Et NEW EDITIONS S O P H I A Z A P H I R O P O U L O S

Introduction

I N T R O D U C T I O N

New Fowler Proficiency Writing Skills I is the first part of a two-part course which aims to teach the techniques students require to attempt any of the variations among t h e s ix f o r m s o f w r i t i n g t a s k s e t i n t h e r e v i s e d Cambridge Proficiency examination. Approximately one third of the material in Writing Skills has been revised for this book. All the other material in this book is new. Eleven of the twenty units consist of t w o facing pages, and should, under normal circumstances, be completed in a l e sson , with a writing task to be d o n e later in approximately one hour, the time allowed for it in the examination. In the remaining nine units of four pages, t w o lessons will normally be required.

T h e c h a n g e s i n t h e e x a m i n a t i o n The biggest change in the writing paper of the revised Cambridge Proficiency examination is that it now has t w o parts, as do FCE and CAE.

P a r t I cons is t s of a compul sory quest ion comprising i n s t r u c t i o n s and a t e x t o r t e x t s w h i c h p r o v i d e candidates with a clear contex t . There is always m o r e t h a n o n e p o i n t t o a d d r e s s i n t h i s q u e s t i o n , and candidates should learn to identify t h e s e points and e n s u r e t h a t t h e y c o v e r t h e m w h e n wr i t ing . T h e quest ion is discursive, and candidates are e x p e c t e d to wri te o n e of the following:

an article an essay a letter a proposal

I n P a r t 2 , c a n d i d a t e s c h o o s e o n e q u e s t i o n c o m p r i s i n g i n s t r u c t i o n s w h i c h g i v e c a n d i d a t e s guidance to the context . In order to be successful in Part 2, candidates should be c o m p e t e n t at narrating, analysing, hypothes i s ing , descr ibing, giving reasons , p e r s u a d i n g , judging p r i o r i t i e s , eva luat ing , making r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s , g i v i n g i n f o r m a t i o n and summarising. Candidates are e x p e c t e d to wri te o n e of the following, from a choice of three:

an article a letter a proposal a review a report

For t h o s e candidates w h o have studied o n e o f the t h r e e s e t t e x t s , Q u e s t i o n 5 c o n s i s t s o f t h r e e quest ions , o n e for each of the s e t t ex t s . Candidates are required to wri te o n e of the following:

an article an essay a letter a review a report

The t ime limit (2 hours) and length of writing tasks (300-350 words) , remain unchanged.

T e a c h i n g w r i t i n g skills

It is important for students to understand that while credit is given to Proficiency candidates for their use of s t r u c t u r e and v o c a b u l a r y , t h e s e are n o t t h e only considerations to be taken into account; organisation and the relevance of the answer to the task are at least equal ly impor tant . Di f ferent wr i t ing tasks requ ire s p e c i f i c t e c h n i q u e s t o deal w i t h t h e m , and s u c h techniques can be taught effectively through mode l s written within the capacity of a good student that can be analysed, imitated and practised. These models are supported with revision of the necessary grammatical structures and lexical items by means of accompanying exercises and the reference section and the appendix at the end.

D o i n g j u s t i c e t o o n e s e l f i n a n e x a m i n a t i o n The Proficiency examination requires a considerably more sophisticated use of English than First Certificate and the difference be tween these t w o levels is often underestimated by students. The difference, however, is n o t so much a m a t t e r of using m o r e c o m p l i c a t e d s t r u c t u r e s or a w i d e r range of v o c a b u l a r y as o f providing an a n s w e r relevant to the q u e s t i o n , well organised in good, clear sentences and paragraphs. The range o f q u e s t i o n s o p e n t o t h e e x a m i n e r i s considerable, as indicated by the contents pages of this book, but learning the right technique to deal with each is half the battle. Therefore , it is r e c o m m e n d e d that students pay particular attention to the tips provided throughout the book. These consist of practical advice on what to do and what not to do in a given situation and should make it possible for students w h o take it to do justice to themselves in the exam.

Contents

U N I T P A R T T E C H N I Q U E M O D E L S R E V I S I O N P A G E

S E C T I O N I : A R T I C L E S

I 2 Describing and narrating What a difference! Close friends again

Tenses

Used to and would

I Taking sides Who's freedom? Theirs or ours? 10

I Balancing an argument Computers: a dream or a nightmare? Connectors and modifiers: balancing an argument

14

I Providing solutions Too many people, not enough earth Conditionals Preserving the planet for future Should, ought to and would

generations

16

S E C T I O N 2 : L E T T E R S

5 2 Complaining Semi formal: A resident's concerns Formal: An official complaint

18

2 Giving information A letter of welcome to

exchange students

20

2 Making suggestions Preserving and restoring a town Articles

Improving a town Should 24

I Giving opinions Young people on the streets Conditionals 26

S E C T I O N 3 : E S S A Y S

Comparing Public and private transport in the city Connectors and modifiers

Responding to generalisations Relation between national

character and climate

Articles

30

32

I i I Providing information The importance to good health

Alternative medicine

Connectors and modifiers 34

Contents

U N I T P A R T T E C H N I Q U E M O D E L S R E V I S I O N P A G E

S E C T I O N 4 : P R O P O S A L S

12 2 Applying for funds

13 Assessing choices

14 Evaluating a situation

IS 2

16 2

Reviewing a book

Reviewing a film

Assessing facilities

2 Assessing suitability

20 2 Giving information

R e f e r e n c e s e c t i o n

A p p e n d i x

CPE W r i t i n g S h e e t s

First aid facilities at the

Five Oaks Sports Centre

Spending the proceeds of a summer fair

Decline in local tourism

A college newspaper

S E C T I O N 5 : R E V I E W S

Not without my daughter

Castaway

2 Reviewing a restaurant/hotel The Willows

S E C T I O N 6 : R E P O R T S

The Majestic Hotel

The Jorvik Viking Centre

A college film club

Passive voice

Should

Conditionals

Tenses in 'timeless' time

Tenses in 'timeless' time

Phrases in apposition

Compound adjectives

Connectors and modifiers: developing an argument

3 8

4 2

4 6

5 0

5 2

5 4

5 8

6 0

6 2

6 4

7 0

7 2

Articles Describing and narrating

In this article, Martin Fraser describes his return to a small t o w n in England after an absence of 25 years. Read the article and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

L

What a difference] W h e n I was a boy I u s e d to s p e n d a

f o r t n i g h t e v e r y s u m m e r w i t h m y a u n t El izabe th in Leabury , a small town in the M i d l a n d s . B u t twenty-f ive yea r s ago s h e re t i red and m o v e d to the seaside , and I did n o r r e t u r n u n t i l I h a d t o g o t h e r e o n business last week.

My aun t ' s h o u s e was on the outski r ts of t he town so I often used to r ide ou t into t he count ry on my bicycle. I would follow t h e L o n d o n r o a d for a m i l e o r two a n d t h e n b r a n c h off for a c i rcular t o u r of t he n e i g h b o u r i n g vi l lages , even tua l ly f inding m y w a y b a c k b y t h e o t h e r m a i n r o a d . A b o u t a mile f rom h o m e t h e r e was a small p o n d with ducks swimming on it. I used to s top the re to watch t h e m and skim s tones a c r o s s t h e w a t e r . B e y o n d t h e p o n d was Hayward ' s F a r m , with cows grazing in the f ields, a n d t h e n I w o u l d c o m e d o w n t h e hill in to t h e t own a n d t u r n r ight in to my aun t ' s r oad to comple t e the circuit.

T h e r e h a v e obv ious ly b e e n c h a n g e s since I was a boy bu t I was no t p r e p a r e d for many of those I saw last week . F o r o n e th ing , t h e m o t o r w a y t h a t pas ses c lose t o t h e t o w n a c t u a l l y g o e s o v e r t w o o f t h e

villages I used to r ide to . As you c o m e into Leabury , you no l onge r pass a farm with cows grazing in the fields. A vast hous ing e s t a t e s t r e t c h e s f r o m t h e m o t o r w a y t o what used to be the outskir ts .

T h e c e n t r e o f t h e t o w n h a s b e e n e n t i r e l y t r a n s f o r m e d . T h e o ld b u i l d i n g s have b e e n knocked down and the re is a big s h o p p i n g c e n t r e w i t h a m u l t i - s t o r e y ca r pa rk bes ide it. T h e r e a re no family shops i n t h e m a i n s t r e e t n o w , o n l y t h e s a m e off ices, s t o r e s a n d fas t - food r e s t a u r a n t s you find everywhere . T h e old town used to have a c h a r a c t e r of its o w n b u t now it is like any o t h e r p lace in Eng land .

On t h e way b a c k , I w e n t t o s e e my a u n t ' s o l d h o u s e , t h o u g h I h a r d l y recognised i t a t first. T h e p re sen t owners h a v e p a i n t e d i t b r igh t ye l low so i t l o o k s like a big ja r of mus ta rd . I shook my head in disbelief a n d t u r n e d towards h o m e . But j u s t b e f o r e I r e a c h e d t h e m o t o r w a y , I sudden ly saw s o m e t h i n g famil iar , a l i t t le p o n d with a wall r o u n d it, s ome ducks, and t w o b o y s s k i m m i n g s t o n e s a c r o s s t h e w a t e r . A t l e a s t s o m e t h i n g s h a v e n o t changed .

