unclear message may be sent. But we cannot blame the tools for the faults of the user, can we?During the explanation I looked at the pair of small objects called “thoughjtpads” on a table. They just looked like metal ribbons. So ordinary but so powerful! While I was observing them, the path moved us on.G: And now ladies and gentlemen, we are in the “environment area”. People used to collect waste in dustbins. Then the rubbish was sent to be buried or burned, am I right?(We nodded.) Well, now theres a system where the waste is disposed of using the principles of ecology. A giant machine, always greedy for more, swallows all the waste available. The rubbish is turned into several grades of useful material, such as “fertilizer” for the fields and “soul” for deserts. Nothing is wasted, and everything, even plastic bags, is recycled. A great idea, isnt it?I stared at the moving model of the waste machine, absorbed by its efficiency. But again we moved on.G: Our third stop shows the changes that have happened to work practices. Manufacturing no longer takes place on the earth but on space stations like this one. A group of engineers programmer robots to perform tasks in space. The robots produce goods such as drugs, clothes, furniture, hovering carriages, etc. There is no waste, no pollution and no environmental damage! However, the companies have to train their representatives to live and work in space settlements. They have to monitor the robots and the production. When the goods are ready theyre transported by industrial spaceship back to earth.My mind began to wander. What job would I do? My motivation increased as I thought of the wonderful world of the future.Unit 4 MY FIRST WORK ASSIGNMENT“unforgettable”, says new journalistNever will Zhou Yang (ZY) forget his first assignment at the office of a popular English newspaper. His discussion with his new boss, Hu Xin (HX), was to strongly influence his life as a journalist.HX: Welcome. Were delighted youre coming to work with us. Your first job here will be an assistant journalist. Do you have any questions?ZY: Can I go out on a story immediately?HX: (laughing)Thats admirable, but Im afraid it would be unusual! Wait till youre more experienced. First well put you as an assistant to an experienced journalist. Later you can cover a story and submit the article yourself.ZY: Wonderful. What do I need to take with me? I already have a notebook and camera.HX: No need for a camera. Youll have a professional photographer with you to take photographs. Youll find your colleagues very eager to assist you, so you may be able to concentrate on photography later if you re interested.ZY: Thank you. Not only am I interested in photography, but I took an amateur course at university to update my skills.HX: Good.ZY: What do I need to remember when I go out to cover a story?HX: You need to be curious. Only if you ask many different questions will you acquire all the information you need to know. We say a good journalist must have a good “nose” for a story. That means you must be able to assess when people are not telling the whole truth and then try to discover it. They must use research to inform themselves of the missing parts of the story.ZY: What should I keep in mind?HX: Here comes my list of dos and donts: dont miss your deadline, dont be rude, dont talk too much, but make sure you listen to the interviewee carefully.ZY: Why is listening so important?HX: Well, you have to listen for detailed facts. Meanwhile you have to prepare the next question depending on what the person says.ZY: But how can I listen carefully while taking notes?HX: This is a trick of the trade. If the interviewee agrees, you can use a recorder to get the facts straight. Its also useful if a person wants to challenge you. You have the evidence to support your story.ZY: I see! Have you ever had a case where someone accused your journalists of getting the wrong end of the stick?HX: Yes, but it was a long time ago. This is how the story goes. A footballer was accused of taking money for deliberately not scoring goals so as to let the other team win. We went to interview him. He denied taking money but we were skeptical. So we arranged an interview between the footballer and the man supposed to bribe him. When we saw them together we guessed from the footballers body language that he was not telling the truth. So we wrote an article suggesting he was guilty. It was a dilemma because the footballer could have demanded damages if we were wrong. He tried to stop us publishing it but later we were proved right. ZY: Wow! That was a real “scoop”. Im looking forward to my first assignment now. Perhaps Ill get a scoop too!HX: Perhaps you will. You never know. GETTING THE “SCOOP”“quick,” said the editor. “Get that story ready. We need it in this edition to be ahead of the other newspapers. This is a scoop.” Zou Yang had just come ba