Read the following vision of the future. Then summarise and present the themes in your text to a partner

XXI-CENTURY BUSINESS

SUPPLEMENT

Summarise your information (use the essay).

FEEDBACK

Read the following and write an essay, giving your opinions on the statement.

WRITING

Some scientists predict that advances in robotics, genetic engineering and nanotechnology will lead to a world populated by superorganisms both biological and mechanical. When we built machines that are like us, only smarter, stronger and more easily produced, they say, we are in fact creating our own worst enemy. These machines will develop new forms of thinking that will be beyond our comprehension. If we can’t understand what we have built, we will not be able to control it. The scientists say that we have some 20 years of intellectual superiority over computers. By that time the robots will have learnt a lot. They will deserve the same right and privileges because they will be like humans.

We’re probably decades away from having to worry about anything more than running out of batteries. Still, it seems clear that big changes are coming, and as with any new technology, there will certainly be some unintended, and quite possibly unpleasant, consequences as robots begin to play a regular role in our day-to-day lives. But the potential benefits outweigh the risks. Let’s hope that the society is strong and wise enough to stop abuses without stopping science.

1 Share your opinion about the unit on the following:

a) was any of the information new?

b) was it interesting or did it arouse other emotions?

c) what was the weakest/best point?

d) were there any other questions you’d like to discuss?

Student A

CULTIVATING THE CUSTOMER

In the next century, people will have more information and less time. What customers want will continually evolve. It’s easy to predict some individual products of the future such as intelligent fridges, mobile internet phones, e-banking, but most new ideas cannot be anticipated. The only thing we know for sure is that new products will be superseded sooner rather than later. In this environment, the success of a company will not be based on the individual products or services that they provide, but on the customers that they cultivate. The worth of the future company will be measured by the hold it has on these customers. The companies that offer their customers a “total experience” will survive. This means all the products and services related to the core business, a complete offer that saves their customers time and effort. So rather than buying gas, electricity, water and telephone services from different companies, consumers will be choosing one provider for all these services to save them time and money. The companies that provide this “total experience” will win customers. Any company that expects to prosper in the old way, by focusing on its core products alone, will struggle.

Дата добавления: 2015-04-30