6 Smart Choices

Unit 6 VOCABULARY 1 Have you ever bought a product that broke the next day? Probably not! Why is that? One reason is that it’s bad for the manufacturer if their product breaks. It can cost a lot of money to replace a broken product. Also, unhappy customers tell others if a product isn’t good quality! Most manufacturers test their products carefully before selling them. Cars must pass safety tests. To test a car, manufacturers put dummies, which look like humans, inside the car. Then they make the car crash. Crash tests show manufacturers what happens on impact. Toys are tested, too. The “torque test" twists toys until they break. The “drop test" drops toys on the floor! Waterproof toys are dipped in water. Machines tear balloons. If something doesn't work, manufacturers fix the problem. 2 Listen and repeat. a product The mall is full of new products! break I bought a pen, and it broke the next day! a manufacturer A manufacturer makes products for us. cost How much does it cost? a customer A customer bought many things. quality I like to buy good quality products, even if they are expensive. test Manufacturers should test products before they sell them. safety Cars must be checked for safety. It’s very important. a dummy Car testers use dummies instead of real people. a crash test It would be interesting to watch a crash test. impact He dropped the glass, and it broke on impact. drop I dropped mom’s laptop, and now it doesn’t work. waterproof There is water in my shoes. I thought they were waterproof. dip If you dip this toy in hot water, it changes color! tear Oh, no. I just tore my best T-shirt. fix It’s broken. Can you fix it, please?

SONG 1 Listen, read, and sing. Safe Buys Many of the things we buy are tested for safety. That’s good! Products should be safe. They should be safe for you and me. When you’re a customer, the products you buy shouldn’t break. A manufacturer should try not to make mistakes. Is this clock waterproof? It goes tick tock. Let’s dip the clock. It’s just a test to make sure everything is safe. Many of the things we buy are tested for safety. That’s good! Products should be safe. They should be safe for you and me. Quality is important. Products should be safe. A factory that makes things should test everything, just in case. A dummy sits inside a car. The car speeds up! BAM! It’s a crash! It’s just a test to make sure everything is safe. Many of the things we buy are tested for safety. That’s good! Products should be safe. They should be safe for you and me. Safe for you and me!

GRAMMAR 1 Reported speech: Imperatives “Put your pen in your backpack.” Mom told me to put my pen in my backpack. “Don’t break my toys.” My brother told me not to break his toys.

VOCABULARY 2 1 Listen and repeat. reception My cell phone has very bad reception at home. Wi-Fi My phone doesn’t have Wi-Fi. an app What apps does your new phone have? a text message My grandparents don’t know how to send text messages. a key I pressed the key on my laptop, and it fell off! wear and tear Good products must survive lots of wear and tear. 2 Listen and stick. Work with a partner. Compare your answers. 1. How do manufacturers test the keys? They press them thousands of times for 5 days. 2. How do they test apps, like games? They play them many times. 3. What does your new phone do? It’s only for calls and text messages. 4. Are you online? No. There doesn’t seem to be any Wi-Fi here. 5. How do they test the reception? They make calls from many different places. GRAMMAR 2 Reported speech: Questions “What do I need to do next?” Lisa asked me what she needed to do next. “Can you help me?” Ken asked me if I could help him.

READING 1 Listen and read. Be an Ad Detective! Every day we see ads—on TV, in magazines, on websites, in the street, and on our computer screens. We hear them, too. But often we don’t notice them. A famous film producer once showed over one hundred products in his movie, but most people didn’t notice them! Are you an ad detective? Can you understand the messages advertisers send you? To be an ad detective, it is useful to know how ads work. Let’s look at some typical advertising techniques. 1. Group pressure: An ad shows lots of young people, each with their own cell phone. Message: Everyone has a cell phone. You need one, too! 2. Association: Everyone looks happy and healthy in the ad. They’re cool and beautiful, too. Message: If you buy the product, you will be happy and cool like these people. 3. Testimonials: A famous athlete says he wears a certain brand of sneakers. Message: You’ll be good at sports, too, if you buy these sneakers. Or, because a famous athlete wears these sneakers, they’re a product you can trust. 4. Repetition: These ads mention the product many times and say wonderful things about it. Message: You need to remember the product. 5. Time pressure: These ads use expressions like “Buy now! Half price this week.” Message: You should buy the product quickly before you miss a great opportunity. Ads are interesting, but you can make better decisions about what to buy when you know these techniques! Try these tips: read product reviews, compare products, test products in the store, and, if you are not sure, wait 24 hours before buying. You may decide that you don’t really need or want the product!