What is the metaverse?
Have you ever heard of
Meta or the Metaverse?
Have you heard of any
virtual worlds or games like Roblox or Minecraft?
What do you think about
the idea of a fully immersive online world where people can interact with each
other through avatars?
How do you think the rise
of virtual worlds will change the way we live and work in the future?
II.
Match the words to their definitions. Use four words in your sentences.
|
1.
|
buzzword |
A.
|
an imaginary
place where everything is perfect |
|
2.
|
virtual
world |
B.
|
a famous
unfinished cathedral in Barcelona, Spain, designed by the architect Antoni
Gaudi |
|
3.
|
Sagrada
Familia |
C.
|
story that imagines what the future could be like
with new technology |
|
4.
|
to
dabble |
D.
|
a popular word
or phrase that people use to describe a particular idea |
|
5.
|
science
fiction |
E.
|
fully
involving people and making them feel like they are part of activity |
|
6.
|
utopia |
F.
|
a digital
environment where people can interact with each other and with virtual
objects |
|
7.
|
immersive |
G.
|
to experiment
with something for a short period of time |
III. Watch the video and fill in the gaps with the
words from the list. There are some words you don’t need to use.
well-versed; economists; smartphones; formerly; businesses; metaverse; accessible;
safer; internet; virtual world; science fiction; businessman; economy; exist; display
The tech industry loves a buzzword. And right now, everyone’s
talking about the 1) _____.
Broadly speaking, the metaverse can be defined as a 2) _____where we can live, work,
travel and play. But it doesn’t actually 3) exist yet, and just like Gaudi’s cathedral, the Sagrada
Familia, it may take a while to complete.
But that hasn’t stopped 4) _____of
all shapes and sizes from trying to get involved. J.P. Morgan, HSBC, Gucci
and Coca-Cola are among a few of the firms that have dabbled with the
metaverse so far. And of course, there’s Meta, the company 5) _____known as Facebook.
While the metaverse is still mostly 6) _____at this stage, there are some early versions of it out
there that give us a taste of what might be possible. Here at
Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress, many
of them are on 7) _____. Let’s take
a look.
Many in the tech industry claim that the metaverse is the next
phase of the 8) _____. Companies
like Meta are hailing it as this sort of utopia that will make the
time we spend online more interactive and fun. They also say it will present
businesses with new ways to make money. A lot of money. One report
estimates that the metaverse 9) _____could
be worth between $8 and 13 trillion by 2030, but getting there is going
to require significant investment.
The metaverse, we think, is something that has already been with us.
It’s in essence, the digital world,
with things like our 10) _____,
the web, gaming. We’ve always been in the metaverse. It’s not something that’s
going to turn on in a single day. We’re looking at how to make those
things more immersive, how to make those things more 11) _____. How do we make those things
better for humanity, and how do we make those things 12) _____as well?
IV.
Match the words to their definitions. Use three words in your sentences.
|
1. |
regulator
|
A.
|
to hit something with a
quick blow |
|
2.
|
scam |
B.
|
unclear and vague |
|
3.
|
augmented reality
|
C.
|
a person or
organizations responsible for creating and enforcing rules |
|
4.
|
to swat |
D.
|
expressing opinions
openly |
|
5.
|
gimmick |
E.
|
a dishonest scheme designed to trick people out of their money or
personal information |
|
6.
|
nebulous |
F.
|
a brief or incomplete view of
something |
|
7.
|
arcade game
|
G.
|
a technology that combines computer-generated content and real world
|
|
8.
|
vocal |
H.
|
a clever trick used to attract
attention |
|
9.
|
blended |
I.
|
a type of video game that
requires coins or tokens to play |
|
10. |
to pump |
J.
|
foolish or incompetent person |
|
11. |
glimpse |
K.
|
to push forcefully |
|
12. |
numpty |
L.
|
mixed or combined together |
V.
Watch the
video and choose the correct option to complete the sentences.
Alongside the hype have been a whole host of concerns, ranging
from child safety to scams, which is why navigators/regulators/regulations
will no doubt be keeping an eye on how the technology progresses. But the
companies here in Barcelona have placed their bets on the metaverse’s promise/remiss/abyss, with a wide range
of demos on display. From SK Telecom’s “4D Metaverse” ride to an augmented
reality demo from Qualcomm that allowed you to swat virtual insects. It
was actually kind of fun. One tech firm called Unity is trying to put
sports fans in the middle of the fraction/active/action.
But what else is their software/hardware/aware
being used to create?
Sometimes it can be like an amazing magical fantasy/fantastic/fancy world where people ride unicorns and
are dancing on the moon or it can be something really ordinarily/primary/ordinary
like you want a 3D representation of what a new building is going to
look like. What we’ll see is all of these different companies will be creating
their own subsets of that in the same way that the internet is the
internet, but there are many, many different lights/sight/websites for you to go to.
But are these demonstrations/interpretations/notifications
just gimmicks, or are they a sign of things to come?
The challenge with the metaverse is it’s a very nebulous term. So,
we’ve got Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta vision of almost like an arcade
game that you insert yourself into and then we’ve got the more
grounded inversion/reverse/version of virtual and augmented
reality, which might augment your life in a very simple way.
No company has been more active
and more vocal about the metaverse than Facebook, which changed its game/name/namely to Meta at the end of 2021 to reflect its “all
in” attitude.
We’re at the beginning of a long journey. Meta had to do
something that was a statement to grab people’s attentive/attention/retention.
