Views #645 | Intermediate 5

Future Kids

Simon and Todd talk about how the future will be different for his newborn son.

Todd: OK, Simon, I was wondering you know, you have a newborn son and before you know it, he'll probably be 10 years old, 12 years old, and I wonder if his life will a lot different than it was for us when we were 10 or 12. Like for example, education, do you remember what school was like when you were 12.

Simon: Yeah, sure I do. I think his education will be the same as mine. I don't think, like I had a classroom with maybe 15 or 20 students in it. He'll probably have a classroom with 15 or 20 students in it.

Simon: Of course there will be a lot more technology in his classroom. I mean, I remember my first computer had green and white, green and black screen. He'll probably have 3-dimensional shapes with his computer screen.

Todd: That will be amazing. What about sports? Do you think sports will be the same? That he'll play pick-up games with his friends and go to the park and play soccer, whatever.

Simon: Sure. The only difference is for example, I played soccer when I was young. I played on grass. He'll probably play on artificial turf on the top of a building somewhere.

Todd: Right. Actually that kind of worried me about kids today. They don't play sports and freely as they did, you know, when I was 12. Cause when I was 12, we would always play pick-up basketball games or pick-up baseball games. I don't know if kids do that so much anymore.

Simon: I think they probably do.

Todd: You think so. OK. Well what about entertainment?

Simon: I think some things never change so when he is 12 years old he will do exactly what I don't want him to do, which is exactly what I did so those things might be different, like I would probably hang out with my friends and go skateboarding. He'll probably have a jet board instead.

Todd: A jet board. Right.

Simon: Well, who knows. I don't know, but something, something new.

Todd: Right. Right. OK, that's cool. Anything else you think might be different for your son, especially when you son is 30, in his 30's like you.

Simon: Yeah, but I guess technology, I think technology and overpopulation so he'll probably see a lot less natural sites or won't be able to experience nature as I did. I mean even now I don't see as much nature as I did 20 years ago.

Todd: Right. Yeah, it's kind of a sad thing. OK, anyway, thanks a lot Simon.

Simon: Yeah, no problem.

Simon: Yeah, but I guess technology, I think technology and overpopulation so he'll probably see a lot less natural sites or won't be able to experience nature as I did. I mean even now I don't see as much nature as I did 20 years ago.

Todd: Right. Yeah, it's kind of a sad thing. OK, anyway, thanks a lot Simon.

Simon: Yeah, no problem.


Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

3-dimensional

In the future, he'll probably have 3-dimensional shapes with his computer screen.

Something that looks '3-dimensional' appears how we actually see it in real life. A circle is a 2-dimensional object, because all we can see is that it is tall and wide, but a sphere or a ball is 3-dimensional, because we can also see that it is deep. Notice the following:

  1. 3-dimensional movies are becoming really popular now.
  2. Sculptures are my favorite kind of art, because they are 3-dimensional.

pick-up games

I'm sure he'll play pick up games with his friends and go to the park and play soccer.

A 'pick-up' game is one that is informal and not organized in advance. If there are enough people to have teams hanging around, maybe they will just start a fun game. Notice the following:

  1. Do you have time for a pick-up soccer game today?
  2. They used to play pick-up basketball games at least twice a week.

artificial turf

He'll probably play soccer on an artificial turf on the top of a building somewhere.

'Artificial turf' is grass that is not real. It is frequently used in sports, because real grass is not very durable and is destroyed easily if you play on it. Notice the following:

  1. It's easy to scrape your leg if you fall on artificial turf.
  2. Does the new stadium have natural or artificial turf?

hang out

I always used to hang out with my friends and go skateboarding.

When you 'hang out' with people, you spend casual and relaxing time with them. Notice the following:

  1. He doesn't have enough time to do his homework, because he spends a lot of time hanging out with his friends.
  2. I could just hang out in a coffee shop for hours.

overpopulation

Because of technology and overpopulation, I think he probably won't experience nature as much as I did.

'Overpopulation' happens when there are too many people or animals living in one specific area. There aren't enough resources or space for all the people. Notice the following:

  1. There is a section of the government that monitors animals, so we don't have overpopulation problems.
  2. Overpopulation became a real problem in this area, because people couldn't afford to buy houses somewhere else.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

Vocabulary Quiz

3-dimensional • pick-up • artificial
hanging • overpopulation
  1. I hate playing on turf.
  2. We are talking about the problems of in my environmental class right now.
  3. The only thing that he does at the gym is play games, but it keeps him in good shape.
  4. When you wear these special glasses, the movie becomes .
  5. When you are finished with your shopping, you can come find me. I'll be out in that cafe.

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