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O texto abaixo é extraído do livro Graded English, publicado em 1983. Além de você poder observar o uso do idioma (vocabulário, construções gramaticais e como o pensamento é expressado), observe também o contexto. O que era apenas uma previsão 25 anos atrás, hoje é parte da rotina de muitos! Enjoy your reading!

Do you think modern life is confortable? Just wait and see! Future life is going to be more comfortable. Scientists tell us about the maid of the future: the computer. We know the importance of the computer today, but it's going to be even more important in the future.

There is going to be a "home computer" in every house. A home computer is a computer terminal connected to public computers. It's going to be the major source of information for the family.

The housewife is going to do her shopping through the computer. She is going to order directly to the computer of the supermarket. Then, the supermarket is going to deliver the goods directly to her house. No need to waste time with shopping. There is going to be a complete system of instant information: right time, weather forecast, movies in town, airplane, train and bus schedules, traffic in the streets, etc.

According to experiment s in England and Japan, we are going to have a new newspaper system in the 21st century. You are going to select your news while your wife is going to select hers. How? Simple! The newspaper is going to disappear. We are going to have the newsvideo, or the videotext. You type a message into your home computer. You ask, "Give the political news of Western Europe". The news is going to appear immediately in the video of the terminal.

We are also going to see talking machines. You are going to tell your TV, "Turn on!", "Change the Channel!", "Correct the color!" On the other hand , your stove is going to shout at you, "The water is boiling!", "The beans are burning!", "Turn me off!"

 Processing the Knowledge

Como Entender Melhor e Permanentemente?

• The second paragraph says that in the future there will be a home computer connected to public computers. What do you think this "home computer connected to public computers" is today?
  
• Says the text, "There is going to be a complete system of instant information: right time, weather forecast, movies in town, airplane, train and bus schedules, traffic in the streets, etc." - Do you take advantage of those instant information? How?
  
• The text was foreseeing a new way to get the news. Today we have Yahoo, Google, all the newspapers online... Do you think the traditional newspapers are going to disappear? Explain your answer.
• Do you think the "future" in the text is already our present or is still in the future? What about TVs that listen to you and stoves that talk?

 Descomplique! A solução é aprender inglês com LEP!