Someday soon an emoji might literally save lives. Hiroyuki Komatsu, a Google
engineer, submitted a proposal to add a range of new icons to the standard emoji
library that could help those with food allergies understand what they are eating
anywhere in the world. “Emoji should cover characters representing major food
allergens,” Komatsu wrote in his proposal. “It enables people to understand
what ingredients are used in foods even in foreign countries and safely select
meals.”
The reason that emojis are so universal is because they are chosen and
developed by the Unicode Consortium, a non-profit corporation that oversees,
develops and maintains how text is represented in all software products and
standards. It is thanks to the Unicode Standard that when you text a friend six
pizza emojis, they will see those six pizza slices on their phone regardless of
whether they use an iPhone or an Android.
Because emojis are everywhere and iconic, they could be helpful for restaurants
and food packaging designers to communicate whether a product is made with
common allergens. But as Komatsu’s proposal argues, many of the most
common food allergens – such as peanuts, soy and milk – are missing or poorly
represented by the current emoji library. There is an emoji for octopus, but
nothing for squid; there is a loaf of bread that could symbolize gluten, but a
bundle of wheat could be clearer and more direct when labelling foods.
It is not uncommon for the Unicode Consortium to add new emojis to the
library: several food-related emojis debuted last June, including a long-awaited
taco emoji. However, some might complain about the continuing death of the
written word if Komatsu’s proposal is accepted.
Adapted from “How emojis could help people with food allergies,” Smithsonian
Magazine <https://bit.ly/2vHCcue>
QUESTIONS
A.1 (2 puntos) Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Copy the evidence from the text. No marks are given for only TRUE or FALSE.
a) The most frequent food allergens are already present in the current emoji library.
b) Everybody thinks using emojis contributes to making texts richer.
A.2 (2 puntos) In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions. Do not copy from the text.
a) How can emojis help people with food allergies?
b) What is the role of the Unicode Consortium?
A.3 (1 punto) Find the words in the text that mean:
a) main (paragraph 1)
b) choose (paragraph 1)
c) supervises (paragraph 2)
d) pieces (paragraph 2)
A.4 (2 puntos) Complete the following sentences. Use the appropriate form of the word in brackets when given.
a) Emoji founder Shigetaka Kurita _______ (work) for a Japanese telecommunication
firm in the 90s when he _______ (see) an opportunity to enhance written
exchanges.
b) The use of food pictograms to communicate has been effective _______ early
humans started drawing them _______ cave walls.
c) Emojis are becoming more popular _______ internet abbreviations _______ `lol ́
or `muah ́.
d) Last year, a proposal _______ (send) to the Unicode Consortium, _______ is
responsible for developing Unicode.
A.5 (3 puntos) Write about 150 to 200 words on the following topic.
Are emojis helpful, are they simply a passing fashion, or are they actually destroying our languages? Write your opinion about it.
Answers:
A1.a TRUE: " (...) many of the most common food allergens (...) are missing or poorly represented by the current emoji library." (paragraph 3)
A1.b FALSE: “However, some might complain about the continuing death of the written word if Komatsu’s proposal is accepted.”
A2.a People who can´t undertand a language can identify the emoji that shows the product and both Apple and Android share a same standard.
A2.b The role of the Unicode Consortium is to guarantee that every device shows the same way every character and symbol, no matter what device, sofware or company you are using.
A.3 words meaning:
a) main: major
b) choose: select
c) supervises: oversees
d) pieces: slices
A.4 Complete the following sentences with the appropriate form of the word in
brackets when given.
a) Emoji founder Shigetaka Kurita was working (work) for a Japanese telecommunication firm in the 90s when he saw (see) an opportunity to enhance written exchanges.
b) The use of food pictograms to communicate has been effective since early humans started drawing them on cave walls.
c) Emojis are becoming more popular than internet abbreviations (such) as / like `lol ́ or `muah ́.
d) Last year, a proposal was sent (send) to the Unicode Consortium, which is responsible for developing Unicode.
A.5 Write your opinion about this topic "Are emojis helpful, are they simply a passing fashion, or are they actually destroying our languages?" (150 to 200 words)
- INTRO: General view or listing two sides. Language (English in this case) evolves through time, expressions change and many people complain about it.
- BODY: Personal opinion. Most young people are keen on using different ways to communicate other than common ways of formal language. There are several widespread examples such as: shift of meaning, emojis or the evolution of expressions like "lol" to the more used one nowadays "crane".
- CONCLUSION: to sum up we should be aware of how social media, social groups, influence the way we communicate and the language we use (written / verbal / physical gestures)
