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Tapesctpn

how to con90fV8 energy In our homes In order to save money and help our planet at the same time. She will ałao be explalnlng how running a 'green' house can be easy and fun, too.

Thurtday

Thureday fs New Life Day and we are hoplng Yhat as many people as possibfe will join In our campaign to repiace the many trees whlch have been cut down in Bartord Forest. Bring a spade and a pair ot boots and help to put new lite back into the forest. Thompson's Garden Centre have kindly donated one hundred young trees for Green Week, and we are płanning to dMde these between the forest and the local parks to bring a touch of green kito the area and glve something back to naturę

Friday

Ws time to get your hands dirty again on Friday, as we are looking for volunteers to help us improve the area surrounding Barford Lakę. This area has become pokuted rn recent years, as a result o 1 touństs and locals usrng It as a pienie spot. We aim to elear all the litter from the lakeside and drag the water to remove all the rubbish whieh has been thoughtiessly thrown in. Hopefully our efforts will encourage people to treat our natural beauty spots wrth morę care.

Unit 5

Intenńewer: Robot surgeons may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but in fact they are beginning to operate at a hospital near you. Here in the studio is Dr Stuart Huntley to tell us all about the operatmg rooms ot the futurę. Dr Huntley. thanks tor joining us.

Dr Huntley: lt's a pleasure to be here.

Inten/lewer: Is it true that robot surgeons are already being used in some hospitals?

Dr Huntley: Yes. A handful of surgeons here and in the United States are making use ot these machines. They are the (atest advance in medical technology. Intenńewer: And what exactiy are they used for?

Dr Huntley: Weil. they enable doctors to carry out very oompkoeted eurgery accurately and safely. by using remote contro!

Intenńewer: So the robots don t actualty operate on patients on thoir own?

Dr Huntley: Oh, no. no, ot course not. No, artificial intelligence hasn't developed that far yeti The surgeon uses a Computer to tek the robots exactly what to do. The fact that the robots carry out the actuał tasks (ust meansthat very preoiss movements can be madę much morę gułekły than if they wers mado by hand Intenńewer. t set So, what do the robots look like?

Dr Huntley: Weil, they look a bit like cranes, but they are actualty robotlc arms whlch hang over the operatlng table. On the ends of these arms are tools to grip smali objeets. needles for stitching up wounds, and a camera with a light which shows the surgeon the area being operated on inside the body.

Inten/lewer: And what kind of surgery are these devices used for?

Dr Huntley: Oh, all klnds, but mainly complłcated operations such as heart or braln surgery.

Inten/lewer: And how exactly do they make the surgeons' Job easier?

Dr Huntley: I suppose the main advantage of these machines is that they can scalę down movements madę by the surgeon. For example, if he wants the robotic arm to move half a centimetre, he can move the remote contro! joystick five centimetres, and the Computer will scalę the movement down. This means that very precise movements can be madę easlly and, morę importantly, ąuickly, which makes the operation much safer. Inten/lewer: Amazing. So, apart from making It safer, how else will robot surgeons affect surgery in the futurę? Dr Huntley: Weil, they will allow doctors to perform much morę complicated surgery, because they make it possible to operate on a microscopic scalę. There is a chance that one day, we will be able to operate on indNidual cells. and that would be wonderful. Inten/lewer: Goodnessl They sound like fantastic machines, but are there any drawbacks we should know about?

Dr Huntley: No, I don’t think so. The only problem is that surgeons have to learn new skills and new movement$ in order to work with the robots, but that shouldn't be too difficult.

Inten/lewer: Dr Huntley, lt*s been wonderful to have you on the show, but l'm afrald we've run out of time. Thank you for joining us today.

Dr Huntley: It was great to be here.

Inten/lewer: And next week, we will be talking to ... [fade]

Unit 6

Adam: Oh no!

L/sa; Whats the matter?

Adam: I just can't get to grips with this new Computer. Every time I use it it goes wrong.

Lisa: Weil, perhaps you're not using it property.

Adam: Hm. Maybe not. I'm just not cut out for all this new technology.

Uaa: Oh dear. Weil, you'll have to get used to it. It's not going to go away.

