Preparazione orale Inglese

The teenage mind

We tend to think of adolescence as the most difficult stage in human development. Mention the word "teenager" and certain stereotypical behavior comes to mind: not wanting to communicate with parents or adults in general, doing silly or dangerous things like skateboarding down a stair rail, constantly chatting to friends on social media. But rather than looking at (and being critical of) specific behaviors like this, it is probably more useful to think about what lies behind it.

We all like new and exciting things, and never more so than when we are adolescents. At around the age of fifteen, we reach a peak in what scientists call "sensation seeking": hunt for experiences that are unusual or unexpected. Sensation seeking doesn't necessarily mean being impulsive acting on the spur of the moment to satisfy your wishes. That is more characteristic of toddlers and young children, which, from the age of about ten, begins to decrease. Teens, actually,

like adults, often plan their thrills (a skydive, a bungeejump, driving a fast car) quite deliberately. Such behavior might seem dangerous, because it involves taking risks, but sensation seeking can also be a positive thing, because trying out new things can expand your world. The desire to meet new people, for example, can lead to a wider circle of friends and ultimately a happier, more successful life. The difference here with adult behavior is not that teens ignore risks; in fact, they recognize them as much as adults do. Teens generally take more risks because they value the reward of getting something they want more highly. Researchers believe this willingness to take risks is linked to the human need to be able to adapt to new surroundings when they are young. To be successful is life, you have to move out of home and into a new, less secure environment. And that is risky. Another characteristic of adolescents is that they prefer the company of people their own age. This is

partly because their peers offer more novelty and variety than boring old family. But there is another, more powerful reason: teenagers need to invest in the future rather than the past. We enter a world made by our parents. But we will live most of our lives, and thrive (or not) in a world managed and re-made by our peers. So understanding and building relationships with them is vital. The importance of peer influence can be seen clearly in how strongly teenagers often react when they fall out with a friend or are excluded from a social peer group. They react as if their future depended upon these friendships! And they're right. In many ways it does.

Excitement, novelty, risk, the company of peers. We think of them as characteristics of the modern western adolescent, but these elements define adolescence in almost all human cultures, modern or ancient. As adults, we complain about these and say things like "Don't worry – they'll grow out of it soon." But we complain about these

Characteristics - actually we should celebrate them, because, in scientific terms at least, they make teenagers quite possibly the most adaptable human beings around.

#Appropriate technology - the term “appropriate” is relatively new, the concept certainly isn't. In the 1930s, Mahatma Gandhi claimed that the advanced technology used by western industrialized nations did not represent the right route to progress for his homeland, India. He wanted affordable technology that would lead to greater social equality: technology that could empower the poor villagers of India and help them to become self-reliant. His favorite machines were the sewing machine, a device invented “out of love”, he said, and the bicycle, a means of transport that he used all his life.

The term “appropriate technology” was first used by E.F. Schumacher in his famous book “Small is Beautiful”, published in the 1970s, to promote his own philosophy of technological progress.

Do not start with technology and see what it can do for people, he argued. Instead, "find out what people are doing and better." then help them to do it. According to Schumacher, it did not matter whether the technological answers to people's needs were simple or sophisticated. What was important was that solutions were long-term, practical and, above all, firmly in the hands of the people who used them.

So "appropriate technology" is technology which suits the needs and abilities of the user and also takes into account environmental and cost considerations. For this reason, it is often found in rural communities in developing or less industrialized countries. Examples include: solar-powered lamps that bring light to areas with no electricity and water purifiers that work simply by the action of sucking through a straw. But the principle of appropriate technology does not only apply to developing countries. It also has its place in the developed world. For example, a

Swedish state-owned company, Jernhuset, has found a way to use the energy produced each day by the 250,000 bodies rushing through Stockholm's central train station. Their body heat is absorbed by the building's ventilation system, then used to warm up water that is pumped through pipes and heats a new office building nearby. It's old technology - a system of pipes, water, and pumps - but used in a new way. And it is expected to bring down central heating costs in the building by up to twenty per cent.

