Google launches Latin translation tool

Google Translate, a service that can instantly translate entire web pages or chunks of text in to another language, has added Latin to its list.
Google Translate supports more than 50 languages, including minority languages such as Welsh and Haitian Creole, and the addition of Latin is sure to please scholars and traditionalists.

In a blog post, written entirely in Latin, Jakob Uszkoreit, a senior engineer at Google, said that Latin was far from a “dead language”. “There are many Latin language learners,” he wrote. “Over 100,000 American students take the National Latin Exam every year and many more learn Latin all over the world. And there is a wealth of information originally written in it.”

He said that while Google recognised that the Latin translation tool would rarely be used to decipher emails or captions on YouTube videos, it would enable web users to read many of the crucially important philosophical and scientific texts originally written in this language. “There are tens of thousands of scanned books written in Latin on Google Books, and many more contain Latin quotes and proverbs,” he wrote.

Google expects translations to and from Latin to be among the most accurate offered by its Google Translate tool. “Unlike any of the other languages Google Translate supports, Latin offers a unique advantage: most of the text that will ever be written in Latin has already been written, and a comparatively large part of it has been translated in to other languages. “We use these translations, found in books and on the web, to train our system.”
Google has also added a Latin text-to-speech function, too, to help people with their pronunciation.

Question 1:[2 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a) Google Translate can be used to produce translations of stretches of language.
b) Only widely spoken languages are available on Google Translate.
c) The Google engineer wrote his message in American English.
d) There is no possibility of listening to Latin on Google Translation.

Question 2:[2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words.

a) Is Latin studied these days?
b) Why will Google Latin translations be particularly reliable?

Question 3:[1.5 POINTS]Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a) To make happy (paragraph 1).
b) a large amount (paragraph 2).
c) extremely (paragraph 3).

Question 4:[1,5 POINTS] Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) Over 100,000 American students take the National Latin Exam every year and many more learn Latin all over the world.
The National Latin Exam …… and Latin ……

b) “What lessons do you have this morning, James?”
I asked James ……………………………………………………………

c) Many important philosophical and scientific texts were written in Latin People want to read these texts.
People want to read the

Question 5:[3 POINTS]Write a short essay (120 - 150 words) on the following topic:
‘Not everything that we have to study at school is useful.’ Do you agree?

Google launches Latin translation tool

Google Translate, a service that can instantly translate entire web pages or chunks of text in to another language, has added Latin to its list.
Google Translate supports more than 50 languages, including minority languages such as Welsh and Haitian Creole, and the addition of Latin is sure to please scholars and traditionalists.

In a blog post, written entirely in Latin, Jakob Uszkoreit, a senior engineer at Google, said that Latin was far from a “dead language”. “There are many Latin language learners,” he wrote. “Over 100,000 American students take the National Latin Exam every year and many more learn Latin all over the world. And there is a wealth of information originally written in it.”

He said that while Google recognised that the Latin translation tool would rarely be used to decipher emails or captions on YouTube videos, it would enable web users to read many of the crucially important philosophical and scientific texts originally written in this language. “There are tens of thousands of scanned books written in Latin on Google Books, and many more contain Latin quotes and proverbs,” he wrote.

Google expects translations to and from Latin to be among the most accurate offered by its Google Translate tool. “Unlike any of the other languages Google Translate supports, Latin offers a unique advantage: most of the text that will ever be written in Latin has already been written, and a comparatively large part of it has been translated in to other languages. “We use these translations, found in books and on the web, to train our system.”
Google has also added a Latin text-to-speech function, too, to help people with their pronunciation.

Question 1:[2 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a) Google Translate can be used to produce translations of stretches of language.
b) Only widely spoken languages are available on Google Translate.
c) The Google engineer wrote his message in American English.
d) There is no possibility of listening to Latin on Google Translation.

Question 2:[2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words.

a) Is Latin studied these days?
b) Why will Google Latin translations be particularly reliable?

Question 3:[1.5 POINTS]Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a) To make happy (paragraph 1).
b) a large amount (paragraph 2).
c) extremely (paragraph 3).

Question 4:[1,5 POINTS] Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) Over 100,000 American students take the National Latin Exam every year and many more learn Latin all over the world.
The National Latin Exam …… and Latin ……

b) “What lessons do you have this morning, James?”
I asked James ……………………………………………………………

c) Many important philosophical and scientific texts were written in Latin People want to read these texts.
People want to read the

Question 5:[3 POINTS]Write a short essay (120 - 150 words) on the following topic:
‘Not everything that we have to study at school is useful.’ Do you agree?

50 years since first man in space

Celebrations have been taking place in Russia to mark 50 years since the first man in space.

Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history on 12 April 1961, when he went where no man had gone before. A rocket blasted Gagarin into space, where he stayed for 108 minutes before returning safely to Earth - a hero.

