You are going to listen to a radio program about the battle for the wearable technology throne. From watches to glasses, and clothing to health monitoring, the possibilities are seemingly endless for wearable tech. “Wearable” means electronic technologies or computers incorporated into watches, contact lenses, eyewear, bracelets, rings, clothing and more – all designed to be worn on the body.
1 Pre-listening activities
a) Answer the questions:
Have you got any wearable gadget?
Which of these gadgets would you like to have: watches, contact lenses, eyewear, bracelets, rings, clothing? What for?
b) Study new vocabulary (e-flashcards can be found on: http://quizlet.com/55393440/flashcards):
to heat up – to become increasingly competitive or active;
wearable technology – clothing and accessories (rings, bracelets, etc.) that incorporate computer and other electronic technologies;
throne – the seat or position of control and power;
endless – without end;
to be in the know – to be aware or informed;
wearables – wearable technology;
headlines – news or current events;
to cheat – to trick, steal, or act in a dishonest way;
stagnant – showing no activity or movement;
inventors – a person who develops an idea or product;
to count cards – a form of cheating in a casino;
roulette – a casino/gambling game;
small-scale – a production that is small in scope, and involves few people or things;
calculator (wrist) watch – a watch developed in the 1970s that had a small physical calculator built into the watch face;
mainstream – the current thought or trend of the majority;
to enter a space – to enter a market or sector of an industry;
to vie – to compete with others in an attempt to get or win something;
early bird – the person or groups that arrives before the others;
market share – a portion of the sales in a particular market;
profit opportunity – products or services that generally have a higher profit margin, making investment potentially very rewarding;
tech titan – an extremely important technology company or developer (e.g. Apple, Samsung, Google, etc.);
compound annual growth rate – the year-over-year growth rate of an investment over a specified period of time;
tenfold – multiplied by a factor of 10;
heavy hitters – the big, important, and famous players (or companies);
up-and-coming – becoming more successful, important, and well known;
not to be outdone – not wanting someone else to do something better than you;
for better or (for) worse – whether the outcome is good or bad;
to replicate – to make an exact copy or reproduction;
to appeal – to make a serious or sometimes urgent request to someone;
to poach – to attract (as an employee or customer) away from a competitor;
to hint at – to suggest or give an indication of an idea;
wrist-based – to be worn or used on the wrist;
status symbol – a possession that shows a person's wealth or high social or
professional status;
to sit with one’s arms crossed – to not act, to do nothing;
piece of the puzzle – a part or component of an overall picture or idea;
perfect fit – an excellent or appropriate match;
calorie consumption – amount of calories that are burned, used, or consumed in a given time period;
the tip of the iceberg – just or only the beginning or start;
blood-glucose monitoring – the reading or calculation of the amount of sugar in the blood;
to be on the table – to be offered or considered for discussion or negotiation;
holy grail – a goal or result that is deeply desired, but difficult or nearly impossible to reach;
insight – an understanding of the true nature of something or someone;
data point – a unit of information used in statistical calculations;
fad – something (such as an interest or fashion) that is very popular for a short time;
coolness – the quality of being very interesting or appealing;
gadget – technological device;
the time is ripe – ready, suitable, or ideal time to do something;
fashion camp – fashion sector or industry;
credibility – the quality of being trusted and believed in;
high-end – higher in price and of better quality than most others;
marriage of – to join, combine, or merge ideas or products;
fashion houses – a company where fashionable clothes are designed, made, and sold;
c) Remember new vocabulary: http://quizlet.com/55393440/learn
d) Write a dictation: http://quizlet.com/55393440/speller
e) Have some fun: scatter-game: http://quizlet.com/55393440/scatter,
race-game: https://quizlet.com/55393440/spacerace
f) Take a test: http://quizlet.com/55393440/test
2 While-listening activities
Listening for general information
a) Listen to the program and answer the questions:
When were the first wearables built?
What companies produce wearables?
