REVOLUTIONS FLASHMOBS AND BRAINCHIPS

A grim vision of the future

Level of Difficulty:***

• Richard Norton-Taylor
• The Guardian,
• Monday April 9 2007

• guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2008

1.      What might be used to carry out ethnic cleansing in the future?

_________________________________________________________________

2.      Developments in information communication technology will make the following possible:

a)      _______________________________________________________________

b)      _______________________________________________________________

3.      Why might people turn to religion and doctrinaire political ideologies in the future?

_____________________________________________________________________

4.      What are the three consequences of the rapid urbanization predicted to take place?

a)      _______________________________________________________________

b)      _______________________________________________________________

c)      _______________________________________________________________

5.      Whereas inter communal conflict is expected to increase in the future, interstate conflict is expected to end thanks to ________________________________________

6.      Various demographic trends are described in the text. What will their consequences be?

a)      _______________________________________________________________

b)      _______________________________________________________________

c)      _______________________________________________________________

7.      Why is tension between China and the Islamic world expected to increase in the future?

_____________________________________________________________________

8.      Iran could transform into a vibrant democracy in the future because _____________________________________________________________________

9.      What groups are expected to be the main perpetrators of violence in the future?

_____________________________________________________________________

10.  What could the ultimate result of a reduction in the level of Atlantic salinity be?

_____________________________________________________________________

OPTIONAL WRITING TASK

After discussing the predictions made in the text with your friends and teacher, select a couple and write about why you agree or disagree with them. Remember to support your opinions so that there is no room for doubt. If this text has led you to think of predictions of your own, write about them instead. Enjoy yourself!