To mark the anniversary, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev held a video link-up with the International Space Station and an award ceremony.

Space race
At the time, it was a major victory for the Soviet Union in their space race against America. Before Gagarin's 1961 flight, no one knew whether humans could survive in space. Some people said the force of the take-off would crush his body. Others thought that being weightless would send him mad. He was fine.

Man on the moon
But the US hit back a few years later when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, in 1969.

Nowadays, the Russians and Americans are no longer rivals and work together in space discovery.


Match the words below to their definitions

award / celebration / ceremony / mark / rivals / survive / victory

special, enjoyable event about something important
commemorate
formal act done on an important occasion
when you win something
continue to exist after being in a difficult situation
people competing against each other
prize given to someone for achieving something

True or False?

1. Dmitry Medvedev gave an award to Gagarin.
2. There were concerns that humans would die in space.
3. Weightlessness made Gagarin temporarily insane.
4. Gagarin was physically unaffected by his time in space.
5. Russians and Americans still compete in space.
6. Neil Armstrong landed on the moon after Gagarin did.
7. Gagarin stayed in space for over two hours.

What is the missing word?

1. A rocket __________ Gagarin into space.
2. Some people said the force of the take-off would _________ his body.
3. __________ , the Russians and Americans are no longer rivals.
4. Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made __________ on 12 April 1961.

KEY

Vocabulary

celebration special, enjoyable event about something important
mark commemorate
ceremony formal act done on an important occasion
victory when you win something
survive continue to exist after being in a difficult situation
rivals people competing against each other
award prize given to someone for achieving something

True or false?

1. False
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. False

What is the missing word?

1. blasted
2. crush
3. Nowadays
4. history

50 years since first man in space

Celebrations have been taking place in Russia to mark 50 years since the first man in space.

Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history on 12 April 1961, when he went where no man had gone before. A rocket blasted Gagarin into space, where he stayed for 108 minutes before returning safely to Earth - a hero.

To mark the anniversary, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev held a video link-up with the International Space Station and an award ceremony.

Space race
At the time, it was a major victory for the Soviet Union in their space race against America. Before Gagarin's 1961 flight, no one knew whether humans could survive in space. Some people said the force of the take-off would crush his body. Others thought that being weightless would send him mad. He was fine.

Man on the moon
But the US hit back a few years later when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, in 1969.

Nowadays, the Russians and Americans are no longer rivals and work together in space discovery.


Match the words below to their definitions

award / celebration / ceremony / mark / rivals / survive / victory

special, enjoyable event about something important
commemorate
formal act done on an important occasion
when you win something
continue to exist after being in a difficult situation
people competing against each other
prize given to someone for achieving something

True or False?

1. Dmitry Medvedev gave an award to Gagarin.
2. There were concerns that humans would die in space.
3. Weightlessness made Gagarin temporarily insane.
4. Gagarin was physically unaffected by his time in space.
5. Russians and Americans still compete in space.
6. Neil Armstrong landed on the moon after Gagarin did.
7. Gagarin stayed in space for over two hours.

What is the missing word?

1. A rocket __________ Gagarin into space.
2. Some people said the force of the take-off would _________ his body.
3. __________ , the Russians and Americans are no longer rivals.
4. Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made __________ on 12 April 1961.

KEY

Vocabulary

celebration special, enjoyable event about something important
mark commemorate
ceremony formal act done on an important occasion
victory when you win something
survive continue to exist after being in a difficult situation
rivals people competing against each other
award prize given to someone for achieving something

True or false?

1. False
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. False

What is the missing word?

1. blasted
2. crush
3. Nowadays
4. history

The Playbutton: a way to wear your music tastes on your sleeve

Look at the woman in this picture. • What is she wearing on her jacket? • What do you think she is listening to?

Read the text and find out!

The Playbutton: a way to wear your music tastes on your sleeve

"The Playbutton is for those of us who still hang on to what's tangible," says its creator Nick Dangerfield, a Spaniard of British origin who lives in New York. After working for a company called Powershovel, where he developed a Super-8 digital camera called Harinezumi, Dangerfield set up his own firm and launched the Playbutton three weeks ago.

The device is a round, button-like music player that only plays one album, in the old-fashioned way: the songs are in the order the band wanted them to be, and cannot be deleted or replaced with other content. It is attached to your clothes via a pin in the back, and the four-hour battery can be recharged using a USB port.

But why would someone want to spend $20 (€14) on this when the same album will be available on iTunes for just 9 euros? "The Playbutton is a way to express your passion for a band and to support it financially," says Dangerfield. "It is a different sound experience from an iPhone, which does not let you know what someone is listening to."

The first band to embrace the technology was Bubbles, a favourite in New York's underground circles. At a recent party, the band introduced its album, released exclusively through Playbutton and produced by Parte LLC.