Finally, appropriate technology needs to be culturally appropriate: in other words, it needs to fit in with people's customs and social practices. This cannot always be guaranteed, as in the case of a device for shelling corn developed to help women in a Guatemalan village. Some engineers who were visiting the village observed how labor-intensive and slow it was for women to shell corn by hand. So they designed a simple mechanical device to do the job more quickly,

thinking this would be welcomed by the women. The new device certainly saved time, but after a few weeks the women returned to the old manual method. Why? Because they enjoyed the time they spent hand shelling: it gave them an important opportunity to chat and exchange news with each other. It is exactly this kind of sensitivity to what is appropriate that Gandhi and Schumacher, in their different ways, were trying to highlight.

#Is technology the answer?

So, I think I'll begin... Today we're going to look at the question of overpopulation: why it's a growing problem and what solution we might find for it in the future. Overpopulation, simply put, is a situation where there are more people than there are resources food, water, land, energy to support them. When an area becomes overpopulated, one or more of the following things will happen: people will go hungry, pollution will increase, unemployment will rise; people might even begin to fight over the limited resources.

resources. But overpopulation is an issue that divides opinion. Some say that population has to be controlled. The book, “The Population Bomb”, written by American biologist Paul Ehrlich in 1968, advanced the idea that medical science had advanced too far and we were keeping too many people alive. He predicted that as a result, millions of people would starve to death. But the population has doubled since then to seven billion and, at the current rate, is going to reach nine billion by 2050. Mass starvation hasn't happened because in the 1970s and 80s, scientists – mainly biochemists – developed better seeds and better pesticides to increase food production. That is why other experts in the scientific community say that people will always find a technological solution to such problems. They say that we are about to enter an even more productive era of safer and cheaper food with the help of biotechnology and nanotechnology.

–The real question is: have we now reached a point with incomes rising and the world's middle classes–expanding where we cannot simply rely on science to provide the answers? Do we, instead, have to start reducing our consumption? I'm visiting various cities in Europe next month to speak to groups who are researching in this approach. But the problem is, as the eighteenth-century English economist, Thomas Malthus pointed out, is that people are basically lazy. They won't act unless they have to. He claimed that the population will continue to grow until war, disease or famine arrive to stop it. (By the way, I'll give you the references to his and Ehrlich's work at the end of my talk)...

#A key moment

It was July 1976 and Niki Lauda was leading the world Formula 1 championship. The next race was the–German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring an old fourteen-kilometre track that ran through the forest in the Eifel Mountains. The track was narrow and bumpy,

and spectators rushed to Lauda's aid. They managed to pull him out of the burning car, but he was badly burned and in critical condition. He was immediately taken to the hospital where he fought for his life. Meanwhile, the race continued with Hunt leading the pack. Despite the shocking accident, the race organizers decided not to stop the race. Hunt went on to win the race, securing his third victory of the season. Lauda's injuries were severe, and he faced a long and difficult road to recovery. He underwent multiple surgeries and endured intense pain and rehabilitation. Miraculously, just six weeks after the accident, Lauda returned to racing. The incident at the Nurburgring had a profound impact on Lauda's life and career. It made him realize the importance of safety in motorsport, and he became a vocal advocate for improved safety measures. He went on to win two more Formula One World Championships and became one of the most respected figures in the sport. The rivalry between Lauda and Hunt continued throughout their careers, but they also developed a deep respect for each other. Their story was immortalized in the 2013 film "Rush," which depicted their intense rivalry and the events leading up to the Nurburgring accident. The Nurburgring accident was a tragic and defining moment in Formula One history. It highlighted the dangers of the sport and the bravery and resilience of its drivers. It also served as a catalyst for significant improvements in safety standards, ensuring that future drivers would not have to face the same risks.

Were following Lauda'scar and three of them stopped and ran to help. They managed to pull him free, but by then he had been sitting trapped in the intense heat for over a minute. Eventually a helicopter arrived and transported Lauda to hospital. He had suffered extreme burns (his wife fainted when she saw his face) and was fighting for his life.

Meanwhile, the organizers restarted the race, which Hunt went on to win. Most amazingly of all, six weeks later, after serious plastic surgery, Lauda got back into his racing car at the Italian Grand Prix and finished fourth. As for the old Nürburgring, that was the last Formula 1 race held there.

#From hero to zero

In January 2008, hours after saving his plane from crashing at Heathrow airport, flight captain Peter Burkill was praised as a hero. Only days later, when reports appeared in the press accusing him of freezing at the controls, he became a villain. How did this extraordinary transformation come about?

Peter Burkill was the pilot on

Flight 38 from Hong Kong and responsible for the lives of its 152 passengers.