Reading and vocabulary: Before I die...

Would you like to be immortal? Why? Why not? Do you believe in life after death? Why? Why not? Do you think you’d live your life differently if you could start again? Explain. Imagine there is a magic potion that can give you eternal life. If you take it, you will never be able to die (even if you want to).List at least three reasons why you might want to take the potion and at least three reasons why you might NOT want to take the potion. List five things you’d like to do before you die. Imagine you’ll never die. Does your list from the previous question change? Why? Why not? Read the article (student's book, page 82- Before I die...) and decide if the statements are true or false. TRUE The writer says immortality would result in more crime The writer thinks that older generations usually prevent progress and societal evolution. FALSE D. Itskov claims that only powerful people will benefit from his project. At the end of his long life, J. Kimura was tired of living. The writer believes that longer lives would mean more opportunities to explore different careers. The writer predicts that in an immortal world, there would be fewer differences between people. The writer claims that immortality would offer us infinite, exciting possibilities. Study the strategy box.Make a list of pros and cons of living forever presented in the article.Does the author present a balanced argument?Can you think of any other pros?Do you agree with the writer's conclusion? Why not? Study the phrasal verbs (1-6) in the text and match them to the meanings of OFF. become less wear off depart set off reject shrug off postpone put off resist fend off remove cross off Match the sentence halves. We may laugh off the idea of eternal life, but scientists predict that some babies born today will live for hundreds of years. Scientists called off the news conference because the results of their study were inconclusive. As we get older, physical activity eases off and we become more sedentary. We can fight off disease and infections but we ultimately have to accept our mortality. The shoplifter made off with an anti-ageing cream that was worth a lot of money. Very old people often feel cut off from society and find it difficult to keep up with new changes. Most people brush off the idea of immortality as it's unlikely to happen in their lifetime. He rubbed the dirt off his face. Sort the phrasal verbs with off (sentences above) into the correct category according to their meaning. become less ease off depart make off reject laugh off brush off postpone call off resist fight off remove cut off Imagine that Dmitri Itskov succeeds in his research and needs to select ten people to become the first "immortals".How should he choose who will live forever? What qualities should he look for?