English Course · Level 5 (B2) · Week 4 of 12
Technology and Ethics
Grammar: Negative inversion · Never have I… · Not only… but also · Hardly… when
This week's plan
| Day | Learn | Listen / Watch | Practise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Words: Technology · Sentences 1–2 | BBC 6 Minute English: “Should we fear chatbots?” (podcast) | Exercise 1 |
| Day 2 | Words: Ethics · Sentences 3–4 | TED: Tristan Harris, “How a handful of tech companies control billions of minds every day” (video) | Exercise 2 |
| Day 3 | Words: Tech verbs · Sentences 5–6 | BBC 6 Minute English: “Algorithms” (podcast) | Exercise 3 |
| Day 4 | Words: Impact · Sentences 7–8 | BBC 6 Minute English: “Can AI have a mind of its own?” (podcast) + BBC The English We Speak: “Kick the can down the road” (podcast) | Exercise 4 |
| Day 5 | Words: Inversion starters · Sentences 9–10 | TED: Sam Harris, “Can we build AI without losing control over it?” (video) | Write & Speak |
| Day 6 | Review all 30 words + 10 sentences | BBC 6 Minute English: “Can AI solve crime?” (podcast) | Redo mistakes |
| Day 7 | Free day ☺ | TED-Ed: “The ethical dilemma of self-driving cars” (Patrick Lin, animation) (video) | Tick your tracker |
30 minutes a day: review, learn, listen, practise, speak. Day 7 is a free day. Tap a resource to find it.
30 words to learn
Set 1 · Technology
- artificial intelligenceالذكاء الاصطناعي
- automationالأتمتة / التشغيل الآلي
- surveillanceالمراقبة
- personal dataالبيانات الشخصية
- privacyالخصوصية
- cybersecurityالأمن السيبراني
Set 2 · Ethics
- ethicalأخلاقي
- accountableمسؤول / خاضع للمحاسبة
- consentموافقة / إذن
- biasتحيّز
- transparencyالشفافية
- a dilemmaمعضلة
Set 3 · Tech verbs
- hack intoيخترق
- trackيتتبّع
- regulateينظّم بالقوانين
- misuseيسيء استخدام
- leakيسرّب
- replaceيحلّ محلّ
Set 4 · Impact
- pros and consالمزايا والعيوب
- unintended consequencesعواقب غير مقصودة
- a double-edged swordسلاح ذو حدّين
- job lossesفقدان الوظائف
- screen addictionإدمان الشاشات
- the digital divideالفجوة الرقمية
Set 5 · Inversion starters
- never beforeلم يسبق أبدًا
- not only… but alsoليس فقط… بل أيضًا
- hardly… whenما كاد… حتى
- no sooner… thanما إن… حتى
- under no circumstancesلا… تحت أي ظرف من الظروف
- little did I knowلم أكن أعلم أبدًا
10 sentences to memorise
- 1Never before have we shared so much personal data online.لم يسبق لنا أبدًا أن شاركنا هذا القدر من البيانات الشخصية على الإنترنت.
- 2Not only does the app track your location, but it also records your voice.لا يتتبّع التطبيق موقعك فحسب، بل يسجّل صوتك أيضًا.
- 3Hardly had I installed the program when my laptop crashed.ما كدت أثبّت البرنامج حتى تعطّل حاسوبي المحمول.
- 4Under no circumstances should you share your password.يجب ألّا تشارك كلمة مرورك تحت أي ظرف من الظروف.
- 5Little did we know that our conversations were being recorded.لم نكن نعلم أبدًا أن محادثاتنا كانت تُسجَّل.
- 6Technology is a double-edged sword.التكنولوجيا سلاح ذو حدّين.
- 7Who should be held accountable when a self-driving car causes an accident?من الذي يجب أن يُحاسَب عندما تتسبّب سيارة ذاتية القيادة في حادث؟
- 8Companies should not use our data without our consent.لا ينبغي للشركات أن تستخدم بياناتنا دون موافقتنا.
- 9No sooner had the photos been leaked than they appeared on every website.ما إن سُرِّبت الصور حتى ظهرت على كل المواقع.
- 10Governments need to regulate artificial intelligence before it is too late.تحتاج الحكومات إلى تنظيم الذكاء الاصطناعي قبل فوات الأوان.
