Unit 18 Future trends 18.1 Making predictions (1) Language in use Read this article. Where do the sentences in the box belong? (2) Reading Read the article again. Then match the numbers to their explanations like this: 1 ￡37 billion a the monthly rate of increase in the number of Internet users 2 10% b the amount American business will spend advertising on the Internet by 2002 3 $30 billion c the number of Internet users in 1998 4 $2 billion d the amount that British business now spend on administration 5 35 million e the amount spent on online shopping by 2005 (3) Writing How will you use the Internet? Write sentences about what you will and won’t use the Internet for like this: 1 (banking) I’ll do my banking on the Internet. 2 (lectures) __________________________________ 3 (shopping) _________________________________ 4 (music) ____________________________________ 5 (books) ____________________________________ 6 (holidays) __________________________________ 18.2 Talking about the future (1) Language in use Read these sentences. How sure are the speakers that things will happen? Write the numbers of the sentences in the list below. ( ) 1 I’m certain the cost of living will rise. ( ) 2 I think more people will work at home. ( ) 3 I’m sure robots won’t replace factory workers. ( ) 4 I’m sure people will want to learn foreign languages. ( ) 5 It’s possible that people will use their cars even more. ( ) 6 I expect people will spend more money on holidays. ( ) 7 I’m certain people won’t eat out so often. ( ) 8 I expect most people will shop with credit cards. ( ) 9 It’s possible that people will want to work until they are seventy. ( ) 10 I don’t expect computers will become more user friendly. Certain it will happen: 1 Likely to happen: 2 Note sure: Not likely to happen: Certain it won’t happen: (2) Listening Listen to two people talking about the future. Tick (√) the statements that they agree with in Exercise 1, and put a cross (×) next to the ones they disagree with. (3) Writing What do you think will happen? Write your own opinion about these topics like this: 1 more free time I’m certain that people will have more free time in the future. 2 more money to spend __________________________________________________ 3 more holidays __________________________________________________ 4 at home more __________________________________________________ 5 longer hours __________________________________________________ 6 more books __________________________________________________ 18.3 Changing the way we work (1) Reading Read this article. Are the statements about it true (T) or false (F)? ( ) 1. With new technology, you don’t need to be at the office to do your job. ( ) 2. It is difficult to become a telecommuter. ( ) 3. Telecommuting is less environmentally friendly than office-based work. ( ) 4. Telecommuters should remember that coffeehouses are business, too. ( ) 5. Telecommuting is much less expensive than commuting to work every day. (2) Listening Listen to this woman talking about telecommuting and fill in the blanks. I started working from home a few years ago. My season ticket on the train cost me over (1) _________ a year, and most days the trains were late or overcrowded. I used to leave home at (2) _________, and if there was an important meeting, I might not get home until (3) _________ o’clock! It was the stress of traveling that made me decide to change the way I work. Now, I find I can get much more (4) _________ done, and I’m much (5) _________ and more relaxed. I can meet friends for lunch, do my shopping, even go away for the day. I still have to go up to the city for (6) _________, but now I enjoy my trip to the office and the chance to see old colleagues and friends. The bad side is that I don’t get paid while I’m away on (7) _________ or when I’m (8) _________, but I think that the good points outweigh the bad. (3) Writing A friend of yours is thinking about becoming a telecommuter. Write a letter to them telling them about the good and bad points and suggesting what they should do. References 18.1 1 1c 2a 3d 4b 2 2a 3e 4b 5c 3 Suggested answers 2 I’ll attend lectures on the Internet. 3 I’ll go shopping on the Internet. 4 I’ll listen to music on the Internet. 5 I’ll buy books on the Internet. 6 I’ll book my holidays on the Internet. 18.2 1 Certain it will happen: 1, 4 Likely to happen: 2, 6, 8 Not sure: 5, 9 Not likely to happen: 10 Certain it won’t happen: 3, 7 2 Tick: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 Cross: 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 WOMAN: What do you think the world like will be like in the year 2010? MAN: It’s hard to say, but I’m certain that most things will be more expensive! WOMAN: Yes, I’m sure they will! But I think our lives will changes a lot. I’m certain that more people will want to learn foreign languages, and they’ll travel more as well. People will certainly spend more money on these things. MAN: I like the idea of more holidays in the future! But will we have more free time? WOMAN: Well, I think that more and more jobs will be done by robots, especially factory jobs, and I think more people will work for themselves at home rather than for big companies. People don’t like being part of a huge company! MAN: People are living longer as well. but I don’t think people would want to work until they’re seventy. WOMAN: I certainly don’t! But there are lots of other changes that could happen, and some that won’t. I don’t think people will use their cars so much in the future. Everyone will be more concerned about pollution. MAN: Yeah, I think you’re right about that. But I’m sure that in future we’ll eat out more. I also think that computers will be more important in our lives. WOMAN: I agree with you, especially about computers. And I’m sure that they’ll become more and more user friendly. 18.3 1 1 T 2F No, it is easier than you think. 3 F It is more environmentally friendly 4 T 5T 2 I started working from home a few years ago. My season ticket on the train cast me over ￡1,000 a year, and most days the trains were late or overcrowded. I used to leave home at seven thirty, and if there was an important meeting, I might not get home until nine o’clock! It was the stress of traveling that made me decide to change the way I work. Now, I find I can get much more work done, and I’m much happier and more relaxed. I can meet friends for lunch, do my shopping, even go away for the day. I still have to go up to the city for meetings, but now I enjoy my trip to the office and the chance to see old colleagues and friends. The bad side is that I don’t get paid while I’m away on holiday or when I’m sick, but I think that the good points outweigh the bad.