Scale up student’s book Cou rse 1 audio

L a te st 
Achivements
What if a computer hadn’t been invented?
One may say: “Things are the way they are, 
and unlikely would be the other way” However, the 
matter we would like to concern is not philosophy. 
The speculation is on how would it have turned out 
without an issue, the usability and access of which we 
take for granted.
Originally, the idea stems from the development of 
space program. Craving for space exploration brought 
humanity to many inventions that are now, not a bit 
associated with space. Our devices, like laptops and
Lesson 15
iPod, are predated by the workable computer unit that 
used to be the size of a big hall.
Our grandparents were taught how to operate an 
abacus, not calculators that seems inconceivable at 
the time being. Furthermore, many adults don’t know 
how to operate a computer in a competent manner.
So where would the world be if there were no 
computers? It probably be less busy place. Offices 
would have had different furniture, more shelves, less 
tables, piles of files and papers all around. Cinemas 
and theatres would become more popular; streets 
would be noisier as poor clerks would have operated 
as distributors as well. Less convenient living and 
working places and vehicle, nonstop ringtones and 
time-consuming registration processes. Less women 
would have worked at the offices because of tougher 
housekeeping conditions. Lower production rate at 
the factories would have caused higher prices. There 
wouldn’t be any mobile phones to say nothing of 
internet or computer games. Lacking leisure activities 
would lead to the increase of crime rate.
Obviously, present-day generation would concern 
these as something incredible, but the fact is that 
previous generation used to experience that life. 
If to ask they may describe a fairy like story of 
own childhood, when juniors used to believe that 
computer was the unnatural implement of an evil 
named Fantomas. The only thing that would slightly 
resemble computer at that time was a typewriter. 
All the documents and files were organised using it, 
when, a single punctuation mistake caused retyping 
the whole document.
All the same, computes are the result of human 
mind and if once it has brought to existence no doubt 
that further achievements in science and technology 
will bring immense inventions.
We are seldom bothered about how achievements 
in science contribute our lifestyle and what it would 
have happened if they hadn’t been there. Major 
breakthroughs in science ultimately foster global 
development and enhance the routine of individuals.
World Awards
Telephone Interview with Alice Munro (4 minutes)
Alice Munro - Interview
«This May Change my Mind ...»
Telephone interview with Alice Munro following 
the announcement of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature

---

on 10 October 2013. The interviewer is Nobelprize. 
org’s Adam Smith.
[Adam Smith] Hello, Adam Smith.
[Alice Munro] Hello Adam!
[AS] Hello, this is Alice Munro?
[AM] Yes, this is Alice Munro. I just wanted to 
thank you, very much. This is quite a wonderful thing 
for me. It’s a wonderful thing for the short story.
[AS] It is indeed, and may we congratulate you in 
turn. It’s a wonderful day.
[AM] Thank you very, very much.
[AS] How did you hear the news?
[AM] Um, let me see, I was wandering around this 
morning, early. How did I hear it first? [Said to her 
daughter, Jenny, in the room with her] ... Oh, the press 
called me.
[AS] And what was your first reaction? Do you 
remember?
[AM] Unbelief. [Laughs] I really couldn’t believe 
it, I was so happy, and I haven’t gotten over the delight 
yet.
[AS] You’ve produced an enormous body of work 
over four decades ...
[AM] Well I have, yes. But, you know, because I 
work generally in the short story form, this is a special 
thing I think to get this recognition.
[AS] Yes indeed, yes indeed. Have you been 
basically the same sort of writer from the beginning 
to the end? Have you changed, do you think?
[AM] Well you know as far as I can tell, I have not 
changed very much. But someone else could answer 
that question better I think.
[AS] And the award will bring a great new 
readership to your work ...
[AM] Well I would hope so, and I hope this 
would happen not just for me but for the short story 
in general. Because it’s often sort of brushed off, 113 
you know, as something that people do before they 
write their first novel. And I would like it to come to 
the fore, without any strings attached, so that there 
doesn’t have to be a novel.
[AS] And for those who don’t know your work, 
would you recommend a starting point?
[AM] Oh goodness! I don’t know, I can’t ... You 
always think that your latest work is your best, at least
I do. So I would want them to start with the latest 
book.
[AS] So they should start with Dear Life should 
they?
[AM] Well, in a way, yes, but then I hope they 
would go back and read the others as well.
[AS] And of course everybody is talking about the 
fact that you announced earlier this year that you were 
going to stop writing, and saying “Maybe this will 
encourage her to start again”.
[AM] [Laughs] Well you know I’ve been doing it 
for so many years. I’ve been writing and publishing, I 
think, since I was about twenty - just now and then I 
would get something published you know - but that’s 
a long time to be working and I thought maybe it’s 
time to take it easy. But this may change my mind. 
[Laughter]
[AS] That’s an exciting statement! That’s going to 
have everybody buzzing.
[Both laugh]
[AS] How splendid! So, I know that you must be 
tired after speaking to so many people so we would 
like very much to talk to you perhaps on another 
occasion ...
[AM] That would be great, actually, because I am 
a little bit tired and woozy now and God knows what
I might say!
[AS] [Laughs] OK, well we’ll wait until this quiet 
down a bit, and then ...
[AM] OK.
[AS] It has been a great pleasure to speak to you, 
thank you so very much indeed.
[AM] Thank you, goodbye.
[AS] Bye, bye.