Black Mirror: Be Right Back

After watching the following episode of Black Mirror, read synopsis below and fill in the blanks with a suitable word. (There may be more than one possibility)

Black Mirror: Be Right Back

This hour-long 'film' is the story of two young _____________ - Ash is permanently ____________ to his mobile phone - something most Black Mirror viewers can relate to in this age of tweeting as an accompaniment to TV watching.

When Ash is killed in a tragic traffic ___________, his girlfriend Martha  learns of a new service that examines traits from Facebook, Twitter, e-mails and other online profiles to replicate a lost loved one's ________________

Though she's reluctant to use the software at first, the revelation that she's ______________ sends Martha in a frenzy and soon she's embracing one upgrade after another.

She starts to communicate with him through instant messaging and informs him of the pregnancy. She then uploads ___________ and ___________ of Ash to the service's database, and the service duplicates Ash's voice to talk to Martha over the phone. Martha allows herself to believe that she is talking to her dead partner, and over the following weeks she talks to the artificial Ash almost constantly, keeping him ___________ regarding the pregnancy. Eventually, she upgrades to having a copy of Ash, walking and talking, at her side. But it's not really Ash - the android is hollow, without a soul - and so much of what made Ash the man he was, and the intricacies of his and Martha's life together, is lost in translation.

After an argument, Martha decides she can no longer live the life with the Ash android, taking it to the edge of a cliff and ordering it to __________ off. The android agrees to do so, but Martha becomes even __________, saying that the real Ash would not have willingly jumped. The android responds by begging for its own life, causing Martha to realise that she can't bring herself to get rid of it.

The scene cuts to several years later, and Martha is shown to have raised her __________, keeping the Ash android locked in the attic. She allows her daughter to see the android on weekends, but Martha's daughter persuades her to allow her into the attic on her ___________ to give the android a piece of cake. Martha's daughter reveals in her conversation with the android that she knows it does not need to eat, and she only did this so she could have an extra ____________ of cake. While her daughter is in the attic with the android, Martha waits at the bottom of the attic steps close to tears. Then, after regaining her composure, she climbs the ladder to join them.

Purple Hibiscus: The Historical Context

Follow the links below and, in your notebooks, record the ten most interesting facts that you learn about the Nigerian Civil War.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/596712.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Civil_War

Reported Speech: Backshifting

In the end of term exam you will be tested on your ability to backshift verb tenses when converting a sentence from direct to reported speech. Follow the links below in order to practise doing this:

Reported speech: backshifting

Reported speech: backshifting, and time and place

End of Term Exam: Reading Section Preparation

In order to be as prepared as possible for the reading section of the end of term exam, you should compete the reading tasks on the following pages of the Objective Advanced Workbook:

- p.4-5
- p.18
- p.22 - 23

Transcript Writing Exam: Some Common Errors

Each of the sentences below contains at least one technical error. Copy and paste the sentences into a Word document and write a correct version of each sentence underneath the incorrect version. Save the document in an appropriate area of your English folder.

1.It wasted me a lot of time trying to create a pointless product.

2.I thought on creating a more usefull type of car.

3.The head of Google is on the BBC studio.

4.Our new gps won MySpace to the prize.

5.In a (near) future, Siri will be able to give even better advices.

6.In that moment I knew I wanted to be an ingenier.

7.Everybody who worked in this project has helped to create a life-lasting security insurance.

8.Although the project is in it’s infancy, self-drived cars are the future.

9.Could you explain how is your working life?

10.We have been working in a new project and are looking for any errors that might be in it.

11.Do you think this could affect negatively some people?

12.New technology is being peole are doing  less active things like hanging out with friends or do sport.

13.If you use it more times it could be harmful.

14.One of the most efficient mobile phones company is Orange.

15.It was so interesting what you’ve said.

16.Let’s start by knowing how it functions.

17.The reveal of the product will take place next year.

18.The interest on it is huge.

19.They have a very good precision

20.The technologies are developing rapidly and we can know this by looking at the world around us.

Writing Exam Preparation: Google's Self Driving Car

The Google Self Driving Car

Click on the above link and watch the short clip about the Google Self Driving Car. You should then produce a transcript interview with an expert on this new technology about its benefits.

Your Turn: Writing a Transcript Interview

Watch the three clips below and answer the corresponding questions.

Clip One: The Big Bang Theory: Siri

1.What does Raj say Howard can do to his new phone?

