INTEGRATED ENGLISH PRACTICE II an Intermediate Coursebook for Undergraduate English Teacher Education in Cuba

INTEGRATED ENGLISH PRACTICE II An intermediate coursebook for undergraduate English teacher education in Cuba

Authors Dr. C. Alfredo A. Camacho Delgado (Project Coordinator) MSc. Marisol Patterson Peña MSc. Matilde L. Patterson Peña MSc. Consuelo Mora Lorenzo MSc. Alfredo Sánchez Sánchez MSc. Diana R. Morales Rumbaut MSc. Luis González Pérez MSc. Jesús Díaz de Villegas Cruz MSc. Juan Carlos Pellón Hernández MSc. Iraida Herrera Bermúdez MSc. Milton Bosch Izquierdo Dr. C. Eida de la Paz Gálvez

Contributions Dr. C Isora Enríquez O´Farril Lic. Guillermo Godoy Becerra Lic. Rigoberto Hernández Yánez

Acknowledgements:

We would like to thank all those who helped us along the process and contributed their expertise to the completion of this project:

Dr. C. Isora Enríquez O‘Farrill Dr. C. Alberto Zayas Tamayo Dr. C. Luis Mijares Núñez Dr. C. Bertha Salvador Jiménez MSc. Idelse Alvarez Céspedes Prof. Hilary Spicer, from Simon Fraser University in Canada

Special thanks to:

MSc. Antonio Morales Calvo, for the invaluable work that he carried out in the English Department from the Félix Varela University of Pedagogical Sciences during the 1980´s and 1990´s, which greatly contributed to the professional development of many of the participants in the writing of this book. Thank you indeed Tony! To the ―Félix Varela Morales‖ Pedagogical University for the material support and encouragement, especially to Dr.C. Yakelyn Gómez Morales, our Dean of Humanities, and all our colleagues and family from the Foreign Languages Department in this university. Thank you all!

The authors.

CONTENT MAP OF THE UNITS

The following content map includes the communicative functions you will find in each unit of this coursebook. You will also find the grammar and pronunciation associated with the functions in each unit.

Table of contents (agregar página)

Unit 1: School experiences Listening (Classroom-prepared text): Welcome Back to West High Pronunciation: The rhythm of English Proverb: Absence makes the heart grow fonder Speaking Project 1: The School where you do your practicum Reading: Learning to teach Vocabulary section: Derivation Writing: The five-paragraph essay: basic organization Have fun: Song ―Penny Lane‖ by The Beatles Learn about: The Beatles Learn about: West Indies, Antilles or Caribbean? Listening (Authentic text): Radio Broadcast: Trivia Question: ―What two colors are found on the flag of the United Nations?‖ Getting ready to teach: Addressing students´needs

Unit 2: School people and places Listening (Classroom-prepared text): Good Teachers Pronunciation: English intonation Proverb: Anger is the one thing made better by delay Speaking Project 2: Schools are the most important institutions in a community Reading: A charismatic teacher Vocabulary section: Compounding Writing: The descriptive essay Have fun: Song ―My Little Town‖ by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel Learn about: Simon & Garfunkel Learn about: Caribbean People Listening (Authentic text): Radio Broadcast: Trivia Question: ―In what city was the first lone-ranger radio program heard?‖ Getting ready to teach: Vocabulary teaching and learning

Unit 3: Current activities, long- term processes and developments Listening (Classroom-prepared text): Better World Pronunciation: The vowel sounds ǀΛǀ, ǀǝǀ , ǀɝǀ and ǀɤǀ Proverb: He who wills the end wills the means Speaking Project 3: Things we should never forget Reading: ―The Pencil Box‖ by Doris Sanford Vocabulary section: Conversion Writing: The narrative essay Have fun: Song ―Stayin‘ Alive‖, by The Bee Gees Learn about: The Bee Gees Learn about: The Climate in the Caribbean Listening (Authentic text): Radio Broadcast: Trivia Question: ―What orbited the Earth every 96.2 minutes?‖ Getting ready to teach: Conveying the meaning of new words to your students (1)

Unit 4: Past events and circumstances Listening (Classroom prepared text): Chocolate Pronunciation: The vowel sounds ǀἰǀ , ǀɪǀ, ǀɛǀ, ǀæǀ and ǀaǀ Proverb: The pen is mightier than the sword

Speaking Project 4: Teachers are inspiring souls Reading: My Best Friend, by Karen Tucker White. Vocabulary section: Shortening Writing: Writing the Thesis Statement and the Introduction Have fun: Song ―I shot the sheriff‖ by Bob Marley Learn about: Bob Marley Learn about: Biodiversity in the Caribbean Listening (Authentic text): Radio Broadcast: Weather Forecasts Getting ready to teach: Conveying the meaning of new words to your students (2)

Unit 5: What other people do to you: services, preferences, dislikes and advice. Listening (Classroom-prepared text): Fortune teller Pronunciation: The vowel sounds ǀɑǀ, ǀɔǀ, ǀuǀ and ǀυǀ

Proverb: Two wrongs don‘t make a right Speaking Project 5: Teachers do make a difference in students' lives Reading: Tutankhamen: The Curse of a Pharaoh (excerpt), By Sarah Coles Vocabulary section: The suffix-ing Writing: The Cause and Effect Essay and the Body Have fun: Song ―Papa Don‘t Preach‖ by Madonna Learn about: Song Madonna Learn about: Economy of the Caribbean Listening (Authentic text): Radio Broadcast: Fund-Drive for Cancer Getting ready to teach: Getting teenagers to use English in class

Unit 6: Past events and states, and recent changes Listening (Classroom-prepared text): Alive or Dead? Pronunciation: The consonant sounds ǀpǀ, ǀtǀ, ǀkǀ, ǀbǀ, ǀdǀ and ǀɡǀ Proverb: Liars need good memories Speaking Project 6: Those who love to teach Reading: Science, Technology and the Arts Vocabulary section: The suffixes–ist, -er, -ian Writing: The Expository Essay and the Conclusion Have fun: Song ―Heal The World‖ by Michael Jackson Learn about: Michael Jackson Learn about: Rastafarianism Listening (Authentic text): Conversation with a Canadian about kinds of containers and recycling Getting ready to teach: Connecting our teaching with global issues (1) Unit 7: Criticism and alternatives Listening (Classroom-prepared text): Environmental problems

Pronunciation: The consonant sounds ǀfǀ, ǀvǀ, ǀsǀ, ǀzǀ, ǀθǀ, ǀðǀ, ǀʃǀ, ǀʒǀ and /h/

Proverb: Constant occupation prevents temptation Speaking Project 7: Teaching makes you grow personally and professionally Reading: Is there a way to solve the world‘s environmental problems? Vocabulary section: The suffix -al Writing: The Problem/Solution Essay Have fun: Song―Through the Years‖ by Kenny Rogers Learn about: Kenny Rogers Learn about: Jamaica Listening (Authentic text): Radio Broadcast: Warnings against drinking while driving Getting ready to teach: Connecting our teaching with global issues (2)

Unit 8: Criticism with relation to past actions, and alternatives Listening (Classroom-prepared text): Dr. Hilda

Pronunciation: The consonant sounds ǀtʃǀ and ǀdʒǀ

Proverb: No man is an island

Speaking Project 8: Voices from the inside Reading: Testing or Assessing? Vocabulary section: The prefixes re- and dis- Writing: The Definition Essay and Proofreading Have fun: Song ―Woman‖ by John Lennon Learn about: John Lennon Learn about: Barbados Listening (authentic text): Radio Broadcast: Trivia Question: ―In what country was the fishing rod and reel invented?‖ Getting ready to teach: Taking action on campus for a better world Appendixes Appendix from the Classroom-prepared text Listening Section

Appendixes from the Pronunciation section Appendix from the Authentic- text Listening Section

Appendixes from the Vocabulary section Appendix with additional reading material

Appendixes from the Writing section

INTRODUCTION Dear teacher educators and student-teachers: INTEGRATED ENGLISH PRACTICE II is an intermediate coursebook for undergraduate English teacher education in Cuba. This book is part of a series which provides systematic practice in listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. It also includes opportunities to learn about the foreign language and through the foreign language, particularly about the culture in which this language is used. For all these purposes this book is complemented by a workbook.

INTEGRATED ENGLISH PRACTICE II embraces a communicative approach to language teaching and learning and intends to respond to the particular needs of the education of teachers of English in Cuba:  The need to be competent in English in order to teach this language and to use it for academic and other professional purposes;  The need to continue learning how to learn a foreign language and how to develop professionally and personally;  The need to contribute to teaching how to teach;  The need to experience how learning a foreign language must be linked to cross-curricular content, aimed at reinforcing values education;  The need to count on a model of communicative language teaching, which is realized through the inclusion of lots of authentic samples of oral and written language; the integration of form, meaning and use; the provision of meaningful practice of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation; the adoption of a top-down, task-based and process- oriented approach to the teaching of reading and listening; and the adoption of an approach to the teaching of writing which provides models and puts an emphasis both on the process and the product of writing.

We believe that a book is as good as the teacher who uses it. For this reason, we expect that you make your own adaptation and complementation of this book, as you embark on the wonderful journey of teaching and

learning English, in order to serve with commitment in the education of the future generations of youths in revolutionary and socialist Cuba.

Detailed content map of the units for Speaking Unit Communicative functions Grammar Pronunciation 1. School experiences Talk about past time in school Review of the past The rhythm of English Ask and talk about past events and the Past (when and while) circumstances in which they took place Catch up on what someone has been The present perfect doing simple and continuous

2. School people and places Describe the school where you did your Prepositions that English intonation practicum express location or place: in, on, at Describe your mentor and other people at looks as if …, looks as the school where you did your practicum though - Talk about appearances seem, don`t seem … - Talk about general impressions

Talk about personal and professional teacher qualities

3. Describe recent activities and The present perfect The vowel sounds ǀΛǀ, Current activities, long- term achievements (revisited)

processes and Talk about things that often happen to Passive voice, present ǀǝǀ , ǀɝǀand ǀɤǀ developments people and give examples and past

Describe activities during a current period Present continuous passive voice Present continuous Describe long- term processes and Passive voice developments

4.Past events and Ask and talk about the origin of things …was believed to... The vowel sounds ǀἰǀ , circumstances (where things are made) and about …is said to…. ǀɪǀ, ǀɛǀ, and ǀ a ǀ historical events …is thought of…

…is considered… Ask and talk about recent changes Passive voice present perfect

5.What other people do to Talk about the services that other people Causative use of have The vowel sounds ǀɑǀ , you: services, preferences, do for you

dislikes and advice. Talk about what other people do to you -Gerund with change of ǀɔǀ , ǀuǀ and ǀυǀ subject

- Passive gerund - Gerund form of have something done

Talk about what people do to you and ask for advice

6. Past events and states, Rembering gerunds The consonant sounds and recent changes Reporting reported speech ǀpǀ, ǀtǀ, ǀkǀ, ǀbǀ, ǀdǀ and

ǀɡǀ The past perfect Relate past states to the previous events The past perfect that led to them progressive

Tell a story

7.Criticism and alternatives Ask and talk about an environmental Should + infinitive The consonant sounds problem Ought to+ infinitive

- Describe the problem ǀfǀ, ǀvǀ, ǀsǀ, ǀzǀ, ǀθǀ, ǀðǀ, - Criticize the problem ǀʃǀ, ǀʒǀ and /h/ - Consider alternatives in terms of courses

of action

- Advise someone

- Give an opinion on a course of action

Criticize things people do or don‘t do and Conditional sentences in

imagine alternatives English

- Criticize things people do or don‘t do

currently and imagine alternatives

- Criticize things in the past and imagine

alternatives

8. Criticism with relation to past actions, and imgining Criticize past actions and imagine If + past perfect + The consonant sounds alternatives alternatives in the past wouldn‘t have done

Criticize things people were or weren´t If + past perfect ǀtʃǀand ǀdʒǀ doing when something else happened and continuous (shouldn‘t imagine alternatives have been doing ..) In the past Criticize things people were or weren‘t doing when something else happened Imagine alternatives in the past

UNIT 1: School experiences

(Classroom-prepared text)

WELCOME BACK TO WEST HIGH

Before you listen

You are looking at pictures of people you met in high school. Comment with your partner what you remember about them.

While you listen 1. Listen to the text and say why it is entitled Welcome Back to West High. 2. Listen again and say True or False. Justify the false items. a. ____ Maureen, Kate and the others were people from the same graduation in West High. b. ____ They were all close friends from college. c. ____ Maureen and Kate greeted Dan because they thought he was another person. d. ____ Dan is now a famous writer.

3. Maureen and Keith are talking about some of their old classmates from high school. What image do Maureen and Keith have about their former classmates?

Ted: handsome, quiet, cute, athletic, shy. Dan: intelligent, quiet, easy to forget, strong, insignificant. Jenny: smart, boring, loving cooking and reading, interesting, dumb.

a. Listen and circle the correct feature for each of them.

b. Then complete the sentences to describe each person.

Maureen and Keith considered Ted was ______. However, they thought Dan to be ______. Jenny for them was ______.

4. Listen for expressions with these meanings: - Sexually attractive - Very fond of reading

After you listen Work in pairs and tick the appropriate adjectives that decribe each of the characters. Then give your opinions about each of them.

People honest Successful Hard working talkative critical intelligent handsome studious Maureen

Kate

Dan

Angela

Proverb: Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Pair work. Discuss the following questions with your partner and be ready to share your ideas with the whole class. a. Does this mean that distance helps people love one another more or less? Explain. b. Do you agree or disagree with the message in this proverb? Why / why not? c. Refer to any situation you know in which this proverb can be said or a situation in which this proverb does not apply. d. Is there a similar proverb in your native language? What is it?

The rhythm of English ―Rhythm is an ordered recurrent alternation of strong and weak elements in the flow of sound and silence in speech.‖ (Webster´s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Editorial Pueblo y Educación, 1975: 739) Rhythm is a vital factor in the smooth joining-up of words in speech. In particular the following elements have an effect on the rhythm of English.  correct word accent,  accent timing,  weak forms and  pauses in the right places. Besides these elements, especially in colloquial speech, these other factors also influence on rhythm:  Blending and linking  Use of contractions  Elision of sounds  Assimilation All these factors are crucial for students to attain fluency in oral English, since fluency is the smooth joining-up of elements at an acceptable speed of delivery. (Paul Tench, Pronunciation Skills. Edición Revolucionaria, 1989. La Habana, pp. 72- 73) Stress

Stress is the force or intensity that is given to a syllable to make it stand out from others. In isolation, all the words are usually stressed, but in connected speech only certain words are stressed within the utterance, depending on the meaning the speakers want to convey. In English, words can be divided into two main categories: 1. Content words, also known as lexical or main words, are those that have meaning in themselves, and should always be stressed, for example: nouns, main verbs, adverbs and adjectives. Other words are frequently stressed such as possessive pronouns, interrogative words, demonstratives and negative particles. 2. Function words, also known as form, grammatical or minor words, are those that have little or no meaning in themselves other than grammatical meaning, and should never be stressed unless the speaker wants to call special attention to them. For example: pronouns, prepositions, articles, possessive adjectives, relative pronouns, conjunctions and linking words.

In stressed syllables a clear vowel is pronounced, and in unstressed syllables ǀǝǀ or less frequently ǀɪǀ or ǀuǀ are pronounced. The vowel ǀǝǀ, known as schwa, may represent the reduced form of any vowel or diphthong in an unstressed syllable. For example:  In the word CUBAN ǀ′kjubǝnǀ the stress falls on the first syllable, that is why the vowel is clear in this syllable, whereas in the second syllable, which is unstressed, the vowel is reduced to ǀǝǀ.  In the word RESTAURANT ǀ′rɛstǝrǝntǀ the stress falls on the first syllable (clear vowel) and the second one is reduced to ǀǝǀ.  In the word INTEGRAL ǀ′ɪntǝgrǝlǀ the stress falls on the first syllable (clear vowel) and the second one is reduced to ǀǝǀ.  In the word BANANA ǀbǝ′nᴂnǝǀ the stress falls on the second syllable (clear vowel) and the others are reduced to ǀǝǀ.  In the word INTERNATIONAL ǀ ,ɪntɚ′nᴂʃǝnᶅǀ the primary stress falls on the third syllable, a secondary stress on the first one and the rest of the syllables are reduced.

Sentence stress In the sentence ―My name is Billy,‖ the nouns NAME and Billy are stressed, because they are content words. Billy has two syllables and the stress falls on the first syllable (capitalized), so it is pronounced with clear vowels while the second one (underlined) is pronounced with a reduced vowel. The words my and is, are function words and are normally pronounced with a reduced sound. In the sentence ―Monkeys like to eat bananas,‖ the nouns MONkeys and baNAnas and the verb LIKE are content words and so they are stressed. The stressed syllables (capitalized) are pronounced with clear vowels while the others are pronounced with reduced vowels. The word to and the rest of syllables in monkeys and bananas (underlined) are reduced.

Linking and blending The English language is sometimes very difficult to understand because in a sentence there are usually no pauses between the preceding and the following word. That is, English words group into pronounceable units in which the elements are closely related. For example, the sentence ―What time are you coming back to school?‖ is pronounced as if all the words were together forming one long word: ―whattimeareyoucomingbacktoschool?‖ This phenomenon is called blending and it consists in the union of the final sound in a word with the initial sound in the following word. Linking consists in the joining the final sound of a word to the initial sound of the following word without any pause. The sound combinations may be of different types: - Between the same consonant: what time, breakfast time (blending) - Between a consonant and a vowel: what about, Old English, What a disgusting thing! (linking) - Between vowels: I´ll be around. (linking) Linking and blending is usually represented by the symbol between the two joined elements.

Do this:

Sentence stress and connected speech 1. Mark the main stressed syllbles in these sentences: a. This is the house where Jack lived. b. I told you he was out of the country. c. The authority of the Government is in question. d. Isn´t it time you told her so? 2. Discuss the following: a. Why do we stress one syllable rather than the other? b. Which words tend not to be stressed? c. Which vowel phoneme often occurs in these unstressed words?

Contrastive stress 3. The six sentences below can all be answered by the sentence ―No, I drove to France with my father.‖ Say the sentence to your partner with different sentence stress. Your partner should decide which question you are answering. a. Did you fly to France with your father? b. Did you drive to Spain with your father? c. Did you drive to France with Sally´s father? d. Did you drive to France with your mother? e. Did you drive to France with your father? f. Did you drive to France without your father?

4. Practice reciting this poem. But first read it and make sure that you understand all the words in it. Then do this:

- Mark sentence stress

- Identify reduced vowels in unstressed positions

- Mark blending

- Mark pauses

Funeral Blues by W. H. Auden

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message ―He Is Dead‖. Put crepe bows round the white necks of public doves, Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West. My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last forever; I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one; Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun; Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood; For nothing now can ever come to any good. (Taken from www.teachingenglish.org.uk website)

1.1. Talk about past time in school Do this: Work in groups of three in order to talk about past time in high school. Talk about:  people you remember well, what they were like and what they were planning to do after finishing high school;  events that you remember well and why you remember them;  what those years meant for you. Take turns asking and answering questions. It´s important that each of you take the initiative to start, continue, redirect or end the conversation.

1.2. Ask and talk about past events and the circumstances in which they took place

The simple past and the past continuous are used when talking about past events and the circumstances in which they took place. For example:

circumstance link event I was having when my boy walked in with a bowl full of fresh fish. lunch

event link circumstance My boy walked in with a bowl full of fresh while I was having lunch. fish

You ask about the circumstances in which something happened like this: What were you doing when you saw the accident? And you ask about the consequence or reaction to an event like this:

What did you do when you saw the accident?

Do this: a. Work in pairs and act out these roles. You are classmates and after a weekend´s rest you´re back in school. You are telling each other about things that happened to you or that you witnessed on the weekend.

Student A On the weekend you witnessed a fight between two young guys from your neighborhood. Tell your classmate about it. Your classmate will tell you his/her own story about an incident. Make sure you ask about the circumstances in which it happened, about the consequence it brought about and his/her reaction to this event. Student B On the weekend your house was broken into. Tell your classmate about it. Your classmate will tell you his/her own story about an incident. Make sure you ask about the circumstances in which it happened, about the consequence it brought about and his/her reaction to this event.

b. The following story has some blank spaces. Try to fill them in using the simple present perfect, the present perfect progressive or the simple past.

The Australian salute Before I visited ______Australia, an Australian friend in London (tell) ______me I‘d learn ―the Australian salute‖. ―What‘s that?‖ I (ask) ______‖You‘ll find out when you get there,‘ he (say) ______I (arrive) ______in Perth last week. Since then, I (stay) ______at a nice hotel near a beautiful beach. I (never visit) ______Australia before and I am enjoying my stay. I (swim) ______every day from the time I (arrive) ______. Yesterday an Australian friend (suggest) ______a tour into ―the bush‖. I (agree) ______at once. The first thing I (notice) ______when we (be) ______in the bush (be) ______the flies. After a while I (remember) ______the conversation I had had in London

before I (come) ______here.‖ What‘s the ―Australian salute‖?‘ I (ask) ______suddenly, as I waved my right arm to keep the flies away. ―That‘s it!‖ my friend said as he (wave) ______back.

1.3. Catch up on what someone has been doing Do this: a. Listen to Section B from Welcome back to West High and take down this information from the conversation:  the question that Kate asks Dan at the beginning of the conversation;  Dan´s answer to Kate´s question. b. What was Kate´s purpose in asking the question that triggers the beginning of the conversation? c. Why did Kate, Dan and Angela use the present perfect continuous during the first three conversation turns? d. Why did Maureen and Jenny use the present perfect and not the present perfect continuous in the last three turns of their conversation?

The present perfect often expresses how the speaker views himself/herself relative to the event(s) he/she is talking about: a. A situation that began in the past and that continues into the present: I have been a teacher since 1978. (I´m still a teacher.) b. A past experience with current relevance: e.g., I have already seen that movie. (So I can tell you about it.) c. A very recently completed action: e.g., Mort has just finished his homework. d. An action that went on over time in the past and that is completed with the moment of speech: e.g. The value of the Johnsons´ house has doubled in the last 4 years. (Celce-Murcia Marianne & Diane Larsen-Freeman. The Grammar Book, An ESL/EFL Teacher`s Course. Newbury House Publishers, Inc. Rowley, Massachusetts. Rowley, London, Toronto, 1983: 64)

According to Geoffrey Leech & Jan Svartvik (A communicative Grammar of English. Edición Revolucionaria. La Habana, 1989: 66), other meanings that can be expressed through the present perfect are: a. Indefinite events in a period leading up to the present time: e.g., Have you ever been to France? b. Habit in a period leading up to the present time: e.g., He has attended lectures regularly (this term). In contrast with the past, the perfective aspect is used for a past happening which is seen in relation to a later event or time. Thus the present perfect means ´past-time-related-to-present- time.´ According to Leech G. & J. Svartvik the present perfect progressive has the same sort of meaning as the simple present perfect, except that the period leading up to the present has a limited duration: I´ve been writing a letter to my nephew. He has been attending lectures regularly.

Notice another difference in the meaning of the present perfect and the present perfect continuous: with event verbs the present perfect continuous usually suggests an action continuing into the present. For example, I´ve read your book. (I´ve finished it.) I´ve been reading your book (normally this means: I´m still reading it.) Do this: a. Complete these charts that summarize the present perfect and the present perfect continuous with respect to how questions and statements are formed with this tense. Present perfect yes-no questions

Auxiliary Subject Past participle Direct object Have you seen The Godfather? your girlfriend your brother your parents-in-law

Present perfect continuous yes-no questions

Auxiliary Subject Past participle verb+ing Complement Have you been resting lately? your girlfriend your brother your parents-in-law

Present perfect wh- questions

Interrogative Auxiliary Subject Past Complement word participle What have you done for the last five years, professionally speaking?

Present perfect continuous wh- questions

Interrogative Auxiliary Subject Past verb+ing Complement word participle What have you been doing lately?

Present perfect affirmative sentences

Subject Auxiliary Past participle Direct object Complement I have studied Phonetics a lot lately.

Present perfect continuous negative sentences

Subject Auxiliary + negative Past participle Object Complement particle I haven´t seen my for more than cousins twenty years.

b. In pairs, try and formulate one rule of syntax and/or morphology for each of the charts. For example,  With third person singular subjects (he, she or it) the auxiliary has is used in questions and statements in the present perfect and the present perfect continuous.  In questions (yes-no and wh-) the auxiliary (have or has) is placed before the subject. c. In pairs, practice reading aloud the script of Welcome back to West High, Section B. Mark stress, blending and pauses before starting to read aloud.

Welcome back to West High Section B Kate: So, what have you been doing these days, Dan? Dan: Well, lately I‘ve been doing a little writing. Angela: He‘s just being modest. His novel`s on the best sellers list. Haven‘t you seen it? Maureen: You‘re that Dan Porter? Dan: I guess I am. Hey, look who‘s here, Jenny! How are you? Jenny: Dan, Angela. It‘s great to see you both again. When are you coming back to my restaurant? Angela: Sometime next week, I hope. My parents are coming here for a visit, and I think they´d really enjoy your food. Jenny: Well, that would be great. Dan: Kate, Maureen, you remember Jenny Lency, don‘t you? Kate: Of course, although I hardly recognized you. Maureen: Hi, Jenny. Yeah, you‘ve changed a lot. Jenny: Yeah, a lot has happened since high school. But you two haven‘t changed a bit. Maureen: Thanks.

