4 questions from 60 minutes
Dear teachers,
I have 2 questions from the excerpts from 60 minutes.
Sources: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-brain-hacking-tech-insiders-on-why-you-should-care/
Have you ever wondered if all those people you see staring intently at their smartphones -- nearly everywhere, and at all times -- are addicted to them? According to a former Google product manager, you are about to hear from, Silicon Valley is engineering your phone, apps and social media to get you hooked. As we first reported in April, he is one of the few tech insiders to publicly acknowledge that the companies responsible for programming your phones are working hard to get you and your family to feel the need to check in constantly. Some programmers call it "brain hacking" and the tech world would probably prefer you didn't hear about it. But Tristan Harris openly questions the long-term consequences of it all and we think it's worth putting down your phone to listen.
[1] Some programmers call it "brain hacking" and the tech world would probably prefer you didn't hear about it.
I would like to know why past tense - “would” and “didn’t” - is used in the sentence. Is this because of the subjunctive mood?
[2] If it (the subjunctive mood) is, I think the sentence means:
the tech world wants you not to hear about it, but you get to hear about it.
Is this correct?
Tristan Harris: Well every time I check my phone, I'm playing the slot machine to see, "What did I get?" This is one way to hijack people's minds and create a habit, to form a habit. What you do is you make it so when someone pulls a lever, sometimes they get a reward, an exciting reward. And it turns out that this design technique can be embedded inside of all these products.
[3] This is one way to hijack people's minds and create a habit, to form a habit.
=> Does this mean that this way not only makes a habit, but also makes it continual and habitual, or to form a habit is just another way of saying to create a habit?
[4] What you do is you make it so when someone pulls a lever, sometimes they get a reward, an exciting reward.
=> Could you please let me know the meaning of “you make it so”?
Hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks and best regards,
David Kim
Top answer
", is correct. " This is not really past tense. This is a modal construction expressing desire on the part of the speaker.
- ", is correct.
- " This is not really past tense.
- This is a modal construction expressing desire on the part of the speaker.
- This is the way such statements are phrased.
- The passage, "This is one way to hijack people's minds and create a habit, to form a habit.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
The sentence, "...the tech world would probably prefer you didn't hear about it.", is correct. This is similar to the sentence: "I would prefer (that) you didn't call me anymore." This is not really past tense. This is a modal construction expressing desire on the part of the speaker. This is the way such statements are phrased.
The passage, "This is one way to hijack people's
0
Related Questions