2.Finish the quote from Howard: ´Let me try the_____ recognition´

3.When in his apartment, why does Raj say that Siri does not need to perform the web search for ´Why don't women like me?´

4.What name does Raj end up asking Siri to call him?

Clip Two: The Big Bang Theory: Siri (2)

1.Fill in the blanks of what Sheldon says:
You've taken a great evolutionary ____ by abandoning  human interaction and allowing yourself to bond with a __________ machine.

2. Explain what Sheldon means when he refers to Raj's relationship with his phone as ´taboo love´

3. Why is Barry Kripke having problems with Siri?

4. Finish Kripke´s insult: ´You ____, Siri.´

Clip Three: The Big Bang Theory: Siri (3)

1.When talking about Raj dating his phone,which two  adjectives does Bernadette use to describe the relationship?

2.Which type of music does Raj ask Siri to play?

3.Finish the idiom: ´to read someone like _ ____´ - Explain what this means in your own words.

Task:

Write a transcript interview between Raj and a reporter from the radio based on the question:´What has Siri brought to your life?´

•You could talk about:
1. The implications of artificial intelligence for life as we know it.

    2. What Siri has added to Raj´s life on a more personal level.

•Remember to use the conventions of a transcript interview we saw in our last lesson. You should also aim to use some make, do and get collocations, as well as some 'New Technology' vocabulary from the Quizlet set.

Example Interview Transcript

What can we learn about an interview transcript's format and conventions from the example below? 

1. Copy and paste the following interview transcript into a Word document and highlight any 'oral expressions' (i.e. words and phrases that make this appear like oral communication that has been transcribed).
2. How would you describe the level of formality used in the interview? Why do you think this is the case?
3. What do you notice about the questions and their structure?

Sample Transcript

Interviewer: Scott Mills, Radio DJ for BBC

Interviewee: Charlie Brooker, Broadcaster and creator of the dystopian series Black Mirror

Interview Setting: Interview conducted in BBC Radio 1 studios in London. The interview was conducted at 3:30 PM on Wednesday 8th June 2016

Q: Why did you decide to create a series such as Black mirror?

Well, as an author, I think one of the main goals you want to accomplish is to make people FEEL, in such a way most TV series try to, like, reassure people, so I guess that, with Black Mirror I wanted to create something that would... unsettle people continuously. I mean, I thought creating a dystopian world such as the one in this series is the best way to entertain people and, at the same time, kind of… make them think about how far we are going with technology in our private life.

Q: I get that, but why did you decide to create a dystopia other than… I don’t know a zombies series, or some drama?

Hmmm… yeah, I guess that on TV most dramas, or zombie series and all that stuff basically focus either on human’s vain problems, relationships… or they base the action on far post-apocalyptic futures. In this way, I tried to… like… go a step back. (Long pause) Although Black Mirror approaches a near future, its goal is to reflect on today’s world, and the increasing speed at which it’s changing. I guess that’s the reason why I chose a dystopia.

Q: Do you think something of what appears in your series, regarding technology, will eventually become a reality?

(laughs) Well, if it does I hope the company that creates it gives me a little commission for the idea! (pause) No, really, being serious now. I think the changes that have been happening over the past 10 years have no precedents in the entire history of humanity, I mean, our world is constantly changing, quicker and quicker, especially regarding technology, so I think that these technologies featured in the series will eventually appear. Maybe not that soon, and maybe not in the same way, but… I STILL think technology will sadly blur the limits of our privacy.

Reported Speech Activities for Friday 4th November

Task One
Complete exercises 1 and 2 on page 72 of the Objective Advanced Student Book.

Task Two
Select one of the interviews below. Watch and listen to it carefully and then write a summary of the interview using the ADVANCED REPORTING VERBS from Page 72, Exercise 2 in the Objective Advanced Student Book. You must use all 14 of these verbs with the correct structures clearly highlighted. 

If you need to use more than one interview to complete the task, then use more than one – but please label which interview you used for each Reporting Verb. 

Any questions, please email me: sean.kelly@sfpaula.com

NB: These ADVANCED REPORTING VERBS will appear on your TERM 1 exam - it is important that we remember the structures needed for each! Good Luck!

INTERVIEWS

1)      In this interview David Bowie talks to an MTV executive and asks him why MTV isn´t playing more black music on their tv channel 

WATCH IT HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZGiVzIr8Qg

2)      In this interview, supporters of Donald Trump appear to be a little confused.