(Taken from Interchange 2, Video 2, sequence 12) d. In groups of four, improvise a conversation based on a similar situation as the one above, in which people are catching up on what other people have been doing during a time lapse. e. Work in pairs. Fill in the blank spaces, and then practice the conversation in pairs. Use the list of words and phrases provided. Two friends, who haven‘t seen each other for a long time, run into each other at a mall. Rose: Oh, my! ______. Suzanne O‘ Brian! Suzanne: Rose, ______for some years. I married a French guy and went to his place for a time. What about you? ______lately? Suzanne: I ______as a teacher. You probably remember how much I used to love kids. Rose: But, that‘s great, Suzanne List: Be, do, work, I can‘t believe my eyes, It‘s been ages, It‘s so good to see you again, long time no see

Project 1: The School where you do your practicum

Schools are institutions that play an important role in the community. In schools teachers and students can cultivate educative values through organized knowledge. Now that you are in the second year of your studies as a teacher you have your own experiences at school. Share them with the rest of your class. You can work in teams of three to carry out this project. Choose one of the tasks that are suggested next in order to carry out this project or create any other that best fits this project´s purpose. Suggestions: 1. Write a school report for your pedagogy professor in which you refer to: - The name and location and a general description of the school where you are working - The number of students you are working with and an overall description of their personality traits. - Your tutor‘s personality traits and professional attitudes. - The student that has advanced the most due to your pedagogical guidance and what you have done to attain those results. - Refer to the most creative activity you have designed for your students. 2. Create a TV report to inform an audience in your province about the school you are working at. Don‘t forget to refer to: - All the necessary data that distinguishes the school. - The number of students, teachers and personnel in general. - The qualities that generally characterize teachers and students in the institution. - The best results obtained by both teachers and students. - The main goals for the present school year. - The best pedagogical experience in the teaching learning process of English that you have seen there.

3. You are a visual learner and you consider images are a very important support in our lives. Create a virtual tour of the school you are working at and hang it from your University Web Site. You can accompany the tour with

the information suggested in the two previous activities. Don´t forget to refer to every important people and places in the school, as well as activities you are carrying out there. You can use an off voice or you can present the tour yourself.

Learning to teach Some teachers, like fine wines, keep getting better with age. Others do not improve their skills after years of practice and remain about the same as the day they walked into their first classrooms. Why is it that some teachers approach the act of teaching critically and reflectively; are innovative, open, and altruistic; are willing to take risks with themselves and their students; and are capable of critical judgement about their own work? Conversely, why do others exhibit exactly the opposite traits?

Becoming truly accomplished in almost any human endeavour takes a long time. Many professional athletes, for example, display raw talent at a very early age, but they do not reach their athletic prime until their late twenties and early thirties and then only after many years of dedicated learning and practice. Many great novelists have written their best pieces in their later years only after producing several inferior and amateurish works. The biographies of talented musicians and artists often describe years of pain and dedication before the subjects reached artistic maturity. Becoming a truly accomplished teacher is no different. It takes purposeful actions fuelled by the desire for excellence; it takes an attitude that learning to teach is a lifelong developmental process in which one gradually discovers one´s own best style through reflection and critical inquiry.

(Excerpts taken from Learning to Teach by Richard I. Arends, McGrow-Hill, 1994:16)

I. Getting ready to read

1. Before reading the text, discuss these questions with a partner: - Are good teachers born or made? Can you explain your views? - What does the title of the text suggest to you?

II. Connecting with the text 1. Now give a first quick reading to the text in order to find out if any of the ideas you discussed are included in the text. 2. In your opinion what is the main message the text suggests? 3. The ideas below have been taken from the text. Organize them in the order in which they appear.

a. Great artists have described years of pain and hard work before actually reaching excellence. b. Some teachers are able to analyze and reflect on their own practice. c. Famous writers have written poorer works long before they have written their most important novels. d. To develop professionally throughout life, we should find out by ourselves what the best thing to do to improve is. e. As in other professions, teachers can become better with time. f. Some teachers develop as time goes by, while others stay behind.

4. In the text find the phrases or sentences that explain the following: a. Some sportspersons show their potential since they are very young. b. Whatever you do should prove your will to succeed. c. The life history of some well-known artists illustrates their suffering and devotion before succeeding.

5. Summarizing In three or four sentences summarize the information included in the text.

III. Sharing and reflecting

a. Select one of the ideas from exercise two and say whether you agree or disagree. Support your opinion when telling your partner. b. What ideas from the text do you value most?

Derivation

In this section you are going to continue learning vocabulary, especially the different processes of word formation in English. This will enable you to understand and make generalizations about how words are formed, thus making it easier for you to understand meaning yourself and to be able to teach these processes to your students.

Derivation Words are independent units of language that are composed of different meaningful elements called morphemes. In the series friend, friendly, friendliness, friendship, unfriendly; for example, there is a part that does not change: friend, which is called the root, and other units that are added to the root that are called affixes. The kind of affixes which convey lexical meaning and help to form new words are called derivational affixes, of which there is a relatively large number in the English language. If they are placed before the root they are called prefixes; if they appear after the root, they are called suffixes. This process of forming new words from existing ones by the addition of derivational affixes is called derivation. If we analyze the series research, researched, researches, on the other hand, it is easy to see that there is also the addition of the suffixes –ed and –s (es) to the root research, but no new words are created; only new forms of the same word (the past tense, and the third person singular marker). These affixes which convey grammatical meaning are called inflectional affixes, or endings, as they are always placed after the root.

Do this: 1. The words teachers, innovative, reflective, judgement, and walked a appear in the text ―Learning to teach‖: Follow the example below and: a. Divide them into meaningful units (morphemes). b. Classify the morphemes as roots or affixes. c. Classify the affixes as prefixes/suffixes, derivational/inflectional. Example: teachers (teach+ -er +-s); teach is the root, -er is a derivational suffix and -s is an inflectional plural suffix). The word teachers is a case of derivation.

2. Now try forming new words by adding derivational affixes to the following words. Follow the example: Profession: professional, non-professional, professionalism, professionalize, professionnalisation a. play b. commerce c. develop 3. The following is a brief description of one of your ex-teachers. Can you complete it by adding derivational or inflectional affixes to the words in parentheses?

I still remember my first English teacher (clear) ______. She was a (real) ______tall woman who spoke strange words I did not understand, but that I (like) ______to hear. With time, I (start) ______to find those words (understand) ______, and to grow fond of my teacher. She was always so (love) ______and (help) ______to everyone in class. When she wanted to explain a new content, she was so (create) ______that it was almost (not possible) ______not to understand. At the time of (practice) ______she (usual) ______explained each activity (care) _____ and (patient) ______and had us speak (free) ______.Error (correct) ______was (general) ______done at the end of the activity. She was so (wonder) ______that I will never forget her.

Writing: The five-paragraph essay: basic organization

―Writing is not only a process of communication, but an important source of power, a social need and a way to obtain knowledge and resolve problems.‖ (Lindenmann, 1987:11) In the book Integrated English Practice I you were introduced to the writing process; the following is a self-evaluation activity which will help you see how much of it you remember.

A. The first step in a writing process is: a. ___writing a first draft b. ___deciding on a topic and making a plan c. ___proofreading

B. The stage on which you focus more on form and on producing the finished piece of work is: a. ___revising b. ___publishing c. ___prewriting d. ___writing e. ___editing

C. Which of these is the final step of the process? a. ___publishing b. ___revising c. ___editing

By answering the questions, you must have remembered that writing is a process which involves the following stages: a) prewriting, b) writing c) revising d) editing e) publishing. Remember that these activities are recursive and they overlap many times when creating a piece of writing.

Do this:

Below you will find some quotations related to the writing skill. Read them and identify which of the stages of the process above mentioned they would best fit in.

―Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable.‖ Francis Bacon ―Rewriting is the essence of writing well – where the game is

won or lost.‖ William Zinsser ―Writing varies in form, structure, and production process according to its audience and purpose‖ ―Writers must learn to work effectively with one another‖ ―When writers actually write, they think of things that they did not have in mind before they began writing. ― ―Thinking about how to make your writing better is very important. Actually, improvement is built into the experience of writing.‖ ―Writing should not be viewed as an activity that happens only within a classroom’s walls.‖ www.ncte.org/positions/statements/writingbeliefs In this book, you will continue developing and enlarging your writing skills for communicating in a range of everyday social and study situations. Having developed the necessary paragraph writing skills in Integrated English Practice I, the writing section of this course book is focused on the literary genre of the essay, one of the most popular types of academic assignments. What is an essay? Below, you will find various definitions adapted from different sources. As you read them, annotate and highlight or underline those key words which best express the main features of this type of writing.  An essay is a short written piece of non-fiction, often expressing the author´s personal and well-reasoned viewpoint, presented in an organized and professional way.  An essay is a critical evaluation of something you have read. It communicates an assemblage of facts and opinions about a particular subject matter  The word ‗essay‘ originally meant a first attempt or practice, which perhaps suggests some kind of provisional exploration. An essay is an intellectual exploration of a topic, involving looking at different arguments and evidence and developing the writer‘s perspective.

 An essay is a short piece of writing that discusses, describes or analyzes one topic. It can discuss a subject directly or indirectly, seriously or humorously. It can describe personal opinions, or just report information. An essay can be written from any perspective, but essays are most commonly written in the first person (I), or third person (subjects that can be substituted with the he, her, it, or them pronouns).  The essay is one of the most popular academic assignments‘ forms. Essays are rather short and easy-to-read; they have a strict structure and have no limits for subjects. Most essays are written from the author‘s point of view.  An essay should have a simple form used for the expression of an idea or the proof of a point. Typically, it will consist of a number of paragraphs that are not separated by subheadings or broken up by bullet points (unlike in a report).  An essay is a written text, generally brief, where the author states, analyses or comments a personal interpretation of a specific issue: historical, philosophical, literary, scientific, etc. The author‘s personal point of view is predominant.  An essay is a piece of academic writing which makes an evidenced argument in response to a question or series of questions. Some essays aim to prove something by developing a case, by reasoning, using examples and by taking a position.  An essay is written in order to analyze a topic closely, develop a point of view in relation to that topic, and persuade your readers that the point of view you have developed is well supported by the ideas and information you present.

Source: http://quizlet.com/dictionary/essays/ http://www.universalclass.com/i/course/essay-writing-101.htm www.learningdevelopment.plymouth.ac.uk/ http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-essay-formats.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essay www.ukessays.com/how-to-write-essay.php www.essayinfo.com/essays/critical_essay.php http://www.mbarendezvous.com/essay-writing.php http://www.tafensw.edu.au/student/services/libraries/for-students/writing-essays

Read in Appendix 1 some of excerpts from the text ―El Ensayo. Diez pistas para su composición‖ by Fernando Vásquez Rodríguez *pistas 1-4 y 8, 10

Learning to write an essay is an important ability for the development of your communicative style of writing. Therefore, throughout the course, you will be developing activities and exercises that will guide you, step by step, in the essay writing process.

The basic organizational structure common to many essays generally includes: an INTRODUCTION, a BODY, and a CONCLUSION

Some writers think of the essay as a sandwich or a hamburger. The body is ―the appetizing part in the middle and the introduction and conclusion are the two pieces of bread that structure that essay. “ If the introduction looks good, people will carry on to the body. Hopefully, the conclusion will leave them with a nice taste in their mouth. Can you think of other analogies like this one?

Do this: Each of the above mentioned main sections has a specific purpose. Read the sentences below and try to identify the most appropriate component for each. Write (I) for Introduction, (B) for Body and (C) for Conclusion. The first one has been done for you.

1. _ (I) _It opens the essay. 9. ___It restates or reaffirms the 2. ___It states or identifies the thesis. thesis. 3. ___It gives a general sense of the 10. ___It is the part where you develop main idea. your essay. 4. ___It provides a final perspective 11. ___It outlines the points to be on your topic. covered 5. ___It identifies the focus or 12. ___It often has the same idea as purpose of the essay. the Introduction, only in different 6. ___Each paragraph includes a words. topic sentence, supporting details 13. ___It should ALWAYS be divided and a concluding sentence. into paragraphs. 7. ___The supporting paragraphs in 14. ___It should reflect what you said the body back up the main idea. you were going to do in the 8. ___It sums up the main points as it introduction. brings the essay to a close. 15. ___It should be designed to attract the readers' attention and give them an idea of the essay's focus. 16. ___It orients the reader to the general topic.

The following chart will help you understand better the specific purpose of each section.

Main Body

Break essay up according to the plan Introduction Conclusion (10%) (10%)  Identify the main Use paragraphs to  State what you issue/question separate ideas have done  Define key  Summarize your words findings  State what you Use appropriate  Give an overall words to reflect are going to do view importance and and develop links and  How you are relationships going to do it

Embed citations to develop discussion and show understanding

Keep focused on the title, learning outcomes and assessment criteria Academic Sills Website: www.staffs.ac.uk/studyskills

Writing tip ―Essays are not just exercises in research; they are also exercises in communication.

The more you write, the more confidence you will have in your abilities as a writer. ―

Most writers consider a number of steps to be worked through when developing an essay assignment: analyzing the question and identifying key topics, researching the topic, planning and organizing, writing, editing and proofreading. All the steps are important, and recursive, i.e. at any point you may need to return to a previous stage.

The TAP model given below will help you identify that first step in the process of responding to an essay assignment: interpreting the question and identifying the key topics.

http://www.learningdevelopment.plymouth.ac.uk

First identify the Topic - what the main theme is; then the Action(s), i.e. what you have got to do; and finally the Parameters – the scope or confines of the task.

It is important to identify key words in the topic because they will dictate the approach to be followed when answering the essay question. Task or direction words are the key words that you can sometimes find within the instructions; for example, analyze, compare, discuss. They tell you what to do, i.e. the actions you need to perform. (In Appendix 2, you will find a very useful list of task words and their description).

To make sure you answer the essay question, you should look for the content words, those key words which will tell you what the topic area is. They define or limit the essay and determine your focus -- what you need to research.

In the Introductory Unit of Integrated English Practice I, on page 13, this other TAP table below was offered as a guide to be taken into account when writing; you should also keep it in mind when developing an essay.

TOPIC What am I writing about? What do I know about this topic? What additional information do I need to write about this topic? Where will I find this information? AUDIENCE Who will read what I write? What does my audience already know about the topic? What opinions will my audience have on the topic? How will the intended audience influence what I write and the way I write it? PURPOSE What do I want this piece of writing to accomplish? What reaction or response do I want my audience to have? How will my purpose for writing influence what I write and how I write it?

Study tip Though they are not the only formats for writing an essay, there are basically two organizational structures common to most essays: the four-paragraph essay and the five-paragraph essay. (See the diagrams below)

3773 Layout – 4 paragraphs 35553 Layout – 5 INTRODUCTION paragraphs 3 sentences INTRODUCTION 3 sentences

PARAGRAPH 2 7 sentences PARAGRAPH 2 5 sentences

PARAGRAPH 3 PARAGRAPH 3 5 sentences 7 sentences

PARAGRAPH 4 5 sentences

CONCLUSION 3 sentences CONCLUSION 3 sentences

 The numbers before the layout indicate the number of sentences in each paragraph. http://www.writefix.com/argument/layoutboth.htm

You can read below a model 5-Paragraph essay on the Five Paragraph Essay. Read it and identify the components given in the diagram above.

Sample Five Paragraph Essay Knowing how to write a five-paragraph essay is essential for developing good composition skills. It gives the author an easy format for clear organization and explanation of a topic. Many literature and composition classes require five- paragraph essays because of the simplicity and clarity they bring to a specific topic and that is why understanding the five-paragraph essay is important. A five-paragraph essay consists of three parts—the introduction, the body, and the conclusion—and each part plays a role that is vital to the structure and presentation of the essay.

The introduction consists of one paragraph. This paragraph introduces the reader to the topic and outlines what the reader will learn from the essay. In the

introduction, a hook is important to grab the reader‘s attention and is usually the first sentence. At the end of the introduction a transitional sentence is helpful so that the essay flows seamlessly from one paragraph to the next. As important as having a hook is to grab attention, the thesis statement is the most important aspect of the introductory paragraph. The thesis is the concise wording of what will be discussed in the body of the paragraph. It should include three main points that correspond to the three body paragraphs that follow the introduction.

The body of the essay consists of three paragraphs that correspond to the three main points made in the thesis statement. Each paragraph will go into more detail on one point and explain why this point supports your opinion or topic. The body paragraphs should contain examples drawn from facts and evidence. They should also contain an explanation of the facts and evidence. The end of each body paragraph needs to contain a conclusion statement that helps prove the thesis. The body is vital to the structure of the essay because it solidifies what was stated in the thesis. Once the body has been developed, a proper conclusion can be made from the introduction and body paragraphs.

The conclusion takes the information presented in the body of the essay and ties it back to the thesis statement. In the conclusion, the thesis statement will be restated and the body paragraphs summarized to show how the conclusion came about. The conclusion is vital to the structure of the essay because it summarizes in a concise manner what the author was presenting in the essay and signals the essay has come to an end.

The introduction, body, and conclusion are all important to a five-paragraph essay because each section provides the structure that makes the essay flow from one paragraph to the next and important information that backs up the author‘s thesis statement. The introduction introduces the topic and sets the tone, the body explains the topic using three main points, and the conclusion summarizes the essay and signals the end. The five-paragraph essay is an easy way to clearly explain a topic. http://www.wikihow.com/Sample/Essay

Listen to Penny Lane by The Beatles

1. Listen to this song several times and fill in the missing words.

2. What purpose did the writer of this song probably have in mind when he wrote it?

3. Interpret this line: Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes.

4. Do you think the song writer shows a melancholic feeling with this song? Explain.

5. Make different lists of words from the song that have the same vowel or consonant sounds and practice repeating them with your partner.

6. Sing the song and try to learn it by heart.

Penny Lane By The Beatles In Penny Lane there is a barber Penny Lane is in my ears and in my showing photographs eyes. Of every ______he's had the A four of fish and finger pies pleasure to know. in summer. Meanwhile back And all the ______that come Behind the ______in the middle of and go the roundabout Stop and say "Hello". The pretty ______is selling On the corner is a ______with a ______from a tray. motorcar, And though she feels as if she's in a And little ______laugh at him play, behind his back. She is anyway. And the ______never wears a In Penny Lane the ______shaves mac another ______, In the pouring rain - very strange. We see the ______sitting waiting Penny Lane is in my ears and in my for a trim, eyes. And then the ______rushes in

There beneath the blue suburban From the pouring rain - very strange. ______Penny Lane is in my ears and in my I sit, and meanwhile back eyes. In Penny Lane there is a ______There beneath the blue suburban skies with an hourglass, I sit, and meanwhile back. And in his pocket is a portrait of the Penny Lane is in my ears and in my ______. eyes. He likes to keep his ______engine There beneath the blue suburban clean, skies... It's a clean ______. Penny Lane!

The Beatles 1. In pairs, share whatever you know about The Beatles and make a list of anything that you would like to learn about them.

2. Read The Beatles biography and take down notes of anything that you didn´t know about them.

3. Summarize the biography in the following chart

Career beginnings Music genre Greatest hits Commercial success Awards Discography Tours

4. What do you think is meant by these words about The Beatles? ―They came to be perceived as the embodiment of ideals of the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.‖ 5. Why do you think The Beatles became so popular in the 1960´s, and why has their music become a classic? Do this activity in groups of three or four. 6. Why do you think there are Beatles fan clubs in many places in our country? Why is there such place in La Habana as ―El Submarino Amarillo‖? The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by late 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, the group later worked in many genres ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. The nature of their enormous popularity, which first emerged as "Beatle mania", transformed as their songwriting grew in sophistication. They came to be perceived as the embodiment of ideals of the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s. Initially a five-piece line-up of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe (bass) and Pete Best (drums), they built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960. Sutcliffe left the group in 1961, and Best was replaced by Starr the following year. Moulded into a professional act by manager Brian Epstein, their musical potential was enhanced by the creativity of producer George Martin. They gained popularity in the United Kingdom after their first single, "Love Me Do", became a modest hit in late 1962, and acquired the nickname the "Fab Four" as Beatle mania grew in Britain over the following year. By early 1964 they had become international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market. The band toured extensively around the world until August 1966, when they performed their final commercial concert. From 1966 they produced what many critics consider to be some of their finest material, including the innovative and widely

influential albums Revolver (1966), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), The Beatles (1968) and Abbey Road (1969). After their break-up in 1970, the ex-Beatles each found success in individual musical careers. Lennon was murdered outside his home in New York City in 1980, and Harrison died in Los Angeles of cancer in 2001. McCartney and Starr remain active. The Beatles are the best-selling band in history, and over four decades after their break-up, their recordings are still in demand. They have had more number one albums on the UK charts and have held the top spot longer than any other musical act. According to the RIAA, they have sold more albums in the United States than any other artist, and they topped Billboard magazine's list of all-time Hot 100 artists in 2008. They have received 7 Grammy Awards from the American National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and 15 Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. (Taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

West Indies, Antilles or Caribbean?

West Indies was the name given by Christopher Columbus to the group of islands that extend in an arc of 3,200 kilometers from Cuba to the coast of Venezuela, separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. This archipelago has a variety of names, but West Indies is the earliest and the most frequently used among the English speakers. Spain and France named the islands the Antilles after the mythological Atlantic island of Antilia, or Antilla. The larger islands -- Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico -- came to be known as the Greater Antilles, while the remaining smaller islands were called the Lesser Antilles. Geographically a part of the Americas, the West Indies exhibit a varied range of cultural patterns, mainly as a result of the legacy from European colonizers, Africans brought by force as slaves, and Asian immigrants; nevertheless, the islands have close cultural and historical ties with the rest of the countries

whose coasts are washed by the Caribbean Sea. No wonder, the term most frequently used by the inhabitants of this geographical area to designate themselves is not West Indians but Caribbean. Politically, the islands of the West Indies comprise 13 independent nations (the Republic of Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Barbados, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Grenada, the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda) and a number of colonial dependencies, territories, and possessions of the United States, France, The Netherlands, or the United Kingdom. Puerto Rico, the fourth largest island of the archipelago, is a U.S. commonwealth and several of the Virgin Islands are United States territories. Martinique and Guadeloupe and its dependencies are overseas departments of France. The Dutch possessions consist of the Netherlands Antilles (Curaçao and Bonaire), Aruba, and smaller Lesser Antilles islands. Overseas territories of the United Kingdom are Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, and some of the Virgin Islands. (Adapted from Encarta. Microsoft, 1996.))

Do this:

I. Do the terms West Indies, Antilles, and Caribbean refer to the same geographical region, or are there any differences among them?

II. Read the text to check whether you were right or wrong.

III. Read again and say True or False. Then, correct the false items.

___ English, Spanish, and French speakers all regularly call the islands in the Caribbean: The Antilles.

___ The Lesser Antilles comprise all Caribbean Islands but Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico.

___ The cultural heritage of the Caribbean islands has very little in common with the rest of the countries in the area.

___ The islands of the West Indies comprise 13 independent nations; the rest of them are colonial dependencies of either the UK or France.

IV. Read once more to complete the following ideas.

a) People living in the West Indies are rather called ______than ______. b) ______, ______, ______, and ______are examples of independent Caribbean nations. c) ______, ______, and ______are British dependencies. d) ______is a US commonwealth.

V. Discuss these points:

a. Do you agree with the term commonwealth to refer to the current political status of Puerto Rico? Explain. b. What about the term dependencies? Isn´t it euphemistic to call certain islands from the Caribbean: British dependencies? Explain.

VI. Role play

Student A

You need to gather information on the Caribbean for your next school project. You know your friend B has thoroughly studied the features of such area lately, so s/he might be a useful source of information in this case. Plan suitable questions and interview your friend on the topic. Request his/her cooperation first and show gratitude in the end.

Student B

You have thoroughly studied the countries of the Caribbean lately and you have always loved sharing your knowledge with those who show any interest in it. Your friend A is approaching you right now. Be cooperative.

(Authentic text)

Radio Broadcast: Trivia Question: ―What two colors are found on the flag of the United Nations?‖

BEFORE YOU LISTEN Activating your vocabulary A flag is a usually rectangular piece of cloth with a distinctive design used as a symbol to represent a nationality, party or any organization or association, etc. A flag usually combines two or more colors.  How many colors are found on the Cuban flag?  What is the design of the Cuban flag?  What does each part of the design represent?  What colors are found on the flag of Puerto Rico?  What about the design of the Puerto Rican flag?  Can you make a parallel between these two flags and the countries they represent?  Can you mention the colors of any other flag you know well?

WHILE YOU LISTEN Predicting an answer to a question 1. The excerpt you will hear is from a radio program in which listeners are supposed to phone in for the right answer to the question asked by the announcer. Listen to the question posed by the announcer and try to give an answer yourself. Then listen to the rest of the phone conversation between the announcer and the listener/caller and check if your answer was correct or not.

Understanding specific information 2. Listen to the conversation again and say the listener‘s name. 3. Listen again and complete the following information:

a. The listener is calling from ______. b. She won a ______for the answer. 4. What time of the day was this conversation recorded? Listen once more for the specific time.

