Unit 9: Drones Are Here to Stay

Lead-in 01

Would you feel comfortable with drones flying over your neighborhood? Why or why not? 🚁

Drones started as military technology. Now they're being used to deliver packages, map forests, and save lives in disasters. But their growing presence raises serious questions about privacy and safety.

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Military

Intelligence & surveillance

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Environment

Mapping deforestation

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Disaster Relief

Delivering supplies

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Privacy

Who's watching us?

Useful tool or dangerous threat? Let's examine both sides of the drone debate.

Reading 02

Skimming Task ⏱️

Read the article quickly (90 seconds). Answer three questions:

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WHO?

Who uses drones — and who is concerned?

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WHAT?

What can drones do — and what problems do they create?

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HOW / WHY?

Why is lack of regulation the key problem?

✅ WHO: Military, law enforcement, farmers, conservation experts, civilians — and the ACLU raising concerns | WHAT: Drones can help in many ways (disaster relief, weather, farming, mapping) but also raise privacy and safety concerns | HOW / WHY: Technology is evolving rapidly; lack of regulation is the central problem — who controls the skies, and what rules apply?

Reading 03

Military Association

Until recently, drones have generally been associated with military surveillance. Now, however, they are becoming easier for the average person to obtain; we may soon see them replacing human labor in a variety of tasks. But are drones an important tool, or a danger to private citizens? Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are remotely controlled flying robots. Some drones are as small as birds, while others are the size of airplanes. Drones can carry instruments such as cameras and global positioning systems (GPS), and are used in situations where manned flight is considered too risky or difficult.

Present perfect passive — the association exists from the past and continues to the present. 'Generally' = in most cases but not all. Together: this is a widespread but not universal association, and it is still current. The word 'until recently' signals a shift is coming — this is the article's central point: drones are now changing.

Reading 04

Becoming Accessible

'May' = possibility; 'soon' = imminent time. Together: strong likelihood in the near future. 'Replacing' after 'see' is a present participle (see + object + participle = perceive action in progress). This construction emphasizes the process of replacement, not just the fact of it — the reader imagines drones actually taking over tasks, step by step.

Reading 05

Defining Drones

The comparison uses familiar references (birds and airplanes) to give the reader intuitive scale. The range (bird-sized to airplane-sized) captures the enormous variety of drone technology and makes the category hard to regulate as a single type. It also creates dramatic contrast — this is a technology that comes in wildly different forms, which complicates any single legal or safety framework.

Reading 06

Humanitarian Uses

Apart from benefiting the military and law enforcement agencies, drones can help people perform humanitarian tasks. For instance, they can be used in disaster relief efforts to deliver blankets, clothing, and medical supplies to hard-to-reach places. Furthermore, drones can be programmed to fly into the heart of storms — without any risk to human life — and gather important weather data. This information can help scientists predict natural disasters like hurricanes or tornadoes, and hopefully save many lives in the process. Camera-equipped drones can also produce maps that are much more detailed and accurate than those produced from satellite imagery. This will be a big help to conservation experts in mapping land use changes such as deforestation, which is threatening an untold number of species. In addition, farmers can use drones to drop fertilizers and pesticides on crops. This not only saves money, but keeps farm workers safer by limiting their exposure to dangerous chemicals. According to the AUVSI, "Agriculture, far and away, is going to be the dominant market for UAV operations."

'Apart from' = in addition to / besides. It adds information beyond what has already been established. The sentence transitions from military (Para 1) to civilian/humanitarian (Para 2) — 'apart from' acknowledges the military context while moving beyond it. It is inclusive: military uses are not dismissed, just added to. This is a more sophisticated transition than simply "Also, drones can help civilians."

Reading 07

Disaster Relief

'Hard-to-reach' is a compound adjective (hyphenated before a noun). It evokes scenarios: earthquake rubble, flooded areas, mountain regions where roads are destroyed. Drones can reach these places because they don't need roads or cleared airspace. The phrase implicitly argues for drones' unique advantage over ground vehicles — it is a concise way of making the case for why drones are indispensable in disasters.

Reading 08

Flying Into Storms

The parenthetical highlights the key safety advantage: drones can go where humans cannot safely go. The dashes give extra emphasis — the author pauses to make sure the reader notices this specific benefit. The phrase frames dangerous environments (storm hearts) as uniquely suitable for drones, because the risk is zero. The dashes transform a factual note into a rhetorical argument.

