Personal entertainment. Hobbies. Opinions

I. Speak about your hobbies, ambitions and plans for future after reading these little stories:

Victoria’s ambitions -I have joined the drama group at University because I really love performing. I am going to learn how to sing and dance. I want to act in plays and musicals and of course I’d like to be famous one day. Sometimes TV producers watch our student shows so anything is possible!

Lewis’ ambitions – I have just had my first training session with the team, so I am a bit tired. It is only the reserve team but I am going to practice with them twice a week to improve my physical fitness and ball control skills. I am going to work really hard to get into the first team. I know I am a good footballer and I am sure I am good enough to get a place in a professional team. These days footballers are the biggest stars in the world, and I’d really like to be rich and famous.

II. Read how a radio interviewer is discussing developments in on-line music with Max who works in the music industry and Sam, a student. Answer the questions below:

Interviewer - Max, how do you listen to music?

Max - Live, of course, but I also listen to music online. I go to Napster and search for music I like.

Int.- Can you listen first and decide if you want to pay for a track?

Max -Yes, if you don't like it you can skip it. If you do like it, you can download it to your hard drive or burn it to a CD.

Int. - Sam, how do you listen to music?

Sam -CDs, albums, MP3 player, minidisks sometimes, and online. You can have music now anytime and anywhere you want it.

Int. - What's so special about this way of listening?

Sam -You can make your own music library on your hard drive or MP3 player. You can have a playlist of tracks you listen to when you get up, or a playlist for when you travel to work, or when you want to relax in the evening. Some MP3 players will decide what you like listening to and arrange the tracks for you. You can exchange tracks with friends - it's illegal but everybody does it.

Int. - I read that more than seven million people here in Britain regularly download their music from illegal sites.

Max -That's just theft on a huge scale. It's damaging music - music for the future. It cheats the musicians and the recording companies. People who download illegally are buying fewer albums and far fewer singles. It's hurting the music industry.

Int. - Is it just teenagers who're doing this?

Max - No, it's all sorts of people.

Int. - What should the music industry do?

Max -Set up their own sites for selling music online. Go after anyone who downloads illegally.

Int. - What do you think, Sam?

Sam - CDs are over-priced. I don't see why we shouldn't share tracks with friends.

(Technology, Unit 11, p. 128)

Questions: 1) Which music services does Max use? 2) According to Sam, what’s special about this way of listening? 3) How many people regularly download music from illegal sites in Britain? 4) What does Max think of this? 5) How is it damaging the music industry? 6) What does Max think the music industry should do? 7) What does Sam think of it?