Understanding less specific information 5. Is the listener sure of the answer? How do you know? What does she say? 6. Is the announcer well informed about the subject of the question he is presenting to the audience? What does he say about this? Transcribing parts of an oral text 7. Listen to some excerpts of the conversation and fill in the missing parts. a. Announcer: ______. You‘re on the air. Listener: ______. Announcer: ______doing today? Listener: ______. Announcer: ______. Listener: ______Summers.

b. Announcer: ______. Well, you have a ______for that lucky guess. ______calling ______? Listener: ______. Announcer: ______. All right.

Understanding stress patterns 8. Listen to the first excerpt you took down and mark the stressed syllables with an accent on the stressed vowel. Are the vowels of stressed syllables clear or reduced?

9. Listen to the same excerpt several times concentrating on unstressed syllables this time. Say if the vowels of unstressed syllables are clear or reduced. What are these vowels? Transcribe them phonetically in the text.

AFTER YOU LISTEN Imitating native speakers’ pronunciation 1. Now, playing roles, repeat after the tape imitating the speakers‘ pronunciation. Concentrate on the combination of stress and vowel quality.

Working with functional items derived from the listening text 2. Do you remember the announcer‘s question to know how Peggy Summer is? What other questions can we use to know how someone is? What was Peggy‘s answer to the announcer‘s question? What else can a person say in response to that question?

Complete this imaginary conversation between a radio announcer and a listener and then practice it with a partner. You may use the recorded conversation as a reference.

A: ______is the number to call. The question is: What two colors are found on the flag of Canada? Here‘s our first call. Good afternoon. ______. L: ______. A: ______? L: Fine! A: ______? L: ______A: ______, what colors are found on the flag of Canada? L: ______and ______. A: That‘s right. That‘s a real good guess. L: Yes, it was a guess. A: Thank you for calling, ______. L: All right.

Practicing ways of telling the time 3. Do you remember the hour given by the announcer at the end of the conversation? Match it with the corresponding clock below.

How many different ways can you use to tell these times?

Working with colors and flags 4. What colors are found on these flags? Write them down. What countries do they represent?

Speaking about the United Nations 5. The following questions may be used as discussion points:  Are the countries represented by the flags above members of the United Nations?  How many countries are members of the United Nations?  When was this world organization founded?  Where is its main office based in?  What was its founding aim?  How has this aim been fulfilled in the course of years?  What is the structure of this organization? How many organs form part of it?  The General Assembly and the Security Council are the two most important organs of the United Nations. What are their structures and functions?  What has been Cuba‘s claim regarding the United Nations in general and the Security Council in particular?  What important resolution in support of Cuba has been approved every year since 1992 in the General Assembly of the United Nations?

Getting ready to teach: Addressing students‘ needs Do this:

1. Read this excerpt and discuss in groups of four whether this teacher made the right decision or not, and why.

THE HORNS OF THE DILEMMA Juan is in a beginning literacy class for four semesters, and has not made any progress. He can barely finish 10 percent of the standardized placement test and is continually classified as nonliterate, non-English speaking. Because he has already passed the age where he should have graduated from high school, counselors and administrators are beginning to make rumbling noises about his "educability". He does not turn in homework and cannot read even the easiest of texts. His favorite sentence is "I don‘t know". Every day during spring semester, while driving through prune orchards to work, his teacher sees something different happening, and asks Juan, a migrant worker, what he sees. Juan answers all her questions, showing a remarkable knowledge of how prunes are cultivated, harvested, and processed. His teacher has decided to abandon the class textbook and introduce projects on agriculture, reasoning this is what her students, mostly migrant workers, know best. And, although Juan needs a great deal of assistance, his teacher is helping him move toward literacy and proficiency in English. 2. At the school where you do your practicum, find out how the teachers of English respond to the individual learning needs of their students, in and out of class. Then be ready to present a report in which you list everything the teachers do, what you think is right and what you think is a ―red flag‖ for the school in terms of how attention is being provided to address the students´ individual needs in English.

Unit 2: School people and places

(Classroom-prepared text)

Good Teachers Before you listen 1. Work around the class. Define the term ―teacher.‖ What is an ―a good teacher‖ for you?

2. Work in pairs. Who is the teacher from (high school) that you remember the most? Share this experience with your partner. While you listen 3. Listen to the recording and correct the following statements: a. Everybody agrees on what a good teacher is. b. The speaker is grateful for the relaxed atmosphere his teachers favored in their classes. c. This particular teacher the speaker is referring to demanded a great amount of oratory in her lessons. d. This teacher considered homework irrelevant. e. Once when she was sick, she didn‘t check her students‘ assignments. 4. Write down the last sentence and interpret it. After you listen 5. Discuss this in pairs: Do you agree with the speaker‘s point of view with relation to what a good teacher is? Back up your answers.

Proverb: Anger is the one thing made better by delay Work in trios. Answer the following questions in your group and be ready to report to the whole class. a. Does this proverb convey a positive or a negative meaning? How do you know? b. Is it a good idea to make decisions when we are angry? What should we do instead?

c. Describe a situation in which you or someone else did something wrong / right while being angry. d. Do you know any proverb in your mother language which is similar to this one?

English intonation Intonation is one of the most important elements for non-native speakers to attain a correct accent in English. It is the tune of what is said and it is closely related to sentence stress. Correct intonation is most necessary at the end of a sentence. English intonation may be divided into two main types: rising and falling. These patterns are generally used to distinguish different kinds of sentences. FALLING INTONATION is represented by the symbol ↘, and is normally used at the end of: 1. Information questions that begin with an interrogative word such as: WHAT, WHO, WHY, WHERE, etc., for example:

a. What do you want? ↘

b. Who did you see? ↘

c. Why do you love her? ↘

d. Where is Rose? ↘

2. Statements, for example:

a. He is my nephew. ↘

b. They are here. ↘

3. Commands, for example:

a. Come. ↘

b. Stand up. ↘

4. Tag questions to confirm what you already know, for example:

 I know you are sick. ↘ Aren‘t you? ↘ (An answer is not needed.)

RISING INTONATION is represented by the symbol ↗, and is normally used at the end of: 1. Yes/no questions, for example:

Are you Canadian? ↗ 2. Yes/no questions having a statement structure, for example:

You went to the movies yesterday? ↗ 3. Tag questions the answer to which is unforseen, for example:

That‘s a nice film, ↘ isn‘t it? ↗ (A yes/no answer is needed) Do this: 1. Does your voice usually rise sharply or fall at the end of each of the following examples? a. Where are we going? b. Is it raining? c. Put that down! d. Please come in, sir. e. It´s a nice day, isn´t it? f. It´s not really butter, is it? g. You´ll come, won´t you? h. How do you like your coffee? i. Is that clock working? j. It´s a good book.

2. Match the examples above to their appropriate uses (a-h) below. More than one example may fit a category. Then, mark whether each use tends to be marked by a falling (F) or a high rising (R) intonation in English. Use Number F/R a WH-Questions (And HOW) b Yes/No questions c Commands d Tag questions (To confirm information) e Tag questions (Genuinely wanting to know the answer) f Genuine/Factual statements g Statements (To show cordiality) h Statements (To show uncertainty/Curiosity)

3. Tell your partner ALL the things you would like to do on the weekend. What do you notice about the intonation as you list the items?

(Ideas borrowed from the workshop on pronunciation teaching given by Garth Cadden, from the British Council, in La Habana, in May, 2013)

2.1. Describe the school where you did your practicum Read this conversation and notice this: - How the person describing the place organizes the description, - The prepositions that he/she uses when describing the place.

You: We´re so lucky! The school where we did our practicum is unique in Santa Clara. Do you want to know why? Friend: Yes, I´d really like to know. You: Well, you see the building was originally a Spanish fortress intended to stop the rebel armies of Cuban Mambises in the late 1890´s. You can see that in the façade and inside the building; and during that decade it became a hospital for the wounded, during the Cuban- Spanish War of 1895, actually. I´m talking about the current Primary School ―Viet Nam Heroico‖, which is across from the Parque de Los Mártires near the Santa Clara train station. Friend: Really? No wonder it has this watch tower at the left front corner. You: And you will also notice this as you walk across the entrance hall into the building. If you look well, you´ll see from the inside that the building has a lower level and a higher level. Friend: A lower level and a higher level. Why is that? You: You see, the lower level may be accessed only if you walk down the inner staircases into the Patio, and I suppose this level must have been like a safe shelter for the soldiers. Friend: Interesting, tell me more. You: Well, then there is the upper level with rooms surrounding the whole patio from above and a wide hall with famous murals on the walls, facing the Patio. Friend: Murals? You mean murals like the famous murals by Mexican Diego Rivera? You: Yes, you see, during the 1930´s this place had become a teacher education school, known as Escuela Normal for elementary school teachers. Friend: And why are the paintings so famous? You: Well, just guess who painted them. No one less than progressive artists Amelia Peláez, René Portocarrero, Jorge Arche, Eduardo Abela, and Ernesto Puig, among others, in collaboration with students from this school and plastics professor Domingo Ravenet. Friend: And what led them to paint these murals? You: Let´s talk later. I have to run now. I have a bus to catch. See you.

Prepositions that express location or place: in, on, at These prepositions are used to indicate where something or someone is. Their use depends on how we picture an object in our minds.  We use on when we picture an object as a line. For example: I live on Fifth Avenue.  We use at when we see an object as a point in space. For example: I live at 12 Fifth Avenue.  We use in when we see an object as a surface, an area or a volume. For example: I was still in class when I heard the huge blast around the corner. Do this: a. Explain why prepositions at, in and on have been used in this text. ―When we arrived at the school where we do our practicum, we saw lots of students standing on the halls, practically no one in the classrooms, though it was not recess time. So we thought.... ― b. What difference do these sentences express through the prepositions on and in? We sat on the grass. We sat in the grass.

a. On is used for public transport. For example: I saw the dean on the school bus. b. For towns or villages either at or in is used, depending on a person´s point of view. For example: At Placetas means that we are seeing this town as a place on the map, where as in Placetas would mean that we are picturing this town as an area. c. Very large towns or cities are normally seen as an area. So we would normally say, for example, in Havana.

d. For continents, countries, states and other large areas in is used. So we say: in Cuba, in Asia, in Ontario. Do this: a. In pairs read the title of the text given below and try to anticipate the answer to the question that may come to your minds. b. Then read the text and decide who was right or wrong in his or her predictions. c. Why has the preposition in been used in this text to express location, and not on?

The largest country in the world The biggest country in the world, ie, which has the largest area, is Russia, with 17.075.200km² (6,592,800 sq mi), followed by Canada (9.984.670km²; 3,854,085 sq mi), The United States of America (9.631.420km²; 3,794,066 sq mi) and China (9.596.960km²; 3,704,427 sq mi). To compare, The United Kingdom of Great Britain is very distant from those numbers, with only 504.782km² (94,526 sq mi) surface. But Russia does not conform with being the largest country in the world, it is the largest country in two continents at once. Russia is the largest country in Europe, with 4,320,025 square kilometres in this territory, and also is the largest country in Asia, with 12,755,175 square kilometres in that continent. Available at: http://www.curiouscuriosities.com/curiosities/geography/world-biggest- country.html

Do this: In pairs, prepare a description of the school where you are doing your teaching practicum at the moment. Once you are done, change partners and exchange orally the descriptions that you have prepared. You may follow these hints in preparing your descriptions:  Description of the building as a whole, from outside, including its geographical location in the city or town.  Description of the building as a whole, from inside.

 Detailed description of each floor in the building, specifying the location of school facilities: classrooms, laboratories, sports areas, library, staff rooms, administrative rooms, theater or conference room, snack bar, etc.  Anything else as a round-up.

2.2. Describe your mentor and other people at the school where you did your practicum A. Talk about appearances Do this: In pairs, talk about your mentor`s physical appearance, following these hints:

My mentor at the practicum school, she looks very much like … As the week goes by, sometimes she looks as if … …she looks as though she is …

B. Talk about general impressions

When I first met my mentor he didn‘t seem (to be) very friendly. But as time has passed, … And about the school principal, she seems to be very experienced and knowledgable. Besides, she doesn`t seem to lose control of herself not even in conflict situations.

 You use look like, look as if, and look as though in order to talk about physical appearance.  You use seem or seem + infinitive in order to talk about general impressions. Do this: Around the class, share your general impressions about people at your practicum school or people from elsewhere. 2.3. Talk about personal and professional teacher qualities

Do this: a. Read this text about a science teacher and list her personal qualities.

Esperanza teaches a diverse group of students. English language learners, at-risk students, honors students, and everyone else find their seats in her classroom for 90 minutes of science instruction. Spend just two minutes listening to students coming into the class and you will hear her ask a student about a sibling or compliment another student‘s performance in a sporting event. You can see Esperanza circulating around the room smiling, leaning over to check work, and nodding an acknowledgment to a student arriving late. As students finish their warm-up activity, the instruction begins and the interplay between students and their teacher continues. She knows her students and freely admits that they can be a tough bunch, but she loves each and every one of them. Esperanza is aptly named, for she offers hope to students every day as she lives out her ethic of caring.

c. Work in pairs before coming to class and study this chart with personal and professional teacher qualities. Then relate them to the personal and professional qualities that you have identified in your current mentor at the practicum school. Next discuss your own current personal and professional development in terms of what you are already strong at, or still weak at. Finally, be ready to participate in class.

Personal and Specific attributes professional qualities Listening Effective teachers practice focused and sympathetic listening to show students they care about not only what happens in the classroom but about students‘ lives in general. These teachers initiate two-way communication that exudes trust, tact, honesty, humility, and care. They demonstrate their understanding through tenderness, patience, and gentleness.

Understanding Students highly value teachers‘ understanding of their concerns and questions. They want teachers who listen to their arguments and assist them in working out their problems. They want teachers who hold them in mutual respect and who are willing to talk about their own personal lives and experiences. Through appropriate self-disclosure, teachers become human in the eyes of students. Being available to students and showing a deep understanding of students legitimizes the teacher as a person when he or she demonstrates genuine concern and empathy toward students.

Knowing Students Effective, caring teachers know students both formally and informally. They use every opportunity at school and in the community to keep the lines of communication open. Effective teachers care for students first as people, and second as students. They respect each student as an individual. Fairness and Respect An effective teacher establishes a rapport and credibility with students by emphasizing, modelling, and practicing fairness and respect. Respect and equity are identified as the prerequisites of effective teaching in the eyes of students. Students expect teachers to treat them equitably—when they behave as well as when they misbehave—and to avoid demonstrations of favoritism. Social Interactions with A teacher‘s ability to relate to students and to make positive, caring Students connections with them plays a significant role in cultivating a positive learning environment and promoting student achievement.

Promoting Enthusiasm The teachers‘ enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and their subject matter and Motivating Learning has been shown to be an important part of effective teaching, both in supporting positive relationships with students and in encouraging student achievement. Students say that teachers can effectively motivate them by encouraging them to be responsible for their own learning, maintaining an organized classroom environment, setting high standards, assigning appropriate challenges, and providing reinforcement and encouragement during tasks. These students see effective teachers as motivational leaders.

Attitude Toward the An important facet of professionalism and of effectiveness in the classroom

Teaching Profession is a teacher‘s dedication to students and to the job of teaching. The effective teacher truly believes that all students can learn—it is not just a slogan. These teachers also believe that they must know their students, their subject, and themselves, while continuing to account for the fact that students learn differently. Effective teachers are willing to share their ideas and assist other teachers with difficulties. Collaborative environments create positive working relationships and help retain teachers. Additionally, effective teachers volunteer to lead work teams and to be mentors to new teachers. Reflective practice Another element of professionalism as part of effective teaching is a teacher‘s reflective practice, or careful review of and thoughtfulness about one‘s own teaching process.

(The text included in this section, and the ideas summarized in the above chart, have been taken from Stronge James, Qualities of Effective Teachers. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, Virginia, USA, 2007.)

d. Complete this chart which contains vocabulary to talk about teacher qualities. Noun adjective Spanish equivalents trust tactful honesty humility care tenderness patience gentle respect concern

empathy

enthusiasm

encouraging

Project Work

Project 2: Schools are the most important institutions in a community

Every teacher's main role is to guide intellectual and affective processes in the formation of the individuals so as to prepare them to face everyday life. Refer to your experience either as a teacher or as an observer, centering your attention on those processes that take place in our schools to attain the educational standards required. Choose one of the tasks that are suggested next in order to carry out this project or create any other task that best suits this project´s purpose. Suggestions:

1. Interview some teachers and students at your University of Pedagogical Sciences and try to find out about the main processes that take place in your own formation as a professional. Write a report in which you describe the one process that you think needs special attention. Present your proposal to improve this process. Don´t forget to invite to your project presentation the head of the department, the students' leaders or any other personnel that might be interested in the topic. Don‘t forget that your ideas can make a difference. 2. You are a great reader and the works of our National Hero are always present in your life. Go to your university library and search for some of José Marti's phrases regarding schools and the processes that take place there. Choose one or more than one and express your viewpoint by referring to the way our national Hero‘s ideas are put into practice through the different processes carried out at school. You can interview people, record their opinions or write a reflection on the topic. 3. Cuban schools are in constant search to obtain higher results in all the processes that take place in them. Center your attention in the teaching learning process of English as a foreign language in your former secondary school or high school, and refer to the changes they have undergone since you were a student there. Establish a comparison in terms of the qualification of teachers of English, the development of communicative competence in the students, the number of students motivated to study English and the use of technology. Create a power point presentation to

summarize the results of your research and make an oral presentation. Use graphs to represent some of the results obtained.

A charismatic teacher Mr. Chase is a fifth-grade teacher at Elmwood Elementary School. Slightly overweight and with a bit of tummy always showing through the gap in the bottom of his shirts, Chase is a favorite among students and parents of Elmwood. He knows all the students in his class and their families and, in fact, knew several parents of current students when they were in his class years ago. Chase plays ball with the boys at recess and loves to stand in the hall before and after school saying ―Hi‖ to students and teasing them (in playful ways) about their boyfriends and girlfriends. Chase prides himself on how he has individualized instruction for his students, relying heavily upon commercial texts and workbooks. Students love to hang around his desk asking for help and kidding with him. He never refuses to stay after school to help students. Mr. Chase befriends every new student (and new teacher) in the school and helps him or her adjust to their new environment. The principal relies on Chase and seeks his advice often. She even appoints him acting principal when she has to be away from Elmwood. (Excerpts taken from Learning to Teach by Richard I. Arends, McGrow-Hill, 1994:22)

I. Getting ready to read

1. In groups discuss: a. Are charismatic teachers usually found in schools? b. How would you describe a charismatic teacher? c. How do students usually behave with charismatic teachers? 2. The title of the text you are about to read is ―A Charismatic Teacher‖. Write three ideas you expect to find in the text.

II. Connecting with the text 1. Read the text quickly to check your predictions 2. Scan through the text in order to take out the following information:

The teacher´s name The grade he teaches Name of the School What game he plays with pupils at recess time

3. Show your understanding of the text by expanding on the following ideas : a. We know Mr. Chase is a popular teacher because______b. Mr. Chase likes to greet and tease students; that is why he______c. He has individualized instruction by______d. When students need help, Mr. Chase______e. We can see that the principal trusts Mr. Chase when she ______

4. Summarizing How would you describe Mr. Chase in a few sentences?

III. Sharing and reflecting In groups discuss: a. Why is it necessary to show trust and respect for your students?

b. Did you ever have a charismatic teacher while you were in senior high? How much did you like him/her? c. Is it a myth or a fact that language teachers tend to be charismatic? Explain.

Composition or compounding

In Unit 1 you studied derivation as the process of forming new words by adding derivational affixes to existing words; composition or compounding is another word-formation process in English which consists in joining two or more words to form a new one; for example, waste paper, and waste paper basket.

As you have surely realized, in these cases the meaning of the new words can be determined by the summation of their components, waste+ paper+ (basket) but there are cases in which the compounds are idiomatic and the meaning of the new word is very different from that of its components.

For example:

• An egghead is not a head like an egg, but a person of superior knowledge or learning, i.e. an intellectual.

• A high ball is not a ball that is high, but a kind of alcoholic drink.

• A laptop is not the top of the lap, but a small portable computer.

Sometimes it is not easy to distinguish a compound word from a noun phrase consisting of the same component words; the stress pattern may help you. For example, the phrase a black board (adjective plus noun) is any board that is black, and thus takes equal stress on both elements./'blæk'bɔrd/. The compound blackboard, on the other hand, though it may have started out historically as 'black 'board, now is stressed on only the first element, black

/'blækbɔrd/. Other examples are

The White House /'hwaɪthaᴜs/ a white house /'hwaɪt'haᴜs/

Bluebird /'blubɚd/ a blue bird /'blu'bɝd/

Some compounds, and even sometimes the same compound, can be spelled in three different ways. For example:

• with a hyphen: sandy-colored, phrase-book

• as only one word: newspaper, workbook

• as separate words: main road, text book

Do this:

1. Form new words by combining the following (some are in the incorrect order). Follow the example.

a. board + key ……….. keyboard

b. over + weight

c. second + hand

d. school + elementary

e. friend+ girl/boy

f. half + sister

g. son/daughter + in + law

h. dress + table

2. Now form compounds with the following definitions. Follow the example

A course that lasts 5 years…is a five-year course

a. A dress that is a color between blue and green…

b. The son of only one of my parents…

c. Shoes made by hand…

3. Focus on meaning or on form. Go back to the reading ―A Charismatic Teacher‖ which you just dealt with, and:

a. Pick out all the words that you think are formed by compounding. b. Discuss with a partner the meaning they express. Consult a dictionary if necessary.

Writing: The descriptive essay ―Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.‖ ~Anton Chekhov

There are various types of essays, and whatever format you choose will depend on the subject matter or on the purpose of the essay in question. Actually, knowing what kind of essay you are trying to write can help you decide on a topic and structure of your essay in the best possible way. One of the most common essay formats is the descriptive essay.

What is a descriptive essay?

As the name suggests, the writer will describe the subject matter of the essay, which could be an object, a person, a place, a situation, some event, some experience, an emotion, a feeling, etc.

Where do they come from? What do they look How do they like? smell?

How do What color these feel? are they?

What‘s this?

This genre explains the what, how, why, when, how and where of a topic, as you give a clear vision of what is being described. When you write a descriptive essay, you want to involve the readers‘ senses and emotions; the goal is to offer the necessary details which will provide a vivid image in the mind of the readers; that is why descriptive essays are often considered to be more creative than other essay types.

Notice this: An essay can have many purposes, but the basic structure will be the same for all. In a descriptive essay:  The first important part is the introduction. It should inform the readers who or what is being described, giving the readers general facts about the subject matter. The introduction is a fundamental tool that will persuade the readers to proceed with the reading until the end; that is the main reason why it should include something of interest to catch the readers‘ attention and stimulate emotions, perceptions or opinions. Your essay could start with any kind of statement like an amusing or intriguing sentence, an interesting anecdote, etc.  The second important part is the body. This is the part of the essay in which you can relate to the topic. The body paragraphs should contain the descriptions and observations about the topic. You need to use clear, concise and vivid language as you describe emotions or feelings related to your topic. Your essay should therefore provide plenty of specific descriptive details by using a variety of adjectives and adverbs; the use of descriptive words will appeal to the senses of the reader. The body paragraphs can be structured spatially (from top to bottom or from near to far) or chronologically (time order) or from general to specific. Other patterns such as narrative or exemplification are also possible.  The last main part is the conclusion, which will summarize your opinions and views about the subject matter described. In a descriptive essay, this should be logical and relevant to the reader; the possible use of descriptive words in it should leave the reader with a clear impression.

Writing tip For a descriptive essay where you describe a person, you will rely on opinion; whereas if you are writing about a thing or place, you will be relying on your observations. Once you have completed your essay, read it over carefully; the following question can help you: did you prove or describe an idea or image in your essay? If your answer is affirmative, then you have achieved your goal. Remember, the object of a descriptive essay is to create a vivid experience for the reader.

Adapted from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/606/02/

Do this:

Read the text given below in order to discuss with a partner the answers to the questions: 1. What subject matter does the text describe?

2. What is the dominant impression of the place described?

3. Are your senses and emotions as a reader involved in the description of the place? How?

I have been roaming far and wide over this island of Manhattan. Some portions of its interior have a certain air of rocky sterility which may impress some imaginations as simply dreary--to me it conveys the sublime. Trees are few; but some of the shrubbery is exceedingly picturesque. Not less so are the prevalent shanties of the Irish squatters. I have one of these tabernacles (I use the term primitively) at present in the eye of my mind. It is, perhaps, nine feet by six, with a pigsty applied externally, by way both of portico and support. The whole fabric (which is of mud) has been erected in somewhat too obvious an imitation of the Tower of Pisa. A dozen rough planks, "pitched" together, form the roof. The door is a barrel on end. There is a garden, too; and this is encircled by a ditch at one point, a large stone at another, a bramble at a third. A dog and a cat are inevitable in these habitations; and, apparently, there are no dogs and no cats more entirely happy.

