Learning Objective: This is a news reading and comprehension class. At the end of the session, the participants are expected to be able to practice reading properly, enhance comprehension and recall and answer the questions about the article.


Story Proper

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has applied for a patent for airbags for mobile phones. We are all familiar with airbag technology in cars. We could soon see them as optional add-ons when we buy a new mobile or smart phone. Bezos said many people broke their phones or lost important data because they dropped them. He added that many insurance companies do not pay out on claims for dropped mobiles. He believes his invention will save millions of people from the headache caused by a mobile phone hitting the ground. He said the tiny airbags inside the phones would offer maximum protection for a cell phone if someone dropped it. The airbags would deploy after the phone’s built-in accelerometer detected that it was falling.

The patent submitted by Mr Bezos contains other safety features. He suggests using a laser or radar to work out the distance between the phone and the ground as the phone is falling to determine when to deploy the air bags. Other suggestions include springs that would be released from the phone so that the phone safely bounced when it hit the ground. The coolest part of Bezos’ patent application is a gyroscope that controls tiny jets of compressed air that would change the angle of the device in mid-air. This would be able to change the phone’s “flight path” to ensure a smoother landing on impact. The Amazon boss must now wait to see if his patent is accepted and if smart phone companies adopt his idea.


Activity Proper



"Online activities, the mp3 and printable handouts are available for this lesson at http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com"