UNIT 11, Studia Filologia angielska, Gramatyka (Grammar)

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UNIT 11
The monster in the machine
Speaking
1)
Look at the photos.
1 In pairs or groups, choose two of the examples of technology illustrated, and think of as many
ways as you can in which they:
• make life easier or more pleasant
• may be dangerous to individuals or to the environment
• may develop in the future.
2 Without the technology we take for granted, how would everyday life be different? Think of a
normal day, and describe how it would change if you had to manage without any help from
technology.
2)
Which of the following qualities do you think humans share with animals such as dogs, horses and
chimpanzees?
• intelligence
• feelings and emotions
• creativity
• a moral sense
Which of these qualities do you think a computer might have in the future?
Listening
Paper 4, Part 1
1)
You will hear four extracts about technology. The sentences below summarise some of the
information you will hear. Work with a partner. In each sentence, only two of the three verbs given are
possible. Cross out the verb which is inappropriate.
1
Nowadays, computers can
work/function/manage
independently of humans.
2
Computers can
operate/store/run
machinery and data bases.
3
They can
manage/monitor/supervise
manufacturing processes.
5
They can
have/do/perform
increasingly complex calculations.
2)
Now listen, and for questions 1-8, choose the answer (
A
,
B
or
C
) which fits vest according to what
you hear. Remember to read the questions that relate to each extract before you listen to it.
Extract One
You hear two friends talking about technology.
1
The man and woman agree that technology is
A
taken for granted
B
fashionable nowadays
C
sometimes irrelevant
2
What is the woman’s view of machines?
A
They are essential for our survival.
B
They are taking over our lives.
C
They have encouraged progress.
4
They can
calculate/store/hold
information in data banks.
Extract Two
You hear part of a talk on the radio on the use of computers.
3
The speaker thinks computers are potentially dangerous because they may
A
limit freedom of choice.
B
take away jobs.
C
control information.
4
What is the speaker’s main concern about the future?
A
people misusing data
B
people being superseded by machines
C
people losing the ability to think
Extract Three
You hear two friends talking about the influence of science fiction on technology.
5
The man says automatic doors were
B
not thought possible by scientists.
C
first seen in science fiction.
6
The woman thinks science fiction writers are
B
unprofessional.
C
hardworking.
Extract Four
You hear an author talking about his new book on the radio.
7
The writer thinks that the study of the paranormal used to
A
follow scientific methods.
B
be more wide-ranging.
C
have more status.
8
Science has become
A
more tangible than it used to be.
B
as exciting as the paranormal.
C
more accepting of the paranormal.
3)
Check you answers with a partner. Then decide which extract the ideas in Exercise 1 relate to
most closely.
4)
Discuss the following questions.
1
What ideas were common to all the extracts?
2
Can you think of any gadgets that haven’t caught on, e.g. wristwatch TVs? Why did they fall?
5)
Say I again
Re-express these sentences using the framework given.
1
It’s often used for marketing.
What …………………………………………………… marketing.
2
The existence of the paranormal …………………………………………………… be proved.
3
Today this is no longer the case.
This …………………………………………………… more.
4
This open-mindedness has ended now.
They used …………………………………………………… but they aren’t now.
A
thirty years ahead of their time.
A
unoriginal.
The existence of the paranormal hasn’t been proved yet.
Reading
Paper 1, Part 3
1)
What do you know about Frankenstein? Try this quiz.
1
The story of
Frankenstein
was written by
a) a Hollywood screenwriter.
b) a 19
th
-century woman novelist.
2
Frankenstein was
a) a monster.
b) a scientist.
3
The monster was made from
b) pieces of spare machinery.
4
The story explores
a) the distinction between man and machine.
b) the effects of being rejected.
2)
Now read the first two sections of the gapped text (not the jumbled paragraphs) and check your
answers.
3)
You are now going to read the whole article, which discusses whether machines could ever have
human qualities. Seven paragraphs have been removed from the article. Choose from the
paragraphs
A-H
the one which fits each gap. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to
use.
One of the high points in Mary Shelley’s gothic novel
Frankenstein
is when the tragic creature cobbled
together from cadavers comes face to face with its human creator Victor Frankenstein, the real monster of the
story.
1
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
This heart-wrenching declaration exposes a paradox about the hapless creature. Frankenstein built his creation
from spare parts, so in one sense it is just a machine. Yet the creature instinctively understands himself as
human, something more than a machine.
2
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Nearly two centuries later the same question has surfaced again. And today the question is being asked not of
some fictional creature but of machines in various states of creation that promise to have human-like senses
and to be conscious, at least in some form. Theologians and computer scientists are starting to wonder if any of
these machines might ever be said to have a soul. If so, would such a soul be like a human being’s, or
something altogether different?
3
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Between these two poles stretches a continuum of opinion. For example, Jennifer Cobb, a theologian and
author of a forthcoming book on theology and cyberspace, says that today’s computers are about as alive as
viruses – but ‘along with a little bit alive comes a little bit of soul,’ she says. ‘If the day comes when
computation becomes so complex as to express emotions, then they will have quite a bit more soul. It’s an
infinite resource with infinite potential.’
4
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Artificial intelligence researchers are already dabbling with emotional machines, and computers that could
become conscious of their surroundings and of themselves. One of the most ambitious of these projects is Cog,
a talking robot designed in human form that will be capable of exploring the world through sight, sound and
touch. The project team hopes that Cog will be able to discover the world the way a human baby does, and will
thus come to understand things as a child does.
