… while it’s more of a PR stunt the keyboards of the futurewill probably contain at least some emojis. (Para. 6)

The example of the telephone being invented after the e-mail is used to show that people like _________. A: new communications systems B: to hear each other's voices C: to use computer keyboards D: new and original things

III.Read the following passage. Then choose one or more correct answersfor each question10-13.(4×1’=4marks)'It was so good that my brother, Hash, can type faster than most people using both hands,' said the managing director and founder of KeyPoint Technologies, based in the Innovation Centre, Hillington, Glasgow. 'It helped him use his left hand effectively - and it gave him the confidence to paint again with that hand.' Hash's accident, which left him disabled, was also the genesis of the software application, written and devised by Sanjay Patel, now 38, that is set to change the way we punch information into our mobile phones and computer keyboards. Patel and his associates, John Locker, a former games developer, and Dr Mark Dunlop of Strathclyde University and a leading authority on user interface systems, have created AdapTex, a language processing system that cuts down keystroking by around 80%. The software analyses the user's writing patterns and predicts words, cutting down on the number of keystrokes required. It has seen some of the technology industry's biggest players knocking at Patel's door. 'Originally it was an ergonomic idea targeting people with disabilities, but the more research I did, I thought this applies to more than disabled people. The driving force was to reduce the actual physical activity. So in 1997 I started working on creating a piece of software for the mass market that would learn your language traits. It made me realise how inefficient we were when it comes to writing information with e-mail, text messaging, and word-processing on a keyboard. Everybody wants to go faster, so they build the technologies to move faster; what hasn't changed is the human ability to use that technology more effectively,' he said. 'We don't want to change people's practices, we have to complement or improve them. But you can't expect people to change unless you make things better, simpler to use and non-intrusive. I think that's why AdapTex intelligence systems are creating such interest.' Over the past 15 years, Patel has worked within systems architecture in telecoms and finance. He worked for Nucleus Consulting and project-managed the setting-up of a system for the Merchants' Exchange of St Louis, under the guidance of the Chicago Board of Trade. He completed the two-year contract in a little over a year. Today Sanjay Patel lives in Partick in Glasgow. Previously from Croydon, he was encouraged to move to Scotland by the prospect of support from Scottish Enterprise,Scottish Development International and by the availability of specialist facilities at the Innovation Centre. Patels software takes the predictive text used on mobile phones to the next level: 'A mobile phone is predictive, which uses guesswork, it isn't natural. What we have created is pre-emptive because it is relevant and uses the context. It learns and reshapes itself dynamically. It is about recognition of the patterns you use and is therefore unique to the user. It remodels itself from any document to reflect the author's natural vocabulary, language traits and topics,' he said. Patel's family arrived in the UK in the 1970s after fleeing from Idi Amin's regime in Uganda. He was brought up in London and, even before his brother's accident, he was fascinated with the science of language patterns. The great selling point is that this pre-empts text in any language because it recognises the patterns,' he said. Patel is now in discussions with several large international companies interested in incorporating AdapTex into their next-generation computers. 'Some are more cautious than others, but we are on the verge of signing with one of the big PC makers, and hopefully this will mean that they all follow suit,' said Patel. He is delighted with the support he has been given in Scotland. 'I came because people understood what I was talking about. The business network here, through Global Scot, has given me introductions to the highest levels in the USA. This has been imperative.' Patel's advisers include John Falconer, a former director of Xerox, who said: The market is worth millions and Sanjay could become a very rich man. It could become a significant success story for Scotland.' 12.What characteristics of the new systems make them so fascinating for the general public? A: It completely changes the way people do things. B: It works with what people already do and makes it better. C: It can help disabled people. D: It reduces physical activity.

Beyond Baby Mozart, Students Who Rock David Bornstein 1 Music education hasn’t changed fundamentally since the 1970s. Students are still taught to read notation so they can recite compositions that they would never listen to on their MP3 players or play with friends. The four “streams” in music education— orchestra, chorus, marching band and jazz band — have remained constant for four decades, while a third generation is growing up listening to rock and pop music. Many children quit before making progress with an instrument, then regret it as adults. Playing music enriches life. That’s why so many adults wish that they could play an instrument, particularly guitar or piano,which are ideally suited for playing with others. The question is: Why do schools teach music in a way that turns off so many young people rather than igniting their imagination? At a time when educators are desperate to engage students and improve school cultures, can we do a better job of harnessing the power of music to get kids excited about school? 2 The experience of an organization called Little Kids Rock suggests the answer is a resounding yes — provided we change the way music is taught. Little Kids Rock has helped revitalize music programs in over a thousand public schools and served 150,000 children, most of them from low-income families. The organization has distributed 30,000 free instruments, primarily guitars, and trained 1,500 teachers to run music classes in which students quickly experience the joys of playing their favorite songs, performing in bands, and composing their own music. Along the way, the organization is working to institute a fifth stream in American music education: popular music. 3 The key to Little Kids Rock is that it teaches children to play music the way many musicians learn to play it — not by notation, but by listening, imitation and meaningful experimentation. “The knowledge you need to get started playing rock music is very limited,” explains Dave Wish, the founder of Little Kids Rock.“In high school, my friend Paul taught me a couple of chords and, boom, my life was changed forever. Making music is as much a physical act as it is a cognitive act.” On the first day of class, Little Kids Rock teachers place guitars in the hands of their students and get them practicing chords that will enable them to play thousands of songs. The kids decide what songs they want to learn and the class is off and running. Their progress is remarkable.Within a year, eight- and nine-year-olds are playing electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and keyboards, and giving concerts, even performing their own songs. And the effect is predictable: the children can’t get enough of it. 4 Little Kids Rock’s trainings frequently attract many more applicants than available slots. Teachers volunteer their time to attend trainings, which are often held over weekends. The trainings are popular because they provide simple and practical methods to get high levels of participation from students. Little Kids Rock bears similarity to the Suzuki method, which also stresses learning by ear (initially) over reading musical notation. Wish also draws from language acquisition theory and applies it to music. But the big distinction is that Little Kids Rock places a lot of emphasis on improvisation and composing, which are rarely encouraged in traditional music education. 5 We do a disservice to children when we force them in school to learn jazz or classical music because we think it’s good for them. Too often, rather than creating an entry point for a life of music appreciation, this approach tends to weed out those who don’t make an immediate connection with the music, or don’t have parents who force them to stickit out. Getting children excited by teaching them to play the music they love doesn’t mean they’ll be stuck listening to three chord songs their whole lives. If children make a durable connection with music, it’s more likely that over time, their musical tastes will evolve. 6 One of the biggest advantages that music offers is the ability to inspire students who are otherwise bored or demoralized by school. “I’ve had students start coming back to school because of this program,” said Allan Adkison, a Little Kids Rock instructor. Elaine Thomas, who heads up music for the Dallas Independent School District, added: “One of the best things is that the teachers discover a new side of their students. They see kids become successful who weren’t before.” 7 And the connection the kids make seems to last. Erik Herndon, a Little Kids Rock instructor at the Jean Childs Young Middle School in Atlanta, told me: “I’m just starting to see kids go on to college and a lot of them are sticking with it. One kid said to me, ‘I keep playing my guitar, but now when I listen to music I hear all the parts of it.’ That’s the whole idea: to promote that lifelong love of the music, rather than feeling that we killed it out of them.” Reading Comprehension 1. Music education hasn't changed fundamentally since .