Dangerfield and his business partner, the Spaniard Víctor Esther, who is also the art director, eventually want to create a small record label that will produce albums in Playbutton format. The Playbutton will soon go on sale at Madrid's Casa Peseta.

Match each verb from the text to what follows it and match each expression to its meaning:1 hang the technology a) keep, not throw away or discard
2 set with other content b) start a business
3 embrace on to something c) substitute with other music
4 attach up a firm or company d) be available to buy
5 replace financially e) fasten onto what you are wearing
6 support on sale f) start using the device
7 go to your clothes g) help by giving money

Question 1 [2 points]
Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a) Nick Dangerfield is the owner of Powershovel.
b) It costs more to buy an album on Playbutton than on Itunes.
c) Nick Dangerfield has plans to do more things in the music industry.
d) You can already buy the Playbutton in the Spanish capital.

Question 2 [2 points]
Answer the following questions in your own words.

a) What is a Playbutton?
b) Who are Bubbles and how have they used Playbutton?

Question 3 [1.5 points]
Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a) inventor (paragraph 1)
b) remove, erase (paragraph 2)
c) connection (paragraph 2)

Question 4Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) ‘Have you ever been to Sydney?’ asked Paul
Paul asked Maria …….
b) We arrived too late to catch the plane.
If ……….
c) That’s my neighbour. He lives in the flat on the fifth floor.
That’s the ……

Question 5 Write a short essay (between120-150 words) on the following topic:
How do you choose the music you listen to?

The Playbutton: a way to wear your music tastes on your sleeve

Look at the woman in this picture. • What is she wearing on her jacket? • What do you think she is listening to?

Read the text and find out!

The Playbutton: a way to wear your music tastes on your sleeve

"The Playbutton is for those of us who still hang on to what's tangible," says its creator Nick Dangerfield, a Spaniard of British origin who lives in New York. After working for a company called Powershovel, where he developed a Super-8 digital camera called Harinezumi, Dangerfield set up his own firm and launched the Playbutton three weeks ago.

The device is a round, button-like music player that only plays one album, in the old-fashioned way: the songs are in the order the band wanted them to be, and cannot be deleted or replaced with other content. It is attached to your clothes via a pin in the back, and the four-hour battery can be recharged using a USB port.

But why would someone want to spend $20 (€14) on this when the same album will be available on iTunes for just 9 euros? "The Playbutton is a way to express your passion for a band and to support it financially," says Dangerfield. "It is a different sound experience from an iPhone, which does not let you know what someone is listening to."

The first band to embrace the technology was Bubbles, a favourite in New York's underground circles. At a recent party, the band introduced its album, released exclusively through Playbutton and produced by Parte LLC.

Dangerfield and his business partner, the Spaniard Víctor Esther, who is also the art director, eventually want to create a small record label that will produce albums in Playbutton format. The Playbutton will soon go on sale at Madrid's Casa Peseta.

Match each verb from the text to what follows it and match each expression to its meaning:1 hang the technology a) keep, not throw away or discard
2 set with other content b) start a business
3 embrace on to something c) substitute with other music
4 attach up a firm or company d) be available to buy
5 replace financially e) fasten onto what you are wearing
6 support on sale f) start using the device
7 go to your clothes g) help by giving money

Question 1 [2 points]
Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a) Nick Dangerfield is the owner of Powershovel.
b) It costs more to buy an album on Playbutton than on Itunes.
c) Nick Dangerfield has plans to do more things in the music industry.
d) You can already buy the Playbutton in the Spanish capital.

Question 2 [2 points]
Answer the following questions in your own words.

a) What is a Playbutton?
b) Who are Bubbles and how have they used Playbutton?

Question 3 [1.5 points]
Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a) inventor (paragraph 1)
b) remove, erase (paragraph 2)
c) connection (paragraph 2)

Question 4Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) ‘Have you ever been to Sydney?’ asked Paul
Paul asked Maria …….
b) We arrived too late to catch the plane.
If ……….
c) That’s my neighbour. He lives in the flat on the fifth floor.
That’s the ……

Question 5 Write a short essay (between120-150 words) on the following topic:
How do you choose the music you listen to?

Police to send warning letters to parents of Facebook bullies

The parents of Facebook bullies will receive letters from police in the first crackdown on social networking taunting which has led youngsters to commit suicide.Detectives will start sending messages to cyber bullies using the social networking site, warning them they are breaking the law and could face prosecution.Their parents will also be sent a letter alerting them to the fact that their child is an online bully and what the consequences of their actions could be.

It is hoped that informing the internet tormentors of the seriousness of their actions at an early stage will stop them from using the web to harass others and keep them from entering the criminal justice system.

"By sending a police warning notice on Facebook, students will be made aware they could be prosecuted," he said."By alerting their parents to the problem, we are aiming to nip the problem in the bud and prevent it becoming something more serious."Social networkers, whatever their age, often don't think about what they are writing in the same way they would think about what they write in a letter or an email.