5
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Yet how would we tell if a computer developed a soul? It might not be enough for a computer to look, behave
and think like a human. It might also involve a more complex definition, such as the possession of a sense of
a) parts of dead bodies.
moral responsibility, or sense of self. Of course, a sense of moral responsibility could be programmed into a
computer. But what if a silicon-based being were to develop a morality of its own – its own conscience? What
would that be like?
6
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Alternatively, a computer could be ‘cloned’ so many examples of the same ‘being’ could exist. What would
that do to the machine’s conception of itself and others? We just don’t know what ethics would be like for a
computer – we barely know hoe to imagine such a thing.
7
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
But this is not necessarily so. From Shelley’s nineteenth-century monster to today’s real-life robots, complex
entities have a habit of taking on a life of their own.
A
It could be different from the human variety. Take death, for example. A computer with a back-up tape might
not see death as a big deal. Think about how different life would be if we had back-up tapes.
B
The story raised the issue of whether or not something manufactured would have a soul – that mysterious
entity which is the very essence of humanness, the thing that links us irrevocably to God.
C
For Philip Clayton, a theologian and philosopher, such an idea goes against the grain of much religious
thinking. But he agrees that, in the future, as machines become more like humans, the distinction between
them could become blurred. ‘On what grounds would we withhold souls from computers when they inhabit
humanoid robotic bodies, accept visual input, give output with human voices and function comfortably in
many social contexts?’ he asks.
D
Stories such as
Frankenstein
suggest that the things we humans create are often much more than the sum of
their parts. Many people imagine that if we built something, we would know all about it.
E
If it lives up to expectations, it will express emotions. Eventually, they argue, it’s surely going to be able to
say, ‘I’m afraid,’ or ‘I’m bored,’ and mean it. And if it does say such things – and mean them – then is it so
far-fetched to wonder if it would have a soul?
F
Constant rejection has finally led it to commit murder. Yet when it first became conscious it was not evil.
‘Believe me,’ it says in anguish, ‘I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity.’
G
It is interesting that we are happy to consider the Frankenstein creation in terms of what its thoughts are or the
fact that it has self-will. But this is fiction. Whether or not a machine is conscious, and whether we can prove
it, is a fascinating philosophical exercise, nothing more, nothing less.
H
Opinions tend to fall between two extremes. Many people want to draw an unbreachable divide between
humans and machines, insisting that however smart a computer might become it could never have a soul. On
the other hand, some artificial intelligence researchers insist that humans are just complex machines, so why
wouldn’t a silicon-based machine also have a soul? For these scientists, a soul would be simply an emergent
property of a very complex system.
4)
Read the complete text again to check that it makes sense. Why do you think the unknown is often
portrayed as threatening?
Exam Strategy
In a non-fiction text you need to think about the logical development of the argument. The missing
paragraphs may develop a line of argument from what goes before or give an opposing idea.
Use of English
Paper 3, Part 1
1)
Read through the following text quickly without filling in any gaps. Find answers to these questions.
2
What social problem is mentioned in the first paragraph?
ROBOT ROOM TENDS TO THE SICK
Since more women are now working after marriage in Japan, there is no-one at home to (0)
look
after the sick
and elderly. To address this problem, Japanese scientists have begun work (1) …………… a robotic room (2)
…………… occupants need never lift a (3) ……………, since they have interactive computer-controlled
devices catering to their (4) …………… need.
The room holds a special bed containing pressure sensors monitored (5) …………… central computer,
(6) …………… a record to be made of the position and movement of the person in the bed. Five video
cameras also keep the patient (7) …………… constant surveillance.
As (8) …………… as keeping a watch over the patient’s condition, the room provides other (9)
…………… of help. If the patient wants to watch television, he need (10) …………… point at it and the
television will turn (11) …………… on. A robotic arm can pick up objects the patient is pointing at and bring
them to his bedside. In (12) ……………, ‘pet’ robots are now (13) …………… developed to keep the person
company. (14) ……………, the team warns that more research is needed (15) …………… the robotic room
could be trusted to guard our loved ones.
2)
Now fill each gap in the text with one suitable word.
3)
Discuss these questions.
1
Many countries have a growing proportion of elderly people. What problems is this likely to cause?
2
Is this an issue in your country? If so, what solutions are being discussed to deal with the problem.
3
Medical advances may soon increase life expectancy dramatically. Do you think this is a good
thing? What age would you like to live to?
4
How would you ideally like to spend your old age?
4) Vocabulary:
idiomatic expressions
1 The following idiomatic expressions involving parts of the body are usually only used in the
negative. Match each one to the appropriate explanation a)-e).
1
He didn’t move a muscle.
a) He didn’t make any mistakes.
2
He didn’t turn a hair.
b) He didn’t do anything.
3
He didn’t lift a finger to help.
c) He remained totally still.
4
He didn’t put a foot wrong.
d) He stayed completely calm.
5
He didn’t have a leg to stand on.
e) He had no proof or evidence.
2 Think of situations when each expression above would be appropriate, for example:
‘Number 1: He’s a spy or a thief. He was in someone else’s room when they came back unexpectedly – he did
behind the curtains and didn’t move a muscle so as not be discovered.’
Language Focus: Grammar
Reflexive pronouns
•
… the television will turn itself on.
(cloze text, p. 158)
1)
Which of the following sentences contain incorrect uses of reflexive pronouns? Put a cross next to
them. How does the use of reflexive pronouns compare with your language?
1
How can the ‘robot room’ help?
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