〈Project Making a list of pros and cons

Part A: Reading

1. Mobile phones have become part of peopleˇs life and there have been an argument about the safety of using them for many years. Whatˇs your opinion?

Today weˇll read a newspaper article about the possible negative effects of mobile phone use on peopleˇs health.

2. Group work: It has been argued that mobile phones may be harmful to us. What is your idea on this issue? Do you think that the use of mobile phones is dangerous or not?

Letˇs conduct a survey about how many of you think it is dangerous to use mobile phones. Itˇs best for you to give reasons to support your ideas.

3. When weˇre reading a news report, what shall we pay special attention to?

Both the title and the first paragraph, which is called the lead paragraph, play a key role in the understanding of a newspaper article.

Now, please read the title and the first paragraph carefully and answer the following questions:

What might be the writerˇs attitude towards mobile phone use? Why do you think so? (He might be worried about the use of mobile phones because he says, ˉScientists have recently provide us with some worrying findings.ˇ)

4. Read the passage again and fill in the form below:

Main points Supporting details

Using a mobile phone doubles the risk of developing brain cancer. The report is based on the findings of research that was carried out in Sweden, comparing 1,617 patients found to have brain tumors between 1997 and 2003 with the same number of healthy people.

Digital mobile phones are an actual danger. The study, conducted with 200 mice, of which half were exposed to radiation while the other half did not receive any radiation, shows that the first half were found to have more than twice the cancer rate of the second half after eighteen months.

The reasons why there is no definite scientific evidence available now about the effects of mobile phones on peopleˇs health. Enormous profit from the telecommunications industry prevents the bad results of findings from being revealed.

5. Discussion: Is there anything you can do to minimize any possible health risks?

For reference

刢 Limiting the amount of time you spend on your mobile phone

刢 Taking your phone out of your pocket and putting it on a nearby surface when youˇre at home or at work

刢 Moving the phone away from the body by using a handsfree kit or loudspeaking mode if available or why not consider texting as an alternative

刢 Checking the SAR of a phone before you buy it, although the power which a phone transmits is controlled by the network and in many situations is far lower than its maximum power

刢 Turning your phone off when you donˇt need to use it

Part B:

1. Besides mobile phones, many other electrical and electronic devices that are widely used nowadays. Of course, we benefit a lot from them. They save a lot of time and energy, but are any potential problems of them in terms of health and society?

Letˇs have a discussion about the questions on Page 15.

2. Write a list of the advantages and disadvantages of electronic devices.

Homework:

Read Part A and then do Part on page 109 of the Workbook.