"If we have to investigate Facebook messages as harassment or public order offences and the young person gets charged, it could seriously affect their future."While we want them to realise how serious the matter is, we also want to avoid that and keep young people out of the criminal justice system if possible."

Under the scheme, Pc Thomas will work with young volunteers to investigate and deal with reports of bullying or harassment on Facebook.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether these sentences are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. Cyber bullies will receive letters from the police.
b. Some of the victims of Facebook bullying have killed themselves.
c. Only teen social networkers don´t realise how offensive their messages on social networks are.
d. Only professional policemen will investigate online bullying.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. How are the police going to try to stop online bullying?
b. What could happen to these bullies if they don´t stop their actions?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

a. campaign against (par.1) b. continually annoy (par.2) c. accused (par.4)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. The parents of Facebook bullies will receive letters from the police.
Letters .........................................
b. "We want them to realise how serious the matter is.“ he said.
He said that ..................................................
c. The police will investigate social networkers who send disturbing messages.
If social networkers didn´t .............................................

Question 5 (3 points)
Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:

What do you think about social networks like Facebook, Twitter?

Police to send warning letters to parents of Facebook bullies

The parents of Facebook bullies will receive letters from police in the first crackdown on social networking taunting which has led youngsters to commit suicide.Detectives will start sending messages to cyber bullies using the social networking site, warning them they are breaking the law and could face prosecution.Their parents will also be sent a letter alerting them to the fact that their child is an online bully and what the consequences of their actions could be.

It is hoped that informing the internet tormentors of the seriousness of their actions at an early stage will stop them from using the web to harass others and keep them from entering the criminal justice system.

"By sending a police warning notice on Facebook, students will be made aware they could be prosecuted," he said."By alerting their parents to the problem, we are aiming to nip the problem in the bud and prevent it becoming something more serious."Social networkers, whatever their age, often don't think about what they are writing in the same way they would think about what they write in a letter or an email.

"If we have to investigate Facebook messages as harassment or public order offences and the young person gets charged, it could seriously affect their future."While we want them to realise how serious the matter is, we also want to avoid that and keep young people out of the criminal justice system if possible."

Under the scheme, Pc Thomas will work with young volunteers to investigate and deal with reports of bullying or harassment on Facebook.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether these sentences are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. Cyber bullies will receive letters from the police.
b. Some of the victims of Facebook bullying have killed themselves.
c. Only teen social networkers don´t realise how offensive their messages on social networks are.
d. Only professional policemen will investigate online bullying.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. How are the police going to try to stop online bullying?
b. What could happen to these bullies if they don´t stop their actions?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

a. campaign against (par.1) b. continually annoy (par.2) c. accused (par.4)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. The parents of Facebook bullies will receive letters from the police.
Letters .........................................
b. "We want them to realise how serious the matter is.“ he said.
He said that ..................................................
c. The police will investigate social networkers who send disturbing messages.
If social networkers didn´t .............................................

Question 5 (3 points)
Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:

What do you think about social networks like Facebook, Twitter?

Police to send warning letters to parents of Facebook bullies

KEY

Question 1.

a. False. “ Detectives will start sending messages to cyber bullies.“
b. True. “ the first crackdown on social networking taunting which has led youngsters to commit suicide.“
c. False. “Social networkers, whatever their age, often don't think about what they are writing in the same way they would think about what they write in a letter or an email.“
d. False. “ Pc Thomas will work with young volunteers to investigate and deal with reports of bullying or harassment on Facebook.“

Question 2.

a. The police are going to inform facebook parents’ bullies by mail and they are also going to inform the bullies themeselves by sending them messages through the social network site. They want to make them aware of the seriousness of their online actions and the possible consequences these actions may have.

b. Cyber bullies might be considered criminals, get charged and taken to court, which would have bad effects on their life in the future.

Question 3

a. crackdown on b. to harass c. charged

Question 4.

a. Letters from the police will be received by the parents of Facebook bullies.
b. He said that they wanted them to realise how serious the matter was.
c. If social networkers didn´t send disturbing messages, the police wouldn´t investigate them.

Police to send warning letters to parents of Facebook bullies

KEY

Question 1.

a. False. “ Detectives will start sending messages to cyber bullies.“
b. True. “ the first crackdown on social networking taunting which has led youngsters to commit suicide.“
c. False. “Social networkers, whatever their age, often don't think about what they are writing in the same way they would think about what they write in a letter or an email.“
d. False. “ Pc Thomas will work with young volunteers to investigate and deal with reports of bullying or harassment on Facebook.“

Question 2.

a. The police are going to inform facebook parents’ bullies by mail and they are also going to inform the bullies themeselves by sending them messages through the social network site. They want to make them aware of the seriousness of their online actions and the possible consequences these actions may have.

b. Cyber bullies might be considered criminals, get charged and taken to court, which would have bad effects on their life in the future.

