YOU'RE BEING WATCHED 1the passive
1sentence stress: passives
( 2. 2
►
f surveillance
A CCTV camera helps crime prevention;
potential criminals know their actions might be
filmed and this acts as a deterrent to crime. 4 ) User-data monitoring on
TVs and other appliances
sends data to manufacturers
Number plate recognition enables and businesses.
the authorities to follow our
movements wherever we drive and
store the information indefinitely.
MobiLe phone tracking
can keep track of any
individual’s location.
Microchips on credit cards
make it easy to monitor and
record information about our
habits and movements.
S Facial recognition technology
can identify any individual.
Software then a c c e s s e s data
about the person via social
networking websites.
S u rv e illa n ce technology: Keeping us safe or an in vasio n of p riv a cy ?
VOCABULARY LISTENING
SURVEILLANCE 2 AH 2.5 Listen to two people discussing types
of surveillance technology and complete the table.
1 A Work in pairs. Look at the photo and discuss.
Put / if they like it or X if they don't like it.
1 How many of these surveillance techniques are
you aware of? B Work in pairs and listen again. Student A: make
2 How many are common where you live or where notes on the woman's opinion. Student B: make
you are now? notes on the man's opinion.
3 How does surveillance make you feel? Why?
technology woman man
B Match meanings 1-8 with the phrases in bold in l CCTV
the photo.
1 an official group, e.g. the government or the police
2 to watch or follow (two phrases) 2 facial
recognition
3 to keep data (on a computer) for future use
technology
A getting information about someone's private life
in a way they don't like 3 microchips in
products
5 to say/find out who someone is
6 stopping people from doing something illegal
4 number plate
(two phrases) recognition
7 to obtain information
8 a situation in which there is a lot of observation,
filming or recording of people C Work in pairs and complete both columns of
the table.
C Work in pairs and discuss. How might each
surveillance technique be used in a good or a bad D Which speaker do you agree with more? Which
way? How would you answer the question at the one gave more convincing arguments?
bottom of the photo.
GRAMMAR 5 A Read the text about microchips. How many different uses for
THE PASSIVE microchips are described?
3 A Check what you know. Look at the Microchips are everywhere...
sentences from the conversation and
... and their uses range from the ordinary to the more worrying.
underline the passive forms. For example,1companies can place them/they can be placed in food
1 Not long ago a friend of mine was packaging. Then your fridge monitors your food so that -they can
remind you/you can be reminded when it’s time for 3you to buy
robbed at a bus stop.
something/a product to be bought.
2 I think statistically more crimes are
I he medical world has suggested that1doctors could implant
solved because of CCTV than not. microchips/microchips could be Implanted in newborn babies. Then
3 I don't want to be sent adverts from the person’s movements and habits can be tracked throughout their
companies that I don't know. lives. 5Scientists could also implant/Microchips could also be
implanted in criminals so that police can 'keep/be kept track of them,
4 But we're being sent stuff all the and possibly? identify the whereabouts of known criminals at the time
time anyway. 7someone commits a crime/a crime Is committed.
5 I've been given quite a few fines And if you’re the kind of person who loses things easily, syou can
over the years. buy a set o f clip-on mlcrochlps/a set o f clip-on microchips can be
bought which °you can attach/can be attached to any object you want
6 Money should be spent somewhere
to keep track of - for example your handbag. If the object gets lost.
else to be honest. l0you can use your phone/your phone can be used to find it.
B Underline the correct alternative
to complete the rules. Use the
sentences above to help. B Underline the best form, active or passive, so that it a) keeps
the focus on the main ideas and b) is correct,
1 Use the passive to put the C Work in pairs and discuss. Which ideas in Exercise 5A do you
focus on the person or thing find disturbing and which don't bother you?
m
w doing the action/offected by the
action.
2 Use the passive when one or SPEAKING
more of these is true:
The person or thing that did 6 A Work in pairs. Read the article and answer the questions.
the action: 1 Which plans would be the most useful for cutting crime?
a) is/isn’t obvious 2 Would you like to have these things in your local area?
b) is known/is unknown 3 How do you think the following groups of people would feel
c) is/isn't important about the plans: the police, parents, teenagers?
d) is/isn't the main focus
3 Use the passive to bring the
object of the verb to the beginning/ POLICE TO INSTALL
the end of the sentence.
