TEST YOURSELF 1

Read the statements and decide whether each one is TRUE or FALSE.Turning Ideas into Reality

A                     The Internet has a huge influence on the lives of those who use it. It empowers people by enabling the global exchange of knowledge and information. However, many rural communities around the world still live in areas with little to no Internet access. As a result, they are largely cut off. An entrepreneur named Ken Banks found a solution to this problem by using his expertise in mobile technology.

A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO A BIG PROBLEM

B                     While working in South Africa in 2003 and 2004, Banks saw that there were many organizations that were trying to help local communities. Since many villages didn't have Internet access, communication was a big challenge. Banks noticed, however, that many villagers had cell phones.

C                     Banks had an idea. He created some computer software called FrontlineSMS, which allows users to send information from computers without using the Internet. Users install the software on a computer. Then they connect the computer to a cell phone. To send information, users select the people they want to send it to. The cell phone sends the information to groups of people as a text message. Individuals can then reply on their own cell phones, creating a two-way messaging system between phone users and the computer.

D                     FrontlineSMS is free and can work almost anywhere in the world. In Malawi, a rural healthcare program uses it to contact patients. As a result, health workers no longer have to visit patients' homes to update medical records or pass along important information. The software has also been used to monitor elections in Nigeria and to help disaster relief efforts in Haiti. Today, it is used in more than 70 nations.

CREATING A SUCCESSFUL PRODUCT

E                     FrontlineSMS is a good example of taking an idea and making it a reality. So what should you do if you have an idea for making the world a better place? Banks offers the following advice:

F                     Don't immediately try to get money - most donors want to see that you have a good idea first. "Donors don't tend to respond so well to people who just reach for money without actually showing they can do something," Banks explains. So start by researching your idea or product thoroughly. Do people really need it? To find out if you have a good idea, go into the community and talk to people.

G                     Once you have a workable idea, promote it. Use all the social media tools that you can: Start a Facebook group, use Twitter, or create a website. Start a blog and write about what you're doing. Connect online with other people who are working in the same field as you. The more you post, the easier it will be for search engines to find you.

H                     If you have a good idea, and you've gotten your message out, people will notice you. Now is the time to try to get funding. Your social networks are a good place to start raising money. Waiting until you have gotten this far shows potential donors that you have initiative, Banks says. It also shows that you are committed.

I                     We're currently living in the best time to create a product that can reach millions of people. More and more entrepreneurs are developing and promoting products that have the potential to solve the world's greatest challenges. All you need is an idea. As Banks puts it, "Innovation … is about someone standing in a rural village somewhere and suddenly realizing, 'If I did this … that could happen.'"

16. The Internet has a huge global impact, but not everyone has access to it.

17. People in villages where Banks worked had cell phones, but no Internet connection.

18. FrontlineSMS sends information to cell phones, but it cannot receive information back.

19. Paragraph D says that FrontlineSMS only works in Africa.

20. Ken Banks believes you should promote an idea on social media before asking for money.

21. Search engines are more likely to recognize ideas that appear online frequently.

22. Ken Banks thinks that entrepreneurs need expert research, development, and funding before starting to create a new product.

Activity 1: Complete the sentences with the correct form of the following words

advice (n)           especially (adv)         exciting (adj)      get better (v phr) 

possible (adj)        prefer (v)          situation (n)        suggest (v)      well (adv)

be good at (v phr)

1. I don't want a boring job. I want to be a firefighter. That is…………..work.

2. My work………..is difficult. I work many hours a day and on weekends, too.

3. I want to be a nurse. My teacher…………that I talk to a nurse about her job.

4. Martha……………teaching. Her students are happy and learn a lot.

5.It's difficult to go to school and have a job, but it is…………to do both if you work hard.

6. I like everything about my job,...............the people I work with.

7. I……………studying at night. It's quiet then.

8. Eduardo does…………….in his art classes. His drawings are really good.

9. When I have a big problem, I ask my parents for…………….

10. I take good pictures, but I want to……………..I want to be great.

WORD FORM

This new computer software has many............... (improve).

The medication greatly reduced the patient's Answer (suffer)

I have a lot of..............(admire) for Olympic athletes.

Water ..............(flow) down my street after it rains heavily.

Damon quickly ..................(improve) in his swimming classes when he was younger.

An outside auditor will visit the factory next week to determine whether or not .............(accept) air-quality standard are being observed.

Speaking more than one language is Answer (benefit) in today's economy.

The teacher will grade our ............ (perform) on the test.

If the person you are trying to reach does not answer the telephone, please dial “0” to speak to the..............(operate).

Tallis Engineering is awaiting..............(verify) that its new water tank designs meet legal specifications.

Products made by Izmir Vitamins are designed to promote Answer(health) and well-being.

Grove Canoes’ prices may..............(occasion) vary depending on changes in the cost of raw materials

A 20 percent increase in revenue makes this the most .............(profit) year yet for the Sorvine Hotel Group.

The well-known legal firm of Peterson, Wong, and Lundgren, Inc., is.............  (common) referred to as PWL.

At Hemdom beds, our goal is to design.............. (innovate)furniture while maintaining comfort and function.

My college counselor ..............(advice) me to take geometry last semester.

Make this dialogue more natural by using suitable adverbs from the box to replace each of the expressions in bold (each adverb can only be used once and not all the adverbs will be needed).

STEVE: Not a bad party last night. Lots of old faces from college were there.

CLARE: (1) That sounds interesting; can you tell me more........?

STEVE: Yeah. Lizzie was there with her new husband. (2) This is something I’ve heard although it may not be true, .............., he’s something very high up and important in the civil service.

CLARE: Yes, I’ve heard that too. (3) This is my true opinion, although it may be shocking............ , I never really expected her to marry anyone successful. She was always so scruffy and laid back. She was never into social status or anything like that.

STEVE: (4) It is a logical deduction..............., she’s changed her outlook on life. I mean, she was very smartly dressed and she kept telling me all about how much money their new house had cost.

CLARE: (5) Do you expect me to believe that?...............

STEVE: Yes, she was really bragging about it.

CLARE: Well she never used to be interested in money at all. (6) This probably contradicts what I ‘ve just said..............,she did like eating out and travelling.

STEVE: (7) What I’m about to say isn’t really related to what we’ve been discussing...............,your old flame Simon was at the party.

CLARE: Was he? I haven’t seen him for ages.

STEVE: (8) As one would expect............, he couldn’t stop asking me questions about you.

CLARE: I think he still hopes that we might get back together one day.

STEVE: (9) That is completely accurate ...............

CLARE: Well, not much chance of that! Oh. was that obnoxious old creep Douglas Jarrold there?

STEVE: I’m afraid so. (10) I’m pleased about this .............., he was right over the other side of the room so I didn’t have to talk to him. He was trying to chat up Mary Bracknell. I can’t think why.

CLARE: (11) This is obvious ..............., he still fancies her.

STEVE: Maybe. She certainly wasn’t very interested in him, (12.) which one can sympathize with................

CLARE: Strange how some people never change, isn’t it?