And if you look at the huge amounts of money that they’re investing, they
had to justify that investment. My personal belief is we’ve already had an
interesting step in the right direction with the endemic/pandemic/pandemonium because we’re starting to live
more blended lives. We’re working from home. We’re coming back to the
office. Some of that will continue to exist and there will be elements of
that that will lend themselves to a metaverse-like appearance/expertise/experience.
Tech companies are pumping billions of dollars into developing hardware/hardly/beware that has the
potential to act as a gateway to these metaverses. Facebook bought virtual
reality firm Oculus back in 2014 and the company’s latest VR headset is
the Quest 2, which competes with the HTC Vive Pro, and, to some
degree, Microsoft’s HoloLens 2.
At $299, the Quest 2 is a moderately priced headset that may offer
a glimpse of the future. If you don’t mind looking like a bit of a numpty,
you can play some highly attractively/interactive/counteractive
games on it and explore worlds that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to.
VI.
Match the words to their definitions. Use two words in your sentences.
|
1.
|
hiccup
|
A.
|
a device or
computer technology that can be worn on the body |
|
2.
|
wearable
|
B.
|
capital
invested in a project in which there
is an element of risk |
|
3.
|
momentum |
C.
|
dominant or
popular |
|
4.
|
venture
capital |
D.
|
a problem that
delays something |
|
5.
|
mainstream |
E.
|
a device worn
on the head that includes headphones and a microphone |
|
6.
|
headset
|
F.
|
the force that
keeps an object moving |
VII. Watch the video and choose the correct option to complete the sentences.
1. VRChat is an app that
allows users to create _____ and explore virtual worlds with
other people online.
a) an avatar b) a website c) an immersive game
2. Today the app has
problems because people were _______ .
a)
refusing to interact online
b)
stealing avatar designs from each other
c)
hurling abuse at one another
3. Roblox and Minecraf
are the examples of computer games and web-based platforms virtual worlds
where you can _______.
a)
make money
b)
study with peers
c)
interact with other players
4. Decentraland is a
______ virtual world that users can create, explore and trade in.
a) desktop-based b) US-based c) Facebook-based
5. On Decentraland,
people can buy and sell land, estates, and wearables for their ______.
a) business
partners b) avatar c) employer
6. Now we can see
significant amounts of money being invested by ________.
a) government b) venture capital c) Facebook
7. VR is now attainable
and _____ to people.
a) protected b) hidden c) accessible
8. Some people believe
that users will not spend ____ in metaverse.
a) a whole hour b) a whole year c) a whole day
9. Average U.K. and U.S.
adults spend more than ______ online.
a) 20 hours a day b) 12 hours a day c) 20 hours a week
10.It’s more than ______
on a screen.
a)
half of every day
b)
half of every holiday
c)
half of every year
11.This trend has been
accelerated by _______and how we’ve all lived over the last 12
months.
a) cobalt
b) Covid c) cooling off
VIII. Watch all
the video fragments again. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)? Correct the
false statements.
1. The
concept of the metaverse refers to a virtual world that allows people to live,
work, travel and engage in leisure activities, but it does not currently exist
and its development may take some time.
2. Several
major corporations, including J.P. Morgan, HSBC, Gucci, and Coca-Cola, are
attempting to stop the development of the metaverse.
3. Facebook,
formerly known as Meta, is a company that is actively involved in the creation
of the metaverse.
4. According
to many experts in the technology industry, the metaverse will not be part of
the internet's evolution.
5. Meta
believes that the metaverse has the potential to make our online experiences
more interactive and enjoyable.
6. The
emergence of the metaverse will offer businesses few opportunities to generate
revenue.
7. By
2024, the metaverse economy is expected to have a value of anywhere from $8 to
$13 trillion.
8. Achieving
significant financial success in the metaverse will require little investments.
9. The
metaverse essentially refers to a more immersive and accessible digital world,
which includes devices like smartphones, the internet, and gaming.
10. There
concerns related to the metaverse include issues such as child safety and
fraudulent activities.
11. Mark
Zuckerberg's vision for Meta is akin to a social networking site where
businesses can fully immerse themselves in the communication.
12.
Facebook rebranded as Meta in late 2021
to showcase its commitment to the metaverse.
13. Tech companies are spending billions of dollars
into developing hardware that has the potential to act as a gateway to these
metaverses.
14.
In 2014, Facebook acquired Oculus, a
virtual reality company, and their most recent VR headset is called the Quest 2.
15.
With the help
of the latest headsets users can play
some highly interactive games on it and explore worlds that they wouldn’t
otherwise be able to.
IX. Vocabulary focus. Follow the link. Study the
words using flashcards, check your understanding.
Play matching vocabulary game and solve the crossword puzzle. Take a test to
check your knowledge.
X.
OVER TO YOU. Think of the use of metaverse and
immersive experience. Get ready to discuss their benefits and drawbacks. Use
the questions below to organize your ideas:
1.
What is the
metaverse, and how does it differ from the internet as we know it today?
2.
What are some
of the potential benefits and drawbacks of the metaverse for individuals and
society as a whole?
3.
What kinds of
companies and industries are currently investing in the metaverse, and what do
they hope to achieve?
4.
How might the
development of the metaverse impact the way we live, work, and interact with
each other?
5.
What role do
you think governments and regulators should play in overseeing the development
of the metaverse, particularly with regards to issues like privacy, security,
and user safety?
6.
How might the
metaverse change the nature of entertainment, and what opportunities and
challenges does this present for content creators?
7.
Finally, do
you think the metaverse will eventually become a mainstream technology, or will
it remain a niche interest for gamers and tech enthusiasts?