On the eastern or "Sound" face of Manhattan (why do we persist in de- euphonizing the true names?) are some of the most picturesque sites for villas to be found within the limits of Christendom. These localities, however, are neglected--unimproved. The old mansions upon them (principally wooden) are suffered to remain unrepaired, and present a melancholy spectacle of decrepitude. In fact, these magnificent places are doomed. The spirit of Improvement has withered them with its acrid breath. Streets are already "mapped" through them, and they are no longer suburban residences, but "town-lots." In some thirty years every noble cliff will be a pier, and the whole island will be densely desecrated by buildings of brick, with portentous facades of brown-stone, or brown-stonn, as the Gothamites have it.

Edgar Allan Poe, "Doings of Gotham: Letter I," in The Columbia Spy (Columbia, Pennsylvania), May 18, 1844. Reprinted in Doings of Gotham, edited by Thomas Olive Mabbott (Jacob E. Spannuth, 1929).

4. Poe‘s writing above examines the complexity of life in a city. Compare his description with the one about the city of Detroit in the listening to authentic texts section (Unit 2). Which of the texts manages to create a ―picture in words‖? Highlight or underline those adjectives which help to bring that picture to life.

In Appendix 3, you can find a 5-Paragraph Essay about Poe‘s use of imagery. Pay attention to the comments given in the right column next to each paragraph in order to understand the use of Poe‘s descriptive language. Try to find examples like these in the sample text above, "Doings of Gotham: Letter I,"

The Writing Corner: My descriptive essay It is time now to start working on your own essay. You should pay closer attention this time to the first two stages of the essay writing process. Identify your topic first -- this would be the focus of the descriptive essay.

When writing a descriptive essay, it is best to make an outline of the topic that has to be discussed. The details included in that outline should revolve around the topic selected. (In Appendix 4 you can read more about outlining)

You can choose any appealing thing, place, person, event, or activity. You could select any of these:  Share with your classmates a personal experience you have undergone during your teaching practice. (You can choose to write about any other experience if you wish to)

 Share in a journal the description of someone special. You could refer to some quality you admire in that other person or that you want to cultivate in yourself.

 Share with your classmates the description of an event in your daily life.

 Share with your friends the description of a special place where you lived an unforgettable experience.

Brainstorm for ideas you may want to include -- the contents you worked with for developing Project 1 will surely provide rich ideas. Once you gather all the information related to the chosen topic, you can complete your outline. The sample outline formats given at the end of this unit could help you organize your ideas. You should keep your essay drafts in a portfolio, as in other units along the course we will be focusing on other essay parts and steps of the essay writing process; this means you will have a chance to polish your essays as you study new elements.

The procedures given below should become useful guidelines for writing this or any other type of essay.

Task Skills needed Product

Read the question or brief and Thinking academically Subject. understand what you are

required to do. Think about the subject, the purpose and the audience.

Think about what you know Brainstorming Diagrams or notes. about the subject. Write it down in some way.

Go to the library and find Library/research skills Reading list. relevant books or articles.

Find the books on your Reading skills: skimming List of materials reading list - if you have one - and scanning studied. and study them.

Make notes on these books Reading in detail Notes. and articles. Selecting & note-taking

Record full details of the Paraphrasing/summarizing materials you use.

Organize your piece of work. Planning Plan. Organization

Type or write your first draft. Writing from notes First draft. Synthesis Writing paragraphs Typing/word-processing

Discuss your first draft Speaking skills List of informally with friends, other Listening skills revisions/changes. members of your class and Discussion skills your lecturer if possible.

Revise your first draft, bearing Use of dictionaries & Second draft. in mind any comments that reference books

were made in your Writing introduction & discussions. conclusion

Go back to 2, if necessary Quoting/writing a list of references Produce your second draft.

Proofread your draft. Checking for spelling Writing with mistakes changes marked.

Checking punctuation and grammar Checking vocabulary use Checking style Checking organization, references etc. Checking for plagiarism

Produce a final typed version. Typing/word-processing Final piece of work. Writing title/contents page

Check everything. Final check Hand in.

Source: http://www.uefap.com/writing/writfram.htm

Sample Outline Formats

Describing places

Paragraph I a. Opening Topic Sentence / Attention Getter b. The place I am writing about c. Brief feeling about the place d. Sensory detail.

Paragraph II a. Description of another specific location within the same place

b. Factual details c. Sensory details with vivid language

Paragraph III a. Description of another specific location within the same place b. Factual details c. Sensory detail with vivid language

Paragraph IV a. Restatement of feeling about place with further expansion b. Clincher statement

Describing people

Paragraph I a. Opening Topic Sentence / Attention Getter b. General information about the person c. Say when, where and how you first met

Paragraph II

a. Description of the person‘s physical appearance b. Sensory details with vivid language

Paragraph III a. Description of Factual details: personal qualities, hobbies/interests b. Sensory details with vivid language

Paragraph IV a. Restatement of feeling about the person b. Clincher statement

Listen to “My Little Town” by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel 1. As you listen to the song, fill in the blanks. 2. What is the topic of this song? 3. What message does this song convey? Think of other songs that have the same message. 4. Practice your pronunciation by listening to the song and doing this:  Put a mark on all the words that are stressed (sentence stress)  Identify any sounds that are elided (omitted or eliminated)  Put a symbol to all reduced vowels  Mark blending (final vowel to initial consonant)  Mark pauses where necessary  Practice shadowing with your teacher around the class. 5. Try to learn the song by heart and sing it for the whole class, in search for ―The Voice.‖

My Little Town By Paul Simon and Garfunkel In my little town And after it ______I grew up believing There's a rainbow God keeps his eye on us all And all of the colors are black And he used to lean upon me It's not that the colors aren't there As I pledged allegiance to the wall It's just imagination they lack Lord I recall Everything's the same My little town Back in my little town Nothing but the dead and ______home after school Back in my little town ______my bike past the gates Nothing but the dead and dying Of the factories Back in my little town My mom ______the laundry ______our shirts In my little town In the dirty breeze I never ______nothing'

______home after school I _____ just my father‘s son ______my bike past the gates ______my money Of the factories ______of glory My mom ______the laundry Twitching like a finger ______our shirts On the trigger of a gun In the dirty breeze ______nothing but the dead and dying Back in my little town Repeat and fade: Nothing but the dead and dying Back in my little town

Simon & Garfunkel 1. Are these US, British or Australian singers? Are you familiar with any of their music hits? Ask these questions around the class to as many people as you need.

2. Read their biography and check your answers. Were you right or wrong?

3. Summarize this Simon & Garfunkel biography in the following chart:

Career beginnings Music genre Commercial success Greatest hits Awards Discography Tours Soundtracks

4. According to what you have read, what were some of the themes included in their most famous songs? Would you say that their song themes were progressive? Discuss this with two of your peers.

5. Which of these songs by Simon and Garfunkel have you heard:

- The Sound Of Silence

- Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

- Mrs. Robinson

- Bridge Over Troubled Water

- El Condor Pasa?

Ask people around the class. Add this: Which of these is the theme of a famous movie in which Dustin Huffman is a leading actor.

Simon & Garfunkel This highly successful vocal duo first played together during their early years in New York. Paul Simon (b. 13 October 1941, Newark, New Jersey, USA) and Art Garfunkel (b. Arthur Garfunkel, 5 November 1941, Forest Hills, New York, USA) were initially inspired by the The Everly Brothers and under the name Tom and Jerry enjoyed a US hit with the rock ‗n‘ roll-styled "Hey Schoolgirl." They also completed an album which was later reissued after their rise to international prominence in the '60s. Garfunkel subsequently returned to college and Simon pursued a solo career before the duo reunited in 1964 for WEDNESDAY MORNING, 3 A.M... A strong, harmonic work, which included an acoustic reading of "The Sound of Silence," the album did not sell well enough to encourage the group to stay together. While Simon was in England the folk-rock boom was in the ascendant and producer Tom Wilson made the presumptuous but prescient decision to overdub "Sound Of Silence" with electric instrumentation. Within weeks, the song was number 1 in the US charts, and Simon and Garfunkel were hastily reunited. An album titled after their million-selling single was rush-released early in 1966 and proved a commendable work. Among its major achievements was "Homeward Bound," an evocative and moving portrayal of life on the road, which went on to become a transatlantic hit. The solipsistic "I Am a Rock"

was another international success with such angst-ridden lines as, ‗I have no need of friendship, friendship causes pain‘. In keeping with the social commentary that permeated their mid-'60s‘ work, the group included two songs whose theme was suicide: "A Most Peculiar Man" and "Richard Cory." Embraced by a vast following, especially among the student population, the duo certainly looked the part with their college scarves, duffle coats and cerebral demeanor. Their next single, "The Dangling Conversation," was their most ambitious lyric to date and far too esoteric for the Top 20. Nevertheless, the work testified to their artistic courage and boded well for the release of a second album within a year: PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY & THYME. The album took its title from a repeated line in "Scarborough Fair," which was their excellent harmonic weaving of that traditional song and another, "Canticle." An accomplished work, the album had a varied mood from the grandly serious "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" to the bouncy "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" (subsequently a hit for Harpers Bizarre). After two strong but uncommercial singles, "At the Zoo" and "Fakin' It," the duo contributed to the soundtrack of the 1968 film, THE GRADUATE. The key song in the film was "Mrs. Robinson" which provided the group with one of their biggest international sellers. That same year saw the release of BOOKENDS, a superbly-crafted work, ranging from the serene "Save the Life of My Child" to the personal odyssey "America" and the vivid imagery of "Old Friends." BOOKENDS is still felt by many to be their finest work. In 1969 the duo released "The Boxer," a long single that nevertheless found commercial success on both sides of the Atlantic. This classic single reappeared on the group's next album, the celebrated BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER. One of the best-selling albums of all time (303 weeks on the UK chart), the work's title track became a standard with its lush, orchestral arrangement and contrasting tempo. Heavily gospel-influenced, the album included several well-covered songs such as "Keep the Customer Satisfied," "Cecilia" and "El Condor Pasa." While at the peak of their commercial success the duo became irascible and their partnership abruptly ceased. After a long break, a further duet occurred on the hit single "My Little Town" in 1975. In 1981 they again reunited. The results were captured in 1981 on

THE CONCERT IN CENTRAL PARK. Although another studio album was undertaken, the sessions broke down and Simon transferred the planned material to his 1983 solo HEARTS AND BONES. In the autumn of 1993 Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel settled their differences long enough to complete 21 sell-out dates in New York. (Source: Encarta Microsoft Corporation and/or its suppliers, 1996.)

Caribbean People

The roots of the vast majority of the Caribbean people can be traced to Europe, Africa, and Asia. During the 17th century the English, Dutch, and French joined the Spanish in settling and exploring the West Indies. At first, the English and French met their needs for labor by bringing Europeans to the islands as indentured servants, individuals who agreed to work for a specific number of years in exchange for passage to the colonies, food, and shelter. Eventually, all the colonizing countries imported slaves from Africa to provide labor. The number of slaves brought to the West Indies increased dramatically after the sugar plantations were established in the 17th century, making slavery the dominant economic institution on many islands. The number of slaves imported into the West Indies was large, estimated at about 4 million people. About 40 percent of the 10 million slaves imported to the Americas went to the Caribbean. Africans soon became the majority on most of the islands. Asians joined the population in the 19th century, when Chinese workers arrived in Cuba and Jamaica and indentured workers from India came to the Lesser Antilles. An estimated 70 percent of the people of the West Indies are of African descent or mulatto (mixed African and European descent), 25 percent European descent, and 5 percent Asian descent. The racial composition of individual islands, however, differs widely. Most of the whites are of Spanish descent and live in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Most of the Asians live in Trinidad. The inhabitants of the other islands and the third of Hispaniola occupied by Haiti are overwhelmingly of African descent. Jamaica is typical of

the older plantation islands, with 76 percent of its population of African descent, 15 percent mulatto, 1 percent of European descent, and 8 percent of Chinese, Indian, or other heritage. (Adapted from Encarta, Microsoft, 1996)

Do this:

I. Is the composition of the population the same in all Caribbean countries? How are they different?

II. Read the text and … A. Choose what its main idea is. a) _____ Africans descendants became the majority on most of the Caribbean islands. b) _____ All the colonizing countries imported slaves from Africa to provide labor. c) _____ The vast majority of the Caribbean people are European, African, and/or Asian descendants. B. Complete the following diagram.

THE COLONIZERS OF THE CARIBBEAN

15th ___th

Century Century

THE SPANISH THE DUTCH

AT FIRST, BROUGHT… TO PROVIDE LABOR

BUT EVENTUALLY IMPORTED… FROM…

C. Complete this chart about the labor forces that European colonizers brought into the Americas

Number Condition Origin Destination 10 million Africa slaves The Caribbean - China - Indentured The Lesser Antilles workers

D. Identify what portion of this graph represents the percent of population in the Caribbean that is of Asian, European, or African descent. In what country (ies) do each of these groups mostly live?

A B

III. When you analyze Cuban people, where can you trace its roots to? Europe, Africa, Asia, all of them? Discuss your ideas with your partner.

IV. Why do you think the great Cuban ethnographer Don Fernando Ortiz compared Cuba to a huge ajiaco? Comment in writing.

(Authentic text) Radio Broadcast: Trivia Question: ―In what city was the first lone-ranger radio program heard?‖ BEFORE YOU LISTEN Activating your knowledge of US geography New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia are major cities in the USA. Do you know where these cities are located? Try and locate them in the following map of the USA. What states do they belong to? Are they the capital cities of those states? You can work in small groups.

WHILE YOU LISTEN

Getting general information 1. Listen and say if it is easy for the listeners/callers to guess the name of the city. 2. Listen again and say how many listeners call in for the answer. 3. How many cities are mentioned? Listen again for an answer to this question.

Understanding specific information 4. Listen to the recording again and mark in the following chart the city that each listener mentions.

L C N D P N P D O H E E I E H E S I W T T W I N C R T L V A A Y O S O A E AMERICAN N G O I B R D R CITIES G O R T U L E E K R E L L G A P E H N H S S I A Listener 1 Listener 2 Listener 3 Listener 4 Listener 5 Listener 6

5. What is the answer to the question: ―In what city was the first lone-ranger radio program heard?‖ Listen and decide.

6. In what radio station was this program aired?

7. What is the prize for the winner?

8. Who is the winner? Does she live in the city where the first lone-ranger radio program was heard?

9. Now listen and determine the right telephone numbers.

8729000 7453055 8729100 7451665 8749100 7451355

10. Listen again and choose the appropriate date. The first lone-ranger radio program was heard on ___ August 30, 1920. ___ August 20, 1930. ___ August 20, 1920.

11. Listen once more and say if the winner lives in the city where the first lone-ranger radio program was heard.

Identifying communicative functions 12. Read the communicative functions below. Then listen to the recording again and choose those that are present in it. a. greeting someone b. asking how someone is c. inviting someone d. saying how you are e. saying where you live f. thanking g. saying good-bye h. asking someone to say something again

i. asking where someone lives j. asking people‘s names

Transcribing parts of an oral text 13. Fill in the missing parts as you listen to the following excerpt once again.

Announcer: Good ______. You‘re ______the ______. Listener 1: ______. Announcer: ______you ______today? Listener 1: ______. ______you ______? Announcer: Oh, ______! Listener 1: ______! Was it ______? Announcer: Was it ______? Very ______guess but not ______. Listener 1: Not correct. Announcer: ______about it. ______me a ______back. Listener 1: Great. Thank you. Announcer: ______. Bye. Listener 1: Bye.

AFTER YOU LISTEN

Working with pronunciation factors 1. Do the following: a. Divide each sentence into tone groups, marking pauses with a slash. b. Mark stressed syllables with an accent. c. Mark linking of final and initial sounds within the same tone group.

Imitating native speakers’ pronunciation 2. Then try to imitate the speakers‘ pronunciation as closely as possible. Listen to the recording several times and repeat after the speakers, playing their roles. Concentrate on stressed syllables and reduced vowels.

Reading as a follow-up 3. The following is a short monograph of the city of Detroit. Before you read it look at these questions; then read the text and answer the questions. a. Where is Detroit located? b. Is there a larger city than Detroit in the state of Michigan? c. What is the meaning of Detroit? d. What is the origin of the nickname ―The Motor City‖?

Detroit, city in south-eastern Michigan and seat of Wayne County. Detroit, the largest city in the state, is one of the nation‘s leading industrial centers and one of the world‘s leading corporation centers for the automobile industry. The automobile industry gave Detroit its nickname, The Motor City. Its official name, Detroit, comes from a French word that means ―the narrow place.‖ The city is located at the narrowest point of the channel connecting the upper and lower regions of the vast Great Lakes water system. This strategic location greatly aided the city‘s economic growth, as it became a major port of the Great Lakes industrial basin, linked to global markets in Europe and Asia.

Detroit is located on the Detroit and Rouge rivers, opposite Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is on a flat glacial plain that rises to rolling hills and lake country in the northwest. Detroit has temperate summers and moderately cold winters. Average temperature ranges are -9° to -1 °C (16° to 30 °F) in January and 16° to 29 °C (61° to 83 °F) in July. The city averages 830 mm (33 in) of precipitation a year.

The city of Detroit has a total area of 359 sq. km (139 sq. mi). Detroit's metropolitan region includes Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Saint Clair, and Wayne counties, and has a total area of 11,204 sq. km (4,326 sq. mi).

Together, Detroit and its environs form a roughly semi-circular area separated by the Detroit River from the Canadian province of Ontario. The semicircle is bisected by

Woodward Avenue, which extends north to the city of Pontiac, Michigan. Detroit is crossed by other major thoroughfares, among them Gratiot Avenue, extending straight to the northeast, and Grand River Avenue, extending straight to the northwest. Connecting these in an arc is Grand Boulevard, which once marked the outskirts of the city and still contains many lovely homes, interspersed with commercial sections. Other major avenues are Jefferson, which parallels the Detroit River and Lake Saint Clair in the northeast; and Michigan Avenue and Ford Road, running southwest and west respectively.

Slightly north of downtown Detroit is the New Center area, which was built in the late 1920s. This area is home to the Fisher Tower, an ornate skyscraper done in the art deco style.

In the city center, several newer public buildings front the Detroit River facing Canada. There are found the Civic Center, a complex that includes the City-County Building, where government offices and courts are housed, and the Cobo Hall convention center, which contains some 28,000 sq. m (300,000 sq. ft.) of floor space. Also on the river are the five skyscrapers of the Renaissance Center, an office and hotel complex that includes one of the world's tallest hotels. The General Motors Corporation makes the Renaissance Center its world headquarters. Renovation has extensively changed the downtown area, which is circled by a monorail that follows the outside perimeter.

The Detroit city center also houses one of the largest collections of early 20th-century skyscrapers in the United States. The Guardian Building, built in 1929, is strikingly accented with Detroit's signature Pewabic pottery, glazed ceramic tiles that were an important architectural element in buildings of the 1920s. Other buildings from this period include the 47-story Penobscot Building, constructed in 1928, for many years the tallest building in Detroit; the Book Building, constructed in 1917; and the David Stott Building, which is modelled on a design by famous architect Eliel Saarinen.

During the 20th century, Detroit became a center of the growing automobile industry, and both industrial and residential suburbs grew in the metropolitan area. The industrial suburbs, dependent on the transportation systems of the center city, formed in a ring around Detroit, while the residential areas formed in a larger ring around the industrial suburbs. These inner- and outer-ring suburbs cover much of Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties, with the western outer-ring suburbs extending almost 65 km (almost 40 mi) to the city of Ann Arbor.

Detroit's population has declined dramatically since its peak of 1,850,000 in 1950. In 2000 the population was 951,270. By 2004, Detroit's population was estimated at 900,198. This population decline is a concern to city government because a population below one million might jeopardize funding from the federal and state governments and other forms of revenue, hurting city services.

At the time of the 2000 census, African Americans made up 81.6 percent of the population of Detroit; whites 12.3 percent; Asians 1 percent; and Native Americans 0.3 percent. Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders numbered 251. People of mixed heritage or not reporting race were 4.9 percent of inhabitants. Hispanics, who may be of any race, were 5 percent of the population.

Detroit's metropolitan area had a population of 5,456,400 in 2000. The metropolitan area also includes significant minority groups, including the largest community of Arab Americans in the nation, numbering 102,000 people in 2000. There are very few distinct ethnic neighborhoods within Detroit or its metropolitan area.

At the turn of the century the population of Detroit was about two-thirds native-born, mainly of French, Canadian, and American ancestry, but with some descendants of German and Irish immigrants. In the first half of the 20th century, the percentage of foreign-born residents declined, even though many immigrants arrived from Eastern Europe. During World War II (1939-1945), both whites and blacks were attracted to

the city from the South. In 1950 foreign-born and black residents each made up about 16 percent of the total population.

The city's center includes the world-class collections of the Detroit Institute of Arts, in particular its signature murals by Diego Rivera, titled Detroit Industry (1932-1933). The nearby Detroit Science Museum with its IMAX theater and hands-on exhibits cooperates with area schools to promote science. The Museum of African American History, also located near the Institute of Arts, is devoted to African American history, art, and culture. Slightly to the north, in the New Center area is the Motown Museum, formerly the headquarters of Motown Records. Motown Records became famous in the 1960s as the world headquarters and recording studios for an array of popular black soloists and musical groups, including Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, and the Supremes.

Ethnic festivals at Hart Plaza on the waterfront draw crowds each summer weekend. In addition, Detroit has two traditional events that bring more than one million people downtown. One is the Thanksgiving Day Parade; the other is the fireworks display in early July cosponsored by the United States and Canada. (Taken from Encarta, Microsoft, 1996)

4. One of the nicknames of Detroit is, as you have seen, the Motor City. Other known nicknames are: Automobile City, Detroit the Beautiful, Dynamic City, and Motor Capital of the World.

Many other cities in the United States also have nicknames. One such city is New York. Do you know any of the nicknames of New York? If you do not know, find out.

Working with lexical items derived from the listening text 5. Vocabulary expansion

a. on the air / in the air ―Good morning. You are on the air.‖ Does this mean that the person is suspending in the air? What does it mean? How about the idea expressed in the following sentence? ―The smoke coming out of the chimney is in the air.‖

b. Making a telephone conversation What do you think hold on means in the following context? Announcer: Good morning. You‘re on the air. Listener: Oh, I was calling for Bill Becker. Announcer: Oh, you‘re calling for Bill Becker. All right, then we‘ll put you on hold and go to the next line. Hold on. c. married to ―A friend of mine was married to Demar who was the voice of the lone-ranger.‖ Spanish-speaking learners have the tendency to say married with because of the interference of their native language. In Spanish we say: ―Estoy casado con María.‖ Put the following sentences into English:  Mi hermana está casada con el director de la escuela.  Me casaré con Bárbara la próxima semana.

Getting ready to teach: Vocabulary teaching and learning Before you read, discuss these questions:  What are your views about vocabulary teaching?

 Do you know who Dr. C. Rosa Antich de León is?

Dr. C. Rosa Antich de León argues that vocabulary seems to be the easiest aspect to acquire in learning a foreign language, but also the easiest to forget In her opinion, when teaching at the elementary level, the following basic principles about vocabulary teaching must be observed: - the number of words should be kept low, so that students can acquire the sound system and grammar without the overloading of words. - vocabulary must be taught in context. The assimilation of vocabulary may be more or less easy depending on the context in which words are presented, the number of times words are used in class and the number of times teachers recycle and provide practice of parrticular vocabulary areas during a school year. Learning a word involves: understanding it, reproducing it, relating sound to graphemes and using the word in communication.

How can teachers help their learners to increase their vocabulary stock? First of all, ways of presenting new vocabulary should be varied. Second, in order to improve the efficiency of vocabulary learning (memorizing and retrieving lexical items) students should be encouraged to make use of learning strategies that are at their disposal, and be taught, either implicitly or explicitly, new strategies for vocabulary learning.

(Antich de León R. et. Al., Metodología de la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras. Editorial Pueblo y Educación, Ciudad de La Habana, 1986.)

Do this:

After reading about this topic, work in pairs to exchange ideas about the following aspects:

1. List the teaching strategies used by your teacher to teach vocabulary items. 2. List the most common learning strategies used by you in order to enhance your vocabulary stock.

3. Think back and try to remember the most exciting experience while retrieving a vocabulary item in a special occasion. 4. Think about the best way to learn new vocabulary and share it with your partner. 5. Post up your ideas on a class corner to be shared with other people.

UNIT3: Current activities, long- term processes and developments

(Classroom prepared text) Better World Before you listen

1. You are very concerned about the environment. Talk with your teacher about what you are doing at school to protect the environment. While you listen 2. Listen to the text and tick the correct ending. Greener World is __ A school program to clean the city. __ an environmental program involving children to enjoy a better life. __ an environmental program to clean the oceans. 3. What does Greener World want to show children? 4. Which of the following actions have been carried out by Greener World? Tick them as you listen to the text. __ They have placed recycling bins around the city. __ They have been painting dirty walls. __ They have been planting trees. __ They have been developing educational programs. __ They have been recycling bottles, cans, plastic bags and so forth. __ They have been distributing educational pamphlets.

5. In the text, the sentence ―Fishing supplies are being depleted‖ means: __ They are being exhausted. __ They are being increased.

After you listen

6. Did the man convince the woman to join greener World? How do you know? Discuss this in pairs. 7. In pairs, sum up the main actions Greener World is carrying out in order to protect the environment.

