PEOPLE USE TECHNOLOGY MORE, SLEEP LESS

WARM-UP
1 Spend one minute thinking all of the different ideas you associate with the word technology.

TECHNOLOGY

2 What is the average time you spend on these things every week?
AVERAGE TIME PER WEEK

IS IT TOO HIGH OR LOW?

watching TV
playing video games
texting
making telephone calls
surfing the web
doing your homework

BEFORE LISTENING
3 Match the definitions below to the words:
ADDICTED

ANTISOCIAL AVERAGE BROADBAND FACE-TO-FACE FINDING GAMING MOVE AWAY RESEARCH SPEND

.. : use time doing something

.. : playing computer games
.. : serious study of a subject, in order to discover new facts or test new ideas
.. : typical or normal
.. : a way of connecting computers or other electronic equipment
.. : a piece of information that has been discovered as a result of an official study
.. : not wanting to spend time with other people
.. : change
.. : directly
.. : unable to stop doing something
LISTENING
4 Listen and fill in the gaps.
People in Britain now spend more time watching TV, (1) .. , and using their mobile
phones and computers than sleeping. Research by the British communications agency Ofcom found that
Britons use technology for (2) .. longer than they spend sleeping. The average
U.K. adult uses technology for eight hours and 41 minutes a day. They sleep for an average of eight
hours and 21 minutes. One of the biggest reasons for this is (3) .. and wi-fi. People
can get online almost anywhere, so they spend more time online. Many people make (4)
.. or surf the web while watching television. Television was the most popular
activity. Adults watched an average of (5) .. a day.
The study looked at technology and different age groups. It found that six-year-olds understand how to
use technology (6) .. as 45-year-olds. Another finding was that people understand
digital technology most when they are 14 or 15. A doctor said technology is changing the way people (7)
.. with each other. Dr Arthur Cassidy warned that we are becoming more and more
(8) .. . He said we are moving away from (9) ..
conversations because of technology. He added that people are becoming (10) ..
to their smart phones. Technology also means people are working at home after they get home from
work.

COMPREHENSION
5 Look at the statements a-h. Decide if each statement is correct or incorrect. Then, correct the incorrect
ones.
a. People in Britain spend more time using their computer than sleeping. CORRECT / INCORRECT

b. The average British adult watches eight hours of TV a day.

CORRECT / INCORRECT

c. The only reason for greater use of technology is the access to the web. CORRECT / INCORRECT

d. Six year-olds are at the same level with technology as 45-year-olds.

CORRECT / INCORRECT

e. People understand technology most at the age of 24 to 25.

CORRECT / INCORRECT

f. Experts said we are talking to each other face-to-face more these days. CORRECT / INCORRECT

g. Experts suggested that many people can't live without their phone.
CORRECT / INCORRECT

h. Technologies give people the possibility to work from home.

CORRECT / INCORRECT

SURVEY
6 Write two more GOOD questions about technology in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must
write the questions on his / her own paper.
When you have finished, interview other students. Write down key words about their answers in order to
be ready to report them to the class.
STUDENT 1

STUDENT 2

_________________

_________________

Q1:
Has technology made our lives better?
Why/Why not?
Q2:

Q3:
In your opinion, what is the greatest
technological invention? Why?
Q4:

Now make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.