FIRST READING AND USE OF ENGLISH PART 5 1

Science and technology

Exam task
You are going to read an article about new technology and students. For questions 1–6,
1
choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

Student life and technology

By Debra Mallin, a business student at Greyfort
University
Last Saturday, as my grandfather drove me and my
sister home from a dinner to celebrate his birthday, he
got frustrated at not being able to remember the name
of the singer of a song he’d just heard on the radio.
Without a second thought, I grabbed my smartphone,
searched for the song and found the name, Bob
Dylan. For me and my friends, this is a completely
natural course of action, but it totally astonished my
grandfather, who didn’t understand how I had checked
the information so quickly. My sister and I laughed and
explained, but afterwards, it made me think about how tutors when we need it, and also communicate using
much I depend on technology. our electronic gadgets from the comfort of our homes,
or on the bus. The most popular means of doing this is
The list of the ways I use technology is endless: writing, via instant messaging or social media – email is often
planning, socialising, communicating and shopping, considered too slow, and it has become unacceptable
to name a few. When I reflected on its impact on my for messages to be unanswered for any length of time.
education, I saw that, for my fellow students and I, While this puts an extra strain on the university’s academic
technology has been significant in many ways. Returning support team, who usually have to answer the queries as
to the story of my grandfather and the smartphone, they come in, we students are greatly benefitted.
he had asked me more about how I used it and about
university life. He said he thought we had an easy life It’s important that we remember to appreciate how
compared to previous generations. My sister caught my much the advances in technology have given us.
eye and we exchanged a smile. But whereas she was Electronic devices such as tablets, smartphones,
thinking our grandfather was just being a typical 65-year- and laptops are now standard equipment in most
old, I could see his point. classrooms and lecture halls, and why shouldn’t they
be? The replacement of textbooks with tablets allows
Not only are we lucky enough to have the same students the luxury of having up-to-date, interactive and
educational benefits as those of previous generations, even personalised learning materials, with the added
we have so many more as well. We still have walk-in benefit of them not costing the earth.
libraries available to us, and I can see why some students
choose to find and use resources in these distraction-free When we compare the student life of the past and that
locations. However, the only option for studying used to of the present day, it is tempting to focus on the obvious
be sitting in these libraries with as many books from your differences when it comes to technology. In actual
reading list as you could find, yet now a single search for fact, students are doing what they’ve always done:
your chosen study topic online can immediately provide embracing the resources available and adapting them in
access to a huge range of resources. At universities, ways which allow them to work more efficiently and to
interaction between students and university staff is another live more enjoyably. The pace of change in technology
area that has changed considerably with developments continuously gathers speed, so we have to value each
in technology. We can have face-to-face time with our innovation as it happens.

36 FIRST READING AND USE OF ENGLISH | PART 5 | 1 © Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017
 1. What does the writer illustrate by describing the 4. What disadvantage of new technology does the writer
incident in the car? mention in the third paragraph?
A the older generation’s frustration at people’s A Those who can afford the best gadgets gain an
dependence on technology unfair advantage.
B how unaware young people are of some effects B Sometimes slow internet connections make
of technology communication difficult.
C the difference in attitudes to technology between C A heavier workload is created for teaching staff
two generations at the university.
D how technology helps different generations D Students cannot escape from dealing with
communicate university issues.
2. What did the writer think of her grandfather’s 5. What is the purpose of the question ‘Why shouldn’t
comment, mentioned in the second paragraph? they be?’ in the fourth paragraph?
A It showed how out-of-date he was. A to express an opinion
B It had an element of truth in it. B to introduce some problems
C It was an annoying thing to say. C to make a criticism
D It made her feel sorry for him. D to indicate uncertainty
3. What does the writer say about getting study 6. What is the writer’s conclusion about students today in
resources from libraries? the final paragraph?
A She considers libraries more preferable places A They have such different lives to previous
for study than home. generations that it’s unwise to compare them.
B She cannot understand why anyone chooses to B They deal better with change than previous
go to a library now. generations did.
C She appreciates the fact that people can still C They take advantage of new resources more
study in libraries if they want to. quickly than previous generations did.
D She thinks libraries are limited by the quantity of D They are behaving in a similar way to previous
resources they can store. generations of students.

Complete the sentences with a phrase. Use one word from each box for each phrase.
2

back hard high- instant interactive search social virtual

drive engine games media messaging reality tech up

1. Google is the most used in the world.

2. I don’t text my friends any more because is so much faster.
3. How much storage space is left on the in your PC?
4. If you don’t your work, you are in danger of losing it.
5. The car’s steering system is unique.
6. Play the on our website to learn more about science and technology.
7. makes you feel as if you are in a real three-dimensional space.
8. By using like Twitter, you can communicate with anyone on the internet.

