The changes that have taken place in society as a whole since I was

a child in the 60s and 70s are phenomenal. This has much to do
with the fast rate at which technology has developed.
When I was a child TV was still new in Australia and life didn't
revolve around it. People were accustomed to entertaining
themselves and children spent more time playing outdoors. There
also weren't anywhere near so many children's TV programs - so
we spent more time playing with toys, reading books, drawing, etc.
The world has become much smaller in so many ways with the
explosion of the media, the Internet and telecommunications in
general. Yet people really don't connect as much as they used to. A. TRUE or FALSE? Quote from
These days, most people have a mobile with them constantly like 25
the text to support your answer.
some sort of bodily appendage - and use it far more than anything
else they carry. Text messaging has made communication even 1) Ruth used to watch TV a lot when
more impersonal. People aren't talking to each other as much - she was young.
they just send text messages back and forth. Relationships are 2) People don’t live without their cell
becoming almost robotic. phones anymore.
Also marriage is no longer seen as something sacred and 3) Getting married is still important to
honourable like it was in the past. Many couples don't even see the people.
need to get married at all. Even families that stay together are 4) Nowadays most people enjoy a
often under intense pressure. Part of this is due to the fact that so relaxed dinner with their family.
many couples are working long hours nowadays. Parents are 5) Today children’s free time is
absent for the majority of the day, having less opportunities to controlled by technology.
discuss important issues with their children.
Another problem is the incredible amount of activities people are
involved in. Many families are rarely, if ever, together for an B. Answer these questions in your
evening meal, and when the individuals do eat, it's often own words as far as possible: 30
something reheated in the microwave, which they gobble down
while fixated on the TV. 1) How did children use to spend their
free time?
Children's lives are often so highly-organized they barely have time
2) Why do parents have less time for
to be kids any more. When they're home they're likely to be glued
their children nowadays?
to one form of technology or another, and so communication
3) Does the author have a more
suffers further. positive or a more negative opinion
There have been countless changes in our society's values since I about the impact of technology on
was a child - but one thing is for sure - change is not always for the people’s lives? Justify.
better. We have so many amazing conveniences which should
make our lives simpler and more enjoyable. But life is actually
more frenetic - and stress and depression undermine our ability to C. What do the underlined words
15
refer to in the text?
enjoy what we have gained. What we really need is to get back to
fundamentals and focus on the family values that made even the 1) which 2) it 3) it
poorest of families so rich in the past. 4) it 5) their 6)
Ruth Woodhouse - http://www.helium.com/tm/514964/change-exciting-technological-
advance that
D. Explain how the following words are
formed E. Explain these sentences from the
20 3rd # in your own words. 20
and the function of each element added.
Follow the EXAMPLE. 1) “The world has become much
COMMUNICATION – communicate (verb)
+ ion. The suffix is used to form a smaller in so many ways with the
noun. explosion of the media, the Internet
and telecommunications in general.”
1) explosion (#3) 2) “Relationships are becoming
2) impersonal (#3) almost robotic.”
F. rarely
3) WORD FORMATION Complete the sentences with the correct
(#5)
form of the words in brackets. 20
1) There is a clear (different) between the past and the present
regarding family life.
2) Machines are (capable) of thinking for themselves.
3) The Internet’s (popular) exploded as it became more (access) to
everyone.
4) I’ve bought the last IPad – it’s absolutely (fascinate).
5) It’s really (believe) what this small cell phone can do.
G. RELATIVE CLAUSES Link the sentences with a relative
pronoun. 20
Use
1) Thecommas where needed.
cell phone belongs to my father. It’s a state-of-the-art
model.
2) Beth feels very lonely sometimes. Her parents have a very busy
life.
3) The dog AIBO is the most advanced toy-robot. It has been sold
around the world.
H. WRITING 50
Do the following using about 150 words.
Bearing in mind the text and the picture below, express your own opinion on how
technological advance has changed our lives.

KEY

A.
1. F – “When I was a child TV was still new in Australia and life didn't revolve around it.”
2. T - ...”most people have a mobile with them constantly (...) far more than anything else they
carry.”
3. F – “Many couples don't even see the need to get married at all.”
4. F – “Many families are rarely, if ever, together (...) they gobble down while fixated on the TV.”
5. T- “When they're home they're likely to be glued (...), and so communication suffers further.”
B.

1. Children used to spend their free time outside playing with friends. Instead of watching TV all day,
they played with their toys, or read and made drawings.

2. Parents have less time for their children nowadays because both, the father and the mother, have
a job. They are working long hours every day and are thus more absent from home.

3. The author has a more negative opinion about the impact of technology on people’s lives. First
technological advance has nearly destroyed socialisation. Children now spend more time alone in
front of any form of technological entertainment. Also TV rules meal time, leaving no time for any
kind of conversation. Even the way people communicate has been affected. Text messages, for
example, have replaced face-to-face contact. And finally, life has become more frenetic – people are
more stressed out and depressed because of their jobs. In many ways technology has made our lives
much easier – however, we don’t have time to enjoy it.

C.

1. fast rate 2. TV 2. mobile 3. marriage 4.parents 5. family values

D.

1. explode (verb) + sion. The suffix is used to form a noun.

2. im + person (noun) + al. The prefix is used to form the opposite. The suffix is used to form an
adjective.
3. rare (adjective) + ly . The suffix is used to form an adverb.

E.

1. This means that through technological development it has become easier for people to
communicate with each other, to share and exchange information and to have access to all sorts of
data and information without the constraints or restrictions of geography or time zones. People now
live in a global village in which everything is easily accessible, even if it is happening on the other
side of the planet.
2. This means that relationships are becoming more impersonal and mechanical, since people almost
don’t communicate with each other face to face anymore. Instead, they connect using all sorts of
technological means: e-mails, text message, etc.

F.
1. difference 2. incapable 3. popularity / accessible 4. fascinating 5. unbelievable.

1. The photo which she is looking at shows her parents in France.

2. Beth, whose parents have a very busy life, feels very lonely sometimes.
3. The dog AIBO, which has been sold around the world, is the most advanced toy-robot.
4. The woman who I was talking to has got a big family.

G.

1. The cell phone which/that is a state-of-the-art mode belongs to my father.

2. Beth, whose parents have a very busy life, feels very lonely sometimes.
3. The dog AIBO, which has been sold around the world, is the most advanced toy-robot.
4. The woman who I was talking to has got a big family.