Articles Describing and narrating

2 This article refers to four separate t imes:

A 25 or more years ago, when the writer was a boy B last week, when he visited the town again C the present moment D some time or period of time in between his childhood and now

Study Reference section 12 on page 68 and Reference section 14 on page 69 and then answer these quest ions , writing the correc t letter of t ime reference (A, B, C or D) in the space, as in t h e example .

Which pe r iod or per iods a re re fer red to in:

a the first sen tence? b the whole of t he second p a r a g r a p h ? c the first sen tence of t he thi rd p a r a g r a p h ? a n d d t he descr ip t ion of t he ent ry to t he town? e the descr ipt ion in the fourth p a r a g r a p h ? and f the wri ter ' s c o m m e n t s in the last p a r a g r a p h ? and

Which tenses (present , p resen t perfect or pas t ) or forms (used to , would) does the wri ter use to deal with each pe r iod?

B

C

D

3 Look at the pictures of Athens and w o r k with another m e m b e r of the class to decide what changes have taken place in the period of 70 years b e t w e e n the t imes w h e n the photographs w e r e taken.

W r i t e an article about changes that have taken place in o n e of the following in recent years:

a your n e i g h b o u r h o o d

b a p lace whe re you wen t on holiday as a child

c a city or country you first visited m a n y years ago and have seen again recent ly

Follow this plan of four stages (though there may be m o r e than four paragraphs):

1 Introduction, indicating the place and your association with it

2 Description of the place as it used to be

3 Description of the place as it is now, emphasising changes that have occurred

4 Your reactions to these changes

7

Articles Describing and narrating

T h e description of changes in a place (pages 6-7) w a s told from the point of v iew of the present m o m e n t . In many articles of this kind, however, the main narrative t e n s e is past.

Study Reference section 12b and d on page 68 and then read Gloria's article about a meet ing with a schoo l friend she m e t again after ten years w h o had changed. Most of the verbs have been left in brackets. C o m p l e t e the article by putting them into the m o s t suitable t ens e .

Close fr iends again

Soon after I left school my family (1) (move) to Bristol and I (2) (lose) touch with all my friends, when l (3) (return) to London last year after ten years, l (4) (find) some of their names in the phone book and we (5) (organise) a reunion. But there was no trace of Eugenia, my closest friend. The others told me they (6) (not see) her for a long time.

Eugenia was the most attractive girl in my class. She was tall and slim and (7) (have) ioveiy dark brown eyes and long black hair that (8) (come) half way down her back, she was very popular because she (9) (have) a wonderful sense of humour, she used to invent games to keep us all amused and always (10) (seem) to be laughing and smiling.

One morning last month I (11) (go) into a jeweller's shop in the city to buy a watch. The only assistant was a tall woman who (12) (look) a few years older than me. Her hair was grey and although she still (13) (have) a young, slim figure, there were lines around her eyes, and she (14) (have) a long, deep scar on her cheek. I (15) (ask) to see some watches, our eyes (16) (meet), and she (17) (give) a little cry of amazement. She (18) (stare) at me for a few seconds and then she (19) (say): "Gloria, (20) (you not remember) me?"

I (21) (shake) my head and her face (22) (grow) sad, but then she (23) (say) quietly: "No, l (24)

(change) a lot, l suppose. I'm Eugenia."

I was so embarrassed that l (25) (not know) what to say so l just (26) (put) my arms round her. We (27) (arrange) to meet and then she (28) (tell) me the story of her life. She said that after leaving school, she (29) (go) to America and had married a man she had met there. They (30) (live) together happily for several years until her husband (31) (kill) in a car crash, she (32) (be) injured in the crash and her hair (33) (turn) grey overnight. After that she (34) (return) to London but (35) (have to) take the first job she could find.

I (36) (see) her several times since then. I want to do everything I can to help her. it was a terrible shock at first to see how much she (37) (change) but now we (38) (become) close friends again and can be together.

Articles Describing and narrai:

Gloria gives us a lot of information about herself and Eugenia. Find the paragraph in which she tells us the following and write the correc t paragraph number in the space, as in the example .

a how she lost contac t with E u g e n i a ..J....

b how she m e t her again

c how she feels abou t her now

d wha t E u g e n i a was like at school

e wha t she looked like at school

f wha t she used to do at school

g wha t she does now

h wha t she looks like now

i wha t she was doing in t he years be tween

j w h e r e Glor ia first m e t her k why Eugen ia has changed

7 W h a t do you think is the m o s t important point in the story? Why? H o w d o e s Gloria emphasise it?

Look at the pictures of the man and the w o m a n and w o r k with another m e m b e r of the class to n o t e d o w n h o w they have changed physically in the course of thirty years.

W r i t e an article with the main narrative t ense in the past about the changes you not iced in s o m e o n e you saw again not long ago but had not seen for a long t ime. The person may be s o m e o n e you know or a famous person you saw in real life or on TV (not an actor/actress playing different parts).

Follow this plan of four stages (though there may be more than four paragraphs):

1 Introduction, indicating how you first saw the person

2 Description of what they used to look like If you knew them, what they were like; if you write about a famous person, say what impression they gave you.

3 Description of what they looked like when you saw them again, what they were like, or the impression they gave

4 Say how and why you think they had changed, and how you felt about the changes.

Articles aking sides Read the quest ion and the article b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

The following c o m m e n t s w e r e made during a public discussion, held at your t o w n hall. The discussion was about the freedom of the press. You have been asked to write an article for the local newspaper responding to the c o m m e n t s and giving your o w n opinion.

Journalists have a responsibility to the public to investigate a story and

uncover the real facts - no matter who they upset.

/fou can't denij that a aood

dal ielli

They are encouraged to invade peoples privacy

by shameless celebrities who want press

coverage at any cost.

5 can newipaperi

\ey snoui ashamedof

tfiemsefvesl T'hey have no respect for

an individuals privacy!

Journalists are fierce in defence of the freedom of the press but KEITH HUNTER asks

Whose freedom? Theirs or ours? E v e r y t i m e t h e r e i s a n o u t c r y a g a i n s t t h e

excesses of the popular press and they are threatened with some kind of sanction, usually no more than the responsibility to print an apology where no one will notice it, editors and newspaper owners take refuge in the sacred concept of ' the freedom of the press ' and warn against the evils of censorship. They argue tha t i t is the i r duty to invade p e o p l e ' s privacy, in effect to deprive them of their freedom to live their own l ives in p e a c e , b e c a u s e i t i s ' i n t h e p u b l i c interest. '

N o o n e w h o be l i eves i n d e m o c r a c y a n d t h e freedom of speech wants newspapers to be silenced if they are genuinely engaged in exposing corruption in high places. In the newspapers ' defence, it can also be a r g u e d t h a t m a n y f i g u r e s i n t h e p u b l i c eye a r e desperate for almost any kind of publicity. Some of them seem to have no higher aim in life than a vague d e s i r e t o f e a t u r e i n m a g a z i n e s , p o s i n g for p h o t o g r a p h s or r ecoun t ing the in t ima te detai ls of their lives in interviews.

Those who create news stories with sensational headlines, however, - the photographers who pursue the famous on motor cycles, the journalists who bribe

t h e i r s e r v a n t s t o d i s c l o s e t h e s e c r e t s o f t h e i r employers ' private lives, the editors who send armies of employees with microphones and tape recorders to the h o m e of anyone , rich or poor , whose relat ives have died tragically - have a very clear aim in life. For them the freedom of the press is really the freedom to make money out of other people 's shame and misery.

M o s t o f u s w o u l d b e r e l u c t a n t t o i m p o s e censorship on the press but would like to put a stop to their intrusion into people ' s private lives. Not long ago the re was a play on TV that suggested a nea t solution. A Member of Parliament proposed that if a newspaper published an untrue story about someone, he would be given the same amount of space in the newspape r to wri te a story about the journal i s t or editor, t rue or false. I wonder how they would react if similar lies and half-truths about their own private lives and those of their families were published 'in the public interest '!

If you write an article where you are strongly in favour of something or against it, remember that others may have different opinions. It is more effective to mention them and then show they are wrong than not to mention them at all.

Taking sides Articles

2 C h o o s e the s en tence , a or b, that best describes what the wri ter is saying in each paragraph. Then read the correc t s e n t e n c e s t o g e t h e r to summarise the argument.

Paragraph 1 a Editors are right to defend the freedom of the press when they are criticised. b Editors use the popular belief in the freedom of the press to justify their invasion of

people 's privacy.

Paragraph 2 a No one wants censorship for political reasons and it is t rue that many well-known figures seek publicity at all costs.

b Newspapers have a duty to expose corruption and have to publish stories about well-known figures if they are required to.

Paragraph 3 a So newspapers work hard to find out the facts of the cases they investigate. b But newspapers only investigate stories about people 's private lives to make money out

of them.

Paragraph 4 a Newspapers should be censored if they tell lies. b Newspaper staff should be subjected to the same t reatment as their victims if they tell lies.

In which paragraphs is the wri ter following the technique suggested in the tip on the oppos i t e page?

3 The wri ter tries to influence the reader with his cho ice of words . A n s w e r the quest ions b e l o w to understand m o r e about this.

a F ind words or phrases in t he first two p a r a g r a p h s tha t suggest t he following:

The press 1 go too far in pursu ing news stories .

2 a re no t really sorry for wha t they do .

