Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. revolutionary (adj.) [rev-uh-loo-shuh-ner-ee] – extremely new or different
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. revolutionary (adj.) [rev-uh-loo-shuh-ner-ee] – extremely new or different
Example: The invention of the telephone was revolutionary because it changed the way we communicate.
2. decline (v.) [dih-klahyn] – to move towards a downward direction
Example: Product sales declined this month due to the typhoon.
3. hybrid (adj.) [hahy-brid] – something made from the combination of two different things
Example: Hybrid cars are
powered by gasoline and electricity.
4. mainstream (adj.) [meyn-streem] –accepted or preferred by most people
Example: Pop music is considered mainstream form of music.
5. sleek (adj.) [sleek] – stylish and attractive
Example: She bought a cellphone with a simple but sleek design.
Article
Read the text below.
According to technology industry analysts, the most revolutionary designs in portable computers will be released in 2012. However, buyers are advised to wait until the end of the year to purchase these products at their best value.
The biggest change
in laptops will come from the influence of Apple's MacBook Air, as PC
creators release the thin and light “ultrabook.” Super slim ultrabooks,
introduced a decade ago by Apple, weigh less than 3 pounds, but still have the
speed and power of larger laptops, and with at least 5-hour battery life.
Other devices
to revolutionize the PC industry are hybrid ultrabooks -- ultrathin
laptops with screens that can be lifted off and used as PC tablets. Microsoft
is scheduled to release hybrid ultrabooks by October 2012 after it releases
its Windows 8 tablet.
There will also
be a new demand (especially from students) for thin and light laptops with
similar capacity as netbooks, which became popular three years ago but
eventually declined because of tablets. These laptops are as light as
MacBook Air but with slow processors and small storage and sold at cheaper
prices.
However,
ultrabooks might still be too expensive for the mainstream buyers. Already released ultrabooks such as Acer's S3 and Asus' UX31 cost between
$899 to $1,299. Analysts advise people to wait until the last few months of
the year when companies are likely to release updated models that can be
bought at more affordable prices.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
●
Would
you want to purchase an ultrabook? How about a hybrid ultrabook? Please explain
your answer.
●
What
kind of laptop computers do you think will be released in the future?
Discussion B
●
How
would you describe the changes in gadget designs throughout the years?
●
Do
you think that the smaller and lighter a gadget is, the better it is? Please
explain your answer.