The Reading / Listening - Saying 'Please' - Level 1

Technology will help children to be polite. Amazon has a new children's virtual assistant, called "FreeTime". This has a "Magic Word" feature. Actually, there are two magic words: "Please," and: "Thank you." It encourages children to say these two words when they ask questions. After a child asks FreeTime a question, it will answer and then say: "Thank you for asking so nicely." Amazon hopes children will copy this and be more polite.

Magic Word is for people who think technology teaches children to be rude. Parents say children copy devices and forget to say "please" or "thank you". Not everyone is happy with this new technology. A campaign group said: "AI devices [get in the way of] face-to-face interactions and...play that children need to grow." It said parents should spend time with children and teach them to be polite.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Saying 'Please' - Level 0 Saying 'Please' - Level 2   or  Saying 'Please' - Level 3

Sources
  • https://slate.com/technology/2018/04/amazon-announces-a-kid-friendly-alexa-freetime-and-echo-dot-kids-edition.html
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2018/04/25/amazon-echo-dot-kids-alexa-thanks-them-saying-please/547911002/
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43897516


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. virtual
  2. there are two
  3. It encourages children
  4. when
  5. After a child asks
  6. Thank you for
  7. Amazon hopes children will
  8. be more
  1. FreeTime a question
  2. copy this
  3. magic words
  4. polite
  5. they ask questions
  6. to say these
  7. assistant
  8. asking so nicely

Paragraph 2

  1. technology teaches
  2. forget to say
  3. Not everyone is happy with this
  4. AI devices get in
  5. face-to-face
  6. children need
  7. spend time
  8. teach them to
  1. the way
  2. with children
  3. interactions
  4. be polite
  5. new technology
  6. children to be rude
  7. to grow
  8. "please"

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Technology will help children (1) ___________________. Amazon has a new children's virtual assistant, called "FreeTime". This has a "Magic Word" feature. Actually, (2) ___________________ magic words: "Please," and: "Thank you." It encourages children to say these two words (3) ___________________ questions. After a child asks FreeTime a question, (4) ___________________ and then say: "Thank you for (5) ___________________." Amazon hopes children will copy this and (6) ___________________.

Magic Word is for people who think technology teaches children (7) ___________________. Parents say children (8) ___________________ forget to say "please" or "thank you". Not everyone (9) ___________________ this new technology. A campaign group said: "AI devices (10) ___________________ way of face-to-face interactions and... (11) ___________________ need to grow." It said parents should spend time with children and teach (12) ___________________ polite.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Technologywillhelpchildrentobepolite.Amazonhasanewchildren'svir
tualassistant,called"FreeTime".Thishasa"MagicWord"feature.Actua
lly,therearetwomagicwords:"Please,"and:"Thankyou."Itencourage
schildrentosaythesetwowordswhentheyaskquestions.Afterachildas
ksFreeTimeaquestion,itwillanswerandthensay:"Thankyouforasking
sonicely."Amazonhopeschildrenwillcopythisandbemorepolite.Magic
Wordisforpeoplewhothinktechnologyteacheschildrentoberude.Pare
ntssaychildrencopydevicesandforgettosay"please"or"thankyou".No
teveryoneishappywiththisnewtechnology.Acampaigngroupsaid:"AI
devices[getinthewayof]face-to-faceinteractionsand...playthatchil
drenneedtogrow."Itsaidparentsshouldspendtimewithchildrenandte
achthemtobepolite.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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