ĐỀ SỐ 17 - VŨ MAI PHƯƠNG

Homework is a part of (27) _______ student's school life. Unfortunately, many of them disapprove of the amount of homework they are given, and find it particularly unfair when they have to study a lot before a test. This makes them feel anxious and some even become physically sick when under (28)
_______. Others sometimes find it impossible to complete their homework, (29) _______ makes teachers believe it's an act of disobedience.
On the other hand, teachers consider homework beneficial. They believe students should have a daily schedule to avoid getting (30) _______ and having to hand in incomplete homework. (31) _______, teachers think inadequate amounts of homework put students' future at risk.
(Adapted from Use of English for All Exams)

Jeff Haslam spends a lot of his time underground. He works in London's sewers - the tunnels under the roads that carry away waste water and other, much dirtier things! His job is to keep the sewers clear. 'We work in teams of six,' says Jeff. 'It's very dirty work. And of course we work in the dark.' He has to wear special clothes, a mask and a helmet with a light. 'The most difficult thing is clearing the fat and oil from the sewers under the Chinese and Indian restaurants,' he says.
Many people like to work outdoors, but few would like Charlie Radley's job. Charlie lives in Alaska and works on a fishing boat. Each fishing trip lasts about a week. 'It's extremely cold and often stormy,' says Charlie, 'so we wear warm, waterproof clothes.' Charlie can earn a lot of money if they catch a lot of fish, but if they don't, he earns very little. 'I'll do this job for a year or two more,' says Charlie, 'then I'm going to look for another job - something warmer and drier!'
Sandy Smith is a lumberjack - somebody who cuts down trees. Sandy noticed an advertisement for lumberjacks on the internet. Lumberjacks work long hours and are not very well paid, but as Sandy likes to work outdoors, she decided to apply for the job. 'It's a very dangerous job,' says Sandy. 'We work with big, dangerous machines, and we're always a long way from the nearest hospital - so I'm always very careful!'
(Adapted from Solutions)

As a language student, you have probably used artificial intelligence in numerous ways. However, you have probably felt the limitations of relying solely on technology for feedback on your progress, particularly when it comes to the productive skills of speaking and writing. How far can a computer help you with those?
If you are studying English in a class with a teacher, the chances are you have been asked to give a presentation to the rest of the class. It is also likely that the presentations you have given have been followed by feedback. Perhaps your classmates did not want you to feel bad, so they said you were amazing. However, you may have felt that the feedback was either inaccurate or too subjective. What if there were a computer programme that could give you a completely objective reaction to your presentation?
Extensive research has helped us understand the ways in which speakers can influence an audience's reaction to them. These include the content of our talk, our body language and how we use our words and voices. Machines can now be trained to measure these factors and give us objective feedback to help us improve our communication skills.
Some exam boards have already started to use artificial intelligence to mark students' written work. Some studies have shown this to be more accurate than human marking because it eliminates human failings such as tiredness and personal preferences.
Although performing tasks with the use of artificial intelligence is faster, more cost effective and in many ways more accurate, there are some limitations of artificial intelligence which seem impossible to overcome. Artificial intelligence can definitely help teachers, but they can rest assured that their jobs are safe for a few more years.
(Adapted from Open World)