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The Future
The Future

Learn English with this future English lesson

Date: Dec 21 2018

Themes: Time

Grammar: Modal Verbs

Intro

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In the 1950s, when Americans thought about the future, they believed we would have flying cars. People believed we would be living on the moon, farming on the bottom of the ocean, and turning our deserts green. We dreamed that people could call any number in the US from their home telephones. At least the last one is true today! In fact, we can call any number in the world.

More than 50 years later, we still hope for breakthroughs that will make life better in the future. Technology makes things possible today that no one would have believed in the 1950s, so it’s hard to know what life will be like in the 2050s. Will we be living on the moon? Will we finally have our flying cars? It’s definitely fun to think about.

Jeff and Rafael are discussing the future. Learn more about how they think by reading today’s English lesson.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Rafael

Rafael

Jeff

Jeff

Rafael:  Dude, I’m so excited about what kind of opportunities I might have tomorrow. You know? Just thinking about what might come. Technologyadvancements… scientists are making breakthroughs all the time. What do you think about that?

Jeff:  I think too much about it. It just sounds like total chaos.

Rafael:  What?

Jeff:  Modern advancements… they sound good, but they’re kind of a bummer a lot of the time. You know?

Rafael:  If you put it into perspective… all of the things that we’ve done over the eons… scientists are brilliant.

Jeff:  They are.

Rafael:  What’s going to come a hundred years from now? We might solve world hunger. You know what I mean?

Jeff:  Sometimes it just gets to be too much. You know?

Rafael:  Yeah.

Jeff:  We need the big breakthrough.

Rafael:  Yeah.

Jeff:  I’m not crossing my fingers for it, but hey. You never know.

Rafael:  You never know.

 

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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To Rafael, the future looks good. He believes that with improvements in technology and science, he will have all kinds of opportunities to pursue. Rafael also thinks that in his future life, someone may find a way to end world hunger. He’s hopeful and positive, and he thinks that Jeff will feel the same.

But Jeff’s opinion of the future is quite different. Jeff sees chaos in his world. He’ll be happy if scientists find a way to solve problems like world hunger, but he’s not expecting it to happen. To Jeff, just because something is new and modern doesn’t mean that it’s going to be perfect. It might even be anything but perfect.

Do you think your future looks good? Why or why not?

 

Comments

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Snejka

Guyana

hhhh very interesting) I will try)

05:45 AM Jan 29 2019 |

fxarrufatSuper Member!

Spain

In my opinion at present the quality of live in developed countries are better than ever before. We have aircon, central heating, and other commodities. There are treatments available for illnesses from people died in the past. The problem is there are a lot of starving people and money concentrates in a small portion of people. On the other hand, governments invest more money in war than in fix hunger and disorders in poor people. So I’m feeling optimistic and pessimistic at 50% each other.

02:03 PM Jan 19 2019 |

CatcheR

CatcheR

Iceland

Still hope for breakthrough that life will be good in the future .but it is kinda kcary thinhs you kbow. We spend so much time in gadget and we lost our time to see the beauty of the world. We don’t touch the nature anymore. All we see is screen. You know… Virtual box hh… Anyway we have got our choice and choose wisely. OK

03:04 PM Dec 21 2018 |

1 person likes this

TangJun815

TangJun815

China

I’m not sure our future look good or bad. It’s hard to know. In china, There are so many people live in the country, everyone needs hard to do everything, the kids, adults, all of us.
Certainly, I hope our future look good, because I have a child, most adults have their kids, I hope my kid’s future looks good.

08:35 AM Dec 21 2018 |

1 person likes this

sara1998

sara1998

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I am sure that i am going to have a great job and situation in my future because i am striving for achieving the bests!

04:27 PM Jan 07 2015 |

1 person likes this

Tatty72

Tatty72

Russian Federation

I hope there’ll be peace all over the world. I’ve got two daughters and I’d like them to live in a friendly world. I believe in people! I think one day tney’ll wake up and understand there’s nothing more precious than life itself!

Yemeni4u

Yemeni4u

Yemen

I hope to get a good future to my country.I really want that becuse everyone here dont do for get best our country.