Reading 09

Conservation Mapping

Non-defining relative clause (adds information, not identifying). 'Untold' = uncountable, so vast it cannot be measured. This word choice frames deforestation as a catastrophe of immeasurable scale. The relative clause connects drones' mapping capability to a global urgency — the reader understands why precise deforestation maps matter. The clause prevents the sentence from seeming merely technical.

Reading 10

Agricultural Drones

'Far and away' is a fixed idiom meaning "by a large margin" or "overwhelmingly." It emphasizes that agriculture will not just be a major market but THE major one, by a significant lead. Including this quote from AUVSI adds industry credibility — experts in drone regulation predict agricultural dominance, giving the claim authority beyond the author. The idiom also adds confident emphasis that a plain adverb cannot match.

Reading 11

Infrared Sensors

Drones can be equipped with infrared sensors which use temperature variations to "see" things the naked eye cannot detect. While this is helpful for getting a bird's eye view of a disaster or conflict zone, it could also be used by law enforcement agencies to spy on civilians. With thousands of remote-controlled drones set to take to the skies over the United States, many people are concerned about privacy. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is worried that drones may be linked with cell phone tracking software in the future, which would enable law enforcement agencies to carry out surveillance on U.S. citizens and monitor people's movements. Safety is another major concern. Anyone — from terrorists to criminals — can get their hands on a drone. And even when controlled by skilled operators with good intentions, drones pose a hazard. Since 2001, there have been hundreds of military drone accidents worldwide. Even people in favor of drones feel that lack of safety is one of their biggest drawbacks. Think of drones accidentally landing in backyards or, worse, crashing into commercial planes. In April 2016, a British Airways aircraft was just about to land at Heathrow Airport when it collided with a drone.

Quotation marks signal that 'see' is being used figuratively — infrared sensors do not literally see (they measure temperature variation), but the metaphor of seeing is appropriate. The quotes acknowledge the word is being stretched beyond its literal meaning. This precision is appropriate in a technical context where the mechanism matters — the author is being transparent about the metaphor rather than pretending it is literal.

Reading 12

Dual-Use Problem

Concession: helpful for disaster viewing. Contrast: same technology enables surveillance. This is the classic dual-use dilemma: technology that serves beneficial purposes can also enable harmful ones. The same drone, same sensors, same capabilities — the difference is only in the operator's intent. 'Could' (modal of possibility) hedges the surveillance claim appropriately — it is a real risk, not a current fact.

Reading 13

Drone Fever Rising

'Set to' = poised to, about to, positioned to happen soon. 'Take to the skies' is an idiomatic phrase meaning to fly in large numbers (originally used for birds). Together: thousands of drones are about to dominate airspace. The idiom gives the sentence a slightly dramatic tone, implying something large-scale and possibly threatening is imminent — not just a technological shift, but an aerial occupation.

Reading 14

ACLU Concerns

The ACLU expresses a future risk, not a current reality. 'May' = possible future, not certain. This is an important distinction: the ACLU is raising a concern about potential abuse, not reporting current surveillance. Using 'will' would be factually incorrect and alarmist. 'May' maintains the hedged, legitimate concern without creating false certainty — it is both intellectually honest and rhetorically credible.

Reading 15

Safety Incidents

Real incidents transform abstract safety concerns into concrete evidence. "A British Airways aircraft" at "Heathrow Airport" — named, specific, credible. This is a classic journalistic technique: support a general argument (drones are dangerous) with a specific, verifiable example. The specificity (April 2016, Heathrow) makes it impossible to dismiss as hypothetical — it happened, and it is on record.

Reading 16

"Drone Fever"

The ongoing debate over drones suggests that we are in the midst of a "drone fever." The most important question going forward is how governments and agencies will regulate this technology to make sure it benefits, rather than harms, individuals and societies. As drones become more common, the importance of ensuring safe and responsible use will no doubt become greater.

'Fever' is a medical metaphor for an abnormal, elevated state — temperature too high. Applied to technology adoption, 'drone fever' suggests enthusiasm that has outpaced reason and regulation. Fever implies something that will peak and then need treatment (regulation). The quotation marks signal the author is introducing this evaluative metaphor — it is their (or others') framing, not a neutral description.

