Page 41 - American English File Student Book 3B

5 LISTENING & SPEAKING

a Look at the book cover and the book review
inform ation. W hat do you think the book is about?
How do you think the three teenagers feel?

The wise and hilarious story of a family who
discovered that having fewer tools to communicate
with actually led them to communicate more.

hen Susan Maushart first announced her intention
W to pull the plug on her family's entire collection of
electronic gadgets for six months, her three kids didn’t
react at all. Says Maushart, "Looking back, I can understand
why. They didn't hear me."

* The title is a play on words. Shakespeare’s play Richard III opens
with the famous phrase ‘‘Now is the winter of our discontent...”

b 5 119))) Listen to P art 1 o f a radio breakfast show
where the guests are discussing the book. Answer
questions 1 -6 .
1 Why did Susan Maushart decide to do the experiment?
2 Was it just her children who were spending too much
time using technology?
3 W ho are “digital im migrants” and “digital natives”?
4 W hat gadgets did Susan M aushart’s family have to
switch off? W here?
5 W hat were they allowed to use?
6 How did she get the children to agree to the
experiment?

c 5 20))) Listen to P art 2 . In general, was the
experim ent positive or negative? W hy?

d Listen again and com plete the sentences in your f D iscuss the questions with a partner.
own words.
1 Have you ever had to live without the Internet for a
1 At the beginning the children complained th at...
few days or more, e.g., when you were on vacation
2 Later they started to... som ew here? Did you m iss it a lot? Why (not)?
3 Her son started to...
2 Do you think Susan M aushart’s experim ent w as a
4 Their mother found it difficult to ... good idea? W hy (not)?
5 Another negative thing was th at...
3 If you had to do the experiment, w hat do you
6 They now have new house rules; for exam ple... think you would m iss the m o st? W hy?

e 5 21))) Now listen to P art 3. W hat does each guest
say he / she would m iss m ost if he / she had to do the
P Useful language
experim ent? The thing I’d miss most is...
I can’t live without it because...
1 Sally I need / use it (for)...
I’m addicted to it...
I depend on it (for)...
2 Andrew

3 Jeremy
6 WRITING

4 Chloe > - p.120 Writing A m agazine article - ad v an tag es and
disadvan tages. W rite an article about the advantages
and disadvantages o f sm artphones.
Online Practice 9B 91