You’ve thought about which inventions you would choose as the worst of all time. Now it’s time to find out what other people think.
You’re going to read about seven inventions that have been criticised for the problems they cause. Some of the choices may seem obvious, while others might surprise you.
What to do
Read each text carefully and see if you can work out which invention is being described.
Comprehension
Read the articles again. Which inventions do sentences 1–7 refer to?
- These have only been used twice.
- The problem may be how people use it rather than the invention itself.
- It produces energy without burning fossil fuels.
- It gives people greater freedom but causes environmental problems.
- It can harm people who don’t use it themselves.
- It can make ordinary people famous very quickly.
- It is convenient and relatively cheap.
Vocabulary
Find words/phrases in the texts which mean:
- results or effects, especially serious ones (invention 1)
- always available (invention 2)
- causing disagreement or strong opinions (invention 3)
- necessary or extremely important (invention 4)
- rules made by a government (invention 5)
- people taking part in a competition or programme (invention 6)
- something you see very often and easily recognise (invention 7)
- cause or help to cause a problem (invention 7)