Proverb He who wills the end wills the means

Group work. Discuss the following questions in your group and be ready to share your ideas with the rest of the class. a. Does this proverb show optimism or pessimism? How do you know? b. To whom will you say this proverb? c. Does it have any use in the field of education? In what way? d. Do you know any friends, relatives or roommates who you can tell this proverb to? Tell the class why. e. Is there a similar proverb in your native language? What is it?

The vowel sounds ǀΛǀ, ǀǝǀ , ǀɝǀ and ǀɤǀ

1. ǀΛǀ as in sun, come, country, blood, and does This is a lax short vowel that is pronounced with the lips neutrally spread. It occurs at the beginning and middle of words, only in stressed syllables. It is usually spelled u, o, ou, oo, or oe.

Do this:

a. In pairs make a list of three words with the sound ǀΛǀ as in sun. Then put those words into a little dialogue, a verse, or a rap.

b. Identify and transcribe the sound ǀΛǀ wherever it appears in these proverbs. Then practice saying the proverbs with a partner.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder

 Constant occupation prevents temptation

c. From these lists take out all the words that have the sound ǀΛǀ. As you do so, group the words according to their spelling.

2. ǀǝǀ as in banana gentlemen oblige, parliament, famous This is a lax, short vowel that is pronounced with the lips in neutral position. It occurs only in unstressed syllables at the beginning, middle and end of words.

Do this:

a. Mark sentence stress in this poem, then identify and transcribe the sound ǀǝǀ wherever it occurs. The Uncertainty of the Poet By Wendy Cope ‗The Tate Gallery yesterday announced that it had paid £1 million for a Giorgo de Chirico masterpiece, the Uncertainty of the Poet. It depicts a torso and a bunch of bananas‘. (Guardian, 2 April 1985)

I am a poet I am very fond of bananas I am bananas I am very fond of a poet I am a poet of banana. I am very fond A fond poet of ‗I am, I am‘ Very bananas Fond of ‗Am I bananas Am I?‘ – a very poet Bananas of a poet! Am I fond?‘ Am I very? Poet bananas! I am I am fond of a ‗very‘ I am of very fond bananas Am I a poet?

(Taken from www.teachingenglish.org.uk website)

b. Practice reciting the poem with a partner. Once you are ready, record yourselves at the language lab and listen to the recording.

3. ǀɝǀ as in bird, first, turn, shirt, heard, turf and curse

Do this: a. Look up the meaning of the words you don´t know. b. Does this sound occur in a stressed position or in an unstressed position? c. Practice repeating them with a partner. d. Make three lists of words with this sound and practice repeating them in pairs. Then make up a little story with some of the words.

bird heard turf

4. ǀɤǀ as in mother, particular, doctor, figure, martyr

Do this: a. Does this sound occur in a stressed position or in an unstressed position? b. In pairs make a list of words referring to family members and then

discuss which of those words have the sound ǀɤǀ. You may want to do so with another family of words such as school objects or raw material, etc.

3.1. Describe recent activities and achievements Here is a conversation in which people ask and talk about the recent activities they have been involved in and the achievements they have attained so far. Do this: Read the script of the conversation and take down the questions that are asked in order to find out about recent activities and their achievements.

Alain: Hello, Charles – I haven‘t seen you all day. What have you been doing? Charles: Actually, I´ve been working on my first novel. Alan: Oh yes? How far have you got with it? Charles: Well, I´ve thought of a good title. And I´ve made a list of characters, and I´ve designed the frontcover. Alan: Have you started writing it yet? Charles: Oh yes, I´ve written two pages already. Alan: Only two? Charles: Well, yes – I haven´t quite decided yet what happens next. (Meanings into words, Intermediate, Teacher´s Book, by Doff Adrian, Christopher Jones and Keith Mitchell. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, Great Britain, 1992:80)

You use these questions in order to ask about achievements: How much have you (done)? How far have you gotten (with it)? Haw far have you gone? How much progress have you made? Do this: 1. Work in pairs and improvise a conversation based on the one given above. 2. Work in groups of four. Two of you are teachers and the other two are the School Principal and the Vice-Principal for teaching affairs.

The teachers: You have been asked to prepare a gala with some students in order to mark an important date in the history of Cuba. Decide on everything that needs to be planned, coordinated and rehearsed. Identify what you have achieved so far. The School Principal and the Vice-Principal for teaching affairs: Agree on what shouldn´t be missing in the gala that you asked the teachers to prepare in order to mark an important date in the history of Cuba. Meet with the teachers and find out how much they have arranged already and what is still missing. Give suggestions and offer support on whatever is needed. Use these questions in order to ask about achievements: How much have you (done)? How far have you gotten (with it)? Haw far have you gone? How much progress have you made? 3. Work in pairs. Describe the most important achievement of your life. What did you do? Why was this important to you? How has this changed your life?

3.2. Talk about things that often happen to people and give examples Read the following text about dealing with discipline problems at school, and as you do so: a. Underline all passive voice sentences. b. Determine why the passive voice has been used in this context. c. Group the sentences into these categories:  Sentences with simple passive voice in present (N + the present of to be+ past participle)  Sentences with simple passive voice in past (N + the past of to be+ past participle)  Sentences with get+ past participle passive voice. d. Answer: What´s the difference between the be + past participle passive and the get+ past participle passive voice?

Dealing with challenging student behaviors In some schools, when students misbehave, they are often kept in detention and are asked to complete pending homework or even do clean-up work around the school. Sometimes students who misbehave are not allowed to enter classes until they bring their parents to school to meet with the school principal. In other schools it is routine for students to get fired out of class when they break school regulations. There are a variety of strategies that are used in dealing with discipline problems at school. For example, this very naughty eighth grader was forced to stand before the whole class and promise that he would not disrupt classes ever again. However, according to Stronge J. (2007:23), ―a teacher‘s ability to relate to students and to make positive, caring connections with them plays a significant role in cultivating a positive learning environment and promoting student achievement.‖ This means that it is important for teachers to communicate systematically with his or her students formally and informally, to get to know one another well and basically to treat them as human beings. What do you think?

What difference is there between the simple BE passive and the simple GET passive in Modern English? 1. John was hurt in the accident. 2. He was invited to the party. John got hurt in the accident. He got invited to the party.

3. The answer was known to all us. The answer got known to all of us. In the first pair the BE passive is formal or neutral whereas the GET passive is colloquial and perhaps also suggests the emotional involvement of the speaker. In the second pair we see that the GET passive is more limited than the BE passive in that it can only be used with verbs denoting actions and processes, not states. This, of course, characterizes the fundamental difference between the two, i.e., GET emphasizes process while BE reports a state.

A further difference is suggested by the third pair above, which is that the GET passive may indicate some involvement on the part of the grammatical subject in bringing about the result. The BE passive is neutral in this regard. A further difference between the BE passive and the GET passive is that the GET passive takes an agent even more rarely than the BE passive.

Do this: 1. Conjugate the verbs in parentheses in the following text. Are the sentences in active or passive voice? How do you know? 2. Which sentences are in active voice and which in passive voice in this text? 3. Say true (T) or false (F): The passive voice has been used in this text because: d. The writer is trying to avoid mentioning who has carried out this beautiful construction project. e. The writer wants to keep the theme of the discourse in the subject position of all the sentences within a paragraph. f. It is obvious who the doers or agents were.

The London 2012 Olympic Stadium The London 2012 Olympic Stadium is the most sustainable ever built. With steel a resource in short supply, the build (make) 75 per cent lighter in terms of steel use than other stadiums. It also features a low-carbon concrete, made from industrial waste and containing 40 per cent less embodied carbon than usual. The stadium (locate) at Marshgate Lane in Stratford in the Lower Lea Valley and has capacity for the Games of approximately 80,000 making it temporarily the third largest stadium in Britain behind Wembley Stadium and Twickenham Stadium. The top ring of the Stadium (build) using surplus gas pipes; a visual testament to London 2012's 'reduce, reuse, recycle' approach to sustainability. Steel and concrete use was further reduced by designing the lower section of the stadium to sit within a bowl in the ground. Construction began in May 2008 and (complete) in just under three years, with the final piece of turf laid in April 2011.

4. Finish the incomplete ideas in the following sentences. a. In my town when people throw garbage at the wrong places, they …. b. In the school where I´m working, when students arrive late, they …

c. In a soccer game, when a player commits a serious foul, he … 5. In pairs talk about unpleasant things that often happen to people when they are traveling on public buses or trains.

3.3. Describe activities during a current period We may use the present continuous passive for talking about activities during a current period. For example:

Famous Cuban Premiere Ballerina Alcia Alonso is celebrating her 90 years of an immensely rich life. She is being honored all over Cuba and around the world for her extremely successful ballet career and her invaluable legacy of creating the Cuban ballet school, which is famous all over the world. She´s being invited to travel to different provinces in her country and she is being awarded with all sorts of prizes, and presented with all kinds of gifts.

 The celebration of Alicia´s 90th anniversary extends during a current period, meaning that it is not just happening at the moment of speech. This explains why the writer of this text has chosen to express the continuity of the celebrations.  The first sentence in the text announces Alicia Alonso as the topic, so this topic is kept in subject position in the next sentence, and so forth, which inevitably calls for a passive sentence construction. This is actually a principle of discourse organization: the principle of topic continuity.  Notice how the continuous passive is formed in statements and questions: Affirmative sentences N+ am/is/are+ be+ing + past participle (She is being invited…) Negative sentences N+ am/is/are + not + be + ing + past participle (She is not being asked to….) Question

am/is/are + N + be+ing+ past participle (Is she being encouraged to write her memoirs as a ballet dancer and teacher?) Do this: 1. A school principal is following up on the individual attention that is being given to an at-risk student. Complete in writing the conversation between the head teacher (HT) and the school principal (SP), following the example given. SP: So you`re providing him with opportunities for individual attention in and out of class? HT: Yes, Sir. He´s being provided with such opportunities, more than once a week. SP: And you´re briefing his parents about his progress and needs? HT: Yes, Sir. They … SP: And you´re teaching him how to learn on his own? HT: Yes, Sir. He… SP: And you´re giving him enough homework to keep him busy? HT: Yes, Sir. He… 2. In pairs act out the conversation and carry it on as long as you can. 3.4. Describe long- term processes and developments The present continuous passive is also used for describing long-term processes and developments. For example:

1. Fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) are being used up, and people are searching for new sources of energy, e.g., from the sun, the wind, the waves. 2. People are living longer because more deseases are being cured by modern medicine, and doctors are discovering new drugs. 3. The Mediterranian is getting more polluted because the countries around it are pouring industrial waste into their rivers; fish are disappearing and it´s becoming dangerous for swimmers.

Do this: 1. In groups of three, talk about these processes and their developments. b. The sea level is rising, so in Cuba people living near the seashore ….

c. Sources of energy are scarse in our country, so solar panels … d. Aging is an issue in our country, so new shelters … e. Birth rates in our country are not high enough to stop the aging trend in our population, so young couples … f. Shortage of houses and house maintance problems are striking many families in our country, and especially many young couples. For this reason, people in general … 2. Rewrite these sentences beginning with the words provided. a. The manager always welcomes new employees. New employees ______b. Someone is cleaning the windows. The windows ______c. Someone is moving my desk. My desk ______d. They are taking the garbage to a place outside the village. The garbage ______e. They are questioning them and searching their vehicle at the same time. They ______and their vehicle ______f. They are opening the case again because they are not satisfied with the verdict. The case ______g. People greatly enjoy eating out with friends. Eating out ______

What kinds of passives are there in English, formally speaking? There are four formally distinctive kinds of passive sentences in English: 1. Simple passives with BE+ past participle: e.g., Mary was hit by John. Grapes are grown in the valley. 2. Simple passives with GET+ past participles:

e.g., Barry got invited to the party. John got hurt in the accident. 3. Complex passives with BE + past participle: e.g., It is rumored that he will get the job. That he will get the job has been decided. John is thought to be intelligent. 4. Complex passives with HAVE + NP + past participle: e.g., Hal had his car stolen last weekend. Alice had her purse snatched while shopping downtown. When is the passive voice used? The passive is often used: 1. When the agent is redundant, i.e., easy to supply, and therefore not expressed. e.g., Oranges are grown in California. 2. When the writer wants to emphasize the receiver or result of the action. e.g., Six people were killed by the tornado. 3. When the writer wants to make a statement sound objective without revealing the source of information. e.g. It is assumed/believed that he will announce his candidacy soon. 4. When the writer wants to be tactful or evasive by not mentioning the agent or when he or she cannot or will not identify the agent. e.g., Margaret was given some bad advice about selecting courses. 5. When the writer wishes to retain the same grammatical subject in successive clauses, even though the function of the noun phrase changes from agent to theme. e.g., George Foreman beat Joe Frazier, but he was beaten by Muhammad Ali. 6. When the passive is more appropriate than the active (usually in complex sentences). 7. When the theme is given information and the agent is new information. e.g., A: What a lovely scarf! B: Thank you. It was given to me by Pam.

When do we retain the agent in a passive voice sentence? 1. When the agent is a proper name designating an artist, inventor, discoverer, innovator, etc... e.g., The Mona Lisa was painted by da Vinci. 2. When the agent is an indefinite noun phrase, i.e., new information, and is retained to provide the listener or reader with the new information. e.g., While Jill was walking down the street; her purse was snatched by a young man. 3. When the agent is an inanimate noun phrase which is retained because it is unexpected; i.e., we expect agents to be animate, and almost all omitted agents get reconstructed as animate nouns. e.g., All lights and appliances in the Albertson household are switched on and off daily by an electric device.

(Taken from Celce-Murcia Marianne & Diane Larsen-Freeman. The Grammar Book, An ESL/EFL Teacher`s Course. Newbury House Publishers, Inc. Rowley, Massachusetts. Rowley, London, Toronto, 1983: 221-231)

Do this:

1. A lot of changes are taking place in my town. What about yours? Use the information provided below to talk about the changes that are taking place in your town. Follow the example: new buildings  My town is changing so much; for example many buildings are being built. New roads /hotels / apartment buildings / big entertainment parks / a bridge for cars / the beach / new restaurants

2. What are you good at? … Matching dates and events? … Identifying names and discoveries? … Locating historical and famous cities? Test your knowledge. Complete the sentences by selecting the appropriate verbs from the list.

List: Hold- convene-visit-found- launch- build-celebrate-locate-choose-take- include-abolish-organize-replace-add-shoot-restore-award-construct- contaminate-rush-run-revive

a. Machu Picchu (which means ―manly peak‖) was most likely a religious retreat. It ______between 1460 and 1470 A.D. by Pachacuti Inca Yupanqyui, an Incan ruler. b. Marie Curi ______two Nobel Prizes: one in physics (1903) and one in chemistry (1911). c. Yuri Gagarin ______into outer space in the first manned spacecraft in 1961. d. In 1980, John Lennon, singer, songwriter and co-founder of the band The Beatles______five times with a 38 revolver by a crazy fan. Lennon ______to the hospital but died on arrival from massive loss of blood. e. The 16th World festival Of Youth and Students______in Caracas in 2005. f. In ten years from now, thousands of beaches______by the irresponsible action of humans. g. The Che Guevara Memorial in Santa Clara City ______by thousands of visitors and tourists every year. h. Personally, I don‘t think that printed books ______by electronic formats in the future.

Project Work

Project 3: Things we should never forget

Anecdotes are past memories we treasure because of their funny situations, uniqueness, unexpected endings or biographical incidents. They form part of our emotional world and are an inseparable component of human beings. Though they are generally part of our oral communication they can be better remembered if we

write them down. Choose one of the tasks that are suggested next in order to carry out this project or create any other task that best suits this project´s purpose. Suggestions:

1. Work in teams to remember the most outstanding anecdotes at college. Choose the ones that can form part of a booklet of anecdotes to be read by the coming generations. Don´t forget that each anecdote should have a catching title. To have a better idea you can go to your university library or search in ECURED for the book called "Nosotros " by Lucio Bencomo Valle , a Cuban who wrote a book of anecdotes about people from Pinar del Rio. You will enjoy this book and surely it will be a nice model for you to write your own booklet of anecdotes. 2. Work in teams to interview a history professor in university or a history teacher in your municipality, in order to find out about historical events in your locality that can be a source of knowledge for you. Write a report with your findings and do not forget to include your reflection on the importance of learning about our history. 3. There are incidents in people‘s past that we still do not know well enough because of the various versions we have heard around. You can research about important characters in your town, city or college. For example, in Santa Clara, there was a famous donkey called "Perico" and there are many stories about his life and deeds. Search for more details about this famous donkey in ECURED. Work in teams or individually to think of any story that can be interesting but still not clear enough for most people. Interview people who know what happened, look for other sources of information and try to piece together the story according to your own picture of the fact selected. Write a story to be published in your university Web Site.

The Pencil Box by Doris Sanford I was deep in thought at my office, preparing a lecture to be given that evening at a college across town, when the phone rang. A woman I had never met introduced herself and said that she was the mother of a seven-year-old and that she was dying. She said that her therapist had advised her that discussing her pending death with her son would be too traumatic for him, but somehow that did not feel right to her. Knowing that I worked with grieving children, she asked my advice. I told her that our heart is often smarter than our brain and that I thought she knew what would be best for her son. I also invited her to attend the lecture that night since I was speaking about how children cope with death. She said she would be there. I wondered later if I would recognize her at the lecture, but my question was answered when I saw a frail woman being half carried into the room by two adults. I talked about the fact that children usually sense the truth long before they are told and that they often wait until they feel adults are ready to talk about it before sharing their concerns and questions. I said that children usually could handle truth better than denial, even though the denial was intended to protect them from pain. I said that respecting children meant including them in the family sadness, not shutting them out. She had heard enough. At the break, she hobbled to the podium and through her tears she said, "I knew it in my heart. I just knew I should tell him." She said that she would tell him that night. The next morning I received another phone call from her. She could hardly talk, but I managed to hear the story through her choked voice. She had awakened him when they got home the night before and quietly said, "Derek, I have something to tell you." He quickly interrupted her, saying, "Oh, Mommy, is it now that you are going to tell me that you are dying?" She held him close, and they both sobbed while she said, "Yes." After a few minutes, the little boy went down. He said that he had something for her that he had been saving. In the back of one of his drawers was a dirty pencil box.

Inside the box was a letter written in simple scrawl. It said, "Good-bye, Mom. I will always love you." How long he had been waiting to hear the truth, I don't know. I do know that two days later the young mother died. In her casket was placed a dirty pencil box and a letter. (Source: http//: www.miguellmlnop.com/practice/intermediate/readingcomprehension/thepencilbox.pd

I. Getting ready to read With a partner discuss: 1. Is it common for people to look for professional advice when they are facing difficult situations? Think of examples of these kind of situations 2. Is it difficult to talk to a child about a parent´s death? Would you look for advice if you were in such a case? Explain.

II. Connecting with the text 1. Read the text quickly to see if it refers to any situation related to what you just discussed. 2. Read the text again and choose a, b or c in each question below. Only one choice is correct.

1. When the writer was preparing a lecture a. A man came to visit her. b. A woman came to visit her. c. A woman telephoned her.

2. The lecture that the writer was going to give included information on a. Children without parents. b. Sad children living in pain. c. Abandoned children.

3. The writer recognized the person at the lecture because

a. She introduced herself. b. She was very weak and was accompanied by two people. c. She was dressed in blue.

4. After the lecture that person a. Went to a bar to have some coffee b. went home and told her son that she was dying c. Gave her son a pencil box.

3. Answer the following questions using your own words.

a. What did the therapist advice the young mother? b. What did the writer advise her? c. What did the writer mean when she said that children usually could handle truth better than denial? d. Why did the boy give his Mom the pencil box?

4. Find a word or phrase in the text which, in context, is similar in meaning to:

a. Not convenient, that causes pain, unbearable, upsetting. b. To deal successfully with a difficult situation, handle.

III. Sharing and reflecting 1. Do you happen to know of a similar story? Share it with your classmates. 2. Suppose you have a friend who has gone through a lot of pain because of a great loss. Write him/her a letter where you tell him/her briefly about the little boy´s story with the pencil box.

Conversion Apart from the possibility to create words with the help of affixes, or by joining them, there are other ways to create new words in English on the basis of already existing ones. That is the case of conversion or zero derivation which is defined as the formation of new words without any marking or affix. A word formed by conversion usually changes its word class or category. In order to find cases of conversion we have to look for pairs of words that are derivationally related and usually identical in their phonetic realization, i.e. they are pronounced in exactly the same way, but are used in a different grammatical function. Different types of conversion can be distinguished, in particular from noun to verb, verb to noun, adjective to verb, and adjective to noun. For example: A. From noun to verb example the hammer to hammer Blacksmiths usually hammer pieces of red-hot iron to make horse shoes. the file to file the skin to skin school to school B. From to example verb noun To call a call I have received three calls on my new telephone this morning. To dump a dump To guess a guess To jump a jump To spy a spy

C. From to verb example adjective empty to empty The police officer asked the thief to empty his pockets to see if he had the stolen diamond. better to better hip to hip open to open rustproof to rustproof D. From to noun example adjective poor the poor In capitalist societies the poor have to work for the rich. well-fed the well- fed sublime the sublime crazy the crazy blind the blind

Notice that usually the new words may perform more than one grammatical function; for example, blind can also be used as a verb. For example: The soldiers were blinded after the explosion. In the text The Pencil Box there are several cases of words that have been formed by conversion; for example, answered and sense in paragraph 2, lines 5 and 6 respectively, are originally nouns that have been ―converted‖ into verbs. Do this: 1. Consult Webster‘s, or any other monolingual dictionary that contains etymology, (information about the origin and development of words, affixes or phrases) and

say if the highlighted words from the text are cases of derivation or not. Explain why. Follow the example. In the sentence … But my question was answered when I saw a frail woman being half carried into the room by two adults, the word answer is functioning as a verb, but it is originally a noun, so it is a case of derivation.  sense … originally a noun

 handle … originally a noun

 break originally a verb

 call originally a verb

 scrawl originally a verb

 place originally a noun

2. Now make sentences in which you use the following words. Follow the example. -eye (n) is originally a noun, but it can function as a verb; for example...As I did not have much time, I eyed the book quickly. - word (n) - garage (n) - rich (adj) - down (prep) - up (prep) (Adapted from Word-formation in English, Ingo Plag Universität Siegenin press. Cambridge University Press. Series ‗Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics‘. Draft version of September 27, 2002)

Writing: The narrative essay

―If I fall asleep with a pen in my hand, don't remove it — I might be writing in my dreams.‖ ~Terri Guillemets

What is a narrative essay?

A narrative tells a story in a sequence of events, and most importantly it should make a point. It is told from the author‘s point of view and offers details to get the reader involved in the elements and sequence of a story, which could be real or imaginary.

Where and where did the story happen? Who was involved in the plot?

The statements below refer to the distinctive features of narratives most essay writers agree with. Keep them in

mind when you are asked to write your own narrative essay:

 A narrative essay usually involves sharing some personal experience; for example, describing a personal event in your life, a recurrent activity, a reaction to an event, or an observation.  A narrative essay will have the usual indicators of storytelling: plot, characters, setting, climax and ending.  In a narrative essay, the plot is the focus of the story. In fact, the closest thing to a narrative essay is a short story. The plot is usually revealed chronologically, though there may sometimes be flashbacks.  In a narrative essay, the voice is commonly more conversational in style than in any other essay type; it may use dialogues (but not in excess).  In a narrative essay, paragraphs could have only one sentence.

 A narrative essay tells a story rather than report that is why it should rely on concrete sensory and emotional details, so the reader will experience the story, not just read about it.  In a narrative essay, the details given should create a unified, forceful effect, and a dominant impression, so they must be selected to support, explain and enhance the story, the main component of the narrative essay.

 A narrative essay is usually written in the first person, although third person can also be used.

Notice this:

Is there any difference between a Descriptive Essay and a Narrative Essay? Actually, the purpose of a narrative report is to describe something, which is why both genres of essays are sometimes classified as reporting essays; then, what makes them different? See the answer in the writing tip below:

Writing tip

Descriptive essay Narrative essay  Descriptive writing ―shows”  Narrative writing ―tells‖  It is things which are important.  It is activities which are important.  It usually involves the use of the Present  It usually involves the use of the

Simple Tense Past Simple Tense  It is more concerned with the noun rather  Verbs in a narrative will be more than the verb phrase. colorful than in other types of essays.

What is the basic structure of the narrative essay?

Actually, some writers agree that it is more loosely structured than any other essay type. You will find here though some basic structural conventions that should be kept in mind when writing this genre type:  The introduction should clearly indicate what kind of narrative essay you are writing (an event, a reaction to an event, etc.).  The point you make in the narrative essay is regularly defined in the opening sentence, but you can also write it as the last sentence in the opening paragraph.  The first paragraphs usually introduce the setting and the main characters of a story.  In the body of a narrative essay you should: o Use vivid verbs and modifiers. o Use concrete rather than abstract details, for your readers to understand better what you are saying. See this example from the reading text ―a Charismatic Teacher‖ in Unit 1. Abstract detail: Mr Chase is a friendly person. Concrete details: Mr Chase befriends every new student (and new teacher) in the school and helps him or her adjust to their new environment.  The body paragraphs include your research evidence which in a narrative essay is the story itself.  The body should include the supporting paragraphs that focus on the specific details described.  The conclusion should make a point with what you learned from the experience.

