1. Living without electricity

2. Mobile phones - Friend or Foe?

Could you live without it?

Reading - Living without electricityWriting - Argument essay / advantages and disadvantages of

mobile phones

You are going to• read a text about a man who lives without electricity • discuss what electrical items you could live without • write an argument essay about the advantages and

disadvantages of mobile phones

1. Living without electricity2. Mobile phones - Friend or Foe?

1. Living without electricity

Discuss

• What are the essential things in your life? What couldn't you live without?

• Could you live in a world without computers, cars, TV, mobile phones, electricity...?

• What would you miss the most?

Reading

You are going to read an article about someone who has lived for 29 years without electricity.How do you think he manages to live without electricity? How does he cook, heat the house and see in the dark?Read the text and find out

Not seeing the light at DownhillBy Nicola Weir BBC NI district journalist   

Text >

John faces his 29th Christmas without electricity. Two years ago, he successfully campaigned to have electricity installed along his road. But while his neighbours are enjoying their kettles, lights, washing machines and fridges, 77-year-old John McCarter is still waiting to be hooked up. The home that he's lived in since 1983 on the Seacoast Road at Downhill, close to Coleraine, is still being heated by two open coal fires, with candles providing his only light.

John lives in an idyllic setting, with his home nestled under the cliffs looking out to sea, but his living conditions are far from perfect: "During the summer, brilliant. Except for the fact you haven't got a thing like a fridge, which I can live with.“ "However, when the winter comes and the temperature drops down to minus four degrees and you get out of bed in the morning, and even before you get out, you can see your breath hanging on the air - it's far from pleasant," he said.

"The cooking isn't a problem, because I've got a gas cooker and that satisfies that end, but lighting is one candle and one tealight. "The candle provides the general lighting, the tealight lights up the face of the clock to let me see as the minutes tick away. "I have two open fires, one in the sitting room and one in the living room. "They're adequate provided they are burning, but the problem is you can't stay up all night to keep them alight so I usually stoke them up about 11.30pm before I go to bed, but by 3am, in the morning they're out and then the temperature just plummets. "By the time you are thinking of getting out of bed at 8am, the temperature inside is the same as outside.“

Read the rest of the article herehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15763248

Find words or expressions in the text

Answer = He has a gas cooker, two open fires and candles

Find words or expressions in the text which mean

1. connected2. a beautiful place3. be situated in a sheltered place4. suitable / enough 5. make hotter 6. fall quickly

Answers >

Answers

Answer = He has a gas cooker, two open fires and candles

Find words or expressions in the text which mean

1. connected = hooked up2. a beautiful place= idyllic setting3. be situated in a sheltered place = nestled (in)4. suitable / enough = adequate5. make hotter = stoke up6. fall quickly = plummet

2. Mobile phones – Friend or Foe?Discuss

1) Could you live like John?

2) Could you live without your mobile phone, smartphone, blackberry or computer? Why / Why not?

3) Are you addicted to them / Do you know anyone who is addicted?

4) What do you use your mobile phone for? Make a list of all the things you can do with it.

5) Do you know how mobile phones can affect your health?

6) Do you think that mobile phones are sometimes anti-social? Why / why not?

7) Look at the words. How many describe how you feel about your phone?. Can you think of any more?

Questions

1. What do you use your mobile phone for?

2. How many people say they can't live without a mobile?

3. Do you know how mobile phones affect your health?

4. Do you agree that mobile phones are anti-social?

Answers >

Answers

1. What do you use your mobile phone for? Phoning, texting, facebook, games, communication, apps, internet, social networking

2. How many people say they can't live without a mobile? ……can’t live without mobile

3. Do you know how mobile phones affect your health? damages your eyes, heard rumours, not really “clued up”, not quite sure

4. Do you agree that mobile phones are anti-social? can be anti-social but good for keeping in contact, allow you organise going out, get in touch, be organised, use social network sites but antisocial on buses and trains, in the supermarkets. clear divide between what young and old think.

Put all your ideas together and make a list of the

advantages and disadvantages of mobile phones.

WritingSuggested answers• Advantages = good for keeping in contact,  be organised,  social

network sites, + internet access, cheap, convenient, fun• Disadvantages = anti-social, health issues, + addictive, distracting

You are going to write an answer to this question"Mobile phones; Friend or Foe?"

