.
1. According to the article, what can happen when people are “tied to their devices”?
a. They don’t have enough time.
b. They don’t listen carefully.
c. They don’t remember things.
d. They don’t make a lot of friends.
e. They often don’t sleep well.
f. They don’t do well in school.
2. In which countries do people spend more than 450 minutes a day in front of a screen?
a. United Kingdom b. Brazil
c. China
d. Mexico e. Vietnam f. South Korea
3. According to the article, what are some positive things about doing nothing?
a. You can be creative.
b. You can think about other people.
c. You can get some great ideas.
d. You can remember better.
e. You can rest your brain.
f. You can meet new people.
FOCUS ON LANGUAGE Read. What do the underlined words mean?
1. Almost everyone is using at least one device.
a. Almost everyone is using one device.
b. Almost everyone is using one or more devices.
2. When people use their devices, they often don’t pay close attention to what is happening around them.
a. People don’t watch or listen carefully to what is happening around them.
b. People are far away from things that are happening around them.
PAIRS What was the article about? Retell the most important ideas. Use your own words.
When we use our devices …
4 MAKE IT PERSONAL
What problems do you have with screens? Complete the chart and add your own ideas.
Problems Yes / No
I don’t remember well.
I don’t have much energy.
Problems Yes / No
PAIRS How much do you use your devices? Do you have any problems?
READING SKILL Find the main idea The main idea is what the writer wants you to know about the topic. To find the main idea, first find the topic.
Then ask yourself: What does the writer want to tell me about this topic?
Find out how much time people spend in front of different screens: TVs, computers, phones, tablets.
UNIT 3 37 I CAN READ ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH TECHNOLOGY.
devices
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✓
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✓
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✓
✓
✓
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1 BEFORE YOU WRITE
Read the discussion board post. What does the writer do to relax?
Emma D July 2
I work 60 hours a week. So, the weekend is my time to relax. I like to listen to music and watch TV. I usually spend time with my family at home, but I also love going to the movies and hanging out with my friends. Everyone is really busy, so sometimes I just stay home and do chores. I know it’s funny, but I like doing laundry. For me, doing laundry is relaxing. As for other chores, like washing dishes and taking out the trash? No thanks!
What do you do to relax?
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Relaxing Relaxing Busy life Busy life Family Family Friends Friends Indoors Indoors Outdoors Home
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Read the post again. Take notes in the chart. What does Emma like to do?
What doesn’t she like to do?
PAIRS Look at the chart in 1B. Discuss. Which things do you like to do? Which things don’t you like to do? Do you and your partner like to do the same things?
A: I like to listen to music.
B: Me, too.
Likes Doesn’t like
LESSON
38 UNIT 3
5
EMMA DAVIS
@EmmaD
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