There is a big show where people show new things they made. Some new things are very interesting, like a pillow that stops you from making noise when you sleep and a cleaner that knows how to clean different floors. But some people are not sure if these things are really as smart as they say. They think maybe the people who made them just want to sell more. The people who make sure ads are true say you can’t lie about how smart your things are.

Some people who make things are not saying “AI” so much now. They still make very smart things, but they don’t talk about it a lot. There is a fridge that can tell you what to cook, but some people wonder if they really need a fridge to help them cook. Because of this, some people might choose things that are not so smart but still work well.

Original news source: CES 2024: AI pillows and toothbrushes – is it all getting a bit silly? (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Write down a list of smart things mentioned in the article on separate cards. Each group takes turns choosing a card and acting out the smart thing without speaking. The other groups guess what they are acting out.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a list of vocabulary words from the article. One student chooses a word and draws a picture to represent it, while the other student tries to guess the word. They can only use English to communicate.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Write down a keyword from the article on the board, leaving the spaces for the letters. The class takes turns guessing letters to fill in the blanks. If a letter is correct, it is written in the appropriate space. If a letter is incorrect, a body part of the hangman is drawn. The class must guess the keyword before the hangman is completed.

– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: Write down a list of vocabulary words from the article on separate cards. Divide the class into pairs. Each pair takes turns choosing a card and trying to come up with as many synonyms for the word as possible within a time limit. The pair with the most synonyms wins.

– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Each student writes down two true statements and one false statement about smart things. They take turns sharing their statements with a partner, who must guess which statement is false. The partner provides a reason for their guess in English.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the big show about?
2. Can a pillow stop you from making noise when you sleep?
3. What is the job of a cleaner that knows how to clean different floors?
4. Why are some people not sure if these new things are really smart?
5. Do the people who make sure ads are true say you can lie about how smart your things are?
6. Are people still saying “AI” a lot?
7. Is there a fridge that can tell you what to cook?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There is a big show where people show new things they made. Some new things are very interesting, like a (1)______ that stops you from making noise when you sleep and a (2)______ that knows how to clean different floors. But some people are not sure if these things are really as (3)______ as they say. They think maybe the people who made them just want to sell (4)______. The people who make sure ads are true say you can’t lie about how smart your things are.

Some people who (5)______ things are not saying “AI” so much now. They still make very smart things, but they don’t (6)______ about it a lot. There is a fridge that can tell you what to cook, but some people wonder if they really need a (7)______ to help them cook. Because of this, some people might choose (8)______ that are not so smart but still work well.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a pillow?
2. How would you feel if you had a pillow that stopped you from making noise when you sleep?
3. Do you like the idea of a cleaner that knows how to clean different floors? Why or why not?
4. What is an ad?
5. Do you think people should be allowed to lie in ads? Why or why not?
6. What are some things that can be smart?
7. Do you think a fridge that can tell you what to cook is helpful? Why or why not?
8. What are some things that can be smart but not talk about it a lot?
9. Do you think it’s important for things to be smart? Why or why not?
10. What are some things that work well but are not so smart?
11. How do you decide which things to choose? Do you think it’s important for things to be smart or not? Why or why not?
12. What is something new that you would like to see at a big show?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. difficult
2. interesting
3. pillow
4. cleaner
5. smart
6. ads
7. lie
8. fridge
9. wonder
10. choose

Meanings:
(A) To think about something because you want to know more or are not sure about it
(B) To pick one thing from a group of things
(C) A machine that helps make your house clean
(D) Hard to do or understand
(E) Pictures and words that tell you about something you can buy
(F) A big cold box where you keep your food so it doesn’t go bad
(G) A soft thing you put your head on when you sleep
(H) Fun to look at or think about
(I) To say something that is not true
(J) When something or someone can think well or do things that seem like magic
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the big show where people show new things they made?
(a) A movie
(b) A show
(c) A book
(d) A game

2. What is one interesting thing people made for the show?
(a) A toy that talks to you
(b) A hat that can fly
(c) A shoe that can swim
(d) A pillow that stops noise when you sleep

3. Why are some people not sure if the new things are really smart?
(a) They think the new things are too expensive.
(b) They think the people who made them just want to sell more.
(c) They think the new things are too small.
(d) They think the new things are too heavy.