Source: Purdue Online Writing Lab: Narrative Essays http://classroom.synonym.com/comparison-between-personal-narrative-descriptive- essay-1551.html http://classroom.synonym.com/writing-elements-personal-narrative-1501.html http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/04/

Do this:

Read the model narrative essay, ―A lesson learned‖ in order to do the activities given below.

A lesson learned

A lesson learned… I wonder, is it at all possible to learn harsh lessons of our life? Indeed, in most spheres of human activity we can hope to take our previous mistakes into consideration and avoid them in the future. But concerning human feelings, is it right to blame ourselves if it turns out that we had made a mistake by sincerely investing a part of us into a wrong person who has lead us into the devastating emotional state? And can we avoid such mistakes in the future without becoming desensitized? Confusion over these questions constitutes the kaleidoscope of my memory of Kim, the relationship with whom ended with the shattering argument over one of the most important questions – what is the nature of commitment between man and woman?

How fitting was her glowing red pullover when she blazed up in response to my question about whether she had spent the Saturday`s night at the Chicago Blues Club and had left with Craig: ―You better care about your own leisure as mine is definitely much cuter!‖ This phrase was the last one between us as a couple, and, truly, ―care about your own whatever‖ is probably the epitome of the fundamental problem that any couple face in one way or another. I am even grateful to Kim for such an exact formulation. Despite the great time that we had together, this ending of our relationship was in no need of talk. Earlier, when we had petty quarrels words channeled negative emotions, but this time words suddenly turned into the irreversible verdict. I only could respond in my mind: ―How funny, here we have two people who cannot in principle understand each other‖. The realization of this killed in me all desire to engage into mutual accusations, and made me feel fully implicated in this unpleasant situation.

Now that time has passed, I of course remember well the emotional turmoil that accompanied me after our break-up. But while being perhaps less naive now, I am no longer too pessimistic. Yes, as I have said before, it is a daunting task to learn all

lessons of our life because we tend to forget them. But if we manage to leave a trace of our emotional experiences, then probably we can overcome even arguments without the principal solution. Well, this is exactly what I have tried to do, and while I think that ordering of human emotions may dissolve the essence of human experience, I believe that it is necessary to turn our experiences into words that represent them as close as possible, so that we and others could relive them upon reading.

http://essayinfo.com/essays/narrative_essay.php

1. Which of these introduce the subject of the essay? ____ learning about the nature of commitment between man and woman ____ learning about the way a relationship ended ___ learning from our previous mistakes.

2. The use of I in the essay indicates: ___ that what is being described is a personal experience ___ that the writer doesn‘t want to involve the readers ___ that the essay is factual.

3. The author engages the readers‘ interest by. (Click all those you think are valid) ___using humorous quotations ___ adding details or personal observations ___ inviting the readers into his world ___using plenty of descriptions ___ sharing personal thoughts and details ___ giving sufficient details about other characters and the place.

4. In the final paragraph, ______the author reflects on the importance of the experience described. _____ the author restates the main supporting ideas _____ the author starts a new point.

Writing tip: Types of narrative essays

First Person Perspective. Tells a story from the first person's point of view -- that is, the teller or narrator of the story is a character in the story.

The "Framed" Essay. The essay starts at the end -- that is -- after the event that is the focus of the story has already happened -- and then goes back to the beginning and ends at the middle -- with the action returning to the opening of the story.

Beginning in the Middle. The writer begins in the middle -- without providing any background information, so the narrative or story takes on an added interest since so much is unexplained. To be effective, the writer focuses on the significant details of just that one event. Plot becomes more important than character development.

The Open-Ended Narrative. The writer leaves the ending "open" or inconclusive -- leaving the readers thinking about the outcome. It relies on the writers and reader’s imagination. Adapted from http://www.ehow.com/info_8499186_types-narrative-essays.html

Notice this: Revising the use of verb tenses for narrations. A narrative usually involves the use of the Simple Past; so keep in mind what you learnt in Unit 1 about the use of the simple past and the past continuous when talking about past events and the circumstances in which they took place: The past tense is used when the past happening is related to a definite time in the past, while the past progressive is used to refer to a past action occurring simultaneous with some other event.

The Simple Present tense is often used as a narrative device for dramatic effect in certain situations. It is also used to refer to past events in narration in the conversational historical present.

The Present Perfect often expresses how the speaker views himself relative to the event(s) s/he is writing about. It is also used to narrate actions that began in the past and that continue into the present or are not completed: In contrast with the past, the

perfect aspect is used for a past happening which is seen in relation to a later event or time.

The Past Perfect is also used to refer to an action completed in the past prior to some other past event.

As a general rule, the use of perfect tenses is determined by their relationship to the tense of the primary narration; for example, if it is narrated in the simple past, then the prior actions are described using the past perfect.

Study tip:

 Rely on past tense to narrate events and to refer to an author or an author's ideas as historical entities (biographical information about a historical figure or narration of developments in an author's ideas over time).

 Use present tense to state facts, to refer to perpetual or habitual actions, and to discuss your own ideas or those expressed by an author in a particular work. Also use present tense to describe action in a literary work, movie, or other fictional narrative. Occasionally, for dramatic effect, you may wish to narrate an event in present tense as though it were happening now. If you do, use present tense consistently throughout the narrative, making shifts only where appropriate.

 Future action may be expressed in a variety of ways, including the use of will, shall, is going to, are about to, tomorrow and other adverbs of time, and a wide range of contextual cues.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/601/04/

Do this:

 Find in Appendix 6 Mark Twain‘s wonderful narrative essay, ―The Watch‖ and identify the different verb tenses he uses. You can underline or highlight them to help you recognize what they refer to.  The simple past tense is often called the "fictional present" because it feels as if what you are reading is happening now. Is this true of Mark Twains‘ essay? Could you write an essay like this at present? You could share your answers with other classmates.  What type of narrative essay is The Watch? If necessary, look again at the writing tip above about types of narratives.  A narrative essay commonly involves sequencing. See in the table below some of the words and expressions used to express that sequence in time. Then read Twain‘s essay again in order to identify those used in it.

Order Time

first, second, third, etc. When

in the beginning previously

before afterwards

then While

after/ After/ afterwards

finally/in the end As

at last recently

subsequently

In Appendix 7 you can find another very good example of a famous narrative essay, "Shooting an Elephant," written by George Orwell. See the emotional impact delivered in this essay as the horrors of an imperialist state are described by Orwell in the relationship between the British Empire and the oppressed Burmese.

You can do with this model essay similar activities as the ones you did earlier, before you actually write your own narrative essay. Cultural Note: George Orwell was Eric Arthur Blair‘s pen name. He is one of the most outstanding essay writers of the English language and considered perhaps the 20th century‘s best chronicler of English culture because of his position against the British imperialism. You can find in the Internet more information about him and his essays.

The Writing Corner: My narrative essay

Follow the procedures offered in Unit 2 as guidelines for writing an essay, and keep in mind all the tips offered in these units for writing a narrative essay.

1. Before you begin writing, think about something you have done that you will always remember which represents something important in your life. Keep in mind that the best essays are those written on the topics that really matter to the writer, so you may want to choose a topic that is really interesting and important to you. 2. Write for your audience. If your essay is about a personal experience think who will your readers be and what you want them to know about you. 3. Whatever type of narrative you use, make sure you involve your readers to keep them interested in your essay. 4. If your essay is written as a story, it should include plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion. 5. Use plenty of sensory descriptive language if possible. Use details about the setting, the people, the events, etc.

WRITING TIP

Make your essay as dramatic as possible whenever it is appropriate.

Listen to “Stayin’ Alive”, by The Bee Gees

1. Listen to the song to fill in the blanks.

2. Interpret the following idea from the song: ―I‘m a woman‘s man: No time to talk.‖

3. Would you say that the theme of this song is light? Explain.

4. Practice your rhythm in English by singing this fragment from the song as a rap. Do this as a contest around the class.

Well now, I get low and I get high

and if I can´t get either I really try. Got the wings of heaven on my shoes I´m a dancin´ man and I just can´t lose. You know it´s all right, it´s o.k. I´ll live to see another day.

Stayin’ Alive By The Bee Gees

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I´m a woman´s man: no time to talk. Music ______and women ______. I´ve been kicked around since I was ______.

And now it´s all right - it´s o.k. And you ______look the other way. We _____ try to understand the New York Times´ effect on man. Whether you´re a brother or whether you´re a mother,

you´re stayin´ alive, stayin´ alive. ______the city breakin´ and ev´rybody shakin´

And we´re stayin´ alive, stayin´ alive. Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin´ alive, stayin´ alive Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin´ alive.

Well now, I get low and I get high and if I can´t get either I really try. Got the wings of heaven on my shoes I´m a dancin´ man and I just can´t lose. You know it´s all right, it´s o.k. I´ll live to see another day.

We can try to understand the New York Times´ effect on man. Whether you´re a brother or whether you´re a mother, you´re stayin alive, stayin´ alive.

Feel the city breakin´ and ev´rybody shakin´ and we´re stayin´ alive, stayin´ alive. Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin´ alive, stayin´ alive ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin´ alive.

Life goin´ nowhere. Somebody help me. Somebody help, me, yeah. Life goin´ nowhere. somebody help, me, yeah. Stayin´ alive

The Bee Gees 1. Are The Bee Gees Canadian, American, English or Australian? Ask four people around the class. Once you are done, tally the results of your findings with your teacher.

2. What songs by the Bee Gees are popular with some of your friends at school or elsewhere? Again, ask people in class and tally the results of your findings.

3. Read the text and check your answers to the questions that you have been asking about the Bee Gees.

4. Write a summary of the Bee Gees biography in this chart. When you have finished, share the contents of your chart with one of your classmates.

Career beginnings Genre Decades of success Greatest hits Awards Discography Tours Career ending

5. Make a brief oral presentation about the Bee Gees using the information in your charts and adding anything else about them that you can remember.

The Bee Gees

The Bee Gees are a musical group which originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. The trio were successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s and as prominent performers of the disco music era in the late 1970s.

The group sang three-part tight harmonies that were instantly recognisable; Robin's clear vibrato lead was a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry's R&B falsetto became their signature sound during the late 1970s and 1980s. The brothers co- wrote all of their own hits, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists. Born in the Isle of Man to English parents, the Gibb brothers lived their first few years in Chorlton, Manchester, England, then moved in the late 1950s to Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia, where they began their musical careers. After achieving their first chart success in Australia with "Spicks and Specks" (their 12th single), they returned to the United Kingdom in January 1967 where producer Robert Stigwood began promoting them to a worldwide audience. It has been estimated that the Bee Gees' career record sales total more than 220 million, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Following Maurice's sudden death in January 2003, Barry and Robin Gibb ended the group after 45 years of activity. In 2009, however, Robin announced that he and Barry had agreed that the Bee Gees would re-form and perform again. (Taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The Climate in the Caribbean

Tourists are attracted by the Caribbean climate and the beauty of its beaches

The Caribbean area is in the tropics. In these latitudes the sun shines all the year through, and there is little seasonal variation. The sun's heat is moderated by the cool temperatures of the Atlantic Ocean and by the trade winds. From Trinidad to Cuba it is possible to see on the windward coasts the influence of the trade winds: beaches piled high with sand, coconut palms leaning inland away from the wind, and long Atlantic waves breaking against dark gray cliffs. The only safe harbors on the windward coasts are almost landlocked, such as San Juan in Puerto Rico and Havana in Cuba. Away from the wind, the leeward sides of the islands have tranquil waters and many harbors: Port Royal in Jamaica, Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Castries in Saint Lucia, Fort-de-France in Martinique, and Port- of-Spain in Trinidad. Temperatures vary little between winter and summer in the Caribbean. There are no sharply marked changes in the seasons. The major variations in climate in the Caribbean involve seasonal changes in rainfall and the beginning of the hurricane season in the summer months. Most of the islands in this area have two rainy

seasons, usually from May through June and from September through November. Dry seasons occur from January to March and in midsummer. The windward sides of the islands get much heavier rain than the leeward sides. Hurricanes are part of Caribbean life through the summer and autumn months. These storms, which can bring high winds and torrential rains, leave a lasting impact on inhabitants. Caribbean people often fix dates by the year in which a particular hurricane struck their country. Do this: I. How would you describe the climate in Cuba? Do you think it is the same in the rest of the Caribbean countries? II. Divided into four teams, choose one paragraph of the text per team to read, analyze, and then report to the rest of the class. Provide as many details as possible. III. Use the information provided by the rest of the teams as they develop their presentations, to complete the following outline of the whole text.

GENERAL CLIMATIC FEATURES: - Geographic position of the Caribbean: - Two main characteristics: - Two factors that moderate the sun heat:

THE WINDS: - Features of the windward coasts from Trinidad to Cuba: - Cause: - The only two safe harbors of the Caribbean windward coasts: - Cause: - Feature of the leeward coasts of the Caribbean: - Two examples of harbors:

THE TEMPERATURES AND SEASONS: - The most significant fact about temperature in the Caribbean:

- The two rainy seasons: - The two dry seasons: - Where the heavier rains occur:

ABOUT THE HURRICANES: - Seasons in which hurricanes are likely to strike: - Two distinctive features of hurricanes:

IV. You have a pen friend from Canada who is willing to come to Cuba for the 1st time, but s/he needs information first about the climate in the country, so as to choose the best time to come. Write her/him providing as many details as possible.

(Authentic text) Radio Broadcast: Trivia Question: ―What orbited the Earth every 96.2 minutes?‖

BEFORE YOU LISTEN

Activating your background knowledge In small groups discuss about space flights. These questions might help/guide you in your discussion. a. How many planets are there in the universe? b. Mention them. c. Do you think there is life in other planets? d. In the late 50s and early 60s of the 20th century, man started to send missions (artificial satellites, spaceships, etc.) into outer space. Can you mention the names of any of these? e. Do you think that the conquest of outer space by man is beneficial or detrimental to mankind? Elaborate on your answer. f. In September 1980 a Cuban cosmonaut (astronaut) took part in a flight to outer space. Do you know his name? How could the flight of this Cuban to outer space be possible?

WHILE YOU LISTEN

Identifying types of discourse 1. You are going to listen to a telephone conversation. From what radio program do you think it was recorded? Listen and choose the correct answer: a. ―Music for Lovers‖ (dedications) b. ―Trivia Questions‖ (easy questions to win prizes)

Getting general information / identifying types of voice

2. How many people are involved in the conversation? How many callers? Listen again and determine.

Understanding specific information 3. What is the question asked by the announcer? What is the answer to that question? Try and get the question and the answer as you listen to the first part of the conversation several times.

4. What is the prize offered to the winner?

5. When did that event happen? Listen again for the year. a. _____ in 1967 b. _____ in 1957 c. _____ in 1958

6. Now listen and complete: a. The winner‘s name is ... b. He lives in ...

Transcribing parts of an oral text 7. Fill in the missing parts now as you listen more carefully to an excerpt of the conversation.

Announcer 2: Good ______. U. S.-1 Radio. You‘re on the ______. Give an ______. Listener: Yes. Ah... ______. Announcer 1: ______! ______is right. Listener: Yeah. Announcer 2: You know what ______that was? Listener: Oh, ______. Announcer 2: Right.

Announcer 1: Right, ______. ______. Announcer 2: ______. Who‘re we ______to? Listener: Ah, ______Cole. Announcer 2: ______Cole! From where? Listener: ______. Announcer 2: From ______. Congratulations, ______. You won yourself some good to eat from Key Colony Grocery and Dell. Announcer 1: And a five-dollar certificate. ______off a ride with Paradise ______. Announcer 2: That‘s ______, eh, ______? Listener: That‘s ______!

Working with pronunciation factors 8. Go through the excerpt several times in order to analyze the natural rhythm of each sentence. Follow these steps: a. Mark the pauses that the speakers make. b. Mark the linking of final to initial sounds in a tone group. c. Mark stress in content words. Work in groups of three now. d. Repeat after the recording, playing roles. Concentrate on the combination of stress and vowel quality, producing a clear sound in accented syllables and a reduced vowel in unstressed positions.

9. Why do the speakers use so many contractions throughout the conversation? Are contractions typical of written or of spoken language? Can they occur in stressed syllables? Why or why not?

AFTER YOU LISTEN

Reading as a follow-up

1. Browse this material about Sputnik and find out:  Duration of the Sputnik program  Number of Sputnik satellites launched  Goals of the program

Sputnik, name of the first of several artificial satellites launched by the Soviet Union from 1957 to 1961. The goals of the Sputnik program included studying the earth's upper atmosphere, observing animal survival in space flight, and testing Soviet rocket technology. The launch of the unmanned Sputnik 1 and of Sputnik 2, which carried a dog, spurred the United States to invest more money and resources into its fledgling space program, initiating a race between the two nations to land a person on the moon.

The Sputnik program began on October 4, 1957, with the launch of Sputnik 1, which weighed 83 kg (184 lb.). The official name of the satellite was Iskustvennyi Sputnik Zemli (fellow world traveler of the earth). The launch vehicle was a test version of the Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile. Sputnik 2 was launched on November 3, 1957, and weighed 508 kg (1100 lb.). It carried a female dog named Laika. On-board instruments showed that Laika died from heat and panic within hours, well before her oxygen supply was exhausted.

After failing in its first attempt, the United States launched its own satellite, Explorer 1, on January 31, 1958. The satellite weighed only 14 kg (31 lb.), including its rocket motor. The Soviets responded by launching Sputnik 3, which weighed 1.3 metric tons, on May 15, 1958.

The first three Sputnik satellites each carried instruments to measure the temperature and density of the earth's upper atmosphere, the electron density of the ionosphere, and the size and number of micrometeorites (tiny particles in space). In addition, Sputnik 3 carried the first space laboratory, a wide array of instruments that could

transmit information about the environment outside the satellite. Solar energy was used for the first time by Sputnik 3 to power its instruments and transmitters.

From 1958 to 1959 the Soviet Union interrupted the Sputnik program to concentrate on the Luna series of vehicles that were sent toward the moon. The Sputnik program was resumed with Sputniks 5 through 10, which were launched from 1960 to 1961. Sputniks 5, 6, 9, and 10 all carried dogs, most of which re-entered the earth's atmosphere safely and were recovered. These satellites each weighed several thousand kilograms and were working models of the Vostok spacecraft, which would eventually carry the first human passenger, Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, into space in April 1961. Sputniks 7 and 8, launched in February 1961, served as launching platforms for the Venera spacecraft, which were sent toward Venus. The Cosmos series of spacecraft carried on the work of the Sputnik program after 1961.

Working with lexical items derived from the listening text 2. Vocabulary expansion a. congratulations / happy

In Spanish we say felicidades either to give someone good wishes on a special occasion (!Feliz Cumpleaños! !Feliz Navidad! !Feliz Año Nuevo! !Felicidades!), or to congratulate someone for a success or a promotion (!Felicidades por el éxito alcanzado! ¡Felicitaciones por tan hermosos resultados!). Many Spanish-speaking learners tend to use congratulations on both situations. It is not rare to hear people say ―Congratulations!‖ to someone, wishing them well on their birthday, for example.

In English we use ―Congratulations‖ to congratulate someone for a success or a promotion and we use ―Happy…/Merry…‖ to wish someone well on a special occasion, say birthday or Christmas.

For example:

Congratulations on winning the gold medal! Happy birthday! Happy New Year! Happy Anniversary! Happy Women‘s Day!

What would you say in the following situations?  You meet a friend on January 1st.  It is your boyfriend‘s/girlfriend‘s birthday.  Your friend X has just won a competition.  Your students have recently passed an important exam.

Getting ready to teach: Conveying the meaning of new words to your students (1) Is it easy to explain the meaning of words when teaching a foreign language? When teaching any language, whether it is a word, a phrase or a verb form, at some point it will be essential to convey and check that your students have understood the meaning of words. In most classrooms this is most commonly done through translation by the teacher or the students, but is this really the best way? Do this: 1. Read and analyze some of the alternatives given by Nick Peachey from the British Council. (Taken from www.teachingenglish.org.uk website)

2. Work in pairs and say if you agree with her or if you have some other viewpoints regarding this issue, taking as reference what you have studied in Foreign Language Methodology and what you have observed from your professors‘ best practices.

Mime: This includes noises or gestures. Some words, particularly actions, are easy and quick to mime. This can actually make a lesson much more enjoyable too, especially if you get the students used to miming words.

Pictures: This includes photos and drawings. It is very useful when the words you are trying to teach are objects. Doing a quick drawing on the board can simply convey the meaning of words that come up unexpectedly in class. If you get students to do the drawing too, then this can make the class more memorable and can be made a regular revision feature of your lessons. Time lines are also a great way of conveying the meaning of different verb tenses.

Clines: These are graphs showing degree and they can be really useful for sets of words like, love, hate, don't mind, fond of, detest, enjoy or things like adverbs of frequency. They rely on students' existing knowledge and extend that knowledge.

If you know that your students understand love and hate, then you can place these at extremes on the graph and get your students to decide where the other words in the set should be in relation to those.

Realia or the real thing: This relies on the words you are teaching being objects and you being able to bring that object into class, but it can be really effective for students who are tactile learners and who need to touch.

This can be particularly effective for teaching words like fluffy, rough, smooth, furry, hairy, which have very subtle differences which would be hard to explain.

3. Work in pairs to choose four vocabulary items and look for the best alternative to explain their meaning to the rest of the group. 4. Explain some of vocabulary items to the whole class and select the most difficult, the easiest and the most original alternative.

UNIT 4: Past events and circumstances

(Classroom prepared text) Chocolate Before you listen

1. Discuss these questions around the class: Do you like chocolate? What is it used for? What do you know about its origin? While you listen 2. Listen to the recording and say if it is only about the origin of chocolate. What other aspects are included in the text? 3. Who did what? Listen to the text and answer the following questions. a. Who planted cacao plants around 2000 years ago? b. Who couldn‘t grow cacao so they had to trade it to obtain it? c. Who was believed to drink 50 cups of chocolate every day? d. Who brought cacao seeds to Spain? e. Who understood that chocolate could be a valuable investment? f. Who else planted cacao trees in their colonies? g. Who could afford drinking chocolate until the 18th century? h. Who grows cacao trees nowadays? 4. Listen to the text and put the sentences below in the correct order. ___ They cooked the cacao seeds. ___ They mixed up the paste with water and flavorful spices to make a chocolate drink. ___ The Maya took the cacao trees and grew them in their gardens. ___ They poured the chocolate drink back and forth between two containers so that it had a layer of foam. ___ They crushed the seeds into a soft paste. After you listen 5. Discuss this in pairs:

When Shirley speaks the second time, she uses the word unsweetened. Explain the meaning of this word in English, and explain the process undergone by the word swee. 6. Now that you know more about chocolate, answer the following questions in paragraph form. Use formal links to join sentences when necessary. - For how long have people been enjoying the flavor of chocolate? - Where can chocolate be found? - When was it planted in Central America? Who did this? - Was chocolate also prized by other cultures? What other cultures? - Could these people grow the plant? What did they do instead? - Was chocolate an important part of those cultures? How do you know?

The vowel sounds ǀἰǀ , ǀɪǀ, ǀɛǀ, ǀæǀ and ǀaǀ

1. ǀᴂǀ as in cat This is a tense, long vowel that is pronounced with neutrally open lips. It occurs at the beginning and middle of words and is usually spelled a.

2. ǀἰǀ as in green, keep, be, please, Caesar, people, amoeba, receive, believe, key, and quay. This is a tense, long vowel that is pronounced with spread lips. It is usually spelled ee, e, ea, ae, eo, oe, ei, ie, i, ey, or ay.

3. ǀɪǀ as in pit, sieve, English, been, women, busy, myth, and build This is a lax, short vowel that is pronounced with the lips loosely spread. It is usually spelled I, ie, e, ee, o, u, y, or ui.

4. ǀɛǀ as in pet, feather, aesthetic, friend, jeopardy, said, and any.

This is a lax, short vowel that is pronounced with the lips loosely spread. It occurs at the beginning and in the middle of words, never at the end. It is usually spelled e, ea, ae, ie, eo, ai, a, or u.

5. ǀaǀ as in father. This vowel sound is tense, short and is pronounced with the lips loosely spread in American English.

Do this: a. In groups of three make four lists of words with the vowel sounds in cat, green, pit and pet. Cat green pit pet

b. Make up meaningful mini-dialogues including some of the words that you listed and practice acting them out. c. In the following poem, identify all the words with the vowel sounds that you have studied in this unit. Then practice reciting the poem in pairs. Make sure you monitor your peer´s pronunciation.

Metaphors by Silvia Plath I‘m a riddle in nine syllables An elephant, a ponderous house

A melon strolling on two tendrils

O red fruit, ivory, ﬁne timbers!

This loaf‘s big with yeasty rising

Money‘s new-minted in this fat purse

I‘m a means, a stage, a cow in calf

I‘ve eaten a bag of green apples

Boarded the train there‘s no getting off.

(Taken from www.teachingenglish.org.uk website)

Proverb: The pen is mightier than the sword Work in pairs and discuss these questions. Be ready to report back to the whole class. a. Is this proverb in favor or against peace? Explain. b. Can you mention some outstanding people who have proclaimed this philosophy? c. To whom would you say this proverb nowadays? Why? d. Do you agree with this proverb? Why / Why not?

