Post-Reading Activities

Vocabulary Development

Task 1

Look back in the text and find reference for the words in italics.

1. one that comes closer to real life

2. which see it as a technology for the next century

3. without taking them out of the office

4. it is not a natural system

5. to record where it is pointing

6. and displays it on the screen

7. to give the illusion of carrying it

8. while a robot would move through the real thing

Task 2

Look back in the text and find words or phrases meaning:

1. whenever and however they like

2. qualities

3. large amounts of money

4. immerse

5. twisting

6. small pockets filled with air

7. released on to the market

8. imitate

9. war plane

Task 3

Choose the appropriate form of the word to fit the meaning of the sentence. Make sure you understand the different forms of the word and their meanings. Use your dictionary to find this information.

1. correct, correctly, correction, corrective, correctness

1. If an error occurs, it is important to take _______ action immediately.

2. The ‘spell check’ facility checks the _______ of your spelling.

3. The data was entered _______, so the result must be accurate.

2. detect, detection, detectable, detective

1. There were _______ traces of radiation in the water sample.

2. The analyst could not _______ any errors in the system.

3. She tried to escape _______ by disguising herself.

3. sense, sensor, sensation, sensitive

1. An infra-red _______ detected the presence of intruders in the building.

2. The probe is _______ to heat and light.

3. The new system caused a _______ when it was launched last month.

Writing

These two paragraphs from the article contain similar information. Write one paragraph combining the information from them to give a short but complete description of the VR visual system.

• A virtual reality system consists of a helmet with a colour display in front of each eye, and wide-angle lenses to cover the entire field of view and give a stereoscopic effect. The helmet contains sensors, rather like electronic compasses, to record where it is pointing. A computer calculates what the wearer should be seeing in that direction and displays it on the screen.

• The helmet has a pair of liquid-crystal displays with wide-angle lenses giving a stereoscopic image, and a set of magnetic sensors to tell the computer what the helmet is looking at as it moves.

Speaking

Here are some responses to the following question:

Do you think the use of virtual reality in computer war games is going to affect young people’s attitude to violence?

Read them and decide which point of view (if any) most closely matches yours and try to develop it further.

Rita Harpet

“Yes, I do. I think anything, which portrays violence as fun, is going to alter young people’s perception of violence in a very dangerous way. Violent crime amongst young people is increasing. I think manufacturers of computer war games must take some of the responsibility.”

Susan Clark

“No, not really. Kids – particularly boys – have been playing with toy guns ever since guns were invented. Surely playing with toy guns in the real world is more dangerous than playing with imaginary guns in an imaginary world.”

Mark Watts

“It’s difficult to say. Some of my friends get very aggressive when they play computer war games. But I don’t really know if it makes them more violent when they’re doing other things. I play a VR jet fighter game, and I don’t think it has made me more violent.”

Listening

Task 1

Listen to the interview with Michael Emsley, one of the exhibitors at an exhibition of virtual reality at Olympia in London. As you listen, answer these questions about the interview.

1. Why do people expect far more from VR than it can give them?

2. How does Michael Emsley think VR should be seen?

3. Give two examples of the potential applications mentioned.

4. What problems will VR developers have if the technology does not produce results, according to Emsley?

5. How does the best VR system compare with human vision?

6. Why are there three electromagnetic coils in the headset?

7. How long does it take the computer to calculate each new position of the headset and update the display?

8. In order to make a ‘reasonable’ visual system, how powerful would the computer have to be?

Task 2

Read this extract from the tapescript and try to fill in the gaps. The first letter of each missing word is given.

INTERVIEWER: How is the (1) d_______ created?

MICHAEL EMSLEY: Most VR vision systems are (2) h_______ that block out everything except two (3) l_______ (4) c_______ (5) d_______ screens, one for each eye. Using a technique learnt from (6) a_______ (7) I_______ work on vision, the images on each screnn are (8) d_______ and displaces, giving the illusion of a (9) t______ (10) d______ view.

INTERVIEWER: What happens when the person moves his head?

MICHAEL EMSLEY: The movements are detected by three (11) e______coils – one coil for movements (12) u_______, and (13) d_______, one for (14) l_______ and (15) r_______, and one for movements (16) f_______ and (17) b_______. This information is (18) d_______ and passed to the computer, which then (19) u_______ the data it holds on the position of the headset. Once the new position of the headset has been (20) c_______, the visual display is updated.

INTERVIEWER: It sounds like a long (21) p_______.

Now listen again to the cassette and check your answers.