Part One: Warm Up
Discuss the following questions with a partner or group:
- Do you think the Internet has changed how much we read books?
- Are newspapers still popular where you live?
- Do you ever buy newspapers? Why or why not?
- Do you ever look at the Internet for relaxation?
Part Two: Listening
Exercise
Open Exercise One to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document. Then, go on to Exercise Two. The recording is from ELLLO.
Transcript
Person 1: So, Monica, this week we're going to talk about technology and how maybe technology changes patterns of how we read and how we write.
Person 1: So let's talk about reading. Do you think you read fewer books now because of the Internet?
Monica: I don't think I read fewer books now because of the Internet.
Person 1: So you still read quite a bit?
Monica: Yeah, recently I've been reading quite a bit. I think it's more to do with how much spare time I have.
Person 1: So you don't think that the Internet eats into your reading time at all, at least for you?
Monica: I would have to say no, because I use the Internet for slightly different reasons. I use the Internet to check my emails and communicate with my friends, but reading a book is something completely different that I do for relaxation. So yeah, I don't think it's impacted the amount that I read.
Person 1: Yeah, see, for me I think it's the exact opposite. It's pretty bad. I pretty much read everything online, magazines or newspapers, and occasionally I'll still buy a newspaper, but I've completely stopped reading books.
Person 1: I just do not read books anymore, and I think I'm not alone. I've read online, ironically, of other people who've said that they've stopped reading books because you're so used to reading online now that the actual process of sitting down and reading a book just isn't as enjoyable as it used to be.
Monica: Well, having said that it hasn't affected how much I read, I have to say that I have stopped reading newspapers in hard copy form. I tend to check the news items on the websites. So yeah, in that regard I do read less than I used to.
Person 1: So you buy newspapers quite rarely now?
Monica: Yeah, exactly. I'm also concerned about the environment, so I sort of feel that if I can get the news from the Internet then it's saving all the trees being cut down and printed into a newspaper form.
Person 1: Yeah. That's a good way to look at it.