Exam facts
In this part, you read a long text.
You have to choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) for six questions.
© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2015

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017 FIRST READING AND USE OF ENGLISH | PART 5 | 1 37
 FIRST READING AND USE OF ENGLISH PART 5 2

House and home

Exam task
You are going to read a review of a TV programme about homes of the future. For questions
1
1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

The homes of the future viewed from today

Mark Finchley reviews TV series Tomorrow’s Homes
Having just watched the whole of Channel 8’s TV series
Tomorrow’s Homes, I’ve been wondering about how
anyone can predict the future of domestic life. You’d
imagine that if you knew what architects and technology
companies were developing now to make life easier,
more exciting and more beautiful, you’d have a pretty
good idea of what to expect in tomorrow’s homes. In
reality, it’s more complicated, and just as much about
what we’ll choose to hang on to from today’s – the
things that are ‘future-proof’. In the 1950s, people
thought that in the twenty-first century household tasks
would be done by labour-saving devices or robots – with
food pills for dinner. Yet people still wash up and cook,
even though the technology exists that makes neither of the technology they were testing. One example that
these tasks necessary. sticks in the mind is when Janine, the mother, enters
her reconstructed, all-white home (after successfully
Tomorrow’s Homes, however, dared to make predictions unlocking her new front door by using her thumb print
which it turned into reality using an average home as a key), and she immediately bursts into tears – quite
belonging to a family called the Forseys. Four miles understandably it has to be said. A short while later,
of cable were installed in the house so that all the her husband Ben gets locked out because the skin
electrics, from lights to the fridge, could be controlled on his thumb is too rough. As the series progresses,
via the internet, and various other devices and gadgets however, they slowly come to accept the technology,
were introduced in addition to this. The family were and even start to believe it could have some value in
then filmed as they got used to their new home their lives.
life. Programme presenter Harry Thwaites is also a
consultant who spends his work life imagining the I was keen to see during the show if anything emerged
future, so testing out his ideas for the programme was a as potentially future-proof, and there were some great
fascinating experiment for him. His approach was to use examples. To help Janine deal with various worries, she
technology that was not totally brand new, but had only was provided with a mind-controlled relaxation tool. This
recently become more affordable. CCTV cameras for was a kind of headband connected to a DVD, which,
security have been around for years, for example, but incredibly, she could control with her thoughts. When
they are no longer only an option for the mega-rich. she relaxed mentally, she made an image of the sun
go down, as it would at night, on the DVD. When she
The Forsey family consists of a husband and wife with had tried the gadget and achieved the sun set, she
four children and two grandchildren. They appear to was asked how effective the gadget had been. Janine
be very natural and ordinary on the programme, and commented, ‘Nothing can compare to a nice cup of tea
it was always interesting to see how they reacted to and a good soap opera!’

38 FIRST READING AND USE OF ENGLISH | PART 5 | 2 © Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017
 1. The writer makes the point in the first paragraph 4. What does ‘sticks’ mean in the third paragraph?
that predicting how homes will be in the future A blocks something
A requires detailed study of architectural B remains there
trends.
C corrects an error
B is impossible if you only look at new
D highlights something
developments.
5. According to the third paragraph, how
C has been very difficult until now.
did the family members react to the new
D is made easier by programmes and technology?
articles about them in the media.
A Their attitude towards it became
2. What does ‘today’s’ refer to in the first increasingly positive.
paragraph?
B Some of them adjusted more quickly to it
A current ideas than others.
B the present reality C The parents struggled with it throughout
C the homes we currently live in the series.
D modern architecture D Some of their responses to it were
3. According to the second paragraph, the surprising.
technology installed in the Forseys’ house 6. How did Janine feel about the mind-controlled
A was chosen to match the specific needs relaxation tool?
of the family. A She was amazed at what it was
B was previously only used by a limited capable of.
section of the population. B She thought it would work if used with
C was still too expensive for anybody except other things.
the wealthiest. C She found it totally useless.
D was tried out by experts before the family D She preferred more traditional methods
used it. of relaxation.

Complete the text with the correct alternatives.

2

What will our homes be like in 2030?

There are some things that we cannot predict about the world in 2030, but others seem certain. For
example, we are definitely (1) going to have / having many more homes in larger cities as the world’s
population (2) will be continuing / continues to grow. But what will these homes be like?
Firstly, ‘The Internet of Things’ (3) will have been / will be an established part of everyone’s lives by
then. All electronic devices in your home will be connected, and they (4) are communicating / will be
communicating with each other constantly.
By 2030, you also (5) will have equipped / will be equipped your house with smart technology, so
you’ll have movement, temperature and humidity sensors throughout the house. These (6) will be
measuring / will have measured the environment in your house constantly. In fact, they (7) can even /
will even be able to tell you if you’ve left a door open, or a tap on!

Exam tips
Quickly read through the text before you answer the questions to get an idea of what it is about.
Read through all the questions so that you know what you need to look for in the text.
Don’t assume an option is correct just because you see the same words in the text. You should
make sure the general meaning of the option is expressed in the text.

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017 FIRST READING AND USE OF ENGLISH | PART 5 | 2 39