Cool Reading - CK4P8

A gadget is a small tool, or mechanical or electronic device. You find lots of gadgets in the kitchen—things like a lime press or a blender are lowtech gadgets—but now we use hitech gadgets in all areas of our lives.

Here are some cool new gadgets for children.

3D Printer With a 3D printer you can design and create objects in three dimensions. It can be fun to make things with a 3D printer, and you can learn about engineering and design.

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Smart Speaker Smart speakers, like the Echo, play music like normal speakers. But you can also use your voice to tell the speaker what to do! You can tell the speaker to check the news or play streaming music. You can even ask it questions and it will tell you the answers. It’s like talking to the computer on Star Trek!

Smart Watch With a smart watch you can learn to tell the time, make video calls, play games, listen to music, take photos, and see how much exercise you do.

But your parents will always know where you are, because they can track you using your smart watch!

VR Headset VR (virtual reality) headsets can make you think you’re standing on Mars, when you are in your own living room. The headset connects to your PC, video game console, or smartphone. You can play games that feel so real that you forget the computer and headset, and you start to believe you are in another world.

Robotics Creating your own robot can give you a great sense of achievement, and it helps you develop patience, imagination, and problem-solving skills. There are lots of kids’ robotics kits. Even your parents will enjoy playing with them.

Gadgets!

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Gadgets and technology are all around us—we use them at home, at school, in the car, with friends… everywhere! So, it’s important to learn how to use gadgets well.

Top Tips for Gadget Use Set limits and don’t forget to play!

Turn your gadgets off sometimes and play with your family and friends.

Play makes you creative, gives you exercise, and is good for making friends.

Families that play together, learn together. Play a video game with your parents. It’s a good way to spend time with your family and learn about fair play and respect.

Face-to-face communication is best. Having conversations face-toface or, if necessary, by video chat improves your language skills and builds relationships.

Create gadget-free zones. Keep family mealtimes, other family and social events, and your bedroom gadget-free. Turn off televisions and smartphones that you aren’t watching, because they waste electricity.

Recharge gadgets overnight— preferably outside your bedroom so you don’t use them when you should be sleeping!

Be careful and respectful on the Internet. The rules for the Internet are similar to rules for the real world— don’t be an Internet bully or troll, and always take care when talking to strangers.

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Top 5 Gadgets That Have Changed The World

5

The Bicycle When the modern bicycle was invented in 1885, it led to modern roads and technology used in motorcars. It also made transport cheap and available to more people.

4

The Light Bulb Up to 23 different people designed the light bulb, but it was patented by Thomas Edison in 1878. The first light bulbs lasted 13.5 hours and were made by hand. With electric light in cities and towns, our lifestyle has changed a lot.

3

The Telephone The telephone was invented in 1876

by Alexander Graham Bell. When Emperor Dom Pedro of Brazil saw a telephone for the first time, he said, “My God, it talks!� Telephones made communication much faster and they connected people around the world.

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2

The Syringe One gadget that has saved millions of lives is the hypodermic syringe. It was invented in 1844, and for nearly 200 years it has saved people from diseases like polio, tuberculosis, and rabies.

1

The Smartphone Invented in 2000, the smartphone is not very old, but 75% of all the people in the world now have one.

The smartphone is a pocketsized computer that has revolutionized the world we live in.

Conclusion The h b benefi fits off gadgets can be great if you use them well. Face-to-face time with family, friends, and teachers is also important and healthy. Use gadgets that improve your life, even if they are low-tech.

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Worksheet 8 Gadgets!

1 Find the words in the word search.

J G R C O R J Z K E X F E E L

J C J E M E O H R H K V H E R

W R P L Y F K F V S A I X I N

T B N L Q R O F V V Z D W E U

S Q D P T I M W M X B E X H C

M S O H F G S U R T L O H C S

M Z O O D E T C D A N G E R X

Y L N N T R C F G B B A A M R

D N D E E A T L U L U M D Q G

W Y Q D M T E Q T E M E P E R

A Q B E A O S E S T V D H F I

T H R M G R Q V L W X T O C U

C A S M I C R O W A V E N P B

H C O M P U T E R Y J O E H Y

H X I K W V W O V I T O S K O

2 How do you use these gadgets?

1

2

3

4

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3 Use your own words to explain the gadget tips.

1. Set limits and don’t forget to play!

2. Face-to-face communication is best.

3. Be careful and respectful on the Internet.

4 Draw the gadget you use the most and write about it.

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