Unit 8. Communication

8.01 Complete with the following words.

video                          text                  file

social                           message          news

broadcasting                media               satellite

merge

1 I was surfing your site the other day when I received an instant _______________ from a total stranger.

2 He downloaded the movie from a _______________-sharing site.

3 The _______________ fell to earth after we had lost all contact with it.

4 I have always wanted to work in _______________ and now I have a job on Channel 6 my dream has come true!

5 I keep in touch with my friends all over the world through various _______________ networking sites.

6 We communicate with our offices overseas using _______________ conferencing.

7 We run the best _______________-gathering service in the world.

8 The two companies decided to _______________ for financial reasons.

9 He sent her a _______________ message to say he had arrived safely.

10 Today, the mass _______________ controls nearly all of the information we receive.

8.02 Complete each sentence with one word.

1 Teenagers account _______________ a large proportion of internet users.

2 This model will be phased _______________ over the next few months as the new model comes in.

3 This machine can deal _______________ millions of bytes of information

every second.

4 I don’t know exactly which phone to buy but I have one _______________ mind.

5 The typewriter is a thing _______________ the past.

6 I want to work _______________ the field of electronics when I get a job.

7 The technician is coming to help you set _______________ the equipment.

8 He consulted an expert _______________ telecommunications.

9 I went to the site and logged _______________ in order to check my mail.

10 When he had finished his telephone conversation he hung _______________.

8.03 Circle the correct answer (A, B or C).

There are many different and interesting types of jobs in the media. You might enjoy working on the (1) ________ side of the industry, in television for example, as a (2) ________ on a talk show, or a (3) ________ for a drama series. Of course, there are technical posts in the media, too. (4) ________ need great knowledge of their equipment as well as the ability to spot a good (5) ________ when they have the opportunity. As well as the visual media, there is sound, too. Radio (6) ________ the best in mass communication for some people, who feel that the age of the internet has many (7) ________ sides. For others though, it is hopelessly (8) ________ and it’s not surprising it has seen a (9) ________ in popularity in recent years. However, some of the best (10) ________ still learn their trade in radio before moving to TV or the printed media.

1 A instant                    B creative                     C global

2 A actor                      B presenter                   C viewer

3 A subscriber              B journalist                   C script writer

4 A Pioneers                B Viewers                     C Camera operators

5 A shot                       B application                C interface

6 A abandons               B inspires                     C represents

7 A unbeatable             B negative                    C overall

8 A outmoded              B useless                     C low-cost

9 A merge                    B spam                         C slump

10 A journalists             B directors                   C contestants

8.04 Circle the correct words.

1 When the programme started, the presenter / director introduced the first guest.

2 I’ve just heard about the fire on a news studio / bulletin.

3 The camera operator / script writer carefully kept the moving car in the shot.

4 We need to change the ending of the movie – call the subscriber / script writer.

5 And to end the show, we’re going to read out some emails from our regular editors / viewers.

6 The newspaperman also owned three movie workplaces / studios.

7 The mark of a good pioneer / journalist is knowing what questions to ask.

8 What service / channel is the film on?

9 I was so annoyed by the poor standard of writing that I sent an angry letter to the broadcaster / editor.

10 When the director / contestant shouts ‘Action!’ you start acting, ok?

8.05 Complete the sentences using the correct form of the words in bold.

1 I have sent in an _______________ to get one of the first of the new iPhones. APPLY

2 Most _______________ don’t come true. PREDICT

3 She was chosen to be one of the _______________ on the new quiz show. CONTEST

4 He is a top _______________ for a market research company. ANALYSE

5 Do you have the right _______________ for this position? QUALIFY

6 He’s not a very _______________ person. LIKE

7 When I go to university I want to study _______________ technology. COMMUNICATE

8 He speaks English very well, but his _______________ isn’t so great. PRONOUNCE

9 To do this job, you need good _______________ skills. ORGANISE

10 You must take _______________ for your own actions. RESPONSIBLE

8.06 Circle the correct answer (A, B or C).

1 Computers can make millions of calculations in a split ________.

A) moment

B) second

C) minute

2 I met a new friend in a ________ room online.

A) chat

B) talk

C) conversation

3 Some kids spend hours ________ the internet.

A) watching

B) networking

C) surfing

4 He was invited to participate in a ________ about technology and the

modern world.

