Unlocking Word
Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. beneficiary (n.) [ben-uh-fish-ee-er-ee, -fish-uh-ree] –
a person or group who receives benefits, profits, or
advantages
Example: She was a beneficiary
of a Government-funded scholarship.
2. regret (v.) [ri-gret] – to feel sorry or disappointed about
something
Example: She regretted not
finishing her project on time.
3. technophobe (n.) [tek-nuh-fohb] – a person who does not like or avoids
using new technological devices like computer
Example: My grandfather is a technophobe. He still prefers sending letters through
mail.
4. spokesperson (n.) [spohks-pur-suhn] – a person who speaks in behalf of
another person or a group
Example: The President usually has a spokesperson.
Article
Read the text below.
Last year, officials of Topeka, Kansas voted to change its city’s name to Google, Kansas
for a month, hoping that Google chooses their city for its high-speed internet
project.
But unfortunately, they failed to achieve their
purpose.
It was announced on Wednesday that Google has
chosen Kansas City, Kansas, a nearby city from Topeka, as the beneficiary of
the said project.
After the announcement, it was assumed that
Topeka’s mayor Bill Bunten became upset about Google’s decision and that
he regretted changing his city’s name to Google. But it turns
out, he really is not.
Bunten, who described himself as a technophobe,
sees no big difference in being able to access information in 10 or one second
and he even jokes that he doesn’t mind living a life moving slowly.
He never assumed that changing its city’s name
would win Google’s project. He said that it would have been great to have been
chosen but he cannot be happier that the project will be done in the state of
Kansas and in the long run it might benefit Topeka as well.
Besides Topeka, Kansas, officials from other states
have likewise tried unusual ways to get Google’s attention, but have also
failed. An official from Minnesota was said to have jumped in an extremely cold
lake, while the mayor of Florida swam with sharks.
It is obvious how much people want a better and faster
Internet access, Google’s spokesperson Dan Martin commented on
an e-mail. According to him, it was not an easy decision for the company and
they considered every application. They will be looking for ways to offer
ultra-high-speed internet to other cities across the US, he added.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion
A
·
Is it important to have a fast
internet connection?
·
What are the advantages of having a
high-speed internet? Are there any disadvantages?
Discussion
B
·
What are the technological devices
that you have?
·
How does new technology affect
people’s life nowadays?
