Unlocking
Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in
today’s article.
1. collaboration (n.) [kuh-lab-uh-rey-shuhn] – the act of individuals or groups working together for a common goal
1. collaboration (n.) [kuh-lab-uh-rey-shuhn] – the act of individuals or groups working together for a common goal
Example: The collaboration of the two organizations
made the project successful.
2. database (n.) [dey-tuh-beys] – a big collection of information (usually on an electronic device or computer)
Example: The database of Wikipedia has thousands of
articles for public use.
3. barcode (n.) [bahr kohd] – a group of patterned lines and spaces that is scanned by an electronic device
to show information
4. edit (v.) [ed-it] – to fix or
change something that will be published
Example: He will edit the news article before posting it
on the Internet.
5. legacy (n.) [leg-uh-see] – anything (ideas, materials, contributions, etc.) that comes from someone in
the past
Example: King Henry V’s legacy is his military success in the
Hundred Years War.
Article
Read the text below.
Tourists equipped
with smartphones may soon find it easier to access information about the
places they visit, as Wikimedia Foundation launches the world’s first Wikipedia
town.
Wikimedia Foundation,
an organization best known for its Wikipedia project, is uploading more than a
hundred Wikipedia articles about the life and times of Monmouth, a small town
in Wales.
The new project,
labeled as ‘Monmouthpedia,’ was accomplished in collaboration with Wikimedia UK and local residents and
businessmen who volunteered to write the articles. They have been working on
this database for six months,
aided by the town’s free Wi-Fi access.
To be able to view
the articles, people just have to use a mobile device to scan the barcodes placed around interesting
spots in Monmouth, such as schools and museums. The barcodes would then lead
to a Wikipedia page that describes the place.
Some local bakeries
have barcodes on their windows that open the wiki page on the history of
baking. Other businesses have also made pages with the histories of their establishments.
Monmouthpedia is
available in 26 different languages for the convenience of the visitors. So
far, 450 articles have been submitted and 150 have been edited in the half past year.
Stevie Benton, the
communications organizer of Wikimedia UK, reveals Monmouth was chosen because
of its cultural and historical legacy.
Not only was it the birth town of the English King Henry V, it is also the only
place in Britain where an 800-year-old bridge can still be found.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Would you agree to your area becoming a “Wikipedia
town”? Why or why not?
·
If you were to describe to the world the place where
you live, what would you say about it?
Discussion B
·
What do you think are the good and bad effects
of having Internet access anywhere?
·
How do you think having easy access to detailed
information about every place will change our travel experience?