4.1. Ask and talk about the origin of things (where things are made) and about historical events Do this: Read this excerpt about the origin of chocolate and take down three passive voice sentences. Then discuss this about the sentences in the order in which they appear in the excerpt: a. Why has the passive voice been used in the sentence in which it appears? b. Why has the doer of the action been omitted in the sentence in which it appears? c. Who believed Aztec ruler Montezuma drank fifty cups of chocolate every day? d. What´s the origin of the word chocolate?

Cacao and chocolate were an important part of Maya culture. There are often images of cacao plants on Maya buildings and art objects. Ruling families drank chocolate at special ceremonies and even poorer members of society could enjoy the drink once in a while. Historians believe that cacao seeds were also used in marriage ceremonies as a sign of the union between a husband and wife. The Aztec ruler Montezuma was believed to drink fifty cups of chocolate every day. Some experts believe the word for chocolate came from the Aztec word ¨chocolato¨ which in the Navajo language means bitter water¨. Others believe the word chocolate was created by combining Mayan and Navajo a. words.

a) The simple past passive voice is formed in the above excerpt by the past of to be plus the past participle of the main verb. b) These examples show another type of passive voice construction:  He was believed to drink a lot of chocolate.  He is said to have made chocolate famous.  He is thought of as a God.  He is considered a genius.

c) The passive voice has been used in the above excerpt in order to continue with the same topic from one sentence to the next, keeping known information in the subject of the sentences and new information in the predicate. d) The doer of the actions, or agent, has been omitted because it is unimportant. Do this: 1. Work in pairs and share information about historical events. But before doing this, you may need to do some research individually in order to gather information about the topic that you have been assigned. Student A

The 7 Wonders of the Ancient World The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were cited for the first time in the second century BC by Antipater of Sidon, in a poem praising these constructions. These buildings are the following:

1. The Great Pyramid of Giza 2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon 3. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus 4. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia 5. The Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus 6. The Colossus of Rhodes 7. The Lighthouse of Alexandria

Nowadays, the only construction that remains up is The Great Pyramid of Giza, the others were destroyed by various factors, except the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, no evidence is found about their existence.

http://www.curiouscuriosities.com/curiosities/history/seven-7-wonders-world.html

Student B The Eight Wonders of the Modern World

The new Seven Wonders of the Modern World was an international contest sponsored by New Open World Corporation, a private corporation founded by Swiss movie maker Bernard Weber, who came up with this initiative inspired in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

In this selection were admitted structures created ever since the existence of mankind up to the year 2000, as long as they were still standing. The results of the voting were made public on July 7, 2007, at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal. There were special guests present at the ceremony such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Jennifer Lopez, Hilary Swank, Ben Kingsley y Bipasha Basu.

Wonder Location Chichén Itzá Yucatán, México The Roman Coliseum Rome, Italy Cristo Redentor Río de Janeiro, Brasil The Great Wall of China China Machu Picchu Cuzco, Perú Petra Jordan Taj Mahal Agra, India

2. In pairs ask and answer questions based on the hints given below. - Mona Lisa – painted- when- who - where - powder- invented – where – when - Havana – founded – when – who – where

4.2. Ask and talk about recent changes

Do this:

1. Listen to and read about recent changes concerning whale hunting. As you listen and read, list on your notebooks the changes that have taken place recently, in terms of whale hunting and trade. 2. Why do you think that this text starts with a subject that is not the doer of the action? Discuss this in pairs. 3. Is there an active sentence, or more than one, in this text? Why? / Why not? 4. Why is the agent, or doer of the action (pollution), been used towards the end of the text?

Enemies of the whale Whales have been hunted for over a thousand years. Whale products have been used for fuel, margerine, soap, candels and pet food. Commercial whaling has now been banned and the whales have been saved from the hunter. These highly intelligent and sensitive giants are now being protected by conservention groups. But whales are being threatened by a new enemy: pollution. Many types of sea creatures are being killed by pollution, and whales will die if their food supply is poisoned. (Taken from American Shine 5 by Kathryn Johnston et. Al, 2002. McMillan, London, UK.)

In this text different meanings of the present perfect passive voice are conveyed: - A situation that began in the past and continues into the present: e.g., Whales have been hunted for over a thousand years. Whale products have been used for fuel, margarine, soap, candles and pet food. - Recent changes: e.g., Commercial whaling has now been banned and the whales have been saved from the hunter. - Recent developments: e.g. These highly intelligent and sensitive giants are now being protected by conservation groups. Do this:

Work in pairs and conjugate the verbs in parentheses in the following text, in order to make it sound meaningful. Then discuss your answers with another pair.

Whale stranded on Debon Beach 1. An eight meter long whale has been washed up on the beach in Shipload Bed, North Debon. 2. The whale (take care of) by lifeguards who hope they can return it to the sea at hide tide later today. 3. Whale expert Sarah Douglas is at the scene. 4. The whale (cover) with wet towels to keep it cool. 5. It´s the first time a whale (see) on this beach so it´s attracting a lot of attention. 6. Perhaps it (swim) too close to the shore because it was confused and disturbed by passing ships. 7. It hasn‘t been attacked, so we don´t think it´s been hunted. (Taken from Shine 5, Unit 4,CD 2,Track 6)

Project Work

Project 4: Teachers are inspiring souls

Being a story teller and having a historical perspective are abilities any teacher must develop since effective teaching needs a lot of these. Put to the test your own strengths in them through this project work. Choose one of the tasks that are suggested next in order to carry out this project or create any other task that best suits this project´s purpose. Suggestions:

1. Work in teams to select vocabulary items that you can teach through story telling. Try to do some mental gymnastics by incorporating some of them in a collective story created by you. A short example for you is a letter written by a vegetarian to his lover. Try to understand the joke and create your own example. Enjoy the ― Vegetarian love letter ‖

Dear Diana,

I write to you because I want to tell that you are the apple of my

eyes. When you are near me I feel the beet of my heart and my

nose turnip red….

2. Work in teams of three to create your own version of a story. You can think of famous stories and you can create a version that can be a funny one or an up- to-date version. Once you write it down you can dramatize it with the help of your arts instructor at college and you can present it to your class or at a students‘ festival at university. 3. Work in teams of three to do research about any historical place or building in your province or town that is valuable because of its history. Consult the group of professors who do research on environmental education in your university to select this place. You can also interview architects or historians to search for information. Write an essay to be hanged your university Web Site. In this essay you may want to establish the present and past facilities of the building selected, the activities carried out from a historical perspective. Don‘t forget to

propose any action you would like to see carried out in order to change the present situation of the selected place or building, as part of what the young generations can do to live in a better environment.

My Best Friend By Karen Tucker White From the time I was a young girl, I had problems with friends. All my girlfriends had best friends, but I didn´t. I never had one special person who always walked home from school with me or called me late at night to talk about things like music or clothes (or later, boys). My parents used to say that I was a loner, a person who chose a friend carefully, who felt comfortable when she was alone. It wasn´t true. I was never comfortable being alone. I always wished that I had a close friend, like the other kids in my class. Janet Mullaney and Anne Kozach were close friends all through the sixth and seventh grades. How I envied them! By the time I got to high school, I really began to worry. I knew that I wasn´t stupid or ugly or clumsy or any of the other things that kids made fun of, but still didn´t have a special friend that I could share my secret thoughts with. Occasionally I walked to school with the boy who lived next door. When we were little, I thought he was gross. Doug and I walked to school together, and when he didn´t have band practice, we also walked home together, but he didn´t count as a friend. He couldn´t take the place of a girl my age who felt all the same things I was feeling. When I reached my third year of high school, my junior year, all the other girls in school began to date boys, all except me, that is, I was still a loner. I still had only Doug Thomas, the boy next door. And that didn´t count. The time came for the Junior Prom and I didn´t have a date. But not only didn´t I have anyone to go with, I didn´t even have anyone to talk to about it.

My mother told me that she hadn´t gone to her Junior Prom either, but I´m not sure she was telling the truth. I think she told me that so I wouldn´t feel bad. I felt bad anyway. I felt so bad that I told Doug about it the next chance I got. He said that he didn´t have a date either, and that if neither of us found someone to go with, we could always go to the prom with each other. And that´s what happened. Doug and I went to the Junior Prom together. I went because I was embarrassed to stay home, not because I liked Doug. Doug went with me because the girl he liked was already going with someone else. Doug didn´t act depressed, and the fact was that we had a good time. (Excerpt taken from ¨Modern Short Stories in English¨ by Robert J. Dixson. Prentice Hall Regenter, 1987.)

I. Getting ready to read 1. Read the title of the text and with a partner think on three questions you expect the text to answer. 2. If you had to explain what a best friend is, what would you say? 3. Do you know of any story about someone who found it difficult to make friends? Tell about it.

II. Connecting with the text 1. Skim through the text to check your predictions

2. Read the text in order to choose the idea that better expresses what the text is about: a. A girl´s story about how difficult it was for her to make friends b. A girl´s story about dating c. Different stories about making friends

3. Read the text and say whether the statements are True (T) or False (F). Write the evidence from the text.

a. The girl in the story enjoyed being lonely. b. She was worried because she couldn´t make any friends. c. When the time for the Junior Prom came, she was really excited. d. She liked Dough Thomas; that is why they went to the Prom together.

4. Organize the events in the story in the order that they appeared in the text: a. The girl and Dough discussed about going to the Prom together. b. She got to high school and really began to worry about finding friends. c. Her mother told her it was OK for her to be a loner. d. All the girls in school started dating boys. e. They had a good time at the Prom. f. Janet and Ann studied in the same class.

5. In the text find the words or phrases that mean: a. unpleasant b. I would not consider it c. feeling shame d. unhappy

III. Sharing and reflecting

1. Discuss: a. How easy or difficult is it to make friends? b. Is there a best age to find a best friend? What are your viewpoints about this topic? c. What is your opinion about the story?

2. Tell your own story about how you found your best friend or how you usually made friends when you were in senior high.

Shortening

Shortening, also called curtailment, reduction or truncation is a word formation process that consists in the reduction of a word to smaller parts. There are several kinds of shortening; for example, clipping in which part of a word is lost, blend, which consists of forming new words by joining parts of two other words; for example, smog from smoke and fog, brunch from breakfast and lunch. Another sub-classification of shortening is abbreviation where new words are made either by using the initials of a usually longer term or phrase which are pronounced alphabetically; for example, ABC, UN, and VCR. Some other times the new word is pronounced as an ordinary word; for example, NATO /'neɪtoᴜ/ and laser/‘leɪzɚ/, and are called acronyms. Shortening is a very productive word formation process, that is, many words are formed in that way, and it is very frequently used in spoken language.

One of the characters in the text My Best Friend, which you have read is named Doug, a shortening for Douglas. Proper names are usually shortened in a familiar way which then results in new names. The following names have undergone the same process. Here are some examples.

Ron comes from Aaron or Ronald Liz, Eliza from Elizabeth Mike, Mickey from Michael Trish, Tricia, Pat, from Patricia.

Another word that has been formed by shortening in the text is Prom which comes from promenade (a kind of gala celebrated at a school or college). As you can see, the final part of the word has been clipped or curtailed, that kind of shortening is

called clipping or curtailment since part of the original word is taken away resulting in a new word. Depending on the part of the word that is taken away, clippings are classified as initial, medial or final. The following are some examples of clippings:

The condo (condominium) final clipping bus (omnibus) initial clipping demo (demonstration) final clipping flu (influenza), medial clipping specs (spectacles) medial clipping disco (discotheque) final clipping lab (laboratory final clipping

Do this: 1. Find other proper names that have been formed by shortening. 2. Say the word from which the following shortened words come from. a. tech. b. ad c. jams d. fan e. doc f. motel g. boatel h. heliport i. guesstimate j. UFO k. SOS l. radar m. sonar n. scuba

3. Classify the shortenings as abbreviation, acronym, clipping or blend.

Writing: Writing the Thesis Statement and the Introduction

“The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book. ~Samuel Johnson In Units 1 and 2 the focus was placed on the first stages of the essay writing process. In this unit you will learn more about the thesis statement and about the Introduction of the essay.

Why do you think that the thesis statement of an essay is often referred to as a signpost? Share your ideas with some of your

partners.

Most writers coincide that by reading the thesis statement alone, you can tell what the essay will be about, if it is a well-written essay. This assertion reinforces the fact that one of the main functions of the thesis statement is to present the main idea of the essay. A thesis is also important for writers because it helps them organize their essays.

Writing tip You already know that a paragraph begins with a topic sentence, which informs the reader, what will be discussed in the paragraph.

The essay begins with a thesis statement, which is usually a single sentence, commonly

appearing at the end of your introductory paragraph; the following information must lead back

to this basic argument presented to the reader.

So, the thesis statement and the topic sentences both present the framework for your

essay.

Notice this:

After brainstorming for different ideas for the essay, and once you have chosen and narrowed down your topic, you can write down your thesis statement, i.e. once you know what your topic is, you can state your point. When you outline your essay, the thesis statement occupies a position at the top, followed below by a topic sentence for each paragraph then. This initial statement is called the ―working thesis‖, for it is actually the first thing you have when you start writing the essay. It mainly serves as a flexible planning tool, as it might need some amendment along the writing process. In fact, there is no problem in changing this rough thesis to reveal other things you have ‗discovered‘ as you write.

Study tip Most writers agree that a thesis is the result of a long thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading your essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/

Do this: In your opinion, what features make a good thesis statement? Write True or False according to the information given below.

1. ___ The thesis is the main point of your essay, and the writer‘s opinion is included in it. 2. ___ A thesis statement does not simply announce a subject; it says something

about the subject as such. 3. ___ The thesis statement is a complete sentence sometimes written as a question.

4. ___ The thesis statement helps the writer organize the essay and helps the reader figure out what the essay will be about. 5. ___ The thesis should never include information about the supporting details you will discuss. 6. ___ Your thesis should state the main idea of the essay. 7. ___ A thesis is supported by the body paragraphs. 8. ___ A thesis statement can express more than one main idea. 9. ___ Your thesis must be limited to the topic you plan to present in your essay. 10. ___ A thesis statement should be neither too broad nor too limited.

If your answers were T, T, F, T, F, T, T, F, T, T it means you are possibly ready to write an effective thesis statement.

Notice this: As you read in the first writing tip of the unit, the thesis ―is usually a single sentence, commonly appearing at the end of your introductory paragraph.‖ In the introduction you should express clearly the topic and the problem to deal with along the essay. You will not only inform the readers what the essay is about, but will also try to convince them that your research is valuable.

Concerning the introduction of an essay, do you agree or disagree with these statements?

o Your introduction is like an important road map that indicates the main route for the rest of your paper.

o Your introduction is like a train that moves your readers into the "station" of your analysis. o Your introduction is like a good headline that should capture the readers‘ interest, making them want to read the rest of your paper. o Your introduction is like a bridge that...

Could you complete the last analogy? Share this or any other comments with your classmates. Can you think of other analogies?

Perhaps this drawing can help:

Your introduction is like…

Writing tip You can think of an introduction as covering the what / why / how of an essay assignment question:  What the question is about – explain your interpretation of the question and what it is asking you to do.  Why the question is important – put the question into the context and identify the main issues that are raised by the question.  How you are going to answer it - let the readers know what you are going to cover in your essay in order to answer the question.

How can you capture your readers’ interest as you begin your introductory paragraph? Here are some common introductory patterns and ideas for the introduction:  Startling statement / surprising fact. This information must be true and verifiable, and it doesn't need to be totally new to your readers. Follow it with a sentence or two of elaboration.  Anecdote. Brief and relevant to your topic. Use it carefully.

 Dialogue. Use only two or three exchanges between speakers to make your point. Follow the dialogue with a sentence or two of elaboration. It does not have to identify the speakers.

 Summary Information. Each sentence should become gradually more specific, until you reach your thesis.

 Humor. Helps to build rapport with your audience from the start. Use it carefully lest it might be offensive to readers.

 Quotation. Quote from someone notable or relevant to the topic of your essay. Use their exact words.

 Rhetorical question. The question is posed more for its persuasive effect than in hopes of reaching a conclusion.

 Description. Set the scene.  Curiosity. Present a curious fact related to the subject.

 Specific example. Illustrate your point clearly.  Definition. Source: Adapted from: http://homeworktips.about.com/od/paperassignments/a/introsentence.htm http://hstrial-fduckworth.homestead.com/how_to_write_a_narrative.html http://www.ehow.com/info_7937883_attentiongrabbers-use-writing-essay.html

You can lead readers to your thesis statement by using any of the ―attention grabbers‖ given above. Now, select one of the essays you have already written and kept in your portfolio, and read the introductory paragraph. How do you know if your introduction is weak or strong?

Perhaps you can say it by answering the questions below; if you cannot answer all of them, keep on studying the information in this unit and then go over the questions again.  Did I introduce the topic in the first paragraph?  Did I add supporting sentences that helped narrow my topic? / Did I include supporting detail sentences that narrowed and focused the topic of my essay?  Did I include a thesis statement?  Did I provide background information about the topic? How? Which attention grabber did I use?  Did my introduction make the readers want to read more?

Writing tip: You can think of an introduction as covering what / why / how of an essay assignment question:  What the question is about – explain your interpretation of the question and what it

is asking you to do.

 Why the question is important – put the question into context and identify the main issues that are raised by the question.  How you are going to answer it – let the reader know what you are going to cover in your essay in order to answer the question.

Do this: Do you consider the introductions given below acceptable? Support your answer and share it with your classmates. Identify the attention grabbers used by the writers.

1. "Working part-time as a cashier at the Piggly Wiggly has given me a great opportunity to observe human behavior. Sometimes I think of the shoppers as white rats in a lab experiment, and the aisles as a maze designed by a psychologist. Most of the rats--customers, I mean--follow a routine pattern, strolling up and down the aisles, checking through my chute, and then escaping through the exit hatch. But not everyone is so dependable. My research has revealed three distinct types of abnormal customer: the amnesiac, the super shopper, and the dawdler." ("Shopping at the Pig") ______

2. Krista and I have been best friends for a long time. We have been through thick and thin. Good times and bad times, and our friendship has experienced many changes in between. ―Best friendship‖ is a very special relationship that requires many different characteristics to be successful.

______

3. "I started to dread arithmetic back in the third grade because I didn't want to memorize the multiplication tables. Unlike learning how to read, studying math seemed to have no purpose other than to give me massive headaches and shattered nerves. The alphabet was a wonderful code that, when deciphered, entertained me with stories and revealed all kinds of secrets about the world. Multiplication tables, on the other hand, just told me how much six times nine was. There was no joy in knowing that. Although even in third grade I understood that I shared with many other students a terrible fear and hatred of mathematics, I drew little comfort from that fact. Since then, I have struggled with math for a number of reasons." (Anne Miller, "Learning to Hate Mathematics")

______

4. ―Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.‖

______

Source: http://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/Introductory-Paragraph.htm http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/Studyresources/Essays/sta- developessay.aspx http://examples.yourdictionary.com/narrative-essay-examples.html

Study tip: Some students, following the advice given by some essay writers, prefer to write the introduction when they have concluded their assignment. Whether you write it at an early stage or at the end, it is a good idea to revise it after writing your first draft.

Notice this: Getting feedback from others and offering your own, will help you develop your critical analysis skills. Actually, you can learn to be your own reader if you practice reading your work critically.

The writing corner: Getting feedback 1. In order to have some practice using the different methods to grab your readers‘ attention, you can go over the introductory paragraph you chose to revise before, or you can make a rough introduction for the essay you are supposed to write in the project section from this unit. Use three different patterns from those you learnt before with the same chosen paragraph, and exchange copies with a partner to check if you achieved your purpose.

2. Choose any of the essays you have written recently to which you would like to have some feedback or a response from any classmate that you select (or your teacher chooses for you). Read your partner´s essay and respond to it using any of the check lists already given in this unit and the previous ones, or choose any of the ones given below. You might want to make a check list of your own following the ideas studied. It is important for you to know that asking for a specific feedback can in fact be the best way to get some advice.

Some essay-review checklists:

Check list 1:  Was the essay effective?  Did it please you to read it?  Which were the strengths ofwhat you read?  What did you learn from reading the piece?  What parts of it especially interested or pleased you?  What did the writer do well?  Where were you confused?  Where did you need to read more?

Check list 2:

 Notice how the introduction addresses the question and leads into the main body of the essay.  Notice the use of academic vocabulary.  Identify the main point of each topic paragrapgh and notice how they link to each other.  Notice the function of the conclusion, does it summarize or does it present the answer to the question?

Check list 3:

 Have you answered the question in the title?  Have you drawn on relevant parts of the course for the main content of your essay?  Do you show a good graps of the ideas you have been studying in the course?  Have you pesented a coherent argument?  Is the essay written in an objective, analytical way, with appropriate use of illustration and evidence?  Is the essay clearly witten and well presented?

Source: http://www.learningdevelopment.plymouth.ac.uk

Listen to “I shot the sheriff” by Bob Marley

1. Fill in the blanks as you listen to the song. 2. What is the problem stated in the song? 3. Is the man guilty or not? Explain. 4. Did he have any reasons to kill the deputy? Explain. 5. Discuss with your partner about the meaning of these verbs that are used in the song:

 Track (me) down  Bring (me) in  Shoot (me) down

6. Practice your pronunciation:  Put a mark on all the words that are stressed (sentence stress)  Identify any sounds that are elided (omitted or eliminated)  Put a symbol to all reduced vowels  Mark blending (final vowel to initial consonant)  Mark pauses where necessary

7. Practice shadowing with your teacher around the class.

I shot the sheriff by Bob Marley But I didn't shoot no deputy, oh no! Oh! I shot the sheriff But I didn't shoot no deputy, ooh, ooh, oo-ooh.) Yeah! All around in my home town, They‘re tryin' to track me down; They say they want to bring me in guilty

For the killing of a deputy, For the life of a deputy. But I say: Oh, now, now. Oh! (I shot the sheriff.) - The sheriff. (But i swear it was in self-defense.) Oh, no! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh) yeah! I say: I shot the sheriff - oh, lord! - (And they say it is a capital offence.) Yeah! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh) yeah! Sheriff John Brown always hated me, For what, I don't know: Every time I plant a seed, He said kill it before it grow - He said kill them before they grow. And so: Read it in the news: (I shot the sheriff.) Oh, lord! (But I swear it was in self-defense.) Where was the deputy? (oo-oo-oh) I say: I shot the sheriff, But I swear it was in self-defense. (Oo-oh) yeah! Freedom came my way one day And I started out of town, yeah! All of a sudden I saw Sheriff John Brown Aiming to shoot me down, So I shot - I shot - I shot him down and I say: If I am guilty i will pay. (I shot the sheriff,) But I say (but I didn't shoot no deputy), I didn't shoot no deputy (oh, no-oh), oh no!

(I shot the sheriff.) I did! But I didn‘t shoot a deputy. Oh! (Oo-oo-ooh) Reflexes had got the better of me And what is to be must be: Every day the bucket a-go a well, One day the bottom a-go drop out, One day the bottom a-go drop out. I say: I- I - I - I shot the sheriff. Lord, I didn't shot the deputy. Yeah! I - I (shot the sheriff) - But I didn't shoot no deputy, yeah! No, yeah!

Bob Marley 1. Have you ever heard about Bob Marley? What do you know about his life? 2. Summarize Bob Marley´s biography in following the chart. Early career

Music genre

Early recordings

Early bands

Religion

Best hits

Discography

Tours

Concerts

Cause of death

3. Discuss these points in groups of four: - Was B. Marley a progressive artist? - Can his music be considered classic? Explain. - Is there any influence of Reggae in current Reageton? Explain. - What do you know about Rastafarianism? Are there people in Cuba who profess these beliefs? Explain.

Bob Marley

Bob Marley (1945-1981), pioneer of reggae music.

He was born Robert Nesta Marley in Nine Miles, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica on February 6, 1945, but he grew up in the Kingston slum known as Trenchtown. Marley was learning the welding trade in Kingston when he formed his first harmony group, the Rudeboys, in 1961. The group later became known as the Wailers. The Wailers included vocalists Bunny Livingston and Peter Tosh, both of whom later embarked on successful solo careers. The group's early recordings were in a style called ska, a hybrid of New Orleans rhythm and blues and Jamaican mento. Mento was the first of the reggae styles. The term reggae is commonly used as a collective designation for a number of successive forms of Jamaican pop music -- ska, rock steady, poppa-top, and reggae.

By the late 1960s, influences from United States rhythm and blues, Jamaican folk rhythm, and dub (rhythmic, improvised verses) were synthesized into the rock steady and poppa-top styles, and Marley emerged as a rising talent in this new genre of Jamaican music. In 1967 he converted from Christianity to Rastafarianism, a religion

that has had a profound influence on reggae music; accordingly, Marley's music contains elements of spiritualism and mysticism.

Some of his songs call for personal freedom through revolution, while others embrace carefree attitudes toward life or convey stories of love. Marley and the Wailers recorded Catch a Fire (1972), Burnin' (1973), Natty Dread (1975), and Live (1975), among other albums. During the 1970s, amid great political and economic turmoil in Jamaica, Marley cultivated a rebel image. An increasingly political figure, he survived a 1976 assassination attempt at his home in Jamaica. He subsequently went to Europe and experienced a new degree of popular success in England, Sweden, The Netherlands, and West Germany. Rastaman Vibration (1976) and a United States tour brought him unmatched success with American reggae fans, and his popularity was furthered with Exodus (1977), Babylon by Bus (1978), Kaya (1978), Uprising (1980), and reissues of earlier work.