06:04 AM Nov 19 2014 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

Mr. Alston, i couldn`t agree more . Smart phones brought about a huge change in the way we communicate to each other , on the othe hand ,people are so caught up in the red that have  forgotten that oral communication is also  essential in our  lifes.

englishteacher24/7

United States

From a technology perspective the future looks bright but it’s a two-edged sword because currently it is making a distance between people (text vs. talking) but on the other hand we would not have met each other if it was not for technology making it possible.


buttafly

buttafly

Germany

Thanks for your effusive praise, Lesya.


To determine a year in the past or future is a no-brainer for me as well ;)

03:25 PM Nov 17 2014 |

qq_baby

qq_babySuper Member!

Taiwan

I don’t know, but I hope it turns out good!

12:33 PM Nov 17 2014 |

Irene Forever

Ukraine

To tell the truth, I don’t think much about my future. Time will put everything in the right place. It doesn’t always depend on me, that’s why I give my hand to God to lead me farther and farther. For sure, i do my best to make my life valuable for my beloved people. as it’s very important to me. I don’t care too much about myself. I just live…

hattomi

hattomi

Yemen

With being under the domination of the global economic system, which is the capitalism, I don’t think that any new breakthroughs will provide us (the
Third World countries) with any benefit but disadvantage .. I wish the best for all the humankind including me :p

04:05 PM Nov 15 2014 |

1 person likes this

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

beautiful words about Future ,I learned from ebabians : 


 “live in the moment enough” like an ancient proverb :) 


 ”time machine “a wonderful dream and utopian toy for thousand years..:)


Walking dead ” they are everyhere ,around us :) 


a dog’s curly tail ” smiling Philosophy :)


Techology didnt make us human” certainly, its God’s business :)


Rosetta ” :)

12:30 PM Nov 15 2014 |

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

One day, The future will come ,too …


Don’t expect ; Wars,troubles,problems,Chaos,hunger,accidents,tears,pains won’t be in the future..


Of course, new technologic researches,inventions will continue faster than old centuries.New high technologic machines,tools will make our lifes easier and more comfort. 


your future begins with you …with your choices.. dont forget; today is the first day of your future..make it more beautiful ..Be realist but on the other hand,  have new hopes and warm dreams for your future .






Moriza

Moriza

Ukraine

Certainly,there are moments when I think how was my past and what experience I’ve got? how will be my future and what will I do?


It has a sense in analizing and making plans…but “live in the moment enough” seems better for me.

06:55 AM Nov 15 2014 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Anja, with a big joy I will join you to have a trip back or forward in time via time machine :)


Moreover ,I definitely know what year in the past/future I would like to travel to. ;) 


Your today’s post is abounds of time traveling :)


Well done, Anja :)

ola33

ola33

Japan

Well, it’s fascinating how technology is progressing in our high-tech mordern society. Fascianating and… scary! I mean with that hight tech features and all the exciting video games it provides, we lose to see the beauty of the real world, we stop doing something creative with our own hands, stop exersicing since the smart new technologies are very convinient, you plunge into a chair and here we go – the whole world is on your palm replacing your walk, your food, your real face to face socializing!  Not good, eh, so it should be controlled  before the machines push away all the necessary life surving skills – we stop thinking practically, ratioanally, we just stop thinking at all – the machine does it for us, engulfing our identity, wiping off our personallity turning us into robots and video games slaves, like walking dead.

paloma233333

China

i think it may be like a parabola.but we just won’t have a clue of the precise time that we are at the peak.and things go on well before the prior half way and go down after.i can recall some sentences in a documentary:”No matter how curious and how ambitious people are,human-being is gonna extinguish one day.”

02:14 PM Nov 14 2014 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

A philosopher  said in  one of his lectures :” This world is like a dog`s  curly tail, and people have been striving to straighten out for hundred of years, but when let it go it has curled up again”  ...    there will be many advances in the future but i doubt that people will be more happy .As   People will be living longer ,would the society be able  to take care of millions of them that need medical treatment , home care ,etc Even today ,in some countries social security for retirees  is drying up of money to pay the pensions. I am not looking into my future.     

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