Reading 17

Regulation Question

'Rather than' creates an explicit preference between two alternatives (benefits vs. harms). It frames regulation's goal: the purpose is not to eliminate drones but to ensure the positive outcome rather than the negative one. This is a balanced framing — acknowledging both possibilities and expressing the desired direction, which is appropriate for a policy discussion. It implies both outcomes are real possibilities, making regulation genuinely necessary.

Reading 18

Growing Importance

'No doubt' expresses certainty — it is the opposite of hedging. The author is confident that as drone use increases, so will the importance of regulation. This confident claim is justified: more drones logically means more potential for harm AND more potential for benefit, both requiring more careful management. The certainty is appropriate here because the logical relationship is sound — more drones = more stakes.

Language 19

Language Point 1: Passive Voice for Technology Topics

are equipped with can be programmed was controlled passive voice

A) "Drones CAN BE EQUIPPED with infrared sensors" → passive: focus on capability, not who equips them
"drones CAN BE PROGRAMMED to fly into storms" → passive: focus on the drone's function

B) Active: "Engineers equip drones with sensors." → if who does it matters
Passive: "Drones are equipped with sensors." → if the capability matters more than the actor

C) ❌ "Drones are equipping with sensors." → wrong passive form (must be 'be + past participle')

D) RULE: In technology writing, passive voice is common when the focus is on the tool's
capabilities, not on who uses or builds it.

Technology journalism uses passive extensively because the technology itself is the focus, not the humans involved. "3D printers CAN CREATE bones" vs "researchers can create bones with 3D printers" — the first foregrounds the technology; the second foregrounds the researchers. Both are valid; choice depends on what you want to emphasize. In this article, drone capabilities are the subject — so passive is the natural choice throughout Para 1 and Para 2.

Language 20

Language Point 2: Connectors for Adding Arguments

apart from furthermore in addition not only...but

A) "Apart from benefiting the military, drones can help perform humanitarian tasks." → besides X, also Y
"Furthermore, drones can be programmed to fly into storms." → adds a stronger/more surprising point
"In addition, farmers can use drones." → straightforward additive
"This not only saves money, but keeps farm workers safer." → dual benefit

B) Differences: 'apart from' (besides, sets aside previous); 'furthermore' (stronger than 'also');
'in addition' (neutral additive); 'not only...but' (double benefit structure)

C) ❌ "Furthermore, apart from, in addition, drones are useful." → don't stack connectors

D) RULE: Each additive connector has a slightly different force. Choose based on how
surprising or important the addition is.

These connectors are essential for organizing multi-argument paragraphs. Para 2 uses all four types! 'Apart from' sets aside military use. 'Furthermore' introduces the weather data use (more impressive). 'In addition' adds farming. 'Not only...but' double-emphasizes the farming benefit. The variety prevents repetition and controls emphasis — a skilled writer chooses connectors deliberately, not randomly.

Language 21

Language Point 3: Modal Verbs — Ability vs. Possibility

can could may might

A) "Drones CAN carry cameras." → can = current ability/capability (definite)
"Drones COULD be used to spy on civilians." → could = conditional possibility (if someone chose to)
"We MAY soon see them replacing labor." → may = probability in near future

B) Ability: can / is able to (present); could (past ability or conditional present)
Possibility: may / might (present/future)

C) ❌ "Drones may carry cameras." → sounds uncertain; drones definitely CAN carry cameras
✅ "Drones may be linked with phone tracking." → uncertain future possibility = correct

D) RULE: 'Can' = real ability (definite). 'Could' = conditional/theoretical.
'May/might' = uncertain future or speculative possibility.

The article carefully distinguishes between what drones CAN definitely do (carry cameras) and what they COULD potentially do if misused (spy on civilians). This distinction is not just stylistic — it reflects different levels of certainty and different argumentative commitments. Getting modals right shows precise thinking. A student who writes "drones may carry cameras" is making the capability sound uncertain when it is actually established fact.

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Lesson Complete

🎖️

Military Origins

Surveillance & intelligence

🌿

Peaceful Uses

Disaster relief, conservation, farming

⚠️

Privacy Risks

Infrared sensors, ACLU concerns

⚖️

Regulation

Benefits must outweigh harms

The most important question is how governments will regulate this technology to make sure it benefits, rather than harms, individuals and societies.