4 Use the passive to make TOWN-WIDE
certain written texts (e.g. SORVEILLANCE
academic) more personal/
In response to the recent
impersonal or formal/informal. surge in crime, police have
announced plans to install the
following security systems:
4 H 2.6 SENTENCE STRESS: passives
» CCTV cameras to cover
Mark the stress in phrases 1-6.
the whole town
Listen and check. Then listen again » police spot checks for
and repeat. identity cards
1 A friend of mine was robbed. » monitoring of phone calls
» monitoring of social
2 More crimes are solved.
networking websites
3 I don't want to be sent adverts. » all teenagers’ mobile phones to be registered on police GPS systems
A We're being sent stuff all the time. » number plate recognition cameras on all main roads
5 I've been given quite a few fines.
6 Money should be spent somewhere
else.
B Work in pairs. You belong to one of the three groups in Exercise
6A, question 3. Make a list of your reasons for or against the plans.
> page 130 LANGUAGEBANK
C Role-play a meeting with the three groups of people. Take turns
and discuss your opinions.
D Vote for one of the other two groups. Which one gave better
reasons for their opinion?
WRITING 8 A Find the formal phrases in the
A LETTER OF COMPLAINT; LEARN TO USE FORMAL letter that match the informal
WRITTEN LANGUAGE phrases below.
1 Get in touch soon to let me know
7 A Work in pairs and discuss. In what circumstances would you that you've done something.
write a letter of complaint or make an official complaint? Have 2 To put things right, I want you to ...
you ever done this? What happened? 3 I'm writing about
B Read the letter and answer the questions. A With best wishes
1 Who is the letter to? 5 Thanks for dealing with this
problem quickly.
2 Why is the writer complaining?
6 I've already discussed the problem
3 What does she want to achieve?
B In the last four paragraphs of the
letter, circle the passive verbs and
underline the active ones. Why does
the writer choose each?
speakoutTIP
A letter of complaint should follow
LaGrande Travel Agency
'The Four Cs'. It should be: concise, clear,
1422 La Grande Avenue constructive and considerate. Reread
Hartwood, 03735 the letter. Does it follow the rules of
The Four Cs'?
To Whom it May Concern:
I am writing with regard to the misuse of a personal photograph o f
myself and two o f my friends on your website. 9 A Plan a letter of complaint.
The photograph in question is one I posted on my personal blog 1 Read the notes below and choose
several months ago, and it involves my friends and I celebrating one of the situations.
the end o f the examination period at university. Several days ago, I 2 Decide what you want to achieve in
was shocked to discover that my photo had been used in an online the letter.
advertisement for your study abroad programme. This is both unfair
3 Make notes on the content of each
and illegal, as you have been using the photograph without my
paragraph.
permission, and as you are advertising a product with it, you are in
fact using it for personal gain. Situation 1
I have taken up this matter with a lawyer, who has advised me Your neighbours / new burglar
to contact you in writing. She has also indicated what further alarm / alarm gone off three times
steps might be taken should you fail to respond promptly and / neighbours away / tried to talk to
appropriately. them / too busy
To resolve this matter, I request that you remove the photograph Write a letter of complaint to your
without delay. In addition, I ask that you issue a statement o f your neighbours.
policy regarding use o f images that are not your property.
Please contact me within one week o f the date o f this letter to Situation 2
confirm that these steps have been taken. If you need to reach me by
Recently you parked car/ thought it
telephone, my number is (0141) 985-001.
was legal/ returned / parking fine /
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. no-parking sign behind tree
Yours faithfully, Write a letter of complaint to your
local council.
CJvet/r-leAM.Jo'HZ'S
Charlene Jones (Ms) B Write the letter (120-180 words).
C Check the grammar, spelling and
punctuation of your letter.
C Put the parts of a letter of complaint a)-f) into a possible D Exchange your letter with another
order. Then check your ideas with the order in the letter above. student. Check that he/she has:
a) explain what you have done so far • followed The Four Cs'.
b) give a time frame for action and a way of contacting you • used paragraphs well.
c) state the overall reason for writing, in one sentence 1 • used a formal style.
d) write a polite closing comment
e) ask for specific action from the person/company you are writing to
f) give additional detail about the reason for writing
