● 1. You are going to listen to an instructor talking about suggesting courses ofaction. Listen carefully and fill in the blanks with the missing words.

      Is it true that we’re living in the golden age of gadgets? You would most probably say, “That goes without saying.” Check online and you would also say, “You name it, they have it.” Almost each new gadget is designed to make our lives much easier. More amazingly, new gadgets that are coming into the market today are getting artificially more intelligent, which means they have more capacity and bring us greater convenience. 

      But the problem is that you did not know there’s such a thing, or you even did not know whether you need it or not. So, to make your life easier, sometimes you need a push; you need a piece of advice for action. 

      Go through the following expressions and arm yourselves with them so that you can encourage people to take action: 

— Don’t you think you should learn how to be creative?

— Surely you should need a smart device.

— Surely it would be a good idea if you explored the market of wearable technology.

— Don’t you think it would be a good idea if you wore a fitness tracker?

— Wouldn’t it be possible for you to do it right now?

— Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to get a smartwatch?

— Wouldn’t it be better if you wear a device for safety?

—  And (in fact) it seems to me that you could also use BDS instead of GPS.

— And furthermore you should also download an App.

— And what’s more you should also do something.

● 2. State either a personal problem or a social one and see whether your classmates can suggest any course of action. Try to use the language you have just picked up in Ex. 1.

● 3. Before you listen to the upcoming conversation, read the following words and expressions which may be new to you.

A. Listen to the following conversation twice and fill in the blanks with the missing words.

Amy:  It seems to me that it’s much more difficult to lose weight than to put on weight.

Paul:  I would say it’s true of everybody. It’s an issue of balance between how much you take in and how much you burn out.

Amy:  I know. But the problem is...

Paul:  Yes, the problem is you don’t know how much you have burned out in the body. Right?

Amy:  Yes, that’s the problem. How can I know it?

Paul:  A good question. Don’t you think it would be a good idea if you wore a fitness tracker?

Amy:  A fitness tracker? What’s it for?

Paul:  Let me make it clear to you. You’re fond of jogging, right? It can track the number of steps you take, your average heart rate, and more. It can help you find out how far you’ve walked over the past week, and more importantly, it can help you estimate how many calories you’ve burned in a day.

Amy:  That makes sense. It helps me control weight. There must be a lot of choices when you need one. Right?

Paul:  That goes without saying. Surely it would be a good idea if you explored online the market of wearable technology. You’ll get one that suits you best.

Amy:  Sure.

B. Now listen to the conversation again and answer the following questions.

1. What is Amy trying to say about her body weight?

    She finds it much more difficult to lose weight than to put on weight.

2. What seems to be the problem with Amy according to Paul?

    She has no idea how much she burns out in the body.

3. What does Paul suggest that Amy do?

    He suggests that she wear a fitness tracker.

4. What is the device for according to Paul?

    It can help Amy control weight.

5. What is Amy most probably going to do?

    To explore online the market of wearable technology.

● 4. Read the following words and expressions which may be new to you.

A. Read silently the introduction of a lecture on technology while listening to the recording.

      Technology has changed the world and our individual lives in virtually countless ways. Despite this, it is still common for people to bemoan these achievements. Additionally, news outlets like to speculate about the danger of robotics. With all of this negativity, it is easy to forget about the perks associated with technology, including the fact that Lifehack and the entire Internet wouldn’t exist without it. Therefore, it’s a good idea to take a few moments to recognize a few pieces of technology that are dedicated solely to making life easier and more secure. Without these advancements, everything from deadly illnesses to identity theft would be much more prevalent.

● 5. Read aloud the above introduction. Have a discussion on the negativity and perks associated with technology. Then make believe you are a scientist delivering a lecture on technology and present the introduction only.

● 6  Read the following words and expressions which may be new to you.

A. Read the following advertisement for information.

SOLAR-POWERED TIME

      No more excuses for being late: Get a digital watch that doesn’t need batteries — so you’ll never have to worry about running out of time. Powered by natural or artiicial light, it even works six days without light — a mere three minutes back in bright light and it’s fully recharged. The digital readout tells the time to the second and the date as well (encased above it is the solar cell). In black, of course, and ultrathin, the watch is $19.95 from Lorus Products at department stores.

B. Pretend you are a customer who is interested in the watch and ask the shop assistant three questions for more information (write down your questions if necessary).

* Question 1 about accuracy: 

a. Is it accurate?

b. How accurate is it?

c. Excuse me. Can you tell me something about its accuracy?

* Question 2 about the duration of the solar cell: 

a. How long does the solar cell last?

b. When do I have to replace the solar cell?

* Question 3 about the duration of one recharge: 

a. How long does one recharge last?

b. How often must I recharge the solar cell?

