Five things that could disappear in five years

Technology is changing all the time. As soon as you buy one new device, there is a better one available. Over the next five years, there will be new products and services which will change our lives again, and there will be some products and services which we will stop using. Here are five things which some people believe we won't be using in five years' time.

1 CashWe can already pay for most things with debit cards or credit cards, and many people use online banking or mobile banking to transfer money or pay bills. Electronic payments are becoming more and more common, and mobile banking is becoming so easy to use, that fewer people are using cash. And if we don't need cash, we won't need cash machines, so they could disappear, too.

2 USB sticksAccording to recent studies, 70 percent of the world will be using smartphones by 2020. Smartphones can now link to many other pieces of equipment, such as TVs and computers, so we won't need to use another device like a USB stick to transfer data. Smartphones and other mobile devices will also have larger storage limits, and cloud services such as Apple, Box, Dropbox, Google and Microsoft will provide free extra storage space for people who need it. As a result of this, we won't need to carry around separate storage devices.

3 Phone charger cablesThe latest mobile devices don't use charging cables. Instead, they use a wireless charging base. Of course, you still need a cable to connect the base to the electricity supply, but when you need to charge your phone, you can just place it on the base. Charging bases can be any shape and size. They can be in car dashboards or the base of a lamp. When you're not using your phone, you can put it on the base, so that you always have battery power when you need it.

4 Remote controlsMany homes these days have several remote controls to operate TVs, DVD players, stereos and so on. Remote controls have become more complex and difficult to use in recent years, with more and more buttons. However, remote controls will soon disappear. Many TVs these days are connected to the Internet, and we can operate them using apps on our mobile devices. We can also use internet-based apps to control machines at home while we're out. There are already apps for controlling your heating, your lights and other electronic equipment.

5 Paper documentsThe process of printing, faxing, scanning or posting documents is already becoming out-of-date. These days, many companies are using cloud-computing to send and sign contracts. This makes it faster, easier and cheaper to complete business transactions. In the future, 'cloud agreements' will replace paper contracts, and cloud-computing could remove the need for paper documents altogether.

With all of these changes coming up in the next five years, why not start clearing out some of your old technology to make some room in your life? Newer, better technology is coming soon!




VOCABULARY
Cable a set of wires, covered in plastic or rubber, that carries electricity, telephone signals, etc.
Cash machine a machine in or outside a bank, etc., from which you can get money from your bank account using a special plastic card.
Charging base a surface which you can place a device on to charge it – the base transfers power to the device.
Cloud service a network of computer servers on which data and software can be stored and which users have access to over the Internet, such as iCloud, Dropbox or Google Apps.
Dashboard the part of a car in front of the driver that has instruments and controls in it.
Developments the process of producing or creating new or more advanced things/products.
Device an object or a piece of equipment that has been designed to do a particular job.
mobile banking a method of banking in which transactions are conducted electronically over a mobile phone or tablet.
Online banking a method of banking in which transactions are conducted electronically over the Internet.
Storage limit the largest amount of data you can keep on a device.




Text taken from Oxford University Press

It wouldn´t do

It wouldn't do

by John Kay

But,
She said,
I suppose it wouldn't do
For everyone to be the same now,
Would it.

No,
I said,
There'd be less
Interesting people around,
Wouldn't there.

Fewer interesting people,
She said,
But I suppose it wouldn't do
For everyone to speak the same now,
Would it.

Source: British Council

in spite of / despite / although

in spite of / despite / although

In spite of, despite and although are all used to show a contrast but there are differences in the structures used with them.

In spite of / despite

After in spite of and despite we use a noun or a pronoun.

• We enjoyed our camping holiday in spite of the rain.
• Despite the pain in his leg he completed the marathon.
• Despite having all the necessary qualifications, they didn’t offer me the job.

Remember that the gerund (‘-ing’ form) is the ‘noun’ form of a verb.

The only difference between in spite of and despite is the ‘of’.

• Despite of the bad weather, there was a large crowd at the match.

Although

After although we use a subject and a verb.

• We enjoyed our camping holiday although it rained every day.
• Although he worked very hard, he didn’t manage to pass the exam.
• The holiday was great although the hotel wasn’t very nice.

We can use in spite of and despite with a subject and verb if we include the expression ‘the fact that’.

• In spite of the fact that he worked very hard, he didn’t manage to pass the exam.
• Despite the fact that he worked very hard, he didn’t manage to pass the exam.

Even though

Even though is a slightly stronger form of although.

• We decided to buy the house even though we didn’t really have enough money.
• You keep making that stupid noise even though I’ve asked you to stop three times.