3 a re hypocri t ical in the i r defence of the i r act ions.

4 upse t peop le ' s lives.

Many well-known people

5 will do anything to be not iced .

6 have no ser ious a im in life.

7 invite t he invasion of the i r privacy.

b W h a t is the effect of subst i tut ing these words for those t he wri ter uses: follow (pursue ) , pay (br ibe) , in format ion (secrets) , n u m b e r s (a rmies ) , u n h a p p i n e s s (misery)?

c Which of these words is obviously an exaggera t ion bu t effective because it also implies aggression?

Articles S!

Taking sides

4 Based on the compos i t ion and the tip on page 10, put the paragraph plan b e l o w into the correc t order.

a Say why you disagree with these a r g u m e n t s a n d d is regard t h e m because those you suppor t a re m o r e impor tan t . Give examples .

b R e a c h a conclusion, summar i s ing your persona l opin ion in two or t h r ee sentences .

c Th ink of o n e or two ideas for the o the r side of the issue and say wha t sort of p e o p l e a re likely to suppor t t hem.

d I n t roduce the subject in genera l t e rms . Do no t reach a conclusion immedia te ly t hough you can suggest which side you a re on.

Look at this quest ion and then put the paragraph n o t e s b e l o w into the correc t order according to the plan in exercise 4. Can you think of a suitable title?

You heard the following c o m m e n t s about vivisection while you attended a debate on the subject at col lege recently. You have decided to write an article for publication in the col lege magazine responding to t h e s e c o m m e n t s and giving your o w n opinion.

So manu

once ^atal diseases

are now curable an

its all thanhs to

research, carried out

on anima

d

Under no circumstances should

animals be used in laboratory experiments. Animals feel

pain and shouldn't be made to suffer in this way.

ils.

'Medicalresearch

is acceytahie, hut

using animahsjor cosmetic testing is

intoferahfe.

There is no justification for

vivisection: animals have rights too.

Q0Q(?Q

Taking sides Articles 2 i 6 C h o o s e o n e of the quest ions b e l o w and write your article using the paragraph plan oppos i te . Don't forget to

think of a title.

You belong to a debating soc ie ty and overheard these c o m m e n t s at a recent debate . The debate w a s about w h e t h e r capital punishment should be restored for s o m e crimes. You feel strongly about the issue and have decided to wri te an article for your local newspaper responding to the c o m m e n t s and giving your o w n opinion.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for- a tooth!

^Jabln

anotlier perion-'i

life is never riq Lt wLatever tL

l{ the restoration of capital punishment

prevents even one murder, then its

worthwhile.

What if someone who's

innocent is

foundguiCty?

plan in

b You live in a small t o w n s o m e of w h o s e residents are becoming increasingly worr ied about sports and hobbies that harm the environment. The t o w n council held a meeting to discuss the problem and you attended. After hearing w h a t local people had to say, you decided to wri te an article for the local paper responding to the c o m m e n t s and giving your o w n opinion.

^Jlie auiet country ianei around tL

town, are overrun witli

ijouiiii racing eir motorlllei and creating, a

nuliance let atone

putting tL iivei oJI otkeri In danger.

The wildlife of Granger's Lake is being terrified every

weekend by jet skie shattering the silence of this once

peaceful haven. It's a disgrace. ifl can't

ride my jet ski on the Cake, where am 1

sup-posed to go?

We live in this town too and should

be able to do what we like, where and when

we like. Were not any

laws.

13

Articles Balancing an argument

l Read the quest ion and the article b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

Your tu tor has s h o w n you the following extracts on the subject of computers . You have been asked to write an article for the col lege magazine entitled Computers: a dream or a nightmare? W r i t e your article taking the points raised b e l o w into considerat ion and giving your o w n opinion.

Technological progress in the world of computers saves everyone time. At the touch of a button, massive amounts of information can be accessed. Furthermore, work done on a computer can be updated and changes can be made speedily.

Future generations will come to rely on computer technology to such a great extent that they will no longer need to learn to do things for themselves. This would appear to be acceptable, but what happens when the machines go wrong?

Computers: a dream or a nightmare? W i t h i n a few y e a r s , we h a v e

c o m e t o r e g a r d c o m p u t e r s a s a n indispensable par t of everyday life. We see them in operat ion in almost every office and they are increasingly common in the home. While this has b e e n a g r e a t a d v a n t a g e for s o m e p e o p l e b e c a u s e i t has m a d e t h e i r work easier, it has been a nightmare for others, who have had difficulty in learning new skills. In the same way, while some parents believe that their c h i l d r e n c a n l e a r n f a s t e r w i t h

computers , others worry that they will b e c o m e totally d e p e n d e n t on t hem before they have learnt to read, write and count for themselves.

On the one hand , the benefi ts computers have brought are obvious. Above all, they save space and time. Vast quanti t ies of data can be kept e c o n o m i c a l l y o n d i sk s a n d r e p r o d u c e d a t any t i m e in s t ead of filling rows of filing c a b i n e t s , and t h e r e a r e h u n d r e d s o f t i m e -c o n s u m i n g t a sks t h a t c a n now b e per formed very simply. In a minute or two , a typ is t can now ed i t a n d re type a le t ter ; in a few seconds , a bank can check how much a customer has in an account in another city.

O n the o t h e r h a n d , h o w e v e r , t h e r e a r e a l so d i s a d v a n t a g e s . C o m p u t e r s d o m a k e m i s t a k e s although they are always the result of a h u m a n e r ro r . We r ead of peop le r e c e i v i n g gas bi l ls for m i l l i o n s of p o u n d s b e c a u s e the c o m p u t e r has b e e n b a d l y p r o g r a m m e d o r a n

opera tor has pressed the wrong key. The trouble is that computers do not recognise such e r r o r s so t h e r e is a danger that the next generation may be taught to rely on them absolutely b e f o r e t h e y h a v e l e a r n t t h e ba s i c skills necessary to work out problems for themselves.

O n b a l a n c e , c o m p u t e r s a r e n e i t h e r a d r e a m n o r a n i g h t m a r e . T h e y a r e a d m i r a b l e t o o l s t h a t improve the quality of life but, like all tools, they must be used sensibly. We must never forget that human beings provided them with the information they contain so we cannot trust them unti l we know enough to recognise when it is inaccurate. In this respect, t h e g r e a t e s t r i sk c o m e s a t t h e national level; the advice given by a government compute r could lead to d i s a s t e r i f t h o s e r e s p o n s i b l e for making the decisions were t e m p t e d to take it just because it came from a m a c h i n e t h a t i s s u p p o s e d t o b e infallible.

2 The writer's approach to the subject is balanced. Study Connectors and Modifiers A3 on page 70 and underline the four w o r d s or phrases that the wri ter has used to balance his argument.

Tip 2 The writer's approach to the subject is balanced. Study Connectors and Modifiers A3 on page 70 and underline the four w o r d s or phrases that the wri ter has used to balance his argument.

Good articles of this kind do not require the use of very complicated structures but they do require connectors to be well used. Always check the appendix on page 70 before writing one.

Balancing an argument Articles 3 A n s w e r t h e s e quest ions.

a Which two sen tences in t he first p a r a g r a p h a re examples of t he wri ter ba lancing by using contras t . Which ph ra se does he use to show tha t he regards t he examples as equa l?

b W h a t cont ras t exists b e t w e e n p a r a g r a p h s 2 a n d 3?

c W h a t conclusion does t he wri ter r each? Is he in favour of c o m p u t e r s or against t h e m ?

d Ind ica te t he pu rpose of each pa rag raph , wri t ing t h e correct n u m b e r in t he space.

A d v a n t a g e s of c o m p u t e r s Conclus ion Disadvan tages I n t r o d u c t i o n ,

The wri ter supports general s ta tements with explanation or examples . Underline the phrases or s e n t e n c e s in the article that support t h e s e s ta tements .

a We rega rd compu te r s as an indispensable pa r t of everyday life. b F o r some p e o p l e this has b e e n an advantage , for o the r s a n igh tmare . c C o m p u t e r s save space . d C o m p u t e r s save t ime. e C o m p u t e r s m a k e mis takes . f T h e informat ion they conta in may no t be correct .

A magazine is inviting readers to submit articles about different forms of transport. You have read the personal account b e l o w and have decided to wri te an article on the advantages and disadvantages of travelling by train. W r i t e your article responding to the points b e l o w and giving your o w n opinion.

It seems that nowadays cars and aeroplanes are much more popular forms of transport than the train, depending, of course, on whether your journey is short or long distance. But 1 remember years ago, when 1 was a young child, that travelling by train was considered the best way to go.

very jrfoT to be well we writing one.

Before writing your article, look at the plan b e l o w and make s o m e notes . You can wri te four paragraphs, following the same plan as the article on computers .

a Tit le. T h i n k of a tit le for your art icle. Whi l e it is i m p o r t a n t for your art icle to have a sui table tit le, do no t spend too m u c h t ime on it.

b In t roduc t ion . Give a genera l impress ion of t he cu r ren t s i tuat ion. Do no t at this s tage give explanat ions of advantages or d isadvantages .

c Advan tages of travell ing by t ra in . List t h r ee in compar i son with cars or p lanes , and give an example or explanat ion for each, as in t he tab le .

Advantage 1 .No.traffic.jams. 2 3

Example/Explanat ion . difficult.to. calculate. time of.. jour.ney.5..

d Disadvantages . List t h r e e d isadvantages and give an explana t ion or example , as for p a r a g r a p h 2.

