The Reading / Listening - Alexa - Level 0

We can now ask Amazon's Alexa about our health. Alexa is a virtual assistant. It listens to and answers questions. It can talk to people and tell them the latest news. Now it can give health advice. Amazon worked with the UK's health service to use its health database. Alexa will give answers from the advice of doctors.

The UK said it is great we can get advice from Alexa at home. This will really help busy doctors. The UK wants patients to have more control of their health. Not everyone likes this. Some people say we should not ask Alexa for health advice. We should see a doctor if we are sick. Other people are worried about hacking and privacy.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Alexa - Level 1,  Alexa - Level 2   or  Alexa - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9473561/amazon-alexa-health-queries-nhs/
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/health-48925345
  • https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jul/10/nhs-teams-up-with-amazon-to-bring-alexa-to-patients


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. ask Amazon's Alexa
  2. Alexa is a virtual
  3. It listens to and
  4. It can
  5. tell them the
  6. Now it can give
  7. Amazon worked with the
  8. the advice of
  1. talk to people
  2. UK's health service
  3. about our health
  4. health advice
  5. doctors
  6. latest news
  7. assistant
  8. answers questions

Paragraph 2

  1. it is great we can
  2. This will really help
  3. have more control
  4. Not everyone
  5. we should not ask Alexa
  6. We should see a doctor
  7. Other people are
  8. hacking
  1. busy doctors
  2. worried
  3. for health advice
  4. and privacy
  5. of their health
  6. get advice
  7. if we are sick
  8. likes this

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

We (1) ___________________ Amazon's Alexa about our health. Alexa is (2) ___________________. It listens to and answers questions. It (3) ___________________ people and tell them the latest news. Now it (4) ___________________ advice. Amazon worked with the UK's health service (5) ___________________ health database. Alexa (6) ___________________ from the advice of doctors.

The UK said it (7) ___________________ can get advice from Alexa at home. This (8) ___________________ busy doctors. The UK wants patients (9) ___________________ control of their health. Not (10) ___________________. Some people say we should not ask Alexa (11) ___________________. We should see a doctor if we are sick. Other people are worried about (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

WecannowaskAmazon'sAlexaaboutourhealth.Alexaisavirtualassist
ant.Itlistenstoandanswersquestions.Itcantalktopeopleandtellthemt
helatestnews.Nowitcangivehealthadvice.AmazonworkedwiththeUK
'shealthservicetouseitshealthdatabase.Alexawillgiveanswersfromth
eadviceofdoctors.TheUKsaiditisgreatwecangetadvicefromAlexaath
ome.Thiswillreallyhelpbusydoctors.TheUKwantspatientstohavemor
econtroloftheirhealth.Noteveryonelikesthis.Somepeoplesayweshou
ldnotaskAlexaforhealthadvice.Weshouldseeadoctorifwearesick.Oth
erpeopleareworriedabouthackingandprivacy.

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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