A) bulletin

B) show

C) service

5 The investigation was the subject of an interesting ________.

A) documentary

B) blockbuster

C) file

6 He became famous after appearing on a ________ TV show.

A) studio

B) video

C) reality

7 It’s one of the most interesting current ________ programmes on TV.

A) deadline

B) affairs

C) script

8 I was able to have a brief ________ with him via the video phone before we lost the signal.

A) conversation

B) message

C) network

9 We had a most productive ________ on the future of telecommunications.

A) broadcast

B) message

C) discussion

10 He expressed his ________ for the project.

A) enthusiasm

B) benefits

C) interface

8.07 Rewrite the direct speech as indirect speech. Use say or ask.

1 Colin: Adam is using the computer tomorrow.

___________________________________________

2 Arnold: I have been trying to understand this for a long time.

___________________________________________

3 Dave: I was waiting for two hours in the dark yesterday.

___________________________________________

4 Chris (to Rosie): Who do you think will win the school prize?

___________________________________________

5 Fiona: What is Benny doing for the science fair next week?

___________________________________________

6 Drake and Judy: We have been surfing the internet for hours today.

___________________________________________

7 Your parents: Will you come and help us with our digital radio?

___________________________________________

8 Vanessa (to you): How long have you been a member of the forum?

___________________________________________

9 Jimmy: I have forgotten why I left home.

___________________________________________

10 Andrew (to Edna): Do you like watching TV?

___________________________________________

8.08 Complete with the following words.

 whether           ask                   before

claimed deny                 however

ordered suggested        despite   agree

1 The inventor _______________ that he had had the idea first but the company stole it from him.

2 Do you _______________ the accusation that you lied to the police?

3 I hoped he would _______________ to work with me on the project.

4 The director _______________ taking a break to think about the next scene.

5 The play was a huge hit _______________ some negative reviews in the press.

6 The actor didn’t know _______________ he had got the part or not.

7 It’s a great idea for an app. _______________, we don’t have the money to develop it.

8 Why don’t you just _______________ him to explain it again?

9 The president _______________ the editor to remove the article from the newspaper.

10 He reminded her that he had interviewed her many years _______________ she became famous.

8.09 Complete each gap with one word.

Working in TV can be pretty difficult. Before I started, my friends all told me (1) _______________ it was a great career move, and suggested that I (2) ______________ apply to ABN, the news network, because they (3)  _____________ heard they were looking for new people. I applied and ABN agreed (4) _______________ employ me as a production assistant, (5) _______________ spite of the (6) _______________ that I had no experience. On my first day, the director ordered (7) _______________ to make everyone coffee. The (8) _______________ day, he told me to hold an umbrella over his head even (9) _______________ we were inside! I hated it so much I left the job. So when you hear someone (10) _______________ to love working in TV, don’t believe them.