4. Who makes sure ads are true?
(a) People who play
(b) People who sleep
(c) People who eat
(d) People who check

5. What are some people not saying so much now?
(a) “Hello”
(b) “Goodbye”
(c) “AI”
(d) “Thank you”

6. What can a fridge do?
(a) Tell you what to cook
(b) Tell you what to wear
(c) Tell you what to read
(d) Tell you what to watch

7. What do some people wonder if they really need?
(a) A car to help them swim
(b) A book to help them fly
(c) A fridge to help them cook
(d) A toy to help them sleep

8. What might some people choose that is not so smart but still works well?
(a) Things that are not so smart
(b) Things that are very heavy
(c) Things that are very expensive
(d) Things that are very small

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Some people who make things are saying “AI” so much now.
2. They still make very dumb things, and they talk about it a lot.
3. The people who make sure ads are true say you can’t lie about how smart your things are.
4. There is a big show where people show new things they made.
5. They think maybe the people who made them just want to sell more.
6. Some people might choose things that are not smart and don’t work well.
7. Some people are not sure if these things are really as smart as they say.
8. Some new things are very boring, like a pillow that increases noise when you sleep and a cleaner that doesn’t know how to clean different floors.
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 the big show about?
2. What are some interesting new things that people show at the big show?
3. Why are some people not sure if these new things are really smart?
4. What do the people who make sure ads are true say about lying?
5. Why are some people not talking about “AI” so much now?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the big show about?
The big show is about people showing new things they made.

2. Can a pillow stop you from making noise when you sleep?
Yes, a pillow can stop you from making noise when you sleep.

3. What is the job of a cleaner that knows how to clean different floors?
The job of a cleaner that knows how to clean different floors is to clean different types of floors.

4. Why are some people not sure if these new things are really smart?
Some people are not sure if these new things are really smart because they think the people who made them just want to sell more.

5. Do the people who make sure ads are true say you can lie about how smart your things are?
No, the people who make sure ads are true say you can’t lie about how smart your things are.

6. Are people still saying “AI” a lot?
No, people are not saying “AI” a lot anymore.

7. Is there a fridge that can tell you what to cook?
Yes, there is a fridge that can tell you what to cook.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) pillow
(2) cleaner
(3) smart
(4) more
(5) make
(6) talk
(7) fridge
(8) things
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. difficult
Answer: (D) Hard to do or understand

2. interesting
Answer: (H) Fun to look at or think about

3. pillow
Answer: (G) A soft thing you put your head on when you sleep

4. cleaner
Answer: (C) A machine that helps make your house clean

5. smart
Answer: (J) When something or someone can think well or do things that seem like magic

6. ads
Answer: (E) Pictures and words that tell you about something you can buy

7. lie
Answer: (I) To say something that is not true

8. fridge
Answer: (F) A big cold box where you keep your food so it doesn’t go bad

9. wonder
Answer: (A) To think about something because you want to know more or are not sure about it

10. choose
Answer: (B) To pick one thing from a group of things
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the big show where people show new things they made?
Answer: (b) A show

2. What is one interesting thing people made for the show?
Answer: (d) A pillow that stops noise when you sleep

3. Why are some people not sure if the new things are really smart?
Answer: (b) They think the people who made them just want to sell more.

4. Who makes sure ads are true?
Answer: (d) People who check

5. What are some people not saying so much now?
Answer: (c) “AI”

6. What can a fridge do?
Answer: (a) Tell you what to cook

7. What do some people wonder if they really need?
Answer: (c) A fridge to help them cook

8. What might some people choose that is not so smart but still works well?
Answer: (a) Things that are not so smart
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Some people who make things are saying “AI” so much now. (Answer: False)
2. They still make very dumb things, and they talk about it a lot. (Answer: False)
3. The people who make sure ads are true say you can’t lie about how smart your things are. (Answer: True)
4. There is a big show where people show new things they made. (Answer: True)
5. They think maybe the people who made them just want to sell more. (Answer: True)
6. Some people might choose things that are not smart and don’t work well. (Answer: False)
7. Some people are not sure if these things are really as smart as they say. (Answer: True)
8. Some new things are very boring, like a pillow that increases noise when you sleep and a cleaner that doesn’t know how to clean different floors. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