A technology festival in Bristol is showing off new inventions that could change many things. One of these is a pair of socks made by Dr. Zeke Steer that can find early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. The socks have sensors that check heart rate and sweat, and they can tell caregivers if something is wrong. This could help find and manage Alzheimer’s Disease sooner.

Another cool thing at the festival is a new way to do certain tests, like pregnancy and COVID-19 tests. A team called ‘eclateral’ is trying to make these tests better and more exact by using electricity. This could make the tests more accurate and also help blind women get their pregnancy test results in a private way.

The festival also has a hologram of former US President Barack Obama made by a company called Rocketmakers. The hologram, named ‘Portrait,’ can answer questions like Obama would. This could be used in many ways, like helping students in school or giving updates to people on airplanes. The festival shows how Bristol’s tech industry is growing, with many new companies making big changes in health, the environment, and more.

Original news source: Technology festival’s sock that detect Alzheimer’s signs (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a set of cards with words related to the article (e.g. socks, Alzheimer’s Disease, pregnancy test, hologram, tech industry). Each team takes turns choosing a card and acting out the word without speaking. The other team has to guess what word they are acting out. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. They should try to include key details and important information. After both partners have summarized the article, they can compare their summaries and discuss any differences or missing information.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: In small groups, students discuss their opinions on the inventions mentioned in the article (e.g. the socks, the new tests, the hologram). They should share their thoughts on the potential benefits and drawbacks of each invention. After the discussion, each student votes for the invention they find most interesting or useful.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. One student from each pair chooses a word from the article (e.g. Alzheimer’s Disease, hologram) and draws a picture to represent that word. Their partner has to guess the word based on the drawing. Students can take turns drawing and guessing, and the pair with the most correct guesses wins.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Set a timer for 1 minute. In pairs, students take turns summarizing the article as quickly as possible within the time limit. They should focus on the main points and try to speak fluently without stopping. After both partners have had a turn, they can compare their summaries and discuss any differences.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What can the socks made by Dr. Zeke Steer do?
2. How can the socks help with Alzheimer’s Disease?
3. What is the team ‘eclateral’ trying to do with pregnancy and COVID-19 tests?
4. How could using electricity make the tests better?
5. Who made the hologram of Barack Obama?
6. What can the hologram named ‘Portrait’ do?
7. What does the festival show about Bristol’s tech industry?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A technology festival in Bristol is showing off new inventions that could (1)______ many things. One of these is a pair of (2)______ made by Dr. Zeke Steer that can find early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. The socks have sensors that check heart (3)______ and sweat, and they can tell caregivers if something is wrong. This could help find and manage Alzheimer’s (4)______ sooner.

Another cool thing at the festival is a new way to do (5)______ (6)______, like pregnancy and COVID-19 tests. A team called ‘eclateral’ is trying to make these tests better and more exact by using electricity. This could make the tests more accurate and also help blind (7)______ get their pregnancy test results in a private way.

The festival also has a hologram of former US President Barack Obama (8)______ by a company called Rocketmakers. The hologram, (9)______ ‘Portrait,’ can answer questions like Obama would. This could be used in many ways, like helping (10)______ in school or giving updates to people on airplanes. The festival shows how Bristol’s tech industry is (11)______, with many new companies making big changes in (12)______, the environment, and more.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
2. How would you feel if you had a pair of socks that could help find signs of Alzheimer’s Disease?
3. Do you think it’s important to find and manage Alzheimer’s Disease sooner? Why or why not?
4. What are some tests that you know of? (e.g. pregnancy test, COVID-19 test)
5. How do you think electricity can make tests more accurate?
6. Why is it important for blind women to get their pregnancy test results in a private way?
7. Who is Barack Obama?
8. How would you feel if you could ask a hologram of Barack Obama questions?
9. In what ways do you think a hologram like ‘Portrait’ could be helpful?
10. Do you think it’s cool that Bristol’s tech industry is growing? Why or why not?
11. What are some changes that technology can make in health?
12. Can you think of any ways technology can help the environment?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. festival
2. inventions
3. socks
4. sensors
5. tests
6. hologram
7. company
8. changes

Meanings:
(a) Exams or checks to see if something is true or not
(b) A special event where people show new things
(c) When something becomes different or not the same
(d) Clothes you wear on your feet
(e) New things that people make
(f) A special kind of picture that looks real but isn’t
(g) A group of people who work together to make things
(h) Things that can check and measure things
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is one invention showcased at the technology festival in Bristol?
(a) Socks that can detect early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
(b) A new way to make coffee
(c) A robot that can clean your room
(d) A car that can fly

2. How do the socks made by Dr. Zeke Steer help with Alzheimer’s Disease?
(a) They can make you run faster
(b) They can change colors based on your mood
(c) They can play music
(d) They have sensors that check heart rate and sweat

3. What is one benefit of using electricity in pregnancy and COVID-19 tests?
(a) The tests can make you feel better
(b) The tests can make you invisible
(c) The tests can make you fly
(d) The tests can be more accurate

4. How can blind women benefit from the new way of doing tests?
(a) They can see through walls
(b) They can get their pregnancy test results in a private way
(c) They can read people’s minds
(d) They can become superheroes

5. What is the name of the hologram of former US President Barack Obama?
(a) Rocketmakers
(b) Zeke Steer
(c) Portrait
(d) Eclateral