WATCH IT HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayJHPPsMs40&feature=youtu.be

3)      In this interview, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs talk about their success in the tech industry. 

WATCH IT HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85PMSYAguZ8&feature=youtu.be

4)      In this interview, Robert Downey Jr. walks out having been asked about his past with drugs and alcohol.

WATCH IT HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALBwaO-rAsE

5)      In this interview, Ellen chats to Eddie Redmayne about his role as Stephen Hawking

WATCH IT HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6b7Cfc5ek0

6)      In this interview, Ben Stiller reacts to different emotional states in a funny sequence!

WATCH IT HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkESoUBVQDs

7)      In this interview, Lance Armstrong explains the moment he told his son the truth about cheating in order to win the Tour de France. 

WATCH IT HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq8NgepsFg8

8)      In this interview, several rock stars look into the impact of MTV on Heavy Metal acts

WATCH IT HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU11NcH7nHQ

9)      In this interview, Ellen DeGeneres interviews Sofia Vergara and Reese Witherspoon about their new movie.

WATCH IT HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRc1SdC8Geo

(Homework Task for Friday 4th November) The Internet: Has it become too powerful?

Google Glass - Internet Addiction

Internet Dangers : Should we censor the internet?

BBC documentary: Cyberbullying 

Cyberchondriac-internet-ill-self-diagnose-symptoms

Web Debate - Internet Censorship

Web Debate - Internet Censorship 2

Read through as many of the above articles as you can, and aim to watch the BBC documentary. You should read each article through Lingro for easy access to the definitions of any words you are unsure of the meaning of.

You should also produce a list of interesting facts (between 4-5 per article / documentary) that you discover. 

A good understanding of the key information and arguments will benefit you greatly when preparing for your writing assessments this term.

Once you have done this, you should search for at least two interesting articles about the latest advances in technology / potential future advances in technology. Again, note down a number of interesting facts (between five and eight) from these articles. Be prepared to share your ideas with the rest of the class next Friday!

If you have any questions about any of this, feel free to email me: sean.kelly@sfpaula.com. 

Black Mirror: The Entire History of You

Copy and paste the following questions into a Word document and give detailed responses to each.

1.  What does Liam have implanted in his neck? What does it do?

2.  Why does Liam replay the work meeting? What is he worried about?

3.  What are the disadvantages of the memory grain?

4.  Why does one woman at the dinner party not have a grain?

5.  How do the people at the dinner party react to this woman having no grain?

6.  In what ways does the grain affect Liam and his wife's relationship?

7.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of a grain?

8.  How does the episode end? What does the end of the episode suggest about the effects of the grain?

9.  Do you think this type of technological development will happen in your life time? If so, how far into the future do you think it will be before this type of technology will be available?

10.          Imagine that the grain becomes available in your lifetime. Would you want it implanted in you? Explain in detail why, or why not.
11. What do you think the key theme / message of the story is?

Direct to reported speech: tense changes

Direct speech	Reported speech
present simple     >	past simple
present continuous     >	past continuous
present perfect simple     >	past perfect simple
present perfect continuous     >	past perfect continuous
past simple     >	past perfect simple
past continuous     >	past perfect continuous
past perfect simple    >	past perfect simple
past perfect continuous     >	past perfect continuous

Reporting verbs and their structures

Planning your Speech

Aim to follow the below structure as closely as possible when planning your speech:

•Introduction (30 seconds):

–State briefly what your argument is about.

•E.g. Today, I’m going to be arguing that…

•Main body (4 minutes):

–Prepare 2-3 detailed, strong ideas that will support your overall argument.

–One idea should naturally lead on to the next. Link your ideas using a range of connectives.

–Refer to 2-4 sources to support each of your points

•You cannot achieve a high level unless you refer to some of your own sources.

•You should refer to a variety of different source types, i.e. articles, poems, TEDTalks.

•Personal anecdotes are another effective way of supporting your point.

•Try to use a range of persuasive devices studied in previous years (ISAFORREST).

•Conclusion (30 seconds):

–As with essay writing, your conclusion should simply be a summary of your main ideas. You’re not expected to bring in new information here.

In order to ensure that your speech is as convincing as possible, you should aim to incorporate a range of persuasive devices into it:

•Imperatives

•Statistics/ Facts

•Anecdote

•Flattery

•Opinions

•Rhetorical questions

•Repetition

•Emotive language

•Second person pronouns

•The rule of three