EnglishClub

Pre-listening vocabulary

• foundation: an idea that other ideas are built on
• hypothetical: potential, not currently real
• instruction: an explanation of what to do and how to do it
• decode: to find the hidden meaning of a coded message
• shun: to reject someone
• pardon: to forgive someone for a crime

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:16 — 1.2MB)

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Gapfill exercise

Alan Turing was a British mathematician. He was born in 1912 in London, England. His ideas are considered to be the early foundations for modern . In 1936, he described a hypothetical device that could read and follow instructions. He also developed the Turing test, which was meant to determine if a could think like a human. During World War II, Turing built a machine that helped the Allied forces decode Nazi . His work helped Britain and the Allies win the war. However, the government later arrested and shunned him for being gay, which was at the time. Turing died in 1954, two years after his conviction. The Queen officially pardoned him in 2013.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Turing was a
   a. mathematician
   b. physicist
   c. military leader
   
2. The purpose of the Turing test is
   a. to determine how fast a machine can work
   b. to determine how well a machine can follow instructions
   c. to determine if a machine can think like a human
   
3. During World War II, Turing helped the Allies by
   a. inventing new technology for weapons
   b. creating a machine that could break Nazi codes
   c. analyzing Nazi military plans

Discussion/essay questions

1. Alan Turing’s accomplishments were disregarded for many years. Do you know any other important historical figures who were dismissed in their time?
2. Do you think it is possible for a machine to think like a human?

Transcript

Alan Turing was a British mathematician. He was born in 1912 in London, England. His ideas are considered to be the early foundations for modern computers. In 1936, he described a hypothetical device that could read and follow written instructions. He also developed the Turing test, which was meant to determine if a machine could think like a human. During World War II, Turing built a machine that helped the Allied forces decode Nazi messages. His work helped Britain and the Allies win the war. However, the government later arrested and shunned him for being gay, which was illegal at the time. Turing died in 1954, two years after his conviction. The Queen officially pardoned him in 2013.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2c 3b

Pre-listening vocabulary

• mysterious: hard to explain or understand
• manuscript: a book written by hand rather than typed
• bizarre: weird; unusual
• medicinal: has the ability to heal disease or pain
• artificial intelligence: computers programmed to “think” like humans
• decipher: to translate a coded message into known language

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:31 — 1.4MB)

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Gapfill exercise

The Voynich Manuscript is a mysterious that was written in Europe back in the 15th century. The manuscript was named after Polish bookseller Wilfrid Voynich, who brought it to public attention after he purchased it in 1912. The Voynich Manuscript contains bizarre of mysterious plants and constellations, and the text is written in an unknown language that humans have still not been able to . The author of the text is also unknown. Some theories suggest that the manuscript was written by aliens, while other people believe that it was simply written as a guide to medicinal plants. It is likely that the alphabet used in the text is a code, and that the manuscript was originally written in a known European language. However, no one knows what the original language is. Recently, have turned to artificial intelligence to help them decipher the text, but so far, its meaning is still unclear. The Voynich Manuscript is currently kept at Yale University in the United States.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”19391″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Do you think that we will ever be able to decipher the Voynich manuscript? Why or why not?

Transcript

The Voynich Manuscript is a mysterious text that was written in Europe back in the 15th century. The manuscript was named after Polish bookseller Wilfrid Voynich, who brought it to public attention after he purchased it in 1912. The Voynich Manuscript contains bizarre drawings of mysterious plants and constellations, and the text is written in an unknown language that humans have still not been able to translate. The author of the text is also unknown. Some theories suggest that the manuscript was written by aliens, while other people believe that it was simply written as a guide to medicinal plants. It is likely that the unfamiliar alphabet used in the text is a code, and that the manuscript was originally written in a known European language. However, no one knows what the original language is. Recently, researchers have turned to artificial intelligence to help them decipher the text, but so far, its meaning is still unclear. The Voynich Manuscript is currently kept at Yale University in the United States.