third attempt

1. Read on!
Krisztian Vargahttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02hj624
7. Nowlook at the text.Screen-baseddevices and rewiring the brainare collocations
(common word partnerships) from the text. Findanother 10 examples.
9. Findat leastsynonyms each for
the followingwords.
Adapt
Modern
Downside
To boost
To turn out
Do you worry that screen-based devices – computers, video
games, smartphones, tablets – are rewiring your brain?
Perhaps you should; because they certainly are. That’s because
everything you do transforms the connections in your brain.
Plasticity is the brain’s remarkable ability to change and adapt;
forming new pathways in response to experience. And it occurs
throughout life. Neuroscientists used to believe that as we aged
neural networks became fixed; but now the consensus is that
the brain adapts all the time and that you CAN teach old dogs
new tricks.
Yet, brain plasticity has a potential downside. The scientist
Susan Greenfield believes that we could be at risk from modern
digital media. Electronic gadgets are literally reshaping our
brains and we don’t know yet how far reaching the effects will
be. She is concerned that future generations may be plagued
with attention-disorders, screen-addictions and poor social
skills. Of course new technologies can also change us for the
better and she is also suggesting they could be used to boost
creativity. But if things turn out really badly, in the future
education will all have to be delivered in two-minute
animations.
10. Find at least one word with a similar
meaningfrom the textfor…
Worry
Change
Believe
Connection
All the time
8. How would you explainthe followingwordsto an intermediate level English
learner? Gadget,remarkable,occur,pathway,animation
11. Where do you stand in terms ofmodern technology?Do you share Susan
Greenfield’sworryor do you embrace newadvances? Discuss!