8.10 Match the direct speech terms with the indirect speech terms.

1 here               _______

2 now               _______

3 today             _______

4 tomorrow       _______

5 ago               _______

6 yesterday      _______

7 next week      _______

8 may               _______

9 will                _______

10 can             _______

A the following week

B then

C could

D would

E there

F before

G might

H the following day

I the day before

J that day

8.11 Circle ‘C’ for correct or ‘IC’ for incorrect.

1 Despite he was very busy, he talked to me on the phone for twenty minutes. C / IC

2 We could see the picture quite clearly, even though it was coming from a distant planet. C / IC

3 In spite the cost, he decided to buy a new laptop. C / IC

4 However he was deaf, we managed to communicate very easily. C / IC

5 I suggested calling an electrician to sort the problem out. C / IC

6 He refused telling me how much the satellite dish cost him. C / IC

7 He said that he would send the email the following day. C / IC

8 He ordered the technicians work harder to develop the software. C / IC

9 I’m looking forward to seeing you the next day. C / IC

10 He claimed to be a doctor but nobody believed him. C / IC

8.12 Circle the correct words.

1 He agreed to install / installing the software on my computer.

2 He denied to know / knowing why the machine was broken.

3 He asked someone to show / showing him how to use the program.

4 He said he had decided when the test would / will take place.

5 The media suggested that the telephone call to / might have been made two days before the meeting.

6 There is no news so far, however / although we are still hoping.

7 The radio signal was good, although / despite the weather conditions.

8 The technology is still not very advanced. However, / Although, it functions quite well.

9 John told me that he can / could get a job in the media.

10 Arthur thought / thinks that he would be able to do it at that moment.

8.13 Read the text and write the headings in the correct spaces.

A new alphabet

Common language

Early social networking

Evolution and diversity

The light and the dark

1 ____________

Since the beginning of time, man has been communicating through language more and more effectively with his fellow man. Starting with movements and sounds all the way to the printed word and beyond, communication has developed in a wide variety of media over the millennia. Harry Muskow, director of the Museum of Communication in Stoke, England, is an expert on the history of communication and tells us about a few of the more interesting forms that people have used to send messages and information.

2 ____________

In North America, the native people used to use smoke signals to communicate with each other. They would gather small bits of wood and make a fire on a piece of high ground and add things to the fire to produce smoke – different types and colours of smoke. They could communicate with people miles away, in order to warn or call for help, it is assumed, but only in the daytime, clearly. A similar method was used in Britain in times of danger, but only at night, when hillside fires would be lit to alert people to the approach of an enemy.

3 ____________

The talking drums of Africa are famous all over the world for combining music and communication. It is a more developed method than smoke signals and can be used for longer and more specific messages. For example, if a villager wanted to invite a relative from another village to a family wedding, he could easily do this through the drums. Different notes and rhythms and combinations can communicate numbers, times and specific events over quite long distances.

4 ____________

The telegraph machine sends signals over a wire which can be thousands of miles long. The device could not send spoken words or pictures, but only short noises or ‘taps’, similar to the sound of someone knocking on a door. A code of only two sounds – a short and a long ‘tap’ – was invented and so the telegraph could relay words and sentences in this way, which was a great leap forward.

5 ____________

Semaphore is a system of visual communication using flags and this is how ships communicated with each other before radio. Different colours and shapes and combinations of colours and shapes could mean different things. This method was useful in battle to coordinate ships in an attack, or to order specific ships to do something, or even to demand the surrender of the enemy as the system was almost universally understood.

8.14 Complete each sentence with one or two words from the text.

1 Drums could communicate more _______________ messages than smoke signals.

2 The telegraph was a _______________ forward in communication.

3 There is a wide _______________ media in the world today.

4 Different _______________ of notes and rhythms could mean different things.

5 The _______________ word is a modern form of communication

6 The system of semaphore was recognised almost _______________.

7 The telegraph could not send pictures or _______________.

8 Smoke signals were used to call _______________ or warn people of danger.

9 Semaphore is a _______________ form of communication.

10 In Britain, people would light fires on the _______________ to warn others of danger.

8.15 Read the text and circle the correct words.

1 Movements / Flags were used to coordinate ships.

2 Smoke signals were used to invite / warn people.

3 The drums used a combination of rhythm and notes / shapes.

4 Telegraph devices used a new kind of colour / alphabet.

5 Semaphore was used by Africans / sailors.

6 Similar methods were used in North America and in Britain / at sea.

7 Ships communicated with each other during battles / warnings.

8 Drums were used by ships / villagers.

9 Telegraph messages were sent over seas / wires for thousands of miles.

10 The telegraph machine used video / sound to communicate.

8.16 Read the sentences and write ‘T’ for True or ‘F’ for False according to the text.

1 Drums are only used for warning people. ________

2 Some methods of communication depend on colour. ________

3 Semaphore was used at sea. ________

4 The telegraph system used the printed word. ________

5 Ships developed another form of communication after semaphore. ________

6 One of the first methods of communication was movement. ________

7 Fire is useful at night as well as in the daytime. ________

8 The telegraph machine did not use colours. ________

9 Communication has not really developed over time. ________

10 Drums can communicate over longer distances than any other form of communication mentioned in the text. ________

8.17 Answer the questions.

1 How do you usually communicate with your friends and family?

2 How do you stay in touch with the ‘outside world’ – through the TV, radio or something else?

3 What media do you think have the biggest influence on your opinions and tastes – internet, TV, books, etc? How do you find out about new bands, new fashions, new movies?