Disadvantage Example/Explanat ion 1 2 3

e Conclus ion . Sum up your a rgument , giving your own opinion.

15

4 Articles Read the quest ion below, the n o t e s oppos i t e and the article below, and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

You belong to a soc ie ty that is c o n c e r n e d about the environment . A gues t speaker recently gave a talk to the soc ie ty on the subject of the problem of population growth which you attended. You t o o k s o m e notes and have been asked to wri te an article for the society's monthly newspaper. W r i t e your article.

Providing solutions 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 OOK^O

World pop, doubled since 1950. UN predict + 5 0 % by 2050.

World's naturai resources - running out!

Impose birth confrot? - human rights/religion/tradition would not agree (eg China)

Politicians in developing countries say developed countries use too many resources - reduce, BUT still not a solution.

Put pressure on govts to find solution. If not = war, famine, disease!

[ Too many people, not enough earth Of all the problems the human race is responsible

for that threa ten life on Ear th , popula t ion growth is t he most ser ious . T h e world ' s popu la t ion has m o r e t h a n d o u b l e d s ince 1950 a n d t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s predict that it will grow a further 5 0 % by 2050 to nine billion. All these additional people will require more food, more land to grow it on and more houses to live in, and will consume more raw mater ia ls to provide the basic requ i rements of everyday life. The world 's resources cannot support such an increase indefinitely.

At first sight, the solution seems simple. Experts in developed countries argue that we should impose birth control worldwide. If pa ren t s only had the chi ldren they really wanted, they say, populat ion growth would be manageable , as it is in Europe . People should be e d u c a t e d in re l iab le m e t h o d s of b i r th cont ro l , and where necessary, these should be supplied. If a birth is not desired, the pregnancy should be t e rmina ted by abortion.

H o w e v e r , t h e f a i l u r e o f c o u n t r i e s t o r e a c h agreement on problems like global warming indicates that there would be even stronger resistance if a plan of this kind were pu t into pract ice. In this case, the

opposition would be due not merely to selfish national i n t e r e s t s bu t to ind iv idua l wishes and conv ic t ion , family or tribal tradition and the powerful influence of religious authorities. In some parts of the world, large families are considered desirable and a son is regarded as e s sen t i a l . In C h i n a , w h e r e t he g o v e r n m e n t has pursued a ruthless policy of limiting families to one child, populat ion growth has only been controlled at the cost of considerable personal suffering.

Poli t icians in many developing countr ies , where the populat ion is growing much faster than in Europe , r e f u s e to a c c e p t t h a t i t i s t h e m a i n c a u s e o f environmental problems. They point out that countries like the Un i t ed States consume far m o r e than their fa i r s h a r e o f t h e w o r l d ' s r e s o u r c e s . D e v e l o p e d countries should reduce their consumption, but even if t h e y d id , t h i s w o u l d n o t p r e v e n t d i s a s t e r u n l e s s p o p u l a t i o n g rowth was b r o u g h t u n d e r con t ro l . We should put pressure on governments to find a viable s o l u t i o n . O t h e r w i s e , t h e p a i n f u l a l t e r n a t i v e will become unavoidable; the populat ion will eventually be decimated by war, famine and disease.

2 C h o o s e the best heading for each paragraph, and wri te the correc t number in the space. N o t e that t w o of the cho ices are n o t correct .

a An al ternat ive solut ion d W h y a solut ion mus t be found b A st ra ightforward solut ion e Selfish oppos i t ion c W h y solut ions a re no t easy f T h e size of t he p r o b l e m

3 Look at Reference section 4a and b on page 64 and Reference section I1 on page 67 and then study the use of should, would and will in the article above and underline them w h e r e they appear.

Providing solutions Articles

Read Sarah's article on the environment. C o m p l e t e it by putting the verbs in brackets in the correc t t e n s e or using should or would w h e r e necessary.

Preserving the planet for future generations

Human activity (1) (have) a devastating effect on the environment since the industrial Revolution. Factories and their products have polluted the air in cities, and the water in rivers and seas; forests (2) (be transformed) into desert by poor methods of cultivation; in our hunger for land, we (3) (invade) the natural habitat of other species, now in danger of extinction. Our activities (4) (probably increase) the temperature of the earth, bringing with it the risk of flooding, wha t (5) (we do) to resolve these problems before it is too late?

Solutions certainly exist. In general, we (6) (consume) less and recycle raw materials. In particular, we (7) (restrict) the use of cars in cities; we (8) (close) factories that pollute the air or the rivers; we (9) (protect) wildlife by banning indiscriminate hunting; and we (10) (protect) the rainforests by providing poor farmers with the means to cultivate efficiently. Above all, we (11) (try) to control population growth, which (12) (add) to the problems as fast as we take steps to resolve them.

If we could accomplish this, we (13) (preserve) the planet for future generations. But it (14) (not be) possible unless governments laid aside self-interest and (15) (agree) to co-operate. In fact, laws protecting the environment already exist in almost every country. The trouble is that they are often broken, in many countries with the consent of the rulers. Perhaps a real solution (16) (only be found) if every country in the world had an honest, democratic government.

in such circumstances we may think that there is nothing we can do as individuals to save the environment. But we can do a great deal if we are prepared to make sacrifices. We (17) (ask) ourselves if we really need to go out in the car or buy something new. And we (18) (respect) the environment at all times, we (19) (not leave) litter around the countryside or throw rubbish in rivers. We (20) (plant) trees and not cut them down.

Sarah is following the same paragraph plan that was used for the article on population growth. In paragraphs 1 , 2 and 4, circle the topic s e n t e n c e and underline the examples that support it.

Wr i t e an article in answer to the quest ion below, using the paragraph plan in exercise 2.

The extract b e l o w was taken from a letter you read in your col lege magazine. You have decided to wri te an article for the magazine responding to the letter and proposing s o m e solutions to the problem.

. . . is just not the same any more. I remember walking along the river as a child and even swimming in it when the weather was warm. Now, the water is stagnant and polluted and the path along the bank is littered with rubbish.

The town centre itself has also been affected. Traffic blocks the roads and the poor pedestrians are choked with exhaust fumes. It really is time that something was done to save our town and the surrounding countryside before it's too late.

If you answer a problem-solving question, do not make vague general statements that you cannot support. Make use of any facts that you know to be true from whatyou have experienced or read. Take account of opposition to any solution you propose and bear in mind that there is probably no simple answer to the question.

Letters Complaining

Sheila Donaldson is annoyed about the way in which people behave in the park near her house . Read her letter to the secretary of the local ne ighbourhood watch s c h e m e and c o m p l e t e the exerc ise that fol lows.

Dear Anne,

I'm writing on behalf of my family and my neighbours to ask you if you would mind writing to the council about Russell Park. We are fed up because, as you know, we've written to them several times to protest but they still haven't done anything.

The real problem is that there aren't any walls or fences round the park and young people bang around inside at night shouting and laughing so loudly that we can't sleep. Some of them are vandals and have broken the swings that the children play on and trampled all over the flowerbeds.

There is also a problem with tramps - New Age Travellers as they are called these days - sleeping on the benches at night. So every morning the park looks a mess with paper and beer cans lying about. The council ought to send people round to clear up every day, instead of once a week.

Really these are just signs of bigger social problems that the council should try to tackle. They ought to provide a shelter for the homeless and teach the vandals a lesson by enforcing the laws that l suppose exist.

We would really be very grateful if you could write on our behalf - maybe your letter would carry more weight and get some results. I'll see you at our meeting next month.

Best regards,

Sheila Donaldson I n t h e lamination, you are not required to write addresses on your letters.

2 Dec ide w h e t h e r the following s ta tements are true or false. Underline the phrases in the letter that justify your answers.

T F

a This is the first t ime Sheila has compla ined .

She is complaining about young people because they: b cl imb over the walls r o u n d the park . c m a k e a noise in the pa rk at night. d have des t royed instal lat ions in t he play area .

She is complaining about New Age Travellers because: e they s leep in the pa rk dur ing the day. f c rea te lit ter.

She thinks the council should: g send p e o p l e r o u n d to clean the pa rk once a week. h p rovide a c c o m m o d a t i o n for N e w A g e Travel lers . i pass laws to control vandals . j punish vandals by enforcing the p resen t laws.

18

Letters Complaining

Read Anne's letter to the council, writ ten in formal language, and c o m p l e t e the exercise that fol lows.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing on behalf of my neighbours in the vicinity of Russell Park to express our annoyance that in spite of repeated protests, nothing has been done to improve the situation there.

The problem stems in part from the fact that there are no walls or fences round the park and young people remain there at night making so much noise that it keeps everyone awake. A number of them are vandals who have broken the swings in the children's play park and destroyed the flowerbeds.

Apart from that, the park is used as a refuge at night by New Age Travellers sleeping on benches, with the result that every morning the area is covered with litter. In our view, the park should be cleaned every day, instead of once a week.

We are aware that the real solution lies in dealing with more general social problems affecting society. However, we consider that action should be taken to provide a shelter for homeless people and that if laws exist to prevent young people from vandalising the park, they should be enforced.

