Open Mind

UNIT 3: SKILLS TEST ADVANCED

Listening Reading
Listen to siblings Sophie and Tom discussing Read this transcript of a radio interview
their concerns about their grandfather’s use about governmental online data collection
of the internet. Read the sentences below and and choose true (T) or false (F).
decide who said them: Sophie, Tom or
0 The introduction claims that this
neither of them. Choose the correct answer,
is a particularly controversial T
A, B or C. /
issue.
1 The introduction asserts that few people
0 Tom and Sophie’s granddad is aware of the sort
know that the government engages in online
of tricks that criminals use online to get
data collection. T/F
people’s money.
A Tom B Sophie C Neither 2 The ‘nothing to hide’ group considers
governmental online data collection to
1 Tom and Sophie’s granddad may not have the be
latest information about ways to protect himself bad but necessary. T/F
from criminal activity online.
3 Sam Smith seems sceptical about whether
A Tom B Sophie C Neither
we do in fact live in a free country. T/F
2 The payment systems are definitely not safe
4 Sam Smith claims that people might be
on some of the websites that their granddad
considered suspicious simply because of
A Tom B Sophie C Neither the actions of the people that they know. T/F

3 Their granddad’s password could easily be 5 Sam Smith is at least confident that all
guessed.
of the people who collect this data do
A Tom B Sophie C Neither so
with good intentions. T/F
4 Tom and Sophie’s granddad is more
knowledgeable about internet safety than one might
assume.
A Tom B Sophie C Neither

5 Their granddad had said he was concerned that

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Open Mind ADVANCED

Interviewer: It’s common knowledge that the Sam Smith: And finally, the information that is held on
government uses the internet to compile these databases, what if it falls into the
data on its citizens. (And in the information wrong hands? (And, by the way, if anyone
age, there is no shortage of information to out there believes that all members of the
collect!) This issue divides opinion like few government and all the police are angels,
others. Broadly speaking, there are two well, they haven’t glanced at the headlines
camps – the ‘nothing to hide’ group, for recently.) These people who are
whom online data collection is a necessary monitoring our online behaviour and
evil in the fight against terrorism and crime gathering data about us, can we
generally, and an opposing group, who guarantee that they will always use it for
regard this form of government the purposes for which it was intended?
surveillance as an abuse of power and an
Interviewer: Right, well, some food for thought
infringement of our civil liberties. Last
there, Sam Smith. Thank you very
week, we heard from Clare Walker, a
much!
teacher from London, who is very much in
the former group.
Writing
This week, we’re speaking to blogger Sam
Smith, whose blog, ‘Have you really Read the notice by an editor of a national
nothing to fear?’ sets out very plainly the newspaper.
reasons we might well be afraid. Sam,
thanks for joining us. Briefly, then, could There is a proposal for surveillance
you summarise your position on this issue? cameras to be put in place on every street
Sam Smith: Sure. Well, starting with the most basic and in every public building across the
objection to this form of government country. We want to know your opinion,
surveillance, we live in a free country, so please write to us at:
supposedly, and if I want to send a private [email protected]
email to my brother in Australia, for
example, I should be able to do so without
fear of the government invading my Write a response to the newspaper.
privacy by spying on me. Write at least 120 words.
Interviewer: Well, put like that, your argument
does sound very straightforward!
Sam Smith: The second point relates directly to those
people who naively claim that ‘if you’ve
nothing to hide, you’ve nothing to fear’.
Well, the bad news is that you may well
have something to hide that you’re
blissfully unaware of. You may be entirely
blameless, but what about the
acquaintances and relatives that you chat
to or ‘friend’ on social media websites? Do
you know for sure that none of them is – or
was ever – involved in something illegal?
Because you could be guilty by association.
Interviewer: Mm, good point.