When writing it's very important to have a planThink 1. How many paragraphs are you going to write?2. What are you going to say in the introduction?3. What are you going to say in the main text?4. What are you going to say in the conclusion?

Answers >

Writing"Mobile phones; Friend or Foe?"

When writing it's very important to have a planThink 1. How many paragraphs are you going to write? 3 or 4 =

introduction + main text = a) advantages b) disadvantages + conclusion

2. What are you going to say in the introduction? Introduce and describe the thing you are going to talk about (describe it as if you are talking to an idiot or someone from another planet ie mobile are very popular. They can be used to communicate, text, take photos…

3. What are you going to say in the main text? Give examples of ideas, compare and contrast them = (a) advantages b) disadvantages

4. What are you going to say in the conclusion? Sum up your ideas in one or 2 sentences. Give an opinion. Don’t introduce any new ideas.

http://efllecturer.blogspot.com/

Writing

1) What words or expressions can you use to start your ideas?ABC

2) What words or expressions can you use to continue or contrast your ideas?ABC 3) What words or expressions can you use to finish or conclude your ideas?ABC

Answers >

Writing

1) What words or expressions can you use to start your ideas?Firstly,  for example, for instance, (+ writing the idea as a question )

2) What words or expressions can you use to continue or contrast your ideas?Secondly, thirdly, also, moreover, furthermore,Because, so, therefore, as a result,However, on the other hand, nevertheless, although

3) What words or expressions can you use to finish or conclude your ideas?In conclusion, to summarise, on balance, it can be seen that... , it remains to be seen..., in the opinion of this writer...

Look at writing introductions and planning here http://efllecturer.blogspot.com/2011/07/ielts-writing-introductions-for-task-2.htmland here http://efllecturer.blogspot.com/2011/09/describing-photos-comparing-contrasting.html

Write the essay – check!If you have not...1) written an introduction 2) used paragraphs 3) used appropriate language (see above) 4) written a conclusion 5) followed the instructions then you have not finished or answered the question properly!

Examples - use these practice examples to help youhttp://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/IELTS_writing2.htmhttp://www.ieltsonline.com.au/IELTSexpress/writing/task2/practice/03_writing_wt2_essay.aspMore writing practiceWrite argument essays (advantages / disadvantages) about other topics e.g.

computers, the internet, air transport, fast food, exams, learning a second  language...

More reading

Daily MailHow mobile addiction led us to lose our manners...

BBC NewsThird of adults use smartphone says Ofcom report

Are mobile phones safe for our children to use?

Cartoon http://www.englishblog.com/2011/08/cartoon-mobile-phone-addiction.html

Infographic http://www.cashgenerator.co.uk/are-you-addicted-to-your-mobile-phone.aspx

SAMPLE • A FOR AND AGAINST ESSAY• When we discuss an issue, we try to present an objective picture by showing both the advantages and

disadvantages. We often give our personal opinion on the issue on the closing.• PLAN: MODEL: MOBILE PHONES• INTRODUCTION• State the issue• Who doesn’t have a mobile phone these days? The fact is they seem to be everywhere. However, while

mobile phones certainly have many supporters, there are also people who have reservations about them .• BODY• Present arguments for and against giving examples. • Distribute arguments for and arguments against in different paragraphs.• LINGUISTIC FEATURES: Use as many links as possible.• Those who are in favour of mobile phones claim that they make communication an immediate process

and people no longer need to wait until they find an ordinary phone when they need to make an urgent phone call. Moreover, they also point out that a mobile phone can be a life-saver in the case of an emergency. Finally, parents feel much more secure when they know that, thanks to mobile phones, they can contact their children whenever they want.

• On the other hand, those who are against mobile phones state the fact that much research must still be carried out in order to prove decisively that mobile phones do not damage your health. Another disadvantage is the way that mobile phones are destroying our social life. How many times have you had to stop a conversation so that your partner can answer his or her mobile phone? Not to mention the disturbances they cause at concerts and theatre performances.

• CONCLUSION• Sum up the topic. Refer back to the opening. State opinion• In conclusion, although there are two sides to a coin, I believe that mobile phones generally do improve

the quality of our life. In my opinion, even if only one life has been saved thanks to a mobile phone, they have justified their existence.