Technology

What 'technology' covers: Technology is part of the theme Human ingenuity. You need vocabulary to talk about devices, the internet, social media, apps, artificial intelligence and how technology shapes work and daily life — and to give your opinion about them.

The words below are common English B vocabulary. Treat the list as a glossary: learn each term with its meaning and a synonym, then reuse them in the reading and writing sections.

device / gadget

a piece of equipment such as a phone, tablet or laptop

screen

the flat surface of a phone, computer or TV that shows images

app (application)

a program you run on a phone or computer to do a task

social media

online platforms where people share posts and messages

to browse the internet

to look at different websites, often without a fixed goal

artificial intelligence (AI)

computer systems that can do tasks that normally need human thinking

to code / coding

to write the instructions (programs) that make software work

tool

something you use to do a job; here, technology used for a purpose

to be connected / online

to be linked to the internet and reachable by others

to rely on / depend on technology

to need technology in order to do everyday things

screen time

the amount of time you spend looking at a screen each day

to switch off / unplug

to stop using screens and take a break

to use technology sensibly

to use it in a careful, balanced and responsible way

Why this matters: This vocabulary turns up in every skill — a reading text about social media, a listening interview about a phone ban, a Paper 1 blog about apps, or your oral. Reusing precise topic words is how you score Criterion A (Language).

Have something to say: Examiners reward developed ideas, not just vocabulary. Around technology, the common debates are: too much screen time vs staying connected, whether social media helps or harms, and whether robots and AI will destroy jobs or create them. Take a position and back it up.

Link your ideas: Connectors lift your answer from a list into an argument: moreover (to add), however (to contrast), therefore (to conclude), although (to concede). Use at least two or three in any written answer.

Read like Paper 2: Here is a short blog post — the kind of text Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. Read it once just for the general idea; don't worry about every word. Then we'll work through one exam question together.

A day at the AI museum: Last month I visited an exhibition about artificial intelligence at a science museum. Before going in, I was convinced that robots were going to take all our jobs away.

However, there I learned something I wasn't expecting. A guide explained to us that technology destroys some jobs, but it also creates new ones that today we can't even imagine. I saw machines that painted pictures and robots that helped doctors. I came out thinking that the future isn't scary if we learn to use these tools. So now I want to study programming.

exhibition

a public display of objects in a gallery or museum

to be convinced (that)

to feel completely sure that something is true

to destroy

to put an end to something; here, to remove jobs

to imagine

to picture something in your mind

scary

frightening; making you feel afraid

Reading technique: For an "according to the text" question, find the exact line that proves your answer — don't rely on memory or general knowledge.

The task: Your school is running a technology-and-the-future week. Write a blog post for other students: explain how you use technology and give advice for using it in a healthier way.

Use an informal, friendly register. Write 250–400 words.

Why it scores: This answer hits all three Paper 1 criteria — here's what earns each one:

How listening is tested: Paper 2 also tests listening: you hear short clips, each played twice, and you never see the words. Read the questions first, listen for the key idea, then answer.

Here we'll use a transcript so you can practise the technique on the page. Read the questions, then find the answer in the speaker's words.

Transcript — Lucia and the phone ban: Hi, I'm Lucia. This year my school has banned phones in class. At first it seemed unfair to me, because I use lots of apps to study. However, now I talk more with my classmates during the breaks and I concentrate better in class. At home I still use the computer to do my homework, but I've learned to switch my phone off at night. For me, the important thing is knowing when to switch off.

Listening technique: Read the questions before the clip plays. Each question usually points to one short part of the recording — listen for the words around it, not the whole thing.