We look forward to hearing from you, j^Q WKtKtBBKS& Yours faithfully, Two ways in which formal and

_ . informal language are different y-\nne DanKs

a r e m a t w e ^ 0 n o t u s e s f o o r i Anne Banks ^ o r m s < " e g > I v e ) f o r m a l l e t t e r s

and we often use passive forms rather than active (eg, nothing

-zz< at the sentences below, taken from Sheila's letter. Find and underline the equivalent sentences in Anne's letter. \ c : e the way the phraseology changes depending on whether the style of writing is formal or semi-formal.

a We 've wr i t ten several t imes to p ro tes t bu t they still haven ' t d o n e anything. h Y o u n g peop le hang a r o u n d inside at night shout ing and laughing so loudly tha t we can ' t s leep.

c Some of t h e m are vandals and have b r o k e n the swings that the chi ldren play on.

d The pa rk looks a mess with p a p e r and bee r cans lying about .

e The council ought to send peop le r o u n d to clear up . f They o u g h t to t each t h e vanda ls a lesson by enforcing the laws tha t I suppose exist.

Read the question and the notes b e l o w and wri te your letter, using Anne's letter as a model for form and style.

You attended a residents' m e e t i n g r e c e n t l y w h i c h w a s held to d iscuss t h e problems with a football ground near your house . You heard the complaints be low at the meet ing and have decided to write to the counci l on behalf of y o u r n e i g h b o u r s t o ask t h e m t o t a k e a c t i o n t o improve the situation.

% \ s \ s \ \ \ \ \ \ They make so much noise - no games late at night!

Keep rival fans_apart! Stop the fighting! Police should escort visiting supporters to and from the ground.

Don't let them park their cars on the pavement! Tow them away!

Buses and coaches in the club car parkl Stop people throwing stones at visiting teams! _

Letters Giving information Read the quest ion b e l o w and Tom Aldridge's letter, and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

TrZu^T 1 t 3 k i n f P a r t i n u a n L e x c h a n S e Programme with s tudents from abroad and has dec ided t o produce a w e l c o m e letter wh,ch students will receive on arrival. The edi tor has asked y o u t c w r i t e a w e l c o m e letter g.vmg information on col lege facilities, describing places of part cu ar interest: hT he area as well as mentioning special events which will take place during their stay

Dear Visitor

(!) Welford College of Educat ion, I would like to welcome you to our college, and I hope that you have a pleasant stay during the Student Exchange Programme. The information which follows is intended to help make your stay more pleasurable.

College Facilities The Main Library is open from 8 am - 10 pm on weekdays and from 10 am - 7 pm at the weekend. Books may be borrowed for a one-week period, with the exception of books in the Reference Library (Anderson Building), which must not be removed under any circumstances. The Halls of Residence provide half-board accommodation, so lunch can be bought at the college canteen (Main Building), or the Students ' Union, or off campus itself. (2) , however, that the college is some distance from town (20 minutes by bus) so students should ensure they have sufficient t ime between lessons if they want to leave campus.

A map of the campus can be found on the noticeboard situated in the entrance to the Main Building. Fur ther information regarding lessons, extra activities, etc can also be found there, while the noticeboard outside the Students ' Union is the best place to find out about upcoming social events.

Places of Interest The town itself has lots to offer. With its tiny streets and winding alleys, it is a great place to buy souvenirs. The Art Gallery and the Natural History Museum are situated in the town centre.

Special Events As part of the National Students ' Council Arts Festival, the college has organised a week of concerts to be held in the Students ' Union from 15th May. Programmes and tickets (3)

members of the Enter ta inment Commit tee .

A quiz night (4) 25th May. This is a charity event; all proceeds will go to the local children's hospital. Students interested in taking part should contact Sarah on the Enter ta inment Commit tee .

We hope that this information (5) and that you enjoy your stay. Please (6) the College Secretary should you require further information.

Yours sincerely

Tom Aldridge Student Counsellor

Giving information Letters Read Tom's letter again and fill in the gaps with the phrases below.

are available from is being held on

do not hesitate to contact it should be noted

will be helpful on behalf of

The quest ion stated that the wri ter should give information on col lege facilities, describe places of particul; nterest in the area as well as ment ion special events which will take place during their stay. C o m p l e t e the

chart with the things the wri ter ment ions on each of the topics .

College facilities Places of particular interest Special events

W \~~~ III ^ ipPI ! 5 I 5 I

Look again at the letter and answer the following quest ions .

Why does t he wri ter men t ion :

a the Refe rence Library?

It is very important that letters giving information do not sound like long lists. The information will sound more realistic if there is a reason for giving the information.

b the Hal ls of R e s i d e n c e ?

c the fact tha t the college is some dis tance from town?

d the no t iceboards?

e the Nat ional S tuden t s ' Counci l Ar t s Festival?

f the local chi ldren 's hospi ta l?

6 Letters Giving information 5 The following table summarises all the information given in Tom's letter. C o m p l e t e the table with the

w o r d s and phrases below.

A r t Gallery charity

Halls of Residence

upcoming social events

enough time Entertainment Committee

off campus Reference Library

I week borrowing 15th May

C o l l e g e facil it ies

P laces o f i n t e r e s t

town

Spec ia l e v e n t s

library Main L ibrary - 8 - 1 0 w e e k d a y s , 1 0 - 7 w e e k e n d s -

- A n d e r s o n Bui ld ing - no b o r r o w i n g a l l owed

lunch - half board on ly ; no lunch

can teen - Ma in Bui ld ing

S tuden ts ' Un ion

co l lege 20 m i n s f r o m t o w n - ?

noticeboards Main Bui ld ing - m a p of c a m p u s - info l e ssons / act iv i t ies

S tuden ts ' Un ion -

souven i rs

Nat ional H is tory M u s e u m

week of concerts Nat ional S tuden ts ' Counc i l Ar ts Festival

S tuden ts ' Un ion

p r o g r a m m e s and t i cke ts -

quiz night 25 th M a y

- p roceeds to loca l hospi ta l

in terested? - Sarah , Enter ta inment C o m m i t t e e

Giving information Letters 6 I 6 Read the quest ion b e l o w and prepare your letter by complet ing the table

with the kind of information you would give.

The Tourist Board in your area has decided to produce w e l c o m e letters which will be given to tourists on their arrival at the local airport to help them make the m o s t of their holiday. You have been asked to write the letter for English-speaking visitors. You should ment ion places to visit in the nearest t o w n , describe the surrounding area and r e c o m m e n d any events you think visitors would find interesting.

S u r r o u n d i n g a r e a

In teres t ing e v e n t s

2 3

Letters Making suggestions

The local newspaper has offered prizes to readers making suggestions for improving the t o w n w h e r e you live.

Read the letter from o n e of the o lder inhabitants of the t o w n , published recently, and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

Sir, I am writing in response to

your appeal for suggestions for improving our town. W h e n I was y o u n g i t was o n e of t h e m o s t b e a u t i f u l t o w n s in t h e country, but its charm has been its downfall in recent years. It has been turned into a tourist a t t ract ion popular with young people who do not appreciate it. In consequence, most of the improvements I suggest would b e a t t e m p t s t o p r e s e r v e o r r e s t o r e w h a t i s left o f t h i s de l igh t fu l p l a c e b e f o r e i t is destroyed.

O n e of the main prob lems is t h a t air traffic to ou r t iny a i r p o r t , e s p e c i a l l y c h e a p c h a r t e r f l igh t s i n s u m m e r arriving at night, has expanded

to such an ex t en t t h a t t h o s e who live nearby are unable to sleep because of the noise. In my view the airport should be c l o s e d a t n i g h t a n d t o u r i s t flights should be restr icted to the hours of daylight.

It used to be very pleasant t o wa lk t h r o u g h t h e n a r r o w streets of the old town in the evening, with their restaurants and cafes, bu t now they have b e e n r e p l a c e d b y b a r s a n d night clubs open till very late, playing loud music, and there are so many cars parked on the pavements that it is impossible t o w a l k sa fe ly . T h e c e n t r e s h o u l d b e r e s t o r e d t o its fo rmer a t t r ac t ive s t a t e . Ba r s should be required to close by 12.00 pm, the streets should be

c o n v e r t e d in to a p e d e s t r i a n precinct and a multi-storey car p a r k s h o u l d b e bu i l t o n t h e vacant site near the market .

A n o t h e r useful innovat ion t h e c o u n c i l c o u l d i n t r o d u c e w o u l d b e a n i n f o r m a t i o n c e n t r e for t o u r i s t s i n t h e square outs ide the town hall. At present many visitors arrive wi thou t a c c o m m o d a t i o n and wander through the streets in search of hotels and boarding houses , or s top passers-by to ask t he way. If t h e r e w e r e a properly equipped information centre, it would not only be of help to them but would be of g r e a t b e n e f i t t o t h e t o u r i s t industry.

Alexander Martin

Read Mr Martin's letter again, and make notes about the problems he mentions and the solutions he suggests in the table below.

C h o o s e the best heading for each paragraph, and write the correct number in the space. N o t e that t w o of the choices are not correct.

a A town for young p e o p l e

b In fo rmat ion for touris ts

c T h e a i rpor t

d T h e newspaper ' s appea l

e T h e old town

f Tour is t s in the town

Note the form of address used to the editor of a newspaper, unless you know that she is a woman, in which case 'Madam' is used instead.