Question 3

a. crackdown on b. to harass c. charged

Question 4.

a. Letters from the police will be received by the parents of Facebook bullies.
b. He said that they wanted them to realise how serious the matter was.
c. If social networkers didn´t send disturbing messages, the police wouldn´t investigate them.

Computer Parts

Computerparts

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Computer Parts

Computerparts

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Computers

Caroline
Where would we be without computers? I’d be (1) __________ without mine. As I run a small business from home I’m always writing all sorts of (2) __________, and I can’t imagine doing them by hand or using a typewriter, but that’s what people had to do in the (3) __________, isn’t it? Then there are the business accounts, which I couldn’t keep track of without spreadsheets. As for email, there’s no way I could have built up my business without it, as it’s (4) __________ for me to be able to communicate quickly with my customers and suppliers.
It’s weird to think that until the early 1980s hardly anyone had a computer at home, as most computers were so big and expensive that they belonged to (5) __________ rather than individuals.
I’d say my computer is on for most of the time I’m in the house – if I’m not using it for work I’m probably surfing the internet, downloading music, or (6) __________ other stuff online.

Bob
Basically I’m a bit of a technophobe. There’s a lot of modern (7) __________ I don’t like using, and a lot I don’t really see the point of. I can’t believe how people think they have to get the latest (8) __________ gadgets, even though most of them are so obviously unnecessary.
As for computers, I use one at work, but that’s only because everyone in my
(9) __________ has to have one. I suppose computers help workplaces function more efficiently, but I don’t think they’re as (10) __________ as most people think they are. Email, for example, probably wastes as much time as it saves, as most of my colleagues seem to spend half the day (11) __________ to pointless messages. I also have a computer at home, but I haven’t used it for ages. I made an effort with it for a little while, but found it very frustrating – I got fed up with all those ‘error’ messages appearing on the (12) __________ whenever I tried to do something.


Fill the twelve gaps in the text with the correct words from the box below.
There are four words that you will not need to use.

organisations
price
past
office
electronic
documents
screen
replying
essential
technology
people
buying
top
happy
useful
lost


KEY

1. lost
2. documents
3. past
4. essential
5. organisations
6. buying
7. technology
8. electronic
9. office
10. useful
11. replying
12. screen

Computers

Caroline
Where would we be without computers? I’d be (1) __________ without mine. As I run a small business from home I’m always writing all sorts of (2) __________, and I can’t imagine doing them by hand or using a typewriter, but that’s what people had to do in the (3) __________, isn’t it? Then there are the business accounts, which I couldn’t keep track of without spreadsheets. As for email, there’s no way I could have built up my business without it, as it’s (4) __________ for me to be able to communicate quickly with my customers and suppliers.
It’s weird to think that until the early 1980s hardly anyone had a computer at home, as most computers were so big and expensive that they belonged to (5) __________ rather than individuals.
I’d say my computer is on for most of the time I’m in the house – if I’m not using it for work I’m probably surfing the internet, downloading music, or (6) __________ other stuff online.

Bob
Basically I’m a bit of a technophobe. There’s a lot of modern (7) __________ I don’t like using, and a lot I don’t really see the point of. I can’t believe how people think they have to get the latest (8) __________ gadgets, even though most of them are so obviously unnecessary.
As for computers, I use one at work, but that’s only because everyone in my
(9) __________ has to have one. I suppose computers help workplaces function more efficiently, but I don’t think they’re as (10) __________ as most people think they are. Email, for example, probably wastes as much time as it saves, as most of my colleagues seem to spend half the day (11) __________ to pointless messages. I also have a computer at home, but I haven’t used it for ages. I made an effort with it for a little while, but found it very frustrating – I got fed up with all those ‘error’ messages appearing on the (12) __________ whenever I tried to do something.


Fill the twelve gaps in the text with the correct words from the box below.
There are four words that you will not need to use.

organisations
price
past
office
electronic
documents
screen
replying
essential
technology
people
buying
top
happy
useful
lost


KEY

1. lost
2. documents
3. past
4. essential
5. organisations
6. buying
7. technology
8. electronic
9. office
10. useful
11. replying
12. screen