6. What can the hologram of Barack Obama do?
(a) Cook a delicious meal
(b) Answer questions like Obama would
(c) Fly in the sky
(d) Dance like a professional

7. How can the hologram of Barack Obama be used?
(a) To clean your house
(b) To make you laugh
(c) To help students in school or give updates to people on airplanes
(d) To make you invisible

8. What does the technology festival in Bristol show about the city’s tech industry?
(a) It is growing with many new companies making big changes in health, the environment, and more
(b) It is shrinking with fewer companies making any changes
(c) It is staying the same with no new companies or changes
(d) It is moving to a different city

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The hologram, named ‘Portrait,’ can answer questions just like Obama would, and could be used in schools or on airplanes.
2. The festival features a hologram of former US President Barack Obama, created by a company called Rocketmakers.
3. These special socks have sensors that check heart rate and sweat, and can alert caregivers if something is wrong.
4. A team called ‘eclateral’ is not working on improving tests like pregnancy and COVID-19 tests by using electricity.
5. This new method could make the tests more accurate and help blind women get their pregnancy test results privately.
6. A technology festival in Bristol is displaying old inventions that may have a minimal impact on different things.
7. The festival downplays the growth of Bristol’s tech industry, with fewer new companies making insignificant changes in health, the environment, and more.
8. Dr. Zeke Steer has failed to create a pair of socks that can detect early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is one invention at the technology festival that can help find early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease?
2. How do the socks made by Dr. Zeke Steer check if something is wrong?
3. What is another invention at the festival that can make certain tests more accurate?
4. How does the team ‘eclateral’ want to improve pregnancy and COVID-19 tests?
5. What is the name of the hologram at the festival and what can it do?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What can the socks made by Dr. Zeke Steer do?
The socks made by Dr. Zeke Steer can find early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease.

2. How can the socks help with Alzheimer’s Disease?
The socks have sensors that check heart rate and sweat, and they can tell caregivers if something is wrong. This can help find and manage Alzheimer’s Disease sooner.

3. What is the team ‘eclateral’ trying to do with pregnancy and COVID-19 tests?
The team ‘eclateral’ is trying to make pregnancy and COVID-19 tests better and more exact.

4. How could using electricity make the tests better?
Using electricity could make the tests more accurate, which means they can give more correct results. It can also help blind women get their pregnancy test results in a private way.

5. Who made the hologram of Barack Obama?
The hologram of Barack Obama was made by a company called Rocketmakers.

6. What can the hologram named ‘Portrait’ do?
The hologram named ‘Portrait’ can answer questions like Obama would. It can be used to help students in school or give updates to people on airplanes.

7. What does the festival show about Bristol’s tech industry?
The festival shows that Bristol’s tech industry is growing. There are many new companies making big changes in health, the environment, and more.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) change
(2) socks
(3) rate
(4) Disease
(5) certain
(6) tests
(7) women
(8) made
(9) named
(10) students
(11) growing
(12) health
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. festival
Answer: (b) A special event where people show new things

2. inventions
Answer: (e) New things that people make

3. socks
Answer: (d) Clothes you wear on your feet

4. sensors
Answer: (h) Things that can check and measure things

5. tests
Answer: (a) Exams or checks to see if something is true or not

6. hologram
Answer: (f) A special kind of picture that looks real but isn’t

7. company
Answer: (g) A group of people who work together to make things

8. changes
Answer: (c) When something becomes different or not the same
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is one invention showcased at the technology festival in Bristol?
Answer: (a) Socks that can detect early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

2. How do the socks made by Dr. Zeke Steer help with Alzheimer’s Disease?
Answer: (d) They have sensors that check heart rate and sweat

3. What is one benefit of using electricity in pregnancy and COVID-19 tests?
Answer: (d) The tests can be more accurate

4. How can blind women benefit from the new way of doing tests?
Answer: (b) They can get their pregnancy test results in a private way

5. What is the name of the hologram of former US President Barack Obama?
Answer: (c) Portrait

6. What can the hologram of Barack Obama do?
Answer: (b) Answer questions like Obama would

7. How can the hologram of Barack Obama be used?
Answer: (c) To help students in school or give updates to people on airplanes

8. What does the technology festival in Bristol show about the city’s tech industry?
Answer: (a) It is growing with many new companies making big changes in health, the environment, and more
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The hologram, named ‘Portrait,’ can answer questions just like Obama would, and could be used in schools or on airplanes. (Answer: True)
2. The festival features a hologram of former US President Barack Obama, created by a company called Rocketmakers. (Answer: True)
3. These special socks have sensors that check heart rate and sweat, and can alert caregivers if something is wrong. (Answer: True)
4. A team called ‘eclateral’ is not working on improving tests like pregnancy and COVID-19 tests by using electricity. (Answer: False)
5. This new method could make the tests more accurate and help blind women get their pregnancy test results privately. (Answer: True)
6. A technology festival in Bristol is displaying old inventions that may have a minimal impact on different things. (Answer: False)
7. The festival downplays the growth of Bristol’s tech industry, with fewer new companies making insignificant changes in health, the environment, and more. (Answer: False)
8. Dr. Zeke Steer has failed to create a pair of socks that can detect early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