What Apple product will have a huge significance and status soon?
b) Listen to the program and complete the following exercise (e-test can be found on: http://www.quia.com/quiz/5012642.html):
Say if the sentences are true or false:
Choose the best answer to the questions:
a) fashion
b) early birds selling
c) health and fitness industry
d) poaching and hunting
e) casinos
a) Apple
b) Google
c) Samsung
d) Sony
e) LG
f) Nike
g) Yves Saint Laurent
a) Pebble
b) Google
c) Burberry
d) Nike
e) Yves Saint Laurent
f) Marie Claire
Listening for detail
c) Listen again and complete the text (e-test can be found on: http://www.quia.com/quiz/4997242.html):
With summer heating up, so too is the battle for the 1 _______ _______ _______. From watches to glasses, and clothing to health monitoring, the possibilities are seemingly endless. As ZD Net explains: For those not 2 _______ _______ _______, “wearables” refers to the electronic technologies or computers incorporated into watches, contact lenses, eyewear, bracelets, rings, clothing and more – all designed to be worn on the body.
3 _______ players, including Samsung and Google, have already entered the space with smart watches and 4 _______ _______ respectively, and Apple looks set to announce the iWatch later this year. Time is of the essence as everyone is vying to become the 5 _______ _______ and gain as much market share as possible.
In the next few months, Google will get some competition from Microsoft, Apple and a few 6 _______ in this space. For better or worse, none of them know as much about you as Google does, so it’ll be hard for them to 7 _______ the Google Now experience.
If Google is 8 _______ to the user’s sense of convenience, Apple is focused on fashion, having poached top execs from Burberry, Nike, Yves Saint Laurent, and Tag Heuer. Apple’s iWatch team includes a number of design, fitness, sensor, and engineering experts hinting at a 9 _______ device which will be as much a luxury item as it is a working fitness accessory.
Fashion seems to be just one piece of the puzzle, however, as fitness and health applications seem to be a perfect fit for wearables. Heart rate, 10 _______ _______, and how many steps you take are just the tip of the iceberg.
3 After-listening activities
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1. small |
a. counting |
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2. early |
b. fit |
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3. profit |
c. scale |
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4. perfect |
d. bird |
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5. card |
e. opportunity |
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6. data |
f. train |
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7. wearable |
g. point |
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8. tech |
h. tech |
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b) Choose the best option to complete the sentences (e-test can be found on: http://www.quia.com/quiz/4994840.html):
1.According to the article, the ‘Holy Grail’ of wearable technology can help people who have which condition?
Sickness
Diabetes
Cancer
Influenza
2.In order for wearable technology to be successful, it must have the right combination of:
mainstream and status symbol
coolness and wearable
fashion and functionality
fad and price
3.Retail sales in the Euro zone _______ in May as Europeans decreased spending.
stagnated
stagnating
stagnation
stagnate
4.Apple is using a very _______ advertising campaign focusing on health and fitness.
invention
invent
inventive
invented
5.Profits increased _______ from $200k, to nearly $1 million!
endlessly
quintupled
tenfold
fivefold
6.Due to disagreements with the union, our most recent offer is now _______.”
off the table
up-and-coming
on the table
down-and-going
7.Tech stocks are _______ with a number of innovative products expected to be launched in the months ahead.
ripe to be picked
ripe for the picking
ripened for the pick
ripening for the picking
8.After only the first-round interview, it was clear Jim was the * fit for the job.”
right
best
wrong
ideal
9.We ______ for new computers for nearly 2 years, but the company can’t afford anything reliable.
appealed
appeal
are appealing
have been appealing
10.Do you agree with the practice of * employees from other companies?
poaching
poach
to poach
poached
c) Choose the best option to complete the sentences (e-test can be found on: http://www.quia.com/quiz/5013393.html):
1.Many of the _______ last week still talking about Germany’s win in the World Cup.
space
mainstream
table
fad
headlines
2.2014 may be the year when mobile payment technology moves into the consumer _______.
space
mainstream
table
fad
headlines
3.Entering a digital advertising _______ presented many opportunities and challenges.
space
mainstream
table
fad
headlines
4.We need to come up with a plan fast, so all options are on the _______.
space
mainstream
table
fad
headlines
5.Social networking started as a _______, but is now an accepted part of daily life.
space
mainstream
table
fad
headlines
4 Production
Make a presentation “A piece of wearables”, use http://present.me/, have a look at some examples: https://sites.google.com/site/colleonline/seminars/komputerno-orientirovannaa-sreda/den1/govorenie-onlajn/present-me, you will need a headset with a microphone.