P r o b l e m So lu t ion ( s )

a 1

b 2

c 3a

3b

d 4

Letters Joking suggestions

Young peop le usually have a different se t of priorities from their parents and grandparents. Before you read Anna Margolis's letter, look at Reference section I on page 64, Reference section 11 on page 67 and Reference section 13 on page 69. N o w c o m p l e t e the letter by putting the verbs in brackets in the m o s t appropriate form, using active or passive forms with would, should, must or could, and writing the or a in the spaces , only w h e r e necessary.

Sir, While I agree with some of (I) suggestions (2) readers have made for

improving (3) town, (4) main problem in my opinion is that (5) council is only concerned with attracting (6) tourists. In my view there are (7) number of improvements that (8) (undertake) for the benefit of (9) residents, especially (10) younger ones.

In (11) first place, there are not enough sports and leisure facilities. Instead of building (12) multi-storey car park on (13) vacant site near (14) town centre, they (15) (construct) (16) indoor swimming pool and (17) tennis courts that (18) (use) in (19) winter.

Secondly, I have read that (20) old railway station is going to be pulled down. The space (21) (transform) into (22) park and it (23) (not cost) much to provide a place for (24) small children to play (25) games. Part of it (26) (turn into) (27) adventure playground or (28) children's zoo.

Lastly, tourists who go as far as (29) river (30) (disgust) by (31) litter along (32) banks and (33) pollution from (34) few old factories that are still in (35) operation. The area (36) (clean up), the factories (37) (close down) and (38) serious effort (39) (make) to transform (40) riverside area into (41) place where (42) people (43) (enjoy) (44) kind of pleasant walk they once had through (45) old part of (46) town.

Anna Margolis

- - - a lists three kinds of improvements , with a paragraph for each:

a in t roducing someth ing new b t ransforming someth ing a l ready in existence e remedying someth ing unsat isfactory

I : slete the table b e l o w by referring to her letter.

P r o b l e m So lu t ion ( s )

a enough leisure facilities 1 2

b Open space created when railway 3 station is pulled down 4a

4b

: Litter on river bank 5 Pollution of river 6

" - :e a l e t t e r addressed to the edi tor of your local newspaper, suggesting improvements that could be m a d e to y o u r t o w n or the area of a city w h e r e you live. Follow the paragraph plan of Anna's letter and t r y to include at least o n e example of each kind of improvement .

Letters Givins opinions Read the quest ion and the letter b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exercises that follow.

You have read the extract be low as part of a et ter to a local newspaper. You decide to write a

letter to the same newspaper responding to the points raised and expressing your o w n views

J know I am not alone in feeling threatened by the presence of groups of young people who seem to have nothing better to do than hang around the town centre making a nuisance of themselves. It is a reflection of our society nowadays: a society that encourages laziness and allows the younger generation to waste their time in this way. If something is not done soon, then 1 fear that these individuals will turn to crime and our town will no longer be the safe peaceful place it once was.

Sir, I am writing in response to

a l e t t e r I r e a d in T u e s d a y ' s edition of The Kenton Herald a n d h a v e to say I f ee l t h e opinions expressed are a little o n e - s i d e d i n t h a t t h e l e t t e r implies that young people are to be blamed for this situation and that it is what they want. I t i s m y o p i n i o n t h a t t h e c o m m u n i t y s h o u l d a c c e p t s o m e o f t h e b l a m e t o o . I f s o l u t i o n s t o t h i s p r o b l e m had b e e n sought earl ier , the s i tuat ion might no t have got so ou t of hand .

W h i l e I a d m i t t h a t o u r town cen t re is increasingly a p l a c e w h e r e t e e n a g e r s a n d y o u n g a d u l t s c o n g r e g a t e , I also apprec ia te that many of t h e m h a v e n o a l t e r n a t i v e . Young people have nowhere else to go. There are no youth

clubs or cen t r e s in o u r a r ea that could provide some form of occupation for them during the day. T h e y a r e fo rced to e i t h e r m e e t a t e a c h o t h e r ' s homes, often an impossible or u n d e s i r a b l e o p t i o n , o r i n public places, namely the town centre.

In addition to this, it is well known that unemployment in our area is a serious problem a m o n g 18-25 year o lds . J o b opportuni t ies are limited and any t h a t a r e a v a i l a b l e a r e t a k e n b y p e o p l e wi th q u a l i f i c a t i o n s o r p r e v i o u s work experience. As a result, it has long been the case that if school leavers cannot go on t o f u r t h e r e d u c a t i o n for whatever reason, they will be unl ikely to find j obs locally. Moreover, there is the age-old problem: without experience,

you can't get a job and if you can't get a job, how do you get experience?

Finally, I am of the opinion t h a t w e s h o u l d s h o w m o r e unde r s t and ing towards these young people , who are , after all, our neighbours. Although it is unpleasant to see people hanging around on the streets, i t m u s t b e e v e n w o r s e fo r those who are in this situation. If we were to offer t hem the c h a n c e t o c h a n g e t h e i r s i t u a t i o n , I am s u r e t h e y would do so. It is t ime for us all to take some responsibility for them and their position.

I look fo rw a rd to s e e i n g my l e t t e r p u b l i s h e d in a forthcoming issue.

John Holmes

Letters Giving opinions

read the letter again and answer the following quest ions .

bucfa pa rag raph( s ) does John :

a refer to the lack of facilities for young peop le?

b talk about whose responsibil i ty t he p rob l em of young p e o p l e on the s t reets is?

c talk abou t u n e m p l o y m e n t be ing a r ea son for t he s i tua t ion?

d explain why he 's wri t ing?

aeree to some extent with what t he wri ter of t he le t ter in The Kenton Herald said?

and

_ c c < at these conditional s en tences taken from the letter.

a If solut ions to this p rob l em had b e e n sought earl ier , t he s i tuat ion might no t have got so ou t of hand. 1

. . if school leavers canno t go on to fur ther educa t ion they will be unlikely to find jobs locally.' : e were to offer t h e m the chance to change the i r s i tuat ion, I am sure they would do so. '

; : -ne is an example of:

1 a p resen t or future act ion in which the resul t will probably h a p p e n ? 2 a p resen t or future act ion which is unlikely to h a p p e n

3 a past act ion which canno t be changed?

a: Reference section 4c on page 64 and then write a conditional sentence to express the following situations.

. hose boys d idn ' t have jobs and spent their t ime doing a great [teal of voluntary work .

b This t e enage r was no t offered t he job so he d idn ' t t ake it.

The police d idn ' t allow young p e o p l e to hang a r o u n d on the s t reets in t he past which is probably why they d idn ' t do so.

d T h e r e weren ' t g roups of young p e o p l e in the town cen t re years ago which m e a n t peop le d idn ' t feel t h r e a t e n e d .

2 7

Letters Giving opinions

5 N o w look at Reference section 4e on page 65. Look at h o w the conditional s en tences from the letter can be rewritten.

a 'If solut ions to this p rob l em had b e e n sought earl ier , t he s i tuat ion might no t have got so ou t of hand . '

H a d solut ions to this p r o b l e m b e e n sought earl ier , t he s i tuat ion might no t have got so ou t of hand .

b Tf school leavers cannot go on to further education for whatever reason, they will be unlikely to find jobs locally.'

Should school leavers be u n a b l e to go on to fur ther educa t ion for wha teve r reason , they will be unlikely to find jobs locally.

c Tf we were to offer t h e m the chance to change their s i tuat ion, I am sure they would do so. '

W e r e we to offer t h e m the chance to change the i r s i tuat ion, I am sure they would do so.

6 Rewrite these s e n t e n c e s practising the m o r e formal ways of writing conditional s entences .

a If young p e o p l e have no qualifications or t raining, they will not be able to find work .

b If oppor tun i t i e s for t ra in ing existed, I am sure peop le would take advan tage of t hem,

c If we all take an interest in ou r town, things will get be t te r .

d I f t eenagers had b e e n encou raged to go on to college, they would have had be t t e r chances of finding work.

Giving opinions Letters

Look at this quest ion b e l o w and then do the exerc ise which fol lows.

You have read this extract aoout relationships b e t w e e n different generat ions in a -ational newspaper. You : = :ide to write a letter to :~e same newspaper -esponding to the points _

e - : i o n e d and giving your > i opinion.

I look at the younger generation now and can see no similarities with my own when we were young. Nowadays they have altogether too much freedom. They're encouraged to go out and see the world; to travel rather than settle down. Their priorities have changed. No longer do they want to raise a family: they're more interested in buying fast cars, expensive holidays and generally wasting their money. In my day we were expected to show respect to our elders, raise a family and become law abiding citizens.

' : j will find it easier to answer this kind of quest ion if you disagree with the points that have been raised in the r : -ac t . Answering t h e s e quest ions will help you to think of ideas to include in your letter.

a T h e extract says tha t young peop le have ' too m u c h ' f reedom. ' T o o m u c h ' m e a n s ' m o r e t h a n they n e e d or i s good : : them' . H o w can you suppor t the a l ternat ive view that the f reedom young peop le have is no t excessive?

b H o w have young peop le ' s pr ior i t ies changed?

c How can these changes be seen as a positive th ing?

4 Is it t rue to say tha t young p e o p l e ' no longer wan t to raise a family'?

" is the writer implying about young p e o p l e today w h e n he says: 'we were expected to show respect to ou r e lders , raise a family and b e c o m e law abiding cit izens '?

e : - - : etter to help you organise your opinions into a paragraph plan and then write your letter.