Grammar: Negative inversion · Never have I… · Not only… but also · Hardly… when
When a negative or limiting expression starts the sentence, we invert the subject and the auxiliary, like in a question: Never have I seen… · Not only does it… · Hardly had I… when… This sounds formal and dramatic.
عندما يبدأ المتعلم الجملة بـ Never أو Not only يكمل بترتيب الجملة العادي: Never I have seen ✗ أو Not only it tracks ✗. القاعدة: بعد هذه الكلمات في أول الجملة نقلب الترتيب كأنه سؤال: Never have I seen · Not only does it track. وإذا لم يكن في الجملة فعل مساعد نضيف do / does / did: Not only did he lie… · Little did she know… وانتبه: Hardly تأتي معها when، وNo sooner تأتي معها than.
| Normal order | Inversion (formal / emphatic) |
|---|---|
| I have never seen such a clever robot. | Never have I seen such a clever robot. |
| The app is slow and it is also expensive. | Not only is the app slow, but it is also expensive. |
| As soon as I sat down, the phone rang. | Hardly had I sat down when the phone rang. / No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang. |
| You must not open this file in any situation. | Under no circumstances must you open this file. |
| She didn't know that he was lying. | Little did she know that he was lying. |
| I rarely use social media. | Rarely do I use social media. |
Other expressions: Rarely / Seldom · At no time · On no account · Only then · Only after… · Not until…
Hardly and No sooner usually take the past perfect: Hardly had we left when it started to rain.
Use inversion for emphasis in essays, speeches and stories; don't overuse it in everyday conversation.
Exercises
Exercise 1 · Rewrite the sentences starting with the words in brackets.
- 1) I have never felt so worried about my privacy. (Never)
- 2) He hacked into the system and he also stole the data. (Not only)
- 3) As soon as the video was posted, it went viral. (No sooner)
- 4) We rarely think about who owns our data. (Rarely)
- 5) You should not click on this link in any situation. (Under no circumstances)
- 6) I didn't know that the camera was on. (Little)
Show the answers
Exercise 2 · Choose the correct option.
- 1) Hardly had she logged in (when / than) the screen froze.
- 2) No sooner had we arrived (when / than) the meeting started.
- 3) Not only (it is / is it) cheap, but it is also reliable.
- 4) Never (I have / have I) used such a fast computer.
- 5) Seldom (do people read / people read) the terms and conditions.
- 6) At no time (the company asked / did the company ask) for our consent.
Show the answers
Exercise 3 · Correct the mistake.
- 1) Never I have heard such a strange story.
- 2) Not only he lost his job, but he also lost his savings.
- 3) Hardly had I closed my eyes than the alarm went off.
- 4) Little she knew that her photos had been leaked.
- 5) Under no circumstances you should give your PIN to anyone.
Show the answers
Exercise 4 · Translate into English.
- 1) لم أرَ أبدًا تكنولوجيا مذهلة كهذه.
- 2) يجب ألّا تفتح هذا البريد الإلكتروني تحت أي ظرف من الظروف.
- 3) ما كدنا نبدأ الاجتماع حتى انقطعت الكهرباء.
- 4) التطبيق ليس مجانيًا فحسب، بل سهل الاستخدام أيضًا.
Show the answers
Do each exercise in pencil first, then open the answers to check.
Write & Speak
Example: Artificial intelligence will do more harm than good Never before has a technology developed as quickly as artificial intelligence. Some people fear that it will destroy jobs and threaten our privacy, while others believe it will transform our lives for the better. In my view, AI is a double-edged sword, but its benefits can outweigh its risks if it is properly regulated. Firstly, AI is already improving healthcare. Not only can it analyse thousands of X-rays in minutes, but it can also spot diseases that doctors might miss. In a country like Egypt, where some villages have very few specialists, this could save countless lives. Secondly, AI can free people from boring, repetitive work. It is true that automation may lead to job losses in some sectors. However, history shows that new technologies also create new jobs, and workers who learn new skills can benefit. That said, the dangers are real. Little did most users know, until recently, how much of their personal data was being collected and sold. Companies must be accountable for the way they use our information, and under no circumstances should AI be allowed to make important decisions, such as who gets a loan or a job, without human checks. In conclusion, I disagree with the statement. AI itself is neither good nor evil; what matters is how we use it. With clear laws, transparency and respect for consent, it can do far more good than harm.