Unit 27: AI: Just Another Tool to Use
Warm-up and Vocabulary
Hello, Class! Welcome to Unit 27. Everyone is talking about AI these days. Some people are scared that robots will take over the world! But wait… remember when people were scared of the calculator? Or the internet? In this unit, we will read about AI as a helpful tool, not a dangerous enemy. We are also practicing a tricky Reading skill: finding Negative Information. This means finding the one sentence that is NOT true or NOT mentioned in the text. It’s like playing ‘Among Us’—you have to find the imposter! Let’s get started.
Vocabulary List
Read the list below carefully. You will need these words to find the correct answers.
- Tool: An object or program used to do a specific job (e.g., hammer, calculator, AI).
- Efficiency: Doing work quickly and well without wasting time.
- Critical Thinking: Thinking deeply and asking questions, not just accepting facts.
- Replace: To take the place of something else.
- Assist: To help someone do a task.
- Accurate: Correct; without mistakes.
- Verify: To check if something is true.
- Limit: The point where something stops; what a tool cannot do.
- Depend: To need something (e.g., “I depend on my phone”).
- Generate: To create or produce (e.g., AI generates text).
Activity 1: Let’s Discuss
Look at the questions below. Think about your answers or discuss them with a partner.
- Do you use Google Translate or ChatGPT for your English homework? Does it always give the right answer?
- Is using AI “cheating,” or is it just being “smart” and saving time?
- Imagine a world without calculators. How would math class change? Is AI the same thing for writing?
The Process of Elimination Strategy
In TOEFL Reading, most questions ask you to find what is True. However, Negative Factual Questions ask you to find what is FALSE or MISSING.
1. Signal Words (The Warning Signs)
Watch out for these words in the question. They tell you to switch your brain to “Negative Mode”:
- “All of the following are true EXCEPT…”
- “Which of the following is NOT mentioned…”
- “Which statement is FALSE…”
2. The Strategy: The “Shopping List” Method
Imagine the 4 Options (A, B, C, D) are a shopping list. You must look for each item in the text (the store).
- Step 1: Read Option A. Is it in the text? -> Yes? -> Cross it out (It is NOT the answer).
- Step 2: Read Option B. Is it in the text? -> Yes? -> Cross it out.
- Step 3: Read Option C. Is it in the text? -> NO? -> CIRCLE IT! This is your answer.
3. Types of Negative Answers
The correct answer will usually be one of two things:
- Type A: The “Ghost” (Not Mentioned): The text simply does not talk about this at all.
- Example Text: “AI is fast and cheap.”
- Option: “AI is polite.” (The text didn’t say it was polite, so this is the ‘Ghost’).
- Type B: The “Liar” (False Information): The text says the opposite.
- Example Text: “AI makes mistakes.”
- Option: “AI is perfect.” (This is a lie).
4. Model Analysis:
- Text: “Calculators help students count fast. However, they cannot explain concepts.”
- Question: What is NOT true?
- A. Calculators are fast. (True in text -> Eliminate).
- B. Calculators help students. (True in text -> Eliminate).
- C. Calculators explain concepts well. (FALSE in text -> Correct Answer).
Skill Practice
Complete the following 4 exercises.
Exercise 1: Word Search
Exercise 2: True, False, or Not Mentioned?
Read the short sentence and the statement. Fill in the blank if the statement is True, False, or Not Mentioned.
“Calculators help students solve math problems quickly, but they do not teach students how to understand the formulas.”
Exercise 3: Spotting the “Not”
Read the “Product Features” list below. Then, answer the 5 questions. You must find the item that is MISSING or WRONG based on the list.
Product: The Robo-Tutor 3000
- Function: Checks grammar and spelling.
- Price: Free for students.
- Languages: English, Spanish, and French.
- Device: Works on Laptops and Phones.
- Limitation: Cannot write creative poetry.
Exercise 4: Multiple Choice
Read the paragraph and answer the “EXCEPT” / “NOT” questions.
“AI is a powerful assistant for writers. It can suggest synonyms, fix spelling mistakes, and organize paragraphs. However, AI lacks human emotion. It cannot tell personal stories from your childhood, and it often invents fake facts.”