Unit 4 A glimpse of the future

Using language

5 Listen to the conversation and choose its main idea.

Guide: Welcome aboard, time travellers! We'll begin our tour shortly. Today's tour will take you back in time 50 years. For some of you, this tour will take you back to the days of your childhood.

[Tourists exclaim, "Amazing!" "Wow!" "I can't wait to see my great grandpa!" before quietening down.]

Guide: Before we start our tour, I have to explain the rules of time travel. Please listen carefully. Number 1, don't talk to anybody.

Tourist 1: Why not? I'm going to tell my 8-year-old self to buy shares in companies that are proftable today. That way, when I get back to the present, I'll be rich!

Guide: I'm afraid you cannot do that! If you do that, you'll change your life path. Maybe you will grow up to be a rich person. But that rich person will be a new person, not the person you are today. That person, the present "you" will disappear forever. That's what we call a paradox.

Tourist 1: So, what you're saying is that learning about the future might change the way I am forever? The "me" that I am now could no longer exist?!

Guide: Exactly. OK, next, be careful not to break anything. Breaking something can also cause a paradox and change your path through life.

Tourist 1: OK, I'll remember that.

Tourist 2: How about if I just give my father a present? The latest model of a smartphone or something. He was just a 13-year-old boy back then. Imagine how excited he'll be!

Guide: Absolutely not! Anything that doesn't belong to that time may have an impact on someone and cause a paradox. Just think about if you change the life path of your father, maybe you'll never be born. In fact, that's what I was going to say next - you must never give anything from our time to someone in the past.

Tourist 2: What about if I just leave it lying around for my father to find? That's OK, isn't it?

Guide: No, that's not allowed, either!

Tourist 2: Are you serious?

Guide: I certainly am! That is exactly the same as giving it yourself. I would strongly advise against interacting with anyone.

Tourist 2: Let me get this straight. You mean that we can't talk to anyone, can't break anything, or leave anything in the past?

Guide: That's right.

Tourist 2: OK, got it. It'll be exciting enough to see the people in the past.

Tourist 1: I can't wait to see my great grandpa!

Guide: OK, o... [fade out]