Page 69 - Think 4. Teacher's Book B2

Unit 5
Too much tech? Culture

Warmer
Give students two minutes in pairs to Smart cities
write down as many modern cities as 14
possible. Go through the alphabet,
asking students to name a city CITIES
beginning with each letter. Students
vote on which city they think is the 1 SPEAKING Work in pairs and decide which of these things you think
SPEAKING
most modern. will be the most important for cities of the future.
1 caring for old people 4 keeping an eye on its citizens
2 transport and road congestion 5 reducing the number of
14 3 cutting down carbon emissions inhabitants
2 5.06 Read and listen to the article. Which of the issues above
Smart cities does it talk about?
SINGAPORE – AN EYE ON EVERYTHING
Singapore has plans to become the world’s first smart country and it is already a nation
1 Allow time for pairs to discuss of sensors. They are everywhere. One area that is highly controlled by the sensors is
transport. They are on all buses, trains and taxis and are used to help make sure the traffic
and put the items in order of runs smoothly. They can also predict where accidents are likely to happen. But the sensors
importance. Hold a class vote to are also used to monitor other areas of Singaporean life. For example, they can detect if
someone is dropping litter or smoking in a public place. And for those who are worried
decide which they feel are the about their privacy, the government has promised to make most of the data it collects open
most and the least important. to the public, meaning you will be able to access the footage yourself.
SAN FRANCISCO – KEEPING THE TRAFFIC FLOWING
2 5.06 It’s not surprising that the new ‘capital’ of Silicon Valley is also one of the US’s smartest cities
and it has implemented a number of impressive technologies to make life easier, such as an app
Singapore: keeping an eye on its that will guide motorists in the city to the nearest free parking spot. This app can detect how
citizens San Francisco: transport many people are in the car and charge accordingly. The more passengers, the cheaper it is. As a
result of the tech boom, San Francisco has also seen a big rise in traffic congestion, as more and
and road congestion Barcelona: more people are coming to the city to work. Smart transportation is now a top priority for city
planners as they hope to free up their highways and get their citizens moving around more freely.
cutting down carbon emissions
Oslo: caring for old people BARCELONA – GOING GREEN
Barcelona prides itself on being a hub for environmentally-friendly smart technology. It has sensors
to help monitor the levels of air and noise pollution and to turn on and off its street lighting,
3 Check/clarify: sensors, making sure no energy goes to waste. But where Barcelona is really leading the way is with its
green technology and measures for reducing carbon emissions. For example, it has a system
Alzheimer’s. which checks the water levels in the ground and predicts future rainfall, which allows it to
1 The government is making all of the control the city’s water consumption more effectively. It also has a smart waste disposal system.
Citizens throw their waste into special bins from which it is sucked into underground storage.
data it collects open to the public. Here it is sorted and recycled, and some is burned, producing energy for heating systems.
2 They have a system which checks OSLO – TAKING CARE OF THE ELDERLY
the water levels on the ground and Oslo is another city with big green ambitions and it plans to be 95 percent carbon neutral
by 2030. However, it also uses smart technology to help take care of its aging population as
predicts future rainfall. efficiently as possible. For example, it has installed sensors in the homes of citizens suffering
3 It guides people to the nearest free from Alzheimer’s disease. The technology allows carers to check in regularly with their patients
to make sure all is well. It also reminds the patients of daily tasks, such as taking their medicine,
parking spot. via spoken messages. Motion sensors can also detect whether the patient has left the oven
on or left a front door open and send out a warning alarm if the person is in danger. Such
4 They allow carers to check in technology means more elderly people can continue living in their own homes for longer.
regularly and remind elderly people of
daily tasks via spoken messages. 3 Read the article again and answer the questions.
1 How is the Singapore government going to address privacy concerns?
2 How is Barcelona able to manage its water usage more efficiently?
Culture notes 3 What does San Francisco’s parking technology do?
4 How do sensors in the home help people with Alzheimer’s in Oslo?
54
Singapore is both a city and a
country. Located on Singapore
Island between the Indian Ocean
and the South China Sea, it is about Barcelona is a city in northeastern Spain. It is a major cultural centre famous
half the size of London. Despite for its examples of Modernist and Art Nouveau architecture, and the Sagrada
the high population density, it is Família, designed by Antoni Gaudí, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
one of the world’s greenest cities. Oslo, formerly known as Kristiania, is the capital of Norway. According to Viking
The skyscrapers are filled with stories, Oslo was founded in 1049 by Harald Hardrada, but archaeological
trees and vertical gardens, housing research has found evidence of earlier settlement. Situated high in the Northern
developments are connected by Hemisphere, the amount of daylight varies greatly throughout the year, with
parks, and environmentally sound more than 18 hours in midsummer, and it never gets completely dark at night.
buildings have been mandatory since
2008. In 2015, the Botanic Gardens
were made a UNESCO World
Heritage site.
San Francisco is a city on the west
coast of the United States. It is a
cultural and financial centre. The
steep streets offer fantastic views
across the bay, the Pacific Ocean and
the Golden Gate Bridge.

T54 Too much tech? | Unit 5