Script
Narrator: Extract one. You hear two friends talking about Bitcoin, a type of
digital currency.
Male: I've been wondering whether I should buy some Bitcoin.
Female: Mmm, well, at one point the price of Bitcoin fell over 80% within
just a few months.
So, I suppose it depends whether you could stand to lose that money.
If you can, go ahead. You might just make a profit.
Male: Well, what I've read is that if you educate yourself and follow a few
simple rules, you can reduce your risk.
For example, there are different exchanges you can buy from and you need to
make sure you buy from one with a proven reputation.
Then, it's advisable not to leave your Bitcoins on the exchange, but
move them into your own personal online wallet.
Female: Well, I don't doubt that's true but however many safeguards you put
in place, you can still get drawn into some very sophisticated
scams.
For instance, a friend of mine, a real tech wiz, was persuaded by
an online friend to join a scheme which promised to double his Bitcoin.
Sure enough, for the first month or so, he was getting what he had been
promised.
But suddenly the website just vanished - along with his money.
And that guy supposedly knew what he was doing.
Narrator: Extract two. You hear two friends talking about online crime.
Female: Would you say the internet has made it easier to commit crimes
like fraud?
Male: Absolutely! The internet definitely facilitates crime and
also diversifies criminal activity.
In the past, there was a limit to what fraudsters could accomplish,
but now the number of ways to trick people out of their money is almost
limitless.
Female: But don't you think people in general need to wise-up?
If they weren't so greedy, they wouldn't fall for these scams.
I mean, say someone sends you an email, a letter or whatever saying you've won
a prize in a competition that, by the way, you didn't enter, but you need to
send money to claim your prize ... surely you'd be suspicious ...
Male: Well, you do have a point there, but some people are very trusting.
For instance, imagine a woman in her 80s. All her life she has taken
people at face value.
A poor old lady like that is a gift to these tricksters.
It's vulnerable people like that that need to be protected.
Female: Yes, well, I can't argue with that.
I'd support the harshest penalties being given to people who exploit
the weaknesses of others like that.
Narrator: Extract three. You hear two friends discussing the use of robots.
Male: So, do you think using robots in the workplace enhances the work
environment?
Female: Well, they certainly have the edge over humans in some areas.
Think about going into a radioactive zone after a leak in a nuclear reactor,
for example.
And there are some jobs, like cleaning the sewers, that are intolerable
for humans but robots don't feel disgust and can't smell, so they are
not bothered.
Male: Yes, you've got a point there, but what I've heard is that the
jobs for humans that operate alongside robots have become less challenging and actually
rather tedious.
I'll give you an example. I read about a man who used to deliver materials
within a huge factory.
He really enjoyed his job as he moved around and got to know everyone in
different departments.
Then a robot took his job.
He was stuck in one place, doing one boring part of the process the robot
couldn't handle.
His job satisfaction plummeted.
Female: That's a fair point and it is unfortunate, but I'm also sure it boosted
productivity.
It's like in farming. A lot of the poetry and interaction has gone but overall
more is produced.
So, what's more important?
Vocabulary
safeguard (against something) something that is designed to
protect people from harm, risk or danger.
E.g.
Stronger
legal safeguards are needed to protect the consumer.
The measures
have been introduced as a safeguard against fraud.
as a safeguard against ... Sp. como defensa contra ...
put in place: implement.
E.g. The school has put measures in place to ensure no stranger can gain access
to the building.
draw into: involve. Sp. involucrar
E.g. Don't
draw me into your problems!
whiz, whizz, wiz: expert, skilled person. Sp. genio
E.g.
My little
sister's a real computer whiz.
scheme: /skiːm/ a plan or system for doing or organizing something.
E.g.
a local
scheme for recycling newspapers
sure enough used to say that something happened as expected. Sp. efectivamente
E.g.
I said he'd
forget, and sure enough he did.
‘Stop,’ she
said, ‘I can hear something.’ Sure enough, in the distance we could hear the
sound of a car
approaching
wise up (to something) (informal) to become aware of the unpleasant
truth about a situation. Sp. abrir los ojos.
E.g.
Consumers
need to wise up to the effect that advertising has on them.
Wise up and
sort yourselves out before it's too late.
fall for something to be tricked into believing something that is not
true. Sp. dejarse engañar por.
E.g.
I'm
surprised you fell for that trick.
have aˈpoint (there) have made a good suggestion; have a good idea.
E.g.
He's got a
point there; if you sell the house now you'll lose money, so why not wait till
next year?
trusting: tending to believe that other people are good, honest, etc. Sp. confiado.
E.g.
If you're
too trusting, other people will take advantage of you.
take someone
or something at face value: to accept someone or something just as it appears;
to believe that the way things appear is the way they really are.
E.g.
It's hard to
take Jeff at face value when he's been caught lying in the past.
He means
what he says. You have to take him at face value.
I take
everything he says at face value.
You can't
take what she says at face value: she always has an agenda. Sp. No puedes
tomar todo lo que dice al pie de la letra; ella siempre tiene intenciones
ocultas.
harsh: cruel,
severe and unkind. Sp. duro, severo.
E.g.
The
punishment was harsh and unfair.
The minister
received some harsh criticism.
the harsh
treatment of prisoners
He regretted
his harsh words.
We had to
face up to the harsh realities of life sooner or later. It may seem harsh to
criticize him after his death.
penalty: punishment. Sp. castigo.
E.g. The
penalty for your crimes is ten years' imprisonment.
exploit:
/ɪkˈsplɔɪt/ take advantage of . Sp. explotar, abusar.
E.g.
Corporations
systematically exploited their workers until they formed labour unions
have the
edge over: to have an
advantage over one.
E.g.
I've been
preparing for this debate for weeks so that I have the edge over my opponent
disgust: physical
revulsion Sp. repugnancia, asco.
E.g.
The idea
fills me with disgust.
overall: in
general.
E.g.
Overall, he
did a fairly good job.
