I. Before you read
*What do you think life will be in future?
*What words come to your mind when you think of the future?
*Which of these will come true?
II. And which will come true according to this newspaper article?
We already know that today people can do things they never dreamt of fifty years ago.
By having a satellite dish, the subscriber is able to see an incredible number of films on
more than fifteen channels.
By using a video phone, you are able not only to talk to a person, but also see the person
you are talking to.
What kind of car will be driving in 2030? Rather different from the type we know today.
Designers say that the car of the future will have three wheels instead of four. It will
be electrically powered, environmentally clean and able to drive itself along
“intelligent” roads which know where they are going.
Cars of the future will pick up their fuel from a power source built into the road.
The car of the year 2030 will have a changeable interior which will allow adults and
children to sit in a family circle.
Cars will not need drivers because computers will help cars drive safely and find routes
by themselves. By the year 2030, all drivers will have to do is to say where to go and the
computer will do the rest. It will become impossible for cars to crash into one another.
The Television Computer Access System is one of the many scientific and technical
developments which are likely to influence our future. The system will link the
subscriber’s television set to a public computer by his telephone. It will be able to
provide him with all sorts of information and services. It will teach him school subjects
and within seconds the electronic teacher will tell him if he is making progress.
III. Vocabulary.
*One word or word-combination in each sentence is wrong.
Find and cross it out. Write the letter of the correct answer.
1. Our teacher at school always tells us if we are a) environmentally clean crashing into one another. b) intelligent
2. Every public library is able to subscribe readers with c) changeable all kinds of publications. d) influence
3. The scientific and technical progress kills our future. e) provide
4. Car designers are very incredible people. f) make progress
5. My granny always grows dirty and tasteless g) fuel vegetables and fruit.
6. The climate of Plymouth is very electronic because the city is close to the sea.
7. The computer is used to hit people and houses.
**While reading find all the international words. Compare their pronunciation in
English and Russian. Guess their meaning.
***Give the words that go together with
Car Computer
Use the article if necessary.
****Compare the cars of today and tomorrow.
Fill in the gaps:
| Cars of today | Cars of tomorrow |
| are _______ powered have four _______ are environmentally ________ pick up their _______ from a petrol station need a _______ often _______ into one another. |
will be _______ powered will have will be _______ _______ pick up their _______ from ______ ________ won’t need a ________ won’t _______ into one another |
IV. Skimming for main ideas.
*Look through the article. Circle the letter of the title that
suits it best
a) Electronic Teacher
b) Tomorrow’s World
c) Cars of the future
V. Scanning for details.
*Mark T if the sentence is true. Mark F if the sentence is false
| 1. By using a video phone you are able not only to talk to a person, but also see the person you are talking to. | T | F |
| 2. Cars of the future will pick up their fuel from rivers and lakes. | T | F |
| 3. Cars will need many drivers at the same moment as they will be very heavy. | T | F |
| 4. The Television Computer Access System is one of the many scientific and technical developments which are likely to influence our future. | T | F |
| 5. Computers will teach students at school. | T | F |
| 6. The car will have five wheels. | T | F |
| 7. It will become impossible for cars to crash. | T | F |
**Fill in the chart.
“By Using What Inventions Are We
Able To Do The Following?”
| . | Invention | Are able to do |
| By having | A _____ | We are able to see an incredible number of films |
| By using | A _____ | We are able to talk to a person and to see him/her |
| By using | A _____ | Cars will be able to pick up their fuel |
| By using | A _____ | We will be able to sit in the car in a family circle |
| By using | A _____ | We will be able to link our TV set to a public computer |
| By using | A _____ | We will be able to learn school subjects |
***Link in proper order the parts of the Television Computer Access System.
VI. Making Inferences And Drawing Conclusions.
*Divide the text into logical parts and complete the sentences.
1. From Part 1 it may be concluded that … .
2. Part 2 implies that ... .
3. It can be inferred from Part 3 that … .
4. The main topic of Part 4 is ... .
• Focus On Grammar.
| in the past | at present | in future |
| Could | Can | Will be able to |
We only could send letters. We can use e-mail. We will be able to see each other.
VII. Speaking.
*Work in groups. Select a secretary to list the things which people could do in the past, which they can do at present, and which they will be able to do in future. Present your ideas to the other groups. Do they have the same ideas? What ideas are the most popular? Why?
VIII. Writing.
(this activity may be done at class or at home)
*Write a short essay “Message To The Future”
IX. Project Work.
Design For Future
| What will | a house a school a hospital a bus a book a teacher a TV set a newspaper a watch a prison a city |
be like? |
In groups of 3 or 4 choose an object to design. Distribute the roles:
| An artist, | A writer, | A promoter. |
Get ready to take part in the exhibition. Don’t miss your chance to take part and see what the future will be.
** Role play
Which country is the article about: Britain, America, or Russia?
Attention! Attention! Attention!
Welcome to year 2030.
Website is to your service.
Miss no chance. Just press B, A, or R and
any information about the
future life in these countries
is available!
(Information for the teacher: three volunteer students act as Website hosts. Each of them chooses one of the three texts (see supplement). One is just the same article given for reading, two others differ in kind. Students ask the Website questions about their native countries).
***Discuss with your classmates advantages and disadvantages of:
a) computing;
b) electronic teacher;
c) human being teachers;
Does technical progress make your life happy? Mind your public speaking skills.
Listening Comprehension
Text I. The USA. In the year 2030 we will have 1000 TV channels. Phones will have a
TV screen. By using a phone we will be able to watch movies and talk to someone.
The cars will have no wheels at all and will fly. They will be environmentally friendly —
they will be solar-powered and pick up their fuel from the Sun. Cars will take many
people and will be like metallic balls. Cars will need a driver, but this driver will be
an intellectual robot and cars will never crash into one another
Text II. Russia. Our Russian video phone will enable us not only to talk and see a
person but also send fresh flowers via it. We won‘t watch TV at all, but we will use
computers a lot. By using a computer we will be able to link our phones to the Public
Libraries Computer Access System and read books on the computer screen or listen to them
on the phone.
The cars will be water-powered and environmentally clean. They will be able to pick up
their fuel from a puddle. They will be able to fly and sail across a small lake on the
road. Cars will be elastic and will be able to stretch. That will allow them to take
hundreds of people.