Londoners lose 10,000 mobile phones a month in taxis

Londoners lose 10,000 mobile phones a month in taxis

Londoners lose an average of 10,000 mobile phones in the back of taxis every month, with Christmas the worst time. Mobile phones and laptops are regularly left in the back of cabs.
A further 1,000 other portable technologies like laptops or iPods are also left in black cabs each month, according to a survey of cab drivers in the capital.
Steve McMenara, a spokesman for TAXI, the magazine of the Licensed Taxi Driver Association, said: "It’s a known fact that this is the worst time of year for forgetting 'property' in the back of cabs, but especially mobile phones and laptops as they slip onto the floor or get forgotten on the seats as passengers rush onto their next destination with their hands full.
"More people travel into London to buy their Christmas presents during this period who are not regular cab users, they hop a cab to get back to their train stations – and it’s always about an hour later we get a panicked call on their mobile phones asking for them to be returned."
The survey was carried out on behalf of a security firm, Credant Technologies. Sean Glynn, vice-president, told The Register: "We carry out our taxi survey regularly and it’s clear that none of us are infallible, especially at this busy time of year, when it’s all too easy to forget things when you’re travelling.”
"It used to be small items like brollies and briefcases stuffed of boring office papers. Now it’s laptops, smartphones and thumb drives, all chock-full of valuable information to an identity thief."

Question 1 Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text:
a) The fact that people carry many things makes losing things a lot easier.
b) People do not try to recover the lost items.
c) This is the first time the survey has been made.
d) People have always forgotten items in cabs.

Question 2 Answer these questions in your own words:
a) Why is Christmas the time when people forget more things in taxis?
b) Why are phones and laptops easier to lose?

Question 3 Find a word or phrase in the text that means the same as:
a) Hurry up. par 3. b) catch. par 4. c) full. par 6.

Question 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) Other portable technologies like laptops or iPods are also left in black cabs each month.
People……………………………………………………………………..
b) Steve McMenara said: "It’s a known fact that this is the worst time of year for forgetting 'property' in the back of cabs.
Steve McMenara said that ……………………………………………………………………..
c) London visitors don’t use cabs regularly, that’s why they forget their gadgets.
If London visitors..............................................

Question 5 Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

"Once you have lost something, you will never get it back". Do you agree?


Self-Access Group. CEP Santander



KEY

Question 1
1. TRUE ………… as passengers rush onto their next destination with their hands full.
2. FALSE……… and it’s always about an hour later we get a panicked call on their mobile phones asking for them to be returned."
3. FALSE ….."We carry out our taxi survey regularly
4. TRUE…."It used to be small items like brollies and briefcases stuffed full of boring office papers.
Question 2
1. More people travel into London to buy their Christmas presents during this period who are not regular cab users, passengers rush onto their next destination with their hands full.
Over the Christmas period, people who do not usually travel by taxi come into London to do their Christmas shopping and then continue their trip with lots of bags.
2. These objects fall onto the floor or remain on the car seat when their owners leave the taxi..
Question 3
a) rush
b) hop
c) stuffed
Question 4
1. People leave other portable technologies like laptops or iPods in black cabs each month.
2. Steve McMenara said that it was a known fact that that was the worst time of year for forgetting 'property' in the back of cabs.
3. If London visitors used cabs regularly they wouldn’t forget their gadgets.

Londoners lose 10,000 mobile phones a month in taxis

Londoners lose 10,000 mobile phones a month in taxis

Londoners lose an average of 10,000 mobile phones in the back of taxis every month, with Christmas the worst time. Mobile phones and laptops are regularly left in the back of cabs.
A further 1,000 other portable technologies like laptops or iPods are also left in black cabs each month, according to a survey of cab drivers in the capital.
Steve McMenara, a spokesman for TAXI, the magazine of the Licensed Taxi Driver Association, said: "It’s a known fact that this is the worst time of year for forgetting 'property' in the back of cabs, but especially mobile phones and laptops as they slip onto the floor or get forgotten on the seats as passengers rush onto their next destination with their hands full.
"More people travel into London to buy their Christmas presents during this period who are not regular cab users, they hop a cab to get back to their train stations – and it’s always about an hour later we get a panicked call on their mobile phones asking for them to be returned."
The survey was carried out on behalf of a security firm, Credant Technologies. Sean Glynn, vice-president, told The Register: "We carry out our taxi survey regularly and it’s clear that none of us are infallible, especially at this busy time of year, when it’s all too easy to forget things when you’re travelling.”
"It used to be small items like brollies and briefcases stuffed of boring office papers. Now it’s laptops, smartphones and thumb drives, all chock-full of valuable information to an identity thief."

Question 1 Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text:
a) The fact that people carry many things makes losing things a lot easier.
b) People do not try to recover the lost items.
c) This is the first time the survey has been made.
d) People have always forgotten items in cabs.

Question 2 Answer these questions in your own words:
a) Why is Christmas the time when people forget more things in taxis?
b) Why are phones and laptops easier to lose?

Question 3 Find a word or phrase in the text that means the same as:
a) Hurry up. par 3. b) catch. par 4. c) full. par 6.

Question 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) Other portable technologies like laptops or iPods are also left in black cabs each month.
People……………………………………………………………………..
b) Steve McMenara said: "It’s a known fact that this is the worst time of year for forgetting 'property' in the back of cabs.
Steve McMenara said that ……………………………………………………………………..
c) London visitors don’t use cabs regularly, that’s why they forget their gadgets.
If London visitors..............................................

