You've just watched two videos showing 'future' technology:
And you have key vocabulary and grammar for describing trends and the future in your vocabulary pack [or here for download].
Your speaking task is to prepare a 1-2 min speech presenting your ideas (or discussing other people's ideas) about the future in one or more fields, such as:
- sport and leisure
- education
- politics and social policy
- health
- travel and transport
- family and friends
Don't forget, you can use this post to discuss the videos and your ideas, if you want! It'll all be evaluated!
How will it be to live in the future? Are we going to live in smart cities with computer-controlled buildings where things like lighting, heating and security are completely automatic? We’ll doctors be able to eradicate diseases through gene therapy? Will we leave in intelligent houses packed with hi-tech and the coolest gadgets, where you have everything at your fingerprints? Is it going to be possible to control everything through our mind, needing never to lift a finger? Well, some of this is on the point of making an appearance on the market and there’s a distinct possibility that they will develop over the years. However, today I am mainly going to focus on the society and relationships of the future.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, people tend to shop online and work from home. It has been predicted that by 2050 e-commerce will have completely taken over traditional ways of shopping and working. A growth of online shopping and tele-working may well lead to social isolation and the boundaries between work and home are bound to become blurred. All of this, together with the overuse of TV and other technologies is certainly going to put a strain on family relationships. It is possible that in the future, the nuclear family may no longer be the main type of family unit, and more loosely defined relationships will develop.
Also think about this: if already communication and trade tend to be globalised, don’t you think in the near future globalisation will gradually increase, to the point where it affects our relationships? The fact is that this is already happening. This is why I believe that at this pace; before we know it, countries will become a thing of the past: the world will become a global village, a single community, where everybody speaks the same language and there wouldn’t be different cultures. Just imagine a world lacking cultural differences… there would be no wars! I know you can’t identify with Chinese (I can’t either) and I know you might be feeling more than a little concerned but let’s face it, there is every chance of this happening, either in the longer or short term. However, while globalisation is on the verge of affecting us beyond the economic field, there is still no sign of interplanetary travel. Personally, I believe there’s a slim chance of humanity ever contacting with extra-terrestrial beings. On the downside, if the aforementioned globalisation process occurs, it will well mean that gulf between rich and poor nations will certainly widen.
To sum up, I think we shouldn’t overlook the dark side of the future. For instance, a doomsday scenario for the environment sees a world chocked by pollution. Isn’t that alarming? Well, the truth is there are many other hair-rising future predictions (put the case of Kevin, for who a world dominated by machines seems inevitable.) But don’t worry, in hind sight many predictions have turned out to be groundless….
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