The Reading / Listening - Audio Enclaves - Level 5

How we listen to music has changed over the centuries. Today, we have high-tech noise-cancelling ear buds that provide the highest quality experience. In the near future, we will be able to listen to music in public without headphones. New technology will aim beams of sound at us, without other people hearing. This means we will have conversations in public without others listening in. Researchers in the USA developed an innovation called "audio enclaves". The ultrasound waves used for this cannot be heard on their way to the receiver. The waves can also be bent to get around obstacles.

Lead researcher Jiaxin Zhong spoke to "The Conversation" website. He said: "We essentially created a virtual headset. Someone within an audible enclave can hear something meant only for them, enabling…quiet zones." He spoke about potential uses of the technology. Museums could give headphone-free audio guides to visitors. Car passengers could listen to music without distracting the driver. People could set up enclaves to ensure their conversations are not overheard. We could also receive personalized ads in shopping malls. Audio enclaves could also eliminate noise in offices.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Audio Enclaves - Level 4 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 has changed
  2. we have high-tech noise-
  3. In the
  4. New technology will aim beams
  5. have conversations in public without
  6. ultrasound
  7. The waves can also
  8. get around
  1. of sound at us
  2. obstacles
  3. over the centuries
  4. near future
  5. be bent
  6. cancelling ear buds
  7. others listening in
  8. waves

Paragraph 2

  1. We essentially created a virtual
  2. hear something meant
  3. He spoke about potential uses
  4. listen to music without distracting
  5. People could set
  6. ensure their conversations are
  7. We could also receive personalized
  8. eliminate noise
  1. of the technology
  2. in offices
  3. only for them
  4. up enclaves
  5. ads
  6. headset
  7. not overheard
  8. the driver

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

How we listen to music has changed (1) ________________________________________________. Today, we have high-tech noise-cancelling ear (2) ________________________________________________ the highest quality experience. In the near future, we will be able to listen to music in public without headphones. New technology will (3) ________________________________________________ sound at us, without other people hearing. This means we will (4) ________________________________________________ public without others listening in. Researchers in the USA developed an innovation called "audio enclaves". The (5) ________________________________________________ for this cannot be heard on their way to the receiver. The waves can also be bent to (6) ________________________________________________.

Lead researcher Jiaxin Zhong spoke to "The Conversation" website. He said: "We essentially (7) ________________________________________________ headset. Someone within an audible enclave can hear something (8) ________________________________________________ them, enabling…quiet zones." He spoke about (9) ________________________________________________ the technology. Museums could give headphone-free audio guides to visitors. Car passengers could listen to music without (10) ________________________________________________. People could set up enclaves to ensure their conversations are not overheard. We could also receive (11) ________________________________________________ shopping malls. Audio enclaves could also (12) ________________________________________________ offices.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Howwelistentomusichaschangedoverthecenturies.Today,wehavehi
gh-technoise-cancellingearbudsthatprovidethehighestqualityexp
erience.Inthenearfuture,wewillbeabletolistentomusicinpublicwitho
utheadphones.Newtechnologywillaimbeamsofsoundatus,withoutot
herpeoplehearing.Thismeanswewillhaveconversationsinpublicwith
outotherslisteningin.ResearchersintheUSAdevelopedaninnovationc
alled"audioenclaves".Theultrasoundwavesusedforthiscannotbehea
rdontheirwaytothereceiver.Thewavescanalsobebenttogetaroundob
stacles.LeadresearcherJiaxinZhongspoketo"TheConversation"webs
ite.Hesaid:"Weessentiallycreatedavirtualheadset.Someonewithina
naudibleenclavecanhearsomethingmeantonlyforthem,enabling…qu
ietzones."Hespokeaboutpotentialusesofthetechnology.Museumsco
uldgiveheadphone-freeaudioguidestovisitors.Carpassengerscouldli
stentomusicwithoutdistractingthedriver.Peoplecouldsetupenclaves
toensuretheirconversationsarenotoverheard.Wecouldalsoreceivep
ersonalizedadsinshoppingmalls.Audioenclavescouldalsoeliminaten
oiseinoffices.

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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