Question 5 Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

"Once you have lost something, you will never get it back". Do you agree?


Self-Access Group. CEP Santander



KEY

Question 1
1. TRUE ………… as passengers rush onto their next destination with their hands full.
2. FALSE……… and it’s always about an hour later we get a panicked call on their mobile phones asking for them to be returned."
3. FALSE ….."We carry out our taxi survey regularly
4. TRUE…."It used to be small items like brollies and briefcases stuffed full of boring office papers.
Question 2
1. More people travel into London to buy their Christmas presents during this period who are not regular cab users, passengers rush onto their next destination with their hands full.
Over the Christmas period, people who do not usually travel by taxi come into London to do their Christmas shopping and then continue their trip with lots of bags.
2. These objects fall onto the floor or remain on the car seat when their owners leave the taxi..
Question 3
a) rush
b) hop
c) stuffed
Question 4
1. People leave other portable technologies like laptops or iPods in black cabs each month.
2. Steve McMenara said that it was a known fact that that was the worst time of year for forgetting 'property' in the back of cabs.
3. If London visitors used cabs regularly they wouldn’t forget their gadgets.

R U online?

In the past month, which of the following have you done online?

1 Used a search engine to find information.
2 Used online banking.
3 Looked up the news.
4 Paid bills.
5 Looked up the weather.
6 Researched a product before buying it.
7 Watched a video clip.
8 Listened to an audio clip.
9 Visited a social networking site.
10 Downloaded music.
11 Looked up sports scores.
12 Shared photos.
13 Viewed or contributed to a blog.
14 Sold something online.

These questions were used in a recent international survey.

Now read the results of the survey in a PAU test.

Time spent online

A recent survey has highlighted the amount of time people spend on line throughout the world. More than 27,000 internet users, aged between 18 and 55, in 16 countries were surveyed by global market information group TNS. The information was also broken down into different sections of society to gain an accurate view of worldwide internet usage.

The findings show that the Chinese spend the largest amount of their leisure time online but also threw up an interesting statistic: While one might expect students (39%) or the unemployed (32%) to spend above average time on the web, the group that spends the highest proportion of their leisure time on the internet is housewives. In this, Britain beats every other country surveyed, with housewives recording almost half (47%) of their free time on the net. The younger the user it seems the more time was spent online. On average under 25s spend 36% of their leisure time online, this rises to an incredible 50% amongst the Chinese.

Another interesting finding was that, on average, internet users had 17 online friends although the Chinese, the biggest web users, were less likely to actually meet any of these friends in person while 76% of Germans topped that poll saying they had arranged to meet people they had first encountered on the net.

What the study also reveals is that a lot of activities which we traditionally did in our spare time are now being done online. Over three quarters of us (76%) have used the internet for banking in the past month and two thirds of us (66%) of us have also paid bills online. General search engine browsing (80%) is the most popular activity. Three quarters of us have used one of the many news sites (75%) in the last month whilst 62% of us have now checked the weather online, all suggesting that the internet has become our ‘one stop shop’ for multi-tasking in minimum time. Interestingly, arguably more pleasurable activities such as using a chatroom (13%) or downloading a film (12%) are far less popular.

Question 1 Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text:
a) The results of the survey confirmed our suspicions that people who are at school or university use the internet the most.
b) People in China are in contact with people via the internet that they will probably never meet.
c) People are changing their way of banking.
d) There are fewer people who chat on the web than people who access the news on the internet.

Question 2 Answer these questions in your own words:
a) How did TNS analyse its research?
b) How does the text say we can save time by using the internet?

Question 3 Find a word or phrase in the text that means the same as:

a) Result par.2
b) Reveal par. 2
c) Change in opinion par. 5

Question 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) More than 27,000 internet users, aged between 18 and 55, in 16 countries were surveyed by global market information group TNS.
TNS, which ………………………………………………………………, surveyed more than 27,000 internet users from 16 countries who ……………………………………
b) The younger the user the more time was spent online.
Older people ………………………………………………………………………………. .
c) “A lot of activities which we traditionally did in our spare time are now being done online”, said TNS.
The survey showed that a lot of ……….

Question 5 Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
“The internet is not always a good thing. It is also dangerous.” Do you agree?

R U online?

In the past month, which of the following have you done online?

1 Used a search engine to find information.
2 Used online banking.
3 Looked up the news.
4 Paid bills.
5 Looked up the weather.
6 Researched a product before buying it.
7 Watched a video clip.
8 Listened to an audio clip.
9 Visited a social networking site.
10 Downloaded music.
11 Looked up sports scores.
12 Shared photos.
13 Viewed or contributed to a blog.
14 Sold something online.

These questions were used in a recent international survey.

Now read the results of the survey in a PAU test.