C. Act out the above short conversation in class.

● 7. Read the following words and expressions which may be new to you.

A. Listen twice to the taped conversation below between a customer and an assistant whose role you are supposed to play. First, put down your answers to the customer’s questions during the timed pauses. Second, speak your answers out loud.

Customer:  Excuse me, you say you’re offering a 90% discount on shoes. What do you mean?

Assistant:  That means the sale price is 90% of the usual price.

Customer:  Oh, you mean there’s only 10% off, right?

Assistant:  Exactly.

Customer:  I like those shoes. Are they leather or man-made?

Assistant:  The uppers are leather, the sole’s man-made.

Customer:  I got it. By the way, can I exchange sale goods?

Assistant:  Yes, you can, but only with the receipt.

Customer:  Is it possible to return them?

Assistant:  You can’t return sale items, I’m afraid. 

Customer:  Oh, I see. Thanks.

B. Act out the above conversation in class.

● 8. Listen and, during the timed pauses, translate orally into English the Chinese sentences in each of the following three short conversations.

1. A Female Voice: At the news conference, they launched HUAWEI Mate30 Series. Did you know that? What’s the selling point?

You:  我知道，是在德国慕尼黑 (Munich, Germany) 发布的。其中一个非凡的特点是手机背面有三个镜头。

2. A Male Voice:  As the name implies, the device can track the health-related conditions in the body. A growing number of people are crazy about health trackers.

You:  尤其是注意体重的年轻人。健康追踪器能追踪你每天的食物摄入情况，并使你深入了解饮食习惯的方方面面。

3. A Male Voice:  Few would deny that China is growing so fast. It’s undeniable. In a sense, it has much to do with the growing importance being attached to creativity and innovation.

You:  没错。没人会否认创新和创造的重要性。一个没有创新和创造的国家，就是一个没有未来的国家。

A.  Transcript & Key: 

1. A Female Voice:  At the news conference, they launched HUAWEI Mate30 Series. Did you know that? What’s the selling point?

You:  I knew it. The event took place at Munich, Germany. One of the outstanding features is the smartphone has triple rear camera.

2. A Male Voice:  As the name implies, the device can track the health-related conditions in the body. A growing number of people are crazy about health trackers.

You:  Especially the young people who are careful about their weight. The health tracker can track your daily food intake and give you some insight into many aspects of your eating habits.

3. A Male Voice:  Few would deny that China is growing so fast. It’s undeniable. In a sense, it has much to do with the growing importance being attached to creativity and originality.

You:  Right you are. Nobody can deny the importance of creativity and innovation. A country without this is a country without a future. 

B. Act out the above conversations in class.

● 9. Take a close look at the picture below. Think about it for one minute. Then make a two-minute oral presentation to tell the class what you think of the picture.

The following expressions may help your presentation: 

1. the human brain 人脑

2. desktop telephone 台式电话

3. the shrinking of the human brain 人脑萎缩

4. mental capacity 智能

* Suggested Presentation: 

      As we can see from the picture, the human brain is getting smaller and smaller with the development of the telephone. The picture conveys a significant impact the development of the telephone has on the size of the human brain. The smarter the telephone gets, the smaller the size of the human brain will become. 

      In the picture, the first one is called desktop telephone, which sits with a big human brain. After that, we began to have cellular or mobile phones. Each sits with a human brain. But the problem is that the human brain gets smaller and smaller. The smallest one appears with the current cellphone.

      From the association of the development of the telephone with the size of the shrinking of the human brain in the picture, we can see that the human brain gets smaller as the cellphone gets smarter, which means that we are losing our mental capacity as we’re increasing our dependence on the cellphone. Is it true?

● 10. Have a discussion on the topic below.

The following expressions may help your discussion: 

* Try This Discussion: 

Student A:  They say 4G changes life, and 5G will change society. If they’re right, I can see the future of 5G. 5G means the future of faster Internet connectivity and communication.

Student B:  That’s really something. We once said that we could not talk about China without talking about the Great Wall. Now we can say that we cannot talk about China without talking about 5G. I’m really proud of the technical advances we Chinese have made.

Student C:  To my knowledge, the 5G technology will provide the fastest Internet ever, with speed up to 10 times faster than the current wireless networks. It’s unbelievable. It’s hard for me to imagine its potential. No wonder they say 5G will change society. With such smartphones, we are transforming into a smart city.

Student D:  Everything can be double-edged, as we tend to say everything has both advantages and disadvantages. So I would say the future of 5G will come to us with unavoidable disadvantages. But just because 5G can have disadvantages does not mean we’re not going to embrace (拥抱)  it. I’m sure human beings are smart enough to overcome them.