:: i ;_ = s: on be low and, before you write your letter, ask yourself quest ions , as in exerc ise 7 above, to help

: _ - i c t he following extract in a magazine. You dec ide to wri te : : : : r e same magazine responding to the points raised and g M n g y o u r o w n opinions on the matter.

e reaUy got out of hand. Everywhere you look there are pictures n dels u ho are supposed to represent perfect people. We're

r-.;.zzr.:.\ aid. directly or indirectly, that appearance is everything. Have x Jjorgrxt7i that 'beauty is only skin deep'? Doesn't personality count

z'jng anymore? The cost of keeping fit and dressing fashionably is jr the majority of people. Magazines, advertisements and the like

>** ?typ making ordinary people feel inferior.

You don't have to disagree with everything that is said. You may agree to a certain extent but feel the opinions expressed are one-sided.

Essays Comparing I Look at the quest ion and the essay b e l o w and do the exerc i ses that follow.

Your tutor s h o w s you t w o extracts from articles about transport .

Working out which bus route is best and then waiting at stops for buses which are more often than not delayed or overcrowded is not my idea of fun. Nothing beats the convenience of being able to hop in my car and drive quickly to my destination.

Public transport is better now than ever before. It's cheap, reliable and avoids the problem of finding or affording parking.

Your tutor asks you to write an essay about public and private transport in the city, stating which form of transport you prefer.

(1) , the answer to the question 'Which is better in the city - public or private transport?' may seem obvious. A/lost people would rather use their own car than stand in a queue waiting for a bus. (2) , however, driving a car may not always be the most convenient form of transport in a city, even if the authorities allow you to take it into the centre.

Having your own form of transport, which usually means a car, naturally has advantages. (3) , at least (4) , is the fact that you can start and finish your journey when and where you like, driving from your house to your office, for example. (5) (6) , even if you have your own parking space at home, you may find it difficult or expensive to park near your office, if that is the case, it would have been quicker and cheaper to travel by bus.

(7) , bus journeys are only quicker if the use of private cars is restricted because buses are likely to be held up in the same traffic jams. Provided you live near a bus route that takes you near your destination and the bus is on time, it is probably a better means of transport than your own car, but as we all know buses are often late and frequently crowded so you may have a very frustrating, uncomfortable journey.

When l was on holiday in London recently, I travelled in the centre of the city by taxi, bus and underground. The taxi fares were very expensive and the journey took a long time because the driver continually had to stop at traffic lights or behind a line of cars. The bus was even slower for the same reasons but also because it had to stop to pick up and set down passengers. The underground trains were crowded and uncomfortable but this was by far the fastest and cheapest way to cross the city. (8) , I would rather go by car than bus on the surface, but if I can travel underground in the city, I prefer public transport.

2 Study Connectors and Modifiers on page 70. Then read the essay again and c o m p l e t e it, choos ing from the list of connect ing phrases.

at first sight first and foremost however in fact in practice in theory on the other hand personally

3 A n s w e r t h e s e quest ions.

a W h y is pr ivate t r anspor t p re fe rab le in theory?

b Why isn't it always be t t e r in prac t ice?

c In wha t c i rcumstances a re jou rneys quicker by bus than by car?

Comparing

finish

I Why are bus journeys often unre l iab le and unp lea san t ?

e Why are journeys by bus usually slower than those by car?

f Why are journeys by the u n d e r g r o u n d the mos t convenient in cent ra l L o n d o n ?

G e each paragraph a heading, choos ing from this list. W r i t e the r e j e c t number in the space.

a Advan tages and d isadvantages of travelling by bus b Advan tages and d isadvantages of travell ing by car

I inclusion: i t d e p e n d s w h e t h e r you a re above g round : luc t ion: is pr ivate t ranspor t always pre fe rab le?

If you have to compare two things that each have advantages and disadvantages, it is easier to deal with them in separate paragraphs, concentrating on one at a time (see Paragraphs 2 and 3) than to write a number of sentences comparing them in the same paragraph.

-_- question below, which is similar to the article you w r o t e in Unit 3 on travelling by train. There is a e - c e . however. There you w e r e considering the g o o d and bad points of o n e thing; here you are i- -g t w o things with g o o d and bad points in each case. Follow the same plan as the essay on the ; te oage, using the n o t e s b e l o w as a guide.

V O J T class is going on a field trip to an island in the s u m m e r holidays. There has been much discussion about ere oest way to travel. Here are s o m e of the c o m m e n t s that w e r e made.

F lying is quicker, ' ng us with more time to

pend on our hofiday. i

tLe Loiidc

bq boat

ii muck more relaxing and. qet qe aij mood before

u!i get to tLe Island.

Think of the cost: flying is really expensive.

ijou q TFOUR tutor has asked you t o wri te an essay on this subject: Which is the better way of travelling to an island, by :t: : :. air? W r i t e your essay, responding to the v iews expressed and stating your o w n preference.

: auct ion. Wr i t e a ba lanced p a r a g r a p h bu t do no t go into too many details .

Explain the advantages and d isadvantages of travelling by air. (But see TIP below) " :n the advantages and d isadvantages of travelling by sea.

:h a conclusion. If you have a pre fe rence , say so and suppor t it with an example , preferably from -. - - -.al exper ience. If not , you can ba lance your conclusion, suggesting that t he choice d e p e n d s on : _ r s -uch as the r ea son for t he journey or t he t ime of year etc. Give an example in each case.

t .'' imte an essay - T i o dungs, and

bmr m smng preference for mat of ALJIL deal with the kind wsm pm.fu in paragraph 3 tmm&t m *iU lead more mmmmtA mto your conclusion, httktscmse. if you would rather p.i ** an: rexerse the order of xnx&nphs 2 and 3.

Essays

Read the quest ion and the essay b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exerc i ses that follow.

Your tu tor s h o w s you t w o extracts from articles about national character.

It is only natural that the climate affects people's personality. How can a worker from a hot country possibly work as hard as his northern counterpart? The same can be said for the happy-go-lucky attitude that so many people from warm places have, which is rarely seen in most colder countries.

Assumptions that people have the same character simply because they are from the same country are completely unfounded. It is unfair to base opinions like this on what are, quite obviously, stereotypes.

Your tutor asks you to write an essay about the relation b e t w e e n national character and climate responding to the points raised and giving your o w n views on the matter. W r i t e your essay.

Responding to generalisations

Years ago, (1) historian Arnold Toynbee based his theory of (2) .. history on (3) climate. Comparing groups of immigrants to (4) United States, he argued that (5) Pilgrim Fathers in (6) New England were forced by their harsh climate to work hard and so became self-reliant and stern and puritanical in (7) temperament, while those who settled in (8) warmer southern states were easy-going and relaxe. and depended on (9) slave labour. If his theory was correct, similar comparisons should be possible between the people of northern and southern Europe.

Needless to say, such generalisations cannot be applied to (10) individuals, and generalisations about people from different countries are based on stereotypes that foreigners form about them, which may be inaccurate or out of date. Some people in Greece may still imagine the typical Englishman as someone carrying (11) umbrella and wearing (12) bowler hat, even though the English tourists who come to Greece seldom remind anyone of this picture in their appearance or behaviour.

All the same, there is no doubt (13) grain of (14) truth in this theory that makes (15) sense. People from Scandinavia, historically confined to their houses throughout the long winter by ice and snow, had more reason to be gloomy and introspective than people in Mediterranean countries, who could get out into (16) sun all the year round. It is even reasonable to suppose that when the long summer evenings come to Norway and Sweden, with eighteen hours of daylight, the people have more excuse to celebrate by going a little mad and getting drunk.

Where the theory is generally accepted is in the comparisons made in almost every country in Europe between people from the north and the south. In England, southerners have always regarded those from the north as hard-working, but unpleasantly direct in speech and mean about money, while the northerners see Londoners, in particular, as lazy, self-indulgent and insincere. Anyone who goes to Milan or Barcelona will find people making the same criticisms of southerners from Naples or Seville and being condemned by them in the same way. Everywhere the warmer weather in the south seems to have produced the same contrast. Greece is a smaller country, with less scope for climatic differences and in ancient times, it was the Spartans, from the south, who were by tradition tougher and less pleasure-loving, is Greece an exception to the general rule?

3 A n s w e r these quest ions.

ations

theory of (2) P t (4) I New id so became k while those oing and relaxee rrect, similar pern and

to (10) countries are

th may be imagine the

>d wearing "ome to Greece r behaviour.

truth in this historically

md snow, had Mediterranean round, it is wngs come to ople have more

''sons made in p i and the 'om the north

about money, 'If-indulgent id people ville and being T weather in is a smaller

rt times, it Jher and less

on page 64 sssary.

Responding to generalisations Essays 10 these quest ions and write an essay on o n e of them.

Your tutor s h o w s you t w o extracts from articles about personality traits.

Courage is the greatest virtue. If you are not brave, the rest are no use. In this day and age, there is no place for the faint-hearted.

Nowadays, it appears that the only thing which will help us survive is our sense of humour. There's absolutely no point in being conscientious when all around you are slacking off. The main thing is that you are able to laugh things off.

Your tutor asks you to wri te an essay about the m o s t important personality trait in today's world responding to the points raised and giving your o w n v iews on the matter. W r i t e your essay.

v : - can prepare for this cho ice by complet ing t h e s e exerc ises first.