4 Do you read the news or watch it or listen to it? What is the difference between these ways of getting the news?

5 Do you think the media has too much influence on the way people think?

6 Do you trust the media? Do you think you always read or hear the truth?

7 Should the government control the media in any way?

8.18 Read the situations and discuss.

1 Imagine you work in the media. What job would you like to do? Would you work in front of the cameras or behind the scenes? What do you think are the good and bad things about working in the media?

2 Imagine you are a going to make a reality TV show, like Big Brother. What subject would you choose? Would you use celebrities or ordinary people?

3 Imagine you are a movie-maker and you are going to make a new film. What type of movie will you make? What audience will you aim for? What is your film about? Does it have a message or is it just entertainment?

4 Imagine you are going to create a website for all the students in your school. What kind of things will you put on the site – school news, sports teams’ results, study tips, gossip?

5 Imagine you have a radio show on your local radio station. If you could have a special guest to interview one day, who would you choose? Why? What would you talk about? What could you learn from such a person?

8.19 Answer the questions.

1 Do you have a mobile phone? What do you use it for?

2 What do you use the internet for?

3 Is the internet good or bad for teenagers? Why?

4 How would your life be different without the internet or your mobile phone?

5 Do you think your relationships with your friends and family are affected by mobile phones and social networking sites?

6 Do you think parents should limit their children’s use of mobile phones or the internet? Why / Why not?

7 Do you ever write letters? When? Why / Why not?

8 Do you think the world of communication will keep changing in the future?

 Track 28          

8.20 Listen and match the sentences (A–E) with the means of communication (1–5).

1 email                         ____________

2 letters                                    ____________

3 social networking                   ____________

4 text messages                       ____________

5 video-conferencing    ____________

A This is more private than other forms of electronic communication.

B This medium is not as popular as it used to be.

C This is used to save money on travelling costs.

D This is used for many reasons and in many ways.

E This is used to communicate with many people at the same time.

8.21 Listen and complete the notes with a word or phrase.

1 Grant says that each form of communication has both _______________.

2 Wilma says that letters are stylish but _______________ and unpopular now.

3 Email is the first _______________ to letters that Wilma mentions.

4 Email is very good because of the number of people who have _______________ it.

5 Some people have stopped using email because of the amount of _______________.

6 Social networking sites are popular but the _______________ of the messages being posted is low.

7 Text messages are more personal because the message goes _______________ the person you are communicating with.

8 The limitations of text-messaging do not affect _______________.

9 In a video-conference you can _______________ all the other people.

10 It will be interesting to see the way that video-conferencing technology _______________ in the future.

8.22 Listen and circle the word or phrase you hear.

1 Some forms of communication are easy to use and some are low-cost /

low-tech.

2 People don’t like letters because they are not real / instant enough.

3 Letters count / account for very little communication these days.

4 Email is unbeatable / communicative in terms of easy access.

5 Spam is a reason for the decrease / slump in email traffic.

6 Social networking sites are ideal for younger people / the younger generation.

7 A lot of people are writing / are posting unimportant information on networking sites.

8 Text messages have some limitations / limits.

9 Video-conferencing is similar to a chat room / social networking.

10 Video-conferencing technology has a few advantages / problems

at present.

8.23 Listen and write ‘T’ for True or ‘F’ for False.

1 Very few people still write letters. _______

2 Only three percent of letters come from banks today. _______

3 Email is the easiest form of communication today, according to the speaker. _______

4 Because of spam people are sending more emails. _______

5 Networking online is seen as a replacement for email in some ways. _______

6 Wilma thinks social people’s posts on social networking sites are silly. _______

7 Unimportant posts on Twitter and Facebook are a form of waste. _______

8 Text-messaging is becoming less popular. _______

9 Text messages are used in business. _______

10 Video-conferencing is as good as a real meeting. _______

8.24 Report

You are a member of the production team for your college radio station. The radio station director has asked you to interview students at your college to find out their opinions about the quality of the radio programmes on the station, and present your findings in a report.

Write your report in 120–180 words in an appropriate style.