Licensed Content - Marcondes Language Services 2019 - 2023 Taboos and Issues - Special Re-print Edition

Big Brother is watching!

Discussion
Do you think that your employer has the right to ask about your private life? Tick ( ✓ ) the questions you
think it is OK for an employer to ask:
What is your marital status?
Do you have children?
What is the highest level of formal education you have achieved?
What is your religion?
Have you ever served in the military?
Are you a member of a political party?
Do you suffer from any physical disabilities?
Do you have any serious diseases?
Have you ever been in prison?
Have you ever been convicted of a serious traffic offence?
Are you homosexual?
Have you ever used drugs such as cannabis?

Reading
The article below describes some issues about privacy in the United States. Is your country similar?
Better or worse? In what ways?

Shhh... Someone might be listening!

Ever find yourself watching, the clock at work? Be company called "inappropriate and offensive."
careful, it may be watching you. A recent survey by the The fact is, our personal privacy is decreasing all the
American Management Association reveals that 32 per time. Credit rating, companies keep tabs on your
cent of major US firms record and keep track of personal financial history from the day you get your first
employees' communications and activities while on the credit card. Anyone who has ever used the internet
job. Today's high-tech miniature cameras, for example, knows that their surfing habits are constantly being
make it easy to keep an eye on you. traced by 'cookies'. Even where you are at any
"You can put them in a fan, a smoke detector, a light particular time will soon be easy to find out. Already,
switch, you can put them almost anywhere," said one employee security cards record when people enter and
private investigator. leave buildings. Discount supermarket programs track
What's the benefit? "It keeps people honest," said the what people buy, where and when. Cell phones,
director of security at a large retailer in Los Angeles. handheld devices, even car navigation systems will
"And if a company finds employees cheating on them soon have detailed tracking abilities, if they do not
and they take action, they end up saving money." already have them.
And it doesn't stop at video cameras. Monitoring "It all seems like an infringement of our privacy," said a
employees use of the internet and e-mail is now representative of the American Right to Privacy League.
common practice. A company recently sacked more "But in a way, we are the ones who open the doors and
than 20 employees for sending e-mails which the let these people in."

1. What is the writer's attitude towards decreasing personal privacy?

a. angry b. warning c. enthusiastic d. neutral
2. What is the expression used in the last paragraph that means privacy is not respected?
3. Look at the text again and find words and expressions that mean 'to monitor'.

Discussion
1. Monitoring people is good because "It keeps people honest." Do you agree?
2. Would your employer get more work from you if you knew they were watching you?

Taboos and Issues - Special Re-print Edition Licensed Content - Marcondes Language Services 2019 - 2023
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Licensed Content - Marcondes Language Services 2019 - 2023 Taboos and Issues - Special Re-print Edition

Language
Look again at the last sentence of the article:
"But in it way, we are the ones who open the doors and let these people in."

This statement expresses the idea that our private lives are 'inside'. We also talk about information about
our private lives 'getting out'. Read the text below and underline more expressions that have the 'private'
inside' and 'information getting out' ideas.

We rarely find out what goes on behind closed doors in politicians' lives, but
news got out last weekend that a senator has been having a two-year affair with
her public relations manager. Despite efforts to keep the press out of her private
life, the senator's affair leaked out through several reliable sources. "It's not the
press's job to pry into the lives of public figures," said the senator. "I feel exposed
and violated." Now that the relationship is out in the open, the senator has made
no effort to deny the affair, but added, "My husband hasn't been a saint, either."
Some soon-to-be-released inside information and photographs by unconfirmed
sources do seem to support that claim.

Now complete these expressions from the text:

1. behind ………………… doors 4. the affair leaked …………………

2. news got ………………… 5. out in the …………………
3. keep the press out of her ………………… life 6. ………………… information

Privacy and you

Work in pairs or small groups and discuss what you would do in the following situations:

1. You accidentally find your mother's diary. 5. You own a shop and you suspect an
Do you: employee has been stealing cash from the
a. open it and read every page? till. Do you:
b. just look for some interesting bits? a. install a hidden camera?
c. feel tempted but put it back? b. ask him/her if they have any financial
problems?
2. You suspect your partner is cheating on c. confront him/her directly?
you. Do you:
a. go through his/her drawers and personal 6. You suspect your son might be using
things for evidence? drugs. Do you:
b. decide to ignore your suspicions and a. talk to one of his friends?
trust him/her? b. go through his belongings?
c. confront him/her directly? c. give him a talk about the horrible things
that drugs can do to you?
3. A neighbour in the apartment building
across from you always gets undressed in 7. You catch a colleague having sex in the
full view of the window. Do you: office with your boss. Do you:
a. look the other way? a. report it to the proper authorities?
b. phone the police? b. ask your colleague what it was like?
c. buy a bigger lens for your camera? c. say nothing and hope to catch them
again?
4. You are using your boss's computer and
you see a file called 'salaries'. Do you: 8. You see a friend going into a lap-dancing
a. feel tempted but ignore it? club one lunchtime. Do you:
b. print the whole document to read later? a. ask him if his wife knows?
c. change your salary and tell your boss b. just pretend you didn't see him?
your pay was wrong last month? c. follow him in?

Taboos and Issues - Special Re-print Edition Licensed Content - Marcondes Language Services 2019 - 2023
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Licensed Content - Marcondes Language Services 2019 - 2023 Taboos and Issues - Special Re-print Edition

Taboos and Issues - Special Re-print Edition Licensed Content - Marcondes Language Services 2019 - 2023
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