Like although, even though is followed by a subject and a verb.

Source: British Council

The play

The play

Hi everyone,

Sorry it´s been a while since I last posted. I´ve been under (1)______ at work and haven´t had a free moment to write. I´ve also been a bit under the (2)______ with a cold, but it´s finally clearing up.

Anyway, I´m writing with (3)______ to what we discussed at the last meeting, namely putting on a play for the neighbourhood children. I´ve spoken with the community centre and they´ve given me the (4)______ that we can use their space for the project, although they are  in the (5)______ of redecorating and I don´t know  when that will be finished. At any (6)______, I should have more information from them before (7)______.

I expect everyone´s dying to get started, but there´s no point us getting ahead of (8)______.

Keep an eye on this blog and I´ll tell you more as soon as possible!

What is genealogy?

What is genealogy?

Genealogy is a (1)______ of history. It concerns family history, (2)______ tan the national or world history studied at school. It doesn´t merely involve drawing a family tree, however – tracing your family history can also (3)______ in learning about your roots and your identity. The internet enables millions of people worldwide to (4)______ information about their family history, without great (5)______.

People who research their family history often (6)______ that it´s a fascinating hobby which (7)______ a lot about where they come from and whether they have famous ancestors. According to a survey involving 900 people who had researched their family history, the chances of discovering a celebrity in your past are one in ten. The survey also concluded that the (8)______ back you follow your family line, the more likely you are to find a relation who was much wealthier than you are. However, the vast majority of people who (9)______ in the survey discovered they were better off than their ancestors.

Why we need to play

Why we need to play

Human beings are not the only creatures that like to (0) ......... run. Many animals play, as do some birds.
However, no other creatures spend so much time enjoying themselves as human beings do. Indeed. we
(1) ........ onto our sense of fun right into adulthood.
So why do human beings spend so much time playing? One reason Is that we have time for leisure;
animals have very little time to play as most of their life is spent sleeping and (2) ......... food.
So, is play just an opporrunity for us to (3) ......... in enjoyable activities or does It have a more important
(4) ......... ? According ID scientists, (5) ......... from being fun, play has several very real (6) ........ .
for us - it helps our physical, intellectual and social development. It also helps to (7) ......... us for
what we have not yet experienced. With very (8) ......... risk, we can act out what we would do in
unexpected, or even dangerous, situations.

Why are so Many Men secret dieters?

Why are so Many Men secret dieters?

You are going to read an article about men who are secret dieters. Five sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences (A-G) the one which best fits each gap (1-5). Use each letter only ONCE. There are TWO extra sentences you DO NOT need to use. 

A survey has found that one in three men wouldn't tell anyone they were on a diet. So why is there so much shame surrounding this issue?
Before they even start dieting, men have difficulty accepting that they have a problem in the first place.
When you're trying to diet in secret in a busy office, says Dave Briscoe (not his real name), a researcher from Surrey, the trick is to accept each treat that is offered – but only one chocolate, and the smallest piece of cake. Accept less, and you'll be suspect. Accept more, and your plan will fail. "That was the rule I kept to," he says, "to avoid people asking awkward questions."
Briscoe isn’t the only man who has dieted in secret. A survey of more than 600 men, conducted for the home delivery brand Diet Chef, found 90% wanted to lose weight, ____1_____ – even friends and family. It seems that too much shame still exists around weight and a good proportion of people at any one time are likely to be dieting secretly. But this issue seems to affect men and women in different ways.
Phil Mundy, a food and diet writer says many men are unwilling to say they are on a diet _____2______. He thinks there might be more willingness among younger men to discuss weight in public – but the problem is, if they do, says Briscoe, it's still considered acceptable "to take the piss out of them, in a way you never would with women. It's seen as just a part of office banter, but for men it's equally upsetting. Why wouldn't it be?"
Bob Baker (again, not his real name), from Brighton, says the moment it becomes possible to discuss weight is often _____3_____, and feels proud of their achievement. At that stage, Briscoe agrees, men will often start talking about it, "but in my experience they'll make it sound simpler, more sensible and easier than it probably was. They just cut out a certain food, or stopped eating after a certain time. They won't be telling the whole truth; just a version. They won't be saying: 'Actually, _____4______'. They want to portray it like a DIY problem. 'There was a problem, and I fixed it.”
There are mixed outlooks _____5_____; support from family and friends can, of course, be helpful, but divulging your diet to anyone who might respond with fat jibes could prompt a sorry descent into comfort eating, says Mundy. When it comes to this subject, we probably all just need to grow up, so it can be discussed honestly and clearly. It's not an uncommon problem – and it shouldn't be an unspeakable one.

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