People – the great communicators

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We can communicate with other people in many different ways. We can talk and write, and we can send messages with our hands and faces. There is also the phone (including the mobile), the fax, and e-mail. Television, film, painting, and photography can also communicate ideas.

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Animals have ways of exchanging information, too. Bees dance and tell other bees where to find food. Elephants make sounds that humans can’t hear. Whales sing songs. Monkeys use their f aces to show anger and love. But this is nothing compared to what people can do. We have language – about 6000 languages, in fact. We can write poetry, tell jokes, make promises, explain, persuade, tell the truth, or tell lies. And we have a sense of past and future, not just present.

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Communication technologies were very important in the development of all the great ancient societies:

• Around 2900 BC, paper and hieroglyphics transformed Egyptian life.

• The ancient Greeks loved the spoken word. They were very good at public speaking, drama, and philosophy.

• The Romans developed a unique system of government that depended on the Roman alphabet.

• In the 14th century, the printing press helped develop new ways of thinking across Europe.

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Radio, film, and television have had a huge influence on society in the last hundred years. And now we have the Internet, which is infinite. But what is this doing to us? We can give and get a lot of information very quickly. But there is so much information that it is difficult to know what is important and what isn’t. Modern media is changing our world every minute of every day.

BLOCK II

1. Read the following dialogue.

Assistant 1: Sunder’s Enterprises, good morning.

Mr. Shapiro: Good morning. May I speak to Andrew Tirelli, please.

Assistant 1: I’m sorry, Mr. Tirelli is at the meeting at the moment. Can he call you back?

Mr. Shapiro: Yes, this is Peter Shapiro from De Mario, I’m at 457-4765.

Assistant 1: I’ll tell him to call you right back.

Mr. Shapiro: Thanks.

(A bit later)

Mr. Tirelli: Mr. Shapiro, please.

Assistant 2: I’m sorry, Mr. Shapiro just stepped away from his desk. May I take a message?

Mr. Tirelli: I’m just returning his call.

Assistant 2: O.K. I’ll give him a message.

Mr. Tirelli: Thanks. Good-bye.

2. Find the logical order of the following dialogue parts.

The phone has just rung in the Jackson’s house and Kenny has gone to answer it.

1. – I’m still here at school. I’ve decided to stay and work on my history project with Carol.

2. – Wait a minute…

3. – Hey, Mom. It’s Debbie.

4. – Hello?

5. – Thanks, Mom.

6. – See you later.

7. – Have you had anything to eat yet?

8. – Sure.

9. – No, but I’ll go to the Pizza Place later.

10. – Can you pick me up there at 8 o’clock?

11. – O.K., dear, Bye.

12. – Debbie, dear. Where are you?

13. – Hi, Kenny. Can I talk to Mom, please?