The Reading / Listening - Audio Enclaves - Level 4

How we listen to music is changing. Today, we have high-tech ear buds that give a top quality sound. In the future, we will be able to listen to music in public without headphones. New technology will aim beams of sound at us, without others hearing. We will have conversations in public without other people listening in. Researchers developed an innovation called "audio enclaves". The sound waves used for this cannot be heard on their way to the receiver.

The lead researcher said: "Someone within an audible enclave can hear something meant only for them, enabling…quiet zones." He spoke about possible uses of the technology. Museums could give headphone-free audio guides to visitors. People could set up an enclave to make sure their conversations are not overheard. We could also receive personalized ads in shopping malls. Audio enclaves could also reduce noise in busy places.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Audio Enclaves - Level 5 or  Audio Enclaves - Level 6

Sources
  • https://theconversation.com/researchers-created-sound-that-can-bend-itself-through-space-reaching-only-your-ear-in-a-crowd-252266
  • https://futurism.com/sound-audible-enclaves
  • https://www.musicradar.com/music-tech/gear-gadgets/rip-headphones-new-tech-can-now-beam-music-into-your-ears-without-the-need-for-any-hardware


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. How we listen to music
  2. ear buds that give a
  3. listen to music
  4. aim beams of sound
  5. without other people
  6. an innovation
  7. sound
  8. heard on their way
  1. called "audio enclaves"
  2. at us
  3. waves
  4. top quality sound
  5. to the receiver
  6. in public
  7. listening in
  8. is changing

Paragraph 2

  1. hear something meant
  2. enabling quiet
  3. possible uses
  4. give headphone-free audio
  5. People could set
  6. conversations are not
  7. We could also receive personalized
  8. reduce noise
  1. up an enclave
  2. ads
  3. only for them
  4. in busy places
  5. of the technology
  6. zones
  7. overheard
  8. guides to visitors

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

How we listen to music is changing. Today, (1) ________________________________________________-tech ear buds that give a (2) ________________________________________________. In the future, we will be able to listen to music (3) ________________________________________________ headphones. New technology will aim beams of sound at us, (4) ________________________________________________. We will have conversations in public without other people listening in. Researchers (5) ________________________________________________ called "audio enclaves". The sound waves used for this cannot be heard (6) ________________________________________________ to the receiver.

The lead researcher said: "Someone (7) ________________________________________________ enclave can hear something meant only for them, (8) ________________________________________________." He spoke about possible uses of the technology. Museums could give headphone-free (9) ________________________________________________ visitors. People could set up an enclave to make sure their conversations (10) ________________________________________________. We could also receive (11) ________________________________________________ shopping malls. Audio enclaves could also reduce (12) ________________________________________________ places.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Howwelistentomusicischanging.Today,wehavehigh-techearbudsth
atgiveatopqualitysound.Inthefuture,wewillbeabletolistentomusicin
publicwithoutheadphones.Newtechnologywillaimbeamsofsoundatu
s,withoutothershearing.Wewillhaveconversationsinpublicwithoutot
herpeoplelisteningin.Researchersdevelopedaninnovationcalled"aud
ioenclaves".Thesoundwavesusedforthiscannotbeheardontheirwayt
othereceiver.Theleadresearchersaid:"Someonewithinanaudibleenc
lavecanhearsomethingmeantonlyforthem,enabling…quietzones."H
espokeaboutpossibleusesofthetechnology.Museumscouldgivehead
phone-freeaudioguidestovisitors.Peoplecouldsetupanenclavetom
akesuretheirconversationsarenotoverheard.Wecouldalsoreceiveper
sonalizedadsinshoppingmalls.Audioenclavescouldalsoreducenoisei
nbusyplaces.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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