Time spent online

A recent survey has highlighted the amount of time people spend on line throughout the world. More than 27,000 internet users, aged between 18 and 55, in 16 countries were surveyed by global market information group TNS. The information was also broken down into different sections of society to gain an accurate view of worldwide internet usage.

The findings show that the Chinese spend the largest amount of their leisure time online but also threw up an interesting statistic: While one might expect students (39%) or the unemployed (32%) to spend above average time on the web, the group that spends the highest proportion of their leisure time on the internet is housewives. In this, Britain beats every other country surveyed, with housewives recording almost half (47%) of their free time on the net. The younger the user it seems the more time was spent online. On average under 25s spend 36% of their leisure time online, this rises to an incredible 50% amongst the Chinese.

Another interesting finding was that, on average, internet users had 17 online friends although the Chinese, the biggest web users, were less likely to actually meet any of these friends in person while 76% of Germans topped that poll saying they had arranged to meet people they had first encountered on the net.

What the study also reveals is that a lot of activities which we traditionally did in our spare time are now being done online. Over three quarters of us (76%) have used the internet for banking in the past month and two thirds of us (66%) of us have also paid bills online. General search engine browsing (80%) is the most popular activity. Three quarters of us have used one of the many news sites (75%) in the last month whilst 62% of us have now checked the weather online, all suggesting that the internet has become our ‘one stop shop’ for multi-tasking in minimum time. Interestingly, arguably more pleasurable activities such as using a chatroom (13%) or downloading a film (12%) are far less popular.

Question 1 Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text:
a) The results of the survey confirmed our suspicions that people who are at school or university use the internet the most.
b) People in China are in contact with people via the internet that they will probably never meet.
c) People are changing their way of banking.
d) There are fewer people who chat on the web than people who access the news on the internet.

Question 2 Answer these questions in your own words:
a) How did TNS analyse its research?
b) How does the text say we can save time by using the internet?

Question 3 Find a word or phrase in the text that means the same as:

a) Result par.2
b) Reveal par. 2
c) Change in opinion par. 5

Question 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) More than 27,000 internet users, aged between 18 and 55, in 16 countries were surveyed by global market information group TNS.
TNS, which ………………………………………………………………, surveyed more than 27,000 internet users from 16 countries who ……………………………………
b) The younger the user the more time was spent online.
Older people ………………………………………………………………………………. .
c) “A lot of activities which we traditionally did in our spare time are now being done online”, said TNS.
The survey showed that a lot of ……….

Question 5 Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
“The internet is not always a good thing. It is also dangerous.” Do you agree?

Getting connected

Getting connected

Choose from the words below :


automatic / call / dial / dialling tone / directory / engaged / exchange/

operator / receiver / subscriber's number / trunk code / Yellow Pages

You need to make a telephone 1___________? Then make sure you have your correspondent's number close at hand. Telephone numbers consist of a 2________ and a 3____________ . If you don't know your contact's number, look it up in the telephone 4_____________ of the 5___________ . The latter contains the telephone numbers of businesses and traders in your area.


The next thing you do is lift the 6________ and 7___________or press the number. You will then hear a 8____________ . If the number is 9__________ you will hear an engaged tone. Bad luck, you will have to ring back later.


In a company, the first person who answers the phone will often be the 10_______. He - but still more often: she - will put you through to the person you require. The operator operates the telephone 11_______________. In an increasing number of businesses however manual exchanges are replaced by direct lines or 12____________exchanges.





Self-Access Group.CEP Santander


Key

1. Call
2. Trunk code
3. Subscriber’s number
4. Directory
5. Yellow pages
6. Receiver
7. Dial
8. Dialling tone
9. Engaged
10. Operator
11. Exchange
12. Automatic

Getting connected

Getting connected

Choose from the words below :


automatic / call / dial / dialling tone / directory / engaged / exchange/

operator / receiver / subscriber's number / trunk code / Yellow Pages

You need to make a telephone 1___________? Then make sure you have your correspondent's number close at hand. Telephone numbers consist of a 2________ and a 3____________ . If you don't know your contact's number, look it up in the telephone 4_____________ of the 5___________ . The latter contains the telephone numbers of businesses and traders in your area.


The next thing you do is lift the 6________ and 7___________or press the number. You will then hear a 8____________ . If the number is 9__________ you will hear an engaged tone. Bad luck, you will have to ring back later.


In a company, the first person who answers the phone will often be the 10_______. He - but still more often: she - will put you through to the person you require. The operator operates the telephone 11_______________. In an increasing number of businesses however manual exchanges are replaced by direct lines or 12____________exchanges.





Self-Access Group.CEP Santander


Key

1. Call
2. Trunk code
3. Subscriber’s number
4. Directory
5. Yellow pages
6. Receiver
7. Dial
8. Dialling tone
9. Engaged
10. Operator
11. Exchange
12. Automatic