- _ : following virtues in ranking order. W r i t e a number from I to 7 in the space provided.

courage - i r d work

hones ty chasti ty

generosi ty a sense of h u m o u r humili ty

- ; - r answers to these quest ions to help you c o m e up with a plan for the compos i t ion .

I . judge peop le by o n e vir tue a lone or a combina t ion?

~ . Nevertheless , some vir tues a re m o r e impor t an t t h a n o thers . Which ones and why?

H :w do you r a t e courage and h u m o u r against t he o thers you have m e n t i o n e d ?

H accurate do you th ink the extracts a re?

Your tutor s h o w s you t w o extracts from articles about personal happiness.

'ttTu'k it is true to say that money can't buy happiness, you can't be happy without

a. 1 can anyone be expected to be happy their lot if they haven't got anything?

X'hhout the basic necessities, it is unrealistic : expect to be happy.

There is nothing more important in the world than one's health. Without it, one's life is at best uncomfortable, at worst a complete misery. One cannot be expected to be happy if in pain, or if one's friends or family are ill. Therefore, the only guarantee to happiness is one's health.

v rx ,r tutor asks you to wri te an essay about personal happiness responding to the points raised and 5 r s y u r o w n v iews o n the matter. W r i t e your essay.

points made in the extracts in a four-paragraph

Shor t in t roduct ion , indicating your op in ion I f money does no t m a k e p e o p l e happy, wha t does? Def ine what you think does m a k e t h e m happy. Can the lack of m o n e y cause unhapp ines s a n d prevent peop le from enjoying life? Th ink of examples . H far are the extracts t r ue? To what extent does m o n e y . ntr ibute to happiness and how does i t do so?

Most people would not immediately answer yes' or 'no' to questions like the ones in this unit. The best way to answer is to find something interesting to say, giving examples from what you know. Do not fill your essay with well-meaning generalisations.

Essays Providing information I Read the quest ion and the essay b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

You have attended a course on health and have been asked by your tutor to wri te an essay on the importance of diet to g o o d health. You have been to a lecture on the subject and have made the notes below. W r i t e your essa> using your n o t e s and expressing your o w n opinions.

variety most f i n i m 'j'tinfli

Mediterranean important factor diet (people

live longer)

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIET TO GOOD HEALTH

I What should we eat?

Health risks

big meals? Which meal is most

important?

dangers of food poisoning (meat,

fruit, seafood)

hygiene (at home and in

restaurants)

(1) that diet is essential to good health, choosing the right diet, (2) , depends on a number of factors. (3) , what we eat is obviously important. (4) , we need to consider how often we have a meal and which meals should be the main meals of the day. (5) , even if our diet is suitable, we must do our best to ensure that the food we eat is not contaminated.

Even the experts disagree about what constitutes the best diet. There is, (6) , fairly general agreement that a balanced diet like the 'Mediterranean diet', mainly consisting of fruit, vegetables and fish but also including some meat, is the healthiest and, (7) people who follow it live longer. The key to a good diet is really variety, in places where people depend entirely on one kind of food, their diet will lack some vitamins and their health will suffer.

We may have our main meal during the day or in the evening but there is no doubt that it is better to have a good breakfast than eat a lot late at night, we need energy at the beginning of a day's work but not when going to bed, when a big meal may lead to indigestion. Regular meals are also important. Young people often get indigestion because they eat sweets, cakes and fast food in between meals and have no appetite when they go home for lunch or dinner.

(8) the right diet does not always prevent illness, though we can minimise the risks by insisting on cleanliness in restaurants and refusing to eat anything that is not quite fresh. Some diseases contracted by animals may be passed to human beings eating meat; insecticides sprayed on fruit trees may be poisonous if we eat the fruit raw; some coastal waters are contaminated and seafood caught there can cause food poisoning. In normal circumstances, however, the right diet is the essential factor for good health, it can make us strong, keep our weight down and so enable us to live longer.

^ ^ I t : '

2 Study Connectors and Modifiers on page 70 and c o m p l e t e the essay above with the phrases below.

apart from that it goes without saying

as a result however nevertheless finally

in the first place of course

ion

m p o r t a n c e of 'rite your essay

hygiene T home and in estaurants)

Providing information Essays 11 Essays providing information generally make a number of main points, contained in topic sentences . T h e s e are

supported by examples or explanation. Find the main points in the essay oppos i te and the s en tences 2 : s u p p o r t them. The first has been d o n e for you.

a Pa rag raph 1: O n e ma in poin t followed by examples . .VMn. PPM'.. Choosing the rjght diet depends on. a..number

0f .factors.

^ompies: .#>.?.. three . sentences. that follqyy

b Pa r ag raph 2: O n e ma in point , followed by a sen tence of explana t ion .

F aragraph 3: Two main points , each followed by explanat ion or example .

: : a p h 4 : Two main points , o n e followed b y examples , the o the r b y a c o m m e n t .

_->: 2 : the quest ion b e l o w and then do the exerc ises .

Tfou have attended a talk about alternative medicine and the value of homeopath ic remedies in particular, and have made the n o t e s below. Your tu tor has n o w asked you to wri te an essay on this e c t using your no te s .

j ^ ' n d p j e _ of_lTomeopathic remedies - treat whole person not just disease

herbal remedies - harmless although not always effective

around since 18th century + even Hippocrates, father of medicine

rome from plants, can be used without doctor's prescription (must follow instructions)

_susgicion about traditional drugs - dangerous side effects

eg_p_r Bach's flowers - good for stress, psychological illnesses

a W h y are peop le tu rn ing to h o m e o p a t h i c r emed ies? b W h a t is the advantage of using t h e m ? c W h a t example of a h o m e o p a t h i c r e m e d y is given? d W h a t is it used for? E H o w long have h o m e o p a t h i c r e m e d i e s b e e n in use? f W h a t pr inciple is b e h i n d h o m e o p a t h i c r emed ie s? S W h a t are they m a d e f rom? h W h a t p recau t ions mus t you t ake if you use t h e m

to t rea t vourself?

Essays Providing information

5 Read Lucy's essay to s e e h o w she has organised the information from her n o t e s into paragraphs.

1 ( 1 (1) recent years, many people have become suspicious of (2)

traditional drugs prescribed by their doctors because they have read

tlt (3) number of them have (4) dangerous side effects. As (5) resuit, they are turning to (6) alternative medicine

and (7) homeopathy.

(8J herbal remedies have (9) advantage of being harmless, even if they do not always cure (10) disease (11) patient is suffering from. (12) example of one such remedy is (13) Dr Bach's flowers, which are supposed to have (14) special properties helping (15) people to overcome (16) symptoms of (17) stress and (18) similar psychological illnesses.

( 1 9 ) homeopathy is essentially (20) natural healing process, stimulating (21) body's natural forces to (22) recovery. ( 2 3 ) remedies used are generally obtained from (24) plants. They are available to t reat (25) wide range of (26) illnesses and can be used without (27) consulting (28) doctor, provided (29) patient chooses (30) right cure, (31) cure that matches his symptoms, and he follows (32) instructions for (33) use very carefully.

Although (34) turn towards (35) alternative medicine would seem to be (36) recent phenomenon, in fact, (37) homeopathic remedies (38) people use today have been in (39) existence s i n c e

(40) eighteenth century. (41) principle behind them is even older and derives from Hippocrates, (42) father of (43) medicine, who recognised that it is necessary to t reat (44) whole person, and not just (45) disease he is suffering from.

6 Alan and the have been left o u t of Lucy's essay. Add them only w h e r e necessary.

ms

Essays Providing information

Z - : : se o n e of the quest ions b e l o w and wri te an essay.

You have been asked by your tu tor to wr i te an essay on the importance of exerc ise to g o o d health. Vrite your essay using the n o t e s b e l o w and express ing your o w n ideas.

11

exercise programme?

resting rnioyable

regular exercise

THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE TO GOOD HEALTH

What exercise should we do?

low impact high impact obesity

~ded a lecture on the . : i c a i c t i o n s and the - e i : :ney pose to g o o d health.

" : . - : - t o r has asked you to - - :e i- essay on the subject

-g r_-e "ores oppos i t e and E : ess -,g -our o w n ideas.

i_ all can be dangerous to your health

0 0 0 0 0 0 Q - Q o can take many forms: alcohol, smoking, taking drugs, work

some are deadly: lung cancer, cirrhosis of the liver

passive smoking

I pregnant women can pass their drug addiction on to their unborn baby

are started by peer pressure, stress/anxiety, curiosity

difficult to quit - special support groups & rehabilitation I programmes (eg Alcoholics Anonymous)

3 7

Proposals Applying for funds Read through the quest ion and the proposal b e l o w to ge t a general idea of the meaning and then c o m p l e t e the exerc i ses that follow.

You are a m e m b e r of a sports club and have been asked by the club to wri te a proposal to the local authorities asking for financial help to deve lop the first aid facilities currently available at the sports centre . It has been suggested that you focus on existing facilities, what exactly is required and h o w the funds would benefit t h o s e people using the sports centre . W r i t e your proposal.

This proposal aims to outline the reasons why funding is required by the Five Oaks Sports Centre in order to improve first aid facilities available at the centre. It will also show that these improvements are necessary and will benefit members .

Currently the first aid provisions at the centre are insufficient. There is a first aid box in the reception area and a qualified member of staff is on duty to deal w