Why did the world prepare for the Y2K bug?

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

1. Do you remember the year 2000, or have you heard about it?
2. Have you ever worried about something that did not happen?
3. What predictions about the future were made when you were younger?
4. How do you decide if a warning is serious?
5. Have you ever lost important computer files?
6. How do you prepare for problems at work or at home?

Read each word and the example. Then say a sentence about risk.

Choose the word that fits.

1. The was caused by computers that stored years with two digits.
2. Experts gave a clear about possible problems.
3. Only a few small were reported on 1 January.
4. Thousands of worked to update old software.
5. There was a short power , not a disaster.
6. Countries spent a lot of money as a .
7. Many people thought computers would at midnight.
8. Careful preparation may have helped to a disaster.

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

1. a bug is a mistake in a
   bank accountcomputer programroad map
2. a prediction is a statement about what
   is happeninghappenedwill happen
3. to crash = to suddenly
   start workingslow downstop working
4. a precaution is an action to
   hide a problemprevent a problemcause a problem
5. a glitch is a
   new machinesmall problembig building
6. a catastrophe is a very
   bad eventsmall changegood result

Use these phrases to talk about past predictions.

• People thought that... would...Люди думали, що...People thought that computers would stop working.
• It was going to be...Це мало бути...It was going to be a disaster.
• It was supposed to...Це мало б...The system was supposed to work after 2000.
• They asked whether...Вони запитали, чи...They asked whether the planes would fly.
• He wanted to know if...Він хотів знати, чи...He wanted to know if the banks were safe.
• In hindsight,...Заднім числом,...In hindsight, the warnings were exaggerated.
• Looking back,...Озираючись назад,...Looking back, the preparation was worth it.
• It turned out that...Виявилося, що...It turned out that very few systems failed.

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

1. Programmers used two digits to save computer memory.
   TrueFalse
2. Planes fell from the sky on 1 January 2000.
   TrueFalse
3. Some countries that did less preparation also had few problems.
   TrueFalse
4. All experts agree that the preparation was necessary.
   TrueFalse
5. The text says it is hard to prove that a disaster was prevented.
   TrueFalse

1. Was the world right to prepare, or did it overreact?
2. How can we tell if a warning is serious or just hype?
3. What other warnings have turned out differently from the predictions?
4. What risks today deserve more attention?

Common mistakes: statement order in reported questions, and would for the future in the past. ✗ He asked where was the problem → He asked where the problem was. ✗ People thought it will fail → People thought it would fail.

1. People thought that computers
   would stopwill stop
   working.
2. It
   was going tois going to
   be a disaster, they said.
3. The system
   supposes towas supposed to
   work after 2000.
4. They asked
   whetherthat
   the planes would fly.
5. He asked where the problem
   is itwas
   .
6. She wanted to know
   thatif
   the banks were safe.
7. They asked me
   what I knewwhat did I know
   .
8. He asked
   whatwhether
   we had checked the system.

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

1. They asked if would the planes fly. →
2. He asked where was the problem. →
3. She asked me what did I know. →
4. People thought that computers will stop. →
5. They asked that the banks were safe. →
6. It supposed to be a disaster. →

Answer in detail. Use would, was going to and reported questions.

1. What do you remember about the year 2000?
2. What predictions about the future were made when you were younger?
3. What was expected to happen but did not?
4. Have you ever worried about something that didn't happen?
5. When is a warning worth taking seriously?
6. How can we prepare for a risk without panicking?

Three people look back on Y2K. Compare their views. Who thinks the preparation was necessary? Who is the most doubtful? What do you think?

Your teacher will time you.

1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
2. Part 1: something that people expected to happen but didn't (future in the past).
3. Part 2: a question you were asked recently (reported questions).
4. Part 3: how to prepare for a risk without panic.

1. Do you remember a big worry from your childhood?
2. Have you ever bought extra food because of a warning?
3. What did people predict about the year 2000, as far as you know?
4. How do you back up your files?
5. What would you do if the internet stopped for a day?
6. Do you trust weather forecasts?
7. What was the last warning you took seriously?
8. Do you read the news every day?

1. Who in your family worries a lot?
2. Who is always calm?
3. Who works with computers?
4. Who asked you a difficult question last week?
5. Who do you know that predicted something correctly?
6. Who gives you advice on technology?

1. Should governments spend money to prevent possible problems?
2. Are the media responsible for hype?
3. Is it better to prepare too much or too little?
4. Can we ever be fully prepared for a technology failure?
5. Do we depend too much on computers?