Adam: I know. It's just going to get worse. What will I do when everything is controlled by computers? I won't survlvel

Uaa: You will! Don t forget that a lot of things already are run by computers, and you don’t even notlce. In the futurę, everything will be much morę com/enient and you'll wonder how you ever survived without computers. Adam: Hm. I don't know. I'|| have to upgrade my skilts every year. The only people who will be getting jobs will be the people who can use all the new technology, and that certainly won't be mel

Lisa: Oh, don't be so negathre. You'11 get a job. And you‘11 be able to work from home using your Computer. ThereTI be no morę 9 to 5 days, because youll be able to work to your own timetable. You'11 even be able to do several different jobs at the same time, so you'll earn morę money.

Adam: Huhl You make it sound so easy.

Uaa: Weil, I think it will be. All our appliances will be morę user-friendly and things like TVs and videos will have voice recognition, so you can just tell them what to show or record and you won’t have to press any buttons. Adam: Good. I hate buttons. But I think l'H leel a bit daft talklng to my video.

Uaa: I don't see why. You're always shouting at it when you can't programme it properly. Honestły, Adam, I don't understand why you're so negathre about the futurę. Adam: Weil, I suppose it scares me. When I read about how we’11 be wearing clothes which can monitor our heartbeats and cali an ambulance if anything happens to us, or how space travel will become as common as air travel, I just panie. I can't imagine how I will fit in in a world like a science fiction film.

Uaa: Oh, Adam. It'11 still be the same world, and people will never really change. We’11 just have to leam to do things differently and our lives will be better in so many ways. You'11 see.

Adam: Hm. I suppose l'll just have to make the best of a scary situation.

Uaa: That's morę like it.

Adam: Lisa ... will you show me how to use this awful Computer?

Uaa: Haha! Of course I will!

Unit 7

Inten/lewer: Today on Shopper's Guide, we are lucky enough to have in the studio with us financial consultant Sally Herd, who is going to talk to us about credit cards. Sally, thanks for joining us this aftemoon.

Saliy: lt's my pleasure.

Inten/lewer: Ńow, just about everyone has a credit card these days. It seems that there Is no rule about who should and shouldn't have one.

Sally: That's true. It is extremely easy to get a credit card these days. In fact, the minutę someone tums eighteen, they are usually bombarded with offers from credit card companies.

Inten/lewer. Perhaps you could tell us how to choose which company to use?

Seffy; Wel. i atwaytfw* <r» a good idee to ete» to you know. H you have had an aoćoufll wA a certain bank for a number of years. for atampfe, ano you are happy wkh their serwcee, *>en i wouto euggeet twt you get a credit card from your bank rather tan a company you have neyer used betom. Wel-estabfehed tarta are usually the most rekabte. n my opraon Inten/lewer: Right How. you menficned betom tal k fet easy to get a credit card lar • thai a bit dangenM tor some people?

SaHy. Hmm. yes I can be uery tempting to appry tor a credit card if you are short of money, whtah ts why ao many people run up huge debto on the« esds and ga into serious fmandal dWcidtoa There are peopfe who see the 'buy now. pay ater On as a aort cf eecape route- a wayof getting what they want wtftoufhawng to spend reaT money. This tf cant, s not me case When the bis land on the doormaL many peopie do not have the money to pay them. so they pul < aft unB the next month, or the next. This means that they and up being charged a fortunę in interest Inten/lewer: Yes. that s a problem Do you nn» nar credit card companies should be morę carefui aoout who they gńe cards to?

Sally: Weil, in an ideał world, that ts exactły what wouid happen. Unfortunateły. though. Kis not mtheir Interest to do that. Credit card compantes make ttieir money ton the people who have troubie paymg off thec biils, and who struggle to keep up with therr interest paymerts. People who can afford to pay euerytfmg oS monthly an simply not profitable.

Intenńewer: Oh dear! So they are happy to letless weł-off people have credit cards?

Sally. Of course Debt is big business.

Intemewen So. how can we beat the credl card compantes and use a credit card to tur own adwanfege? Sally: Weil. credit cards are very usefu! tor toose moments when youre not canying any cash with ydu. They also allow people to pay tor lamę purchases onr a period of time, inst^dofhawngtosaueuptormonths before buying that new washing machinę or Computer. However, my advice to anyone who ts constoemg getting a credit card is tors. always keep a noto of everything you charge to your card. There is nothmg worse than getting a bill at the end of the month tor much morę than you expeeled. Also. try to pay off your bill every month. Putting it off will only mean that you have to pay interest. and that can be an anpensm business.

Intaniewer. SaDy, A s been great to have you here, bul |‘m afraid weVe run out of time. Thanks tor ad your adyice.

Sally: Any time.

Intenńewer: Next week on Shoopw s Guide, we will be tałking about... [fedej

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