During his lifetime, Marley's music came to be closely associated with the movement toward black political independence, a movement prominent in several African and South American countries at the time. His music has remained highly popular, and for many it has continued to symbolize the hopes of the oppressed for a better life outside urban slums.

Marley died from cancer on May 11, 1981 in Miami. Since his death he has attained near-legendary stature for his highly melodic, spiritually moving, and politically militant pop songs. The clarity, conviction, and sincerity of Marley's performances, and his unique style of songwriting, have influenced many pop-music artists, including songwriter Stevie Wonder and rock guitarist Eric Clapton.

Biodiversity in the Caribbean

The island of Little Tobago is considered a bird sanctuary.

The ecology of the Caribbean zone is typical of other island ecosystems. The variety of native animals is relatively limited. Only a handful of mammal and amphibious species are indigenous. Native species include iguanas, green turtles and hawkbill turtles. Unique bird species are found on some of the islands. These include the Grenada dove, the Guadeloupe woodpecker, the yellow-billed parrot in Jamaica, and the magnificent frigate bird, which has a wingspan of about 1.8 to 2.1 m. The world‘s largest flamingo colony is found in the eastern edge of The Bahamas; another major colony is located on Bonaire in the southwestern Caribbean. There is an immense variety of aquatic species in the region‘s waters. The most common fish species include the grunt, butterfly, soldier, squirrel, and angelfish. Guppies – small, freshwater aquarium fish -- are found in the islands of the southern Caribbean Sea. Over 50 species of hard coral, varying widely in shape and color, abound in offshore waters.

Humans have severely affected the plants and animals of the Caribbean area. While indigenous peoples undoubtedly modified the natural vegetation and animal life of the zone, the arrival of Europeans greatly accelerated the process. The deforestation of islands occurred early in the colonial period, as construction needs, agriculture, and charcoal production each took its toll. Severely deforested and highly eroded, Haiti is an extreme example of this type of environmental degradation. The introduction of imported plant and animal species has transformed the region. Most crops and plants that visitors associate with the islands are actually introduced species—bananas, rice, citrus fruits, mangos, breadfruit, and coffee. Many draft and farm animals were also introduced. Two introduced species, the rat and the mongoose, have been especially damaging to the native ecology. Do this: I. When you admire the sights of rural landscapes and farms in Cuba, you probably get to see a great number of both plant and animal species; however, are you able to tell which species are endemic and which have been actually brought from other regions? In groups make a list of endemic and imported species.

II. Read the text and correct or enrich your lists.

III. Read again to complete the following chart, extending your list to the Caribbean species mentioned in the text.

Animals Crops and Plants

Reptiles Birds Mammals Fish

Endemic

Imported

IV. How did the arrival of the Europeans affect the biodiversity of the Caribbean? Discuss this orally first, and then express your ideas in writing.

(Authentic text) Radio Broadcast: Weather Forecasts

BEFORE YOU LISTEN

Getting familiar with the equivalence Celsius-Fahrenheit Look at the conversion table for Fahrenheit—Celsius degrees below.

In Cuba we use the Celsius scale, while in other countries, the USA for example, they use the Fahrenheit scale.

For us Cubans, what range of temperatures would be...? Cold ______Cool ______Warm ______Hot ______

What are the equivalents for these temperatures in Fahrenheit degrees?

WHILE YOU LISTEN Understanding specific information 1. Listen to the weather forecast and match each event on the first column with the appropriate item on the second column. a. low tide _____8:54 (evening) b. sunset _____2:35 (afternoon) c. high tide _____6:57 (evening) _____6:57 (morning) 2. Listen once again and choose the proper expression. a. It‘s ______today. cloudy sunny b. The winds are out of the ______. Northeast Southeast c. Seas outside the reef are three feet or less; inside, ______feet or less. two three

Getting general information 3. Here is another weather forecast for the weekend. Listen to it and be ready to say whether the weekend will be pleasant or not.

Understanding specific information / comparing 4. The following items are included in the first weather forecast. Are they all present in the second one? Which are missing, which are added? Listen and come to a conclusion.

skies temperatures sunset winds seas tides

5. Now listen and fill in the chart with the required information.

Temperatures Today‘s high in the mid ______Tonight‘s low In the mid ______

Seas Outside the reef ______to ______feet Inside the reef ______to ______feet

Winds ______to ______miles an hour

Comparing / identifying differences 6. Which of the two forecasts is clearer? Why do you think so? Listen to them again.

AFTER YOU LISTEN Recognizing discourse types 1. Do you think you could recognize a weather forecast on the radio, among other broadcasts? How? Mark all the possible causes and discuss the reasons: _____ because the speakers speak faster than in other programs. _____ because the speakers make very few pauses. _____ because it is always over the phone. _____ because women always do it. _____ because there are figures in it. _____ because there are dates and hours.

Working with lexical items derived from the listening text 2. Vocabulary expansion

a. Weather related terms Now read the transcripts of the two weather forecasts and jot down all the weather- related terms used as to temperatures, winds, seas, sun and clouds. Could you mention other terms not used here?

Speaking about the importance of weather forecasts 3. In small groups, discuss about the importance of weather forecasts. The following points may guide you in your discussion:  How can weather conditions for the near future be predicted? Isn‘t that something amazing?  Do you consider that, on the average, weather forecasts are accurate? Do you have any anecdote to illustrate the inaccuracy of any weather forecast broadcast on television or on the radio?  Do you always pay attention to weather forecasts?

 Why is it important to be attentive to weather forecasts every day?  Cuba is a tropical island exposed to the passage of hurricanes, particularly between the months of June and November. What has been the role played by the Cuban Institute of Meteorology, especially the Forecasting Department during each hurricane season?  The National Civil Defense is an organism that works in conjunction with the Forecasting Department of the Institute of Meteorology. Why do you think that this coordination is important? What have been the results of this coordination? Compare this to the reality of other countries.

Getting ready to teach: Conveying the meaning of new words to your students (2) In your previous unit you analyzed some alternatives given by Nick Peachey from the British Council about how to convey meanings in the English lessons. Here are some other alternatives given by this professor. Study them and try to answer these questions:  Which of these techniques do you prefer when learning vocabulary?  Which are you skillful at as a future teacher?  Which are you not so skillful at?

Dictionary: A monolingual dictionary can be really useful in helping to build up your learning independence. Using a monolingual dictionary well is a skill and one that you may well need to work on in order to help your students get the best out of it.

Explanation: Being able to explain what a word means in the target language can be a really useful skill for students. By giving students concise and accurate explanations of words we can help them to develop the ability to explain words that they want to know.

Synonyms / Antonyms: Giving opposite words or similar words can be a very quick way of conveying meaning, but you will need to be careful. Using thin as a synonym for skinny can be quite effective, but there is still a difference in connotation and you'll need to consider whether and how you deal with these slight differences in meaning.

Word formation: This entails breaking down complex words to their root parts. This method can also help students to understand how some of the suffixes and morphemes of the language work. The word 'misunderstanding' can be divided into three parts: the route (understand), its prefix (-mis) and the -ing at the end. By breaking words down in this way students learn more about the language than the word itself and can start to apply this knowledge to other words they want to use.

Context: If students are able to deduce the meaning of a word or phrase through the context in which they see or hear it, then they are well on the road to becoming independent learners.

(Taken from www.teachingenglish.org.uk website)

Do this:

1. Work in pairs and choose some vocabulary items that you may use in order to show to the rest of the class how you convey the meaning of certain words through:  A dictionary definition  Explanation  Synonyms / Antonyms  Word formation

UNIT 5: What other people do to you: services, preferences, dislikes and advice

(Classroom-prepared text)

Fortune teller

Before you listen 1. In what way can people predict somebody‘s future? Share your opinion with people around the class. While you listen 2. Listen to the text and tick the right statement. When you have your fortune told ___ you tell someone about your future. ___ you ask someone to tell you about your future. ___ you ask someone to change your future. 3. Which of the following ideas are false? Justify your answers. a. The woman wanted to know about her future. b. The man is sure where he can find a fortune teller. c. In the phonebook some fortune tellers are listed. d. The man‘s sign is Libra. e. The man‘s week is predicted as interesting at work and at school. f. The man needs to be patient. g. A man‘s friend is going to give him some advice. h. The man is not sure whether he wants to know more about his future or not. i. The fortune teller is an honest person. 4. In the text two ways of predicting the future are mentioned. a. What are they? b. Do they cost the same? c. Can any of these ways be done over the phone? Why?

After you listen 1. 5. Work in pairs. Suppose you are gifted with palm reading. Predict your partner‘s future after reading his/her palm.

The vowel sounds ǀɑǀ, ǀɔǀ, ǀuǀ and ǀυǀ

1. ǀɑǀ as in father, pot, and palm. This is a long, tense vowel that is pronounced with neutrally open lips and with the tongue low in the mouth. It occurs at the beginning and the middle of words, never at the end, and it is usually spelled a, o, or al.

2. ǀɔǀ as in broad, talk, vault, and paw This is a tense, long vowel that is pronounced with lip rounding. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and it is usually spelled oa, a, au, or aw.

3. ǀuǀ as in Luke and brew This is a tense, long vowel that is pronounced with strong lip rounding. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and is usually spelled u or ew.

4. ǀυǀ as in put, book, and should. This is a lax, short vowel that is pronounced with less lip rounding. It occurs only in the middle of words and is usually spelled u, oo, or ou.

Do this: a. Make two lists of words with the vowel sounds in broad and book. For example, you may think of sports words, occupations, teacher qualities, or any other topic. Then have a littlre conversation about those topics with two of your peers. b. Are the words Luke and brew pronounce in the same vowel sounds in RP English and in American English? Ask people in class, then discuss about this in plenary. c. Think of words that are spelled similar to should, and practice pronouncing them in pairs. Don´t forget that the sound letter l is mute in this word.

Proverb: Two wrongs don’t make a right

Work in trios and answer the following questions. a. Does this mean that: __ it‘s wrong to retaliate when someone harms or annoys you. __there is satisfaction in returning an injury? b. If someone hurts you, will you do the same to him/ her in return? Is it right or wrong? Why / why not? What should we do instead? c. What‘s your opinion about people who act in retaliation for what someone has done wrong to them? d. Are you used to forgiving people who have done something wrong? Why / why not? e. Is there a similar proverb in your native language?

. 5.1. Talk about the services that other people do for you For example:

a. I have my house cleaned once a month. (I get someone to do it for me.) b. I have my house garden trimmed every other month. (Someone does it for me.) c. My brother has his motorbike repaired every time it breaks down. (Somebody does it for my brother.)

Do this: With your teacher talk about the services that other people do for your family.

Notice this: Causative use of have In the three examples given above have has been used as a causative verb. What does this mean?

Causative verbs signal that someone has caused someone or something to do something. Syntactically speaking, the majority of causative verbs (e.g., order, cause, force, get) take infinitive complements. For example: The sergeant ordered him to report for duty. The lawyer got her to admit her guilt.

Make and have, two of the more commonly occurring causative verbs, however, take complements without to. For example: I made her stay until the mystery was solved. He had the gardener trim the hedges last week.

Causative verbs have and get interact with the passive voice; i.e., they act as passive auxiliaries and embedded passive-like complements as easily as do active ones. For example: I had someone cut my hair. (active) I had my hair cut. (passive)

I got Brion to wash my car. (active) I got my car washed. (passive)

Semantically speaking causative have and get mean this: 1. Have suggests that the embedded subject was routinely hired or selected to do a job by the subject of the main clause. For example: We had Ray mow the lawn. (We hired him for this.) 2. Get conveys the sense that the subject of the main clause used persuasion or coercion to elicit the desired action from the embedded subject. For example: I got him to admit his mistake. (I persuaded him to admit it; or I forced him to do it.) 3. Make implies that the subject of the main clause has power or authority over the embedded subject. For example: The judge made him to apologize for his wrongdoings.

4. Passive have suggests that the action was routinely accomplished and the passive get implies that some effort was required to perform the action. For example: I had my TV repaired. I finally got my oven fixed. (Taken from Marianne Celce-Murcia & Diane Larsen-Freeman, The Grammar Book, An ESL/EFL Teacher`s Course. Newbury House Publishers, Inc. Rowley, Massachusetts. Rowly, London, Toronto. 1983: 480-482.)

Do this: 1. In pairs, discuss about the things you like to do yourselves and those that you like to have other people do for you. Give reasons for your choice. 2. Do this activity in writing, individually first, and then work in pairs in order to have it checked and to practice it orally. Frank and Laura only have a little money. Frank wants to have the house fixed up, but Laura has to keep reminding him that they can‘t afford it. Using the cues, say what Frank wants to do and give Laura´s response. Example: House- paint A: We should have the house painted. B: But we can‘t afford to have it painted. We‘d better do it ourselves. a. wall- paint b. apple tree-cut down c. electrical wiring- redo d. garage-clean out e. roof-fix f. kitchen sink- repair g. basement- clean up

3. Work in pairs. You have just inherited a large sum of money and a house from an uncle. The house is very old and not really livable. Naturally you are going to fix it up yourself. What would you say about making changes? Example: The bedrooms have never been painted. So, I‘m going to have them painted. a. the bathrooms are outside b. there is no electricity c. there is a wood stove in the kitchen d. the garden is full of weeds e. there are mice in the dining room What else has to be done before you can live there?

5.2. Talk about what other people do to you You will practice different ways of talking about what other people do to you, which include the use of gerunds. Remember that a gerund is a verb ending in -ing and usually performing the function of a noun.

Look at the examples given below.

A. Gerund with change of subject

For example: a. I like people telling me what to do in all situations all the time. What about you? Do you like people telling you what to do in all situations and all the time? b. I hate people reminding me of what I have to do. What about you? c. This famous actress loves people asking her for her autograph, and she hates people criticizing her movies. Do you know anyone who likes people asking her for her autograph? Do you know any Cuban movie maker who dislikes people criticizing his or her movies?

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Do this: 1. Work in pairs and do as shown in the example: a. Example: People tell me what to do in all situations all the time. I like people telling me what to do in all situations all the time. b. ______. I hate people reminding me of what I have to do. c. ______. This famous actress loves people asking her for her autograph. 2. In pairs discuss the questions that you are asked in the box given above.

B. Passive gerund: I like being + p.p. (I like being told ...)

Do this: 1. Complete the sentences in the box following the example given.

For example:

1. Active: I hate people reminding me of what I have to do.

Passive: I hate being reminded of what I have to do.

2. Active: She loves people asking her for her autograph. Passive: ______. 3. Active: I hate people telephoning me early in the morning. Passive: ______.

2. In pairs talk about the things you love or hate from what other people do to you. You may want to follow these hints: - disturbed when working/studying. - shouted at when on the street. - pointed at while walking by. - laughed at.

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C. Gerund form of have something done (I like having my ... –ed). For example:

1. She hates having her movies criticized. 2. I love having my photograph taken.

Do this: In pairs look at the examples given above an interpret them. For example:

1. She hates other people criticizing her movies. 2. ______.

Think of other examples with the gerund form of have something done and ―interpret‖ them.

5.3. Talk about what people do to you and ask for advice Do this: 1. Listen to the first part of this recording and in pairs discuss why Pedro is always being teased by the girls at the camp. Try and give Pedro some advice. 2. Listen to some advice that Pedro has been given, and in pairs, compare what is said with what you thought of, yourselves.

Part 1 A. I´m Pedro. I´m fifteen and I´m from Lima Perú. I´m on an adventure vacation at the moment. Most things are great, but there´s one problem, and I need your advice. I´m the only boy in my group, and I´m always being teased by the girls. They make fun of me all the time, and I hate it. What can I do? I don´t want to leave the camp, but their teasing is really spoiling it for me. (Taken from American Shine 5 by Kathryn Johnston et. Al., 2002. McMillan, London, UK.)

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B.There are two reasons why you are being teased. Firstly, the girls can probably see that it makes you angry. Try pretending that you haven´t heard what they´ve said. When I´ve been teased in the past, I´ve just ignored it, and it stopped. If one girl is the leader, try and talk to her on her own. Help her with something she´s doing and talk to her then. Tell her how much you´ll be hurt if they keep on teasing you. Not many people want to hurt someone once they know how they feel. And if the others see you and the leader doing things together, they may change their attitude, and see that teasing is really stupid. Secondly, these girls are teasing you because you are different from them. Stop worrying about being a boy and join in with the others. Help when equipment is being cleaned and put away. When everything´s been done, the girls will see that you are the same as them, ready for anything.

3. In groups of three, pretend that you are now in secondary school. One of you is a head teacher and the other two are students.

Student A You are the student leader in your class. You are now talking to your head teacher and a classmate who is being teased by other students with challenging behaviors. Describe exactly what these people are doing to your peer and give advice if you are asked to.

Student B You are being teased by three or four of your classmates, who are really making it difficult for you to put up with it. Tell your head teacher exactly what they are doing to you and say what you have done in order to deal with this difficult situation. Then ask for advice.

Student C

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You are the head teacher in this secondary school class in which there are some students who make life really very difficult for the most disciplined students. Listen to a student who is finding it hard to deal with the teasing coming from these three or four students with challenging behaviors in this class. Then ask the student leader to describe exactly what is happening and what he/she thinks should be done about it. Then give advice to both students in order to overcome this discipline problem.

Project Work Project 5: Teachers do make a difference in students' lives You can start this project by reflecting on the following phrase and by completing it according to your experience. ―Making criticism is easy but accepting it is …‖ There are many things in our lives that we criticize. Some are trivial but some of them are crucial in this XXI century we are living in. Health and environmental problems are among the ones that affect most people around the world. For sure, you will have your own viewpoints regarding them and your own alternatives to live in a better world for the present and future generations. Suggestions: 1. Work in teams to create and conduct a survey in order to list all the environmental problems in university, its causes and possible solutions. Select a sample of students or teachers according to the objectives determined by the team. Represent your results graphically, so as to be better understood by the audience you will be addressing during your oral presentation.

2. ―The Dark Camera‖ was one of the inventions attributed to the famous Italian Leonardo Da Vinci. It consists of a set of lenses displayed in a way that they can rotate so you can see everything that is taking place at a far distance very close to you and in real motion. Look for more information about this in ECURED or Wikipedia. Imagine you have this invention on top of a building in your town or city and you have the possibility to describe everything you see people doing. Mind either correct or incorrect actions regarding environmental care. Don‘t forget to criticize the wrong actions that are making this planet lose its true colors.

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3. If you are good at drawing, this is your opportunity to create caricatures to reflect the relation you see between environmental problems and the health problems your classmates or students face in their everyday lives. Create a set of caricatures that will be posted on the classroom walls, or if you can digitalize them you can even send them to Web Sites related to this topic. Have your friends or students try to reflect on them, and about the active role each of them must have regarding environmental problems.

Tutankhamen: The Curse of a Pharaoh (excerpt) By Sarah Coles Are fatal events linked to the opening of an Egyptian tomb? Curse or coincidence? Many tales are told of the measures that the past rulers of Ancient Egypt took to protect their tombs from vandals and looters. These tombs used to contain not only the body of the dead king or queen but also many beautifully made objects and treasures that the Pharaohs believed would accompany them to the afterlife. When building their final resting place the Pharaohs made sure that warnings or curses were engraved at the entrances to their tombs to deter those who wished to disturb them and steal their treasures. Interestingly, such warnings are not only found in tombs in Ancient Egypt but also found in tombs across the world in such places as Mexico, Norway and China. What many scientists dismiss as just unexplained occurrences hold a fascination for others - is there such a thing as the curse of the Pharaohs? One of the most mysterious tales of the curse of the Pharaohs is the true story of the discovery of Tutankhamen‘s tomb in November 1922 by a British archaeologist called Howard Carter. Tutankhamen was a young man and he ruled Ancient Egypt for only a short time before he died but significantly, his tomb was one of the very few tombs which was not disturbed by vandals and was found, still intact, by the archaeologists in the

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1920s. On the outside of the tomb, the now famous curse was written in hieroglyphics: ―Death shall come on swift wings to him who disturbs the peace of the King‖. This message was viewed with amused skepticism during the excitement of the discovery of the tomb. As soon as he made his discovery and realized that the tomb was still intact, Howard Carter contacted his wealthy patron, Lord Carnarvon and together the two men became the first men to enter the tomb for thousands of years. Neither of the men realized that by breaking the seal of the tomb and ignoring the warning inscribed on the outside of the tomb, they were to start a series of events that many people believe were caused by the curse of the Pharaoh. Lord Carnarvon had taken some steps to find out about the curse and the dangers and had visited two mediums before he had left Britain to join Carter. Both mediums had warned him that this trip to Egypt would be his last. After visiting the tomb in April 1922 Lord Carnarvon died of a high fever caused by an infected mosquito bite on his cheek. As he died, an unexplained power cut struck Cairo and the city was in darkness. In England, his pet dog, Susie, started barking and by the morning, she had died too. Back in Cairo, a cobra ate Carnarvon‘s pet canary - the cobra being considered the protector of the Pharaohs. Later, a small blemish was found on Tutankhamen‘s cheek in the same spot as the infected mosquito had bitten the archaeologist. The curse of the Pharaoh has remained the subject of much speculation over the years, fuelled by unexplained occurrences and tragic deaths. Of all the members of the expedition to uncover Tutankhamen‘s tomb, by 1969 only two members of the team had avoided the curse. In the 1970s when an exhibition of the treasure of Tutankhamen‘s tomb was being held in Britain a successor of one of the original team died the same night as he finished packing the treasures. Two men who were organizing the exhibition and who were flying the treasures from Egypt died from heart attacks. There are theories to explain these occurrences. One scientist put forward the theory that the floors of the tomb were covered with radioactive substances, for example, uranium. However, to this day, no one has managed to explain satisfactorily the

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occurrences surrounding the strange events following the opening of Tutankhamen‘s tomb. And perhaps the strangest fact of all is that the man who discovered the tomb, Howard Carter, survived the curse and died of natural causes at the age of 66. Why did the man who made the famous discovery escape the curse while many of his colleagues met untimely and tragic deaths? Only the Pharaohs can say.

(Source: New English Digest. Downloaded from http://www.cuentoseningles.com.ar/articles/features/shoes.html )

I. Getting ready to read 1. Have you ever read or heard about Egyptian history? Why are many people interested in the tales from ancient Egypt? 2. What is a pharaoh? Is there any famous pharaoh you know of? 3. Read the title of the text and discuss what is meant by The Curse of a Pharaoh. II. Connecting with the text 1. Read the first sentence in the first paragraph. Tell your partner what kind of story you expect to find in this text.

2. Read quickly through the whole text and discuss if your predictions were confirmed. 3. Read through the text to obtain the following information. Write it in the chart below, considering what you knew before reading the text and what you learned after reading it.

Information What I knew before What I learned after reading the text reading the text Measures that past rulers took to protect their tombs What was kept inside

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the tombs The warnings at the entrance of tombs Events that were caused by the curse of the Pharaoh Who Lord Carnarvon was

4. About this text say what you find most: - interesting - incredible - unusual

5. Find a synonym for these words in the text: a. afterlife (last line, 1st paragraph) b. deter ( 2nd line, 2nd paragraph) c. dismiss (1st line, 3rd paragraph)

III. Sharing and reflecting 1. Work in small groups or with your partner to discuss: a. the content of the text b. strange or unbelievable stories you have read. c. the importance of science in finding answers to strange events or phenomena.

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The suffix -ing As you know, suffixes in English can be divided into derivational or inflectional, according to their role in the formation of words, but there are cases in which the same suffix can express more than one meaning. For example: • In the sentence ―He is singing a song‖ the suffix -ing helps to form the present progressive (or continuous) of the verb sing, which is a purely inflectional function.

• In other cases this same suffix helps to form new words with different functions, like nouns and adjectives derived from verbs; for example:

• John is in a meeting right now.

• That‘s a boring film

• His singing woke me up.

This suffix is also used in words that appear immediately after some verbs that express like love, enjoy, like, dislike, hate, detest, loath, etc., after verbs that denote a state like start, begin, finish, stop, and after prepositions. For example,

• I enjoy watching TV late at night.

• The woman started screaming when she saw that her purse had been snatched.

• Hemingway was fond of fishing and big game hunting

Do this:

1. In the following fragments from the text Tutankhamen some words are in bold face: a. Say if they have been inflected or derived. Explain why you think so. b. Say their Spanish equivalents.

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c. Are fatal events linked to the opening of an Egyptian tomb?

d. When building their final resting place the Pharaohs made sure that warnings or curses were engraved at the entrances to their tombs to deter those who wished to disturb them and steal their treasures.

e. After visiting the tomb in April 1922 Lord Carnarvon died of a high fever caused by an infected mosquito bite on his cheek. As he died, an unexplained power cut struck Cairo and the city was in darkness. In England, his pet dog, Susie, started barking and by the morning, she had died too. Back in Cairo, a cobra ate Carnarvon‘s pet canary - the cobra being considered the protector of the Pharaohs. Later, a small blemish was found on Tutankhamen‘s cheek in the same spot as the infected mosquito had bitten the archaeologist. 4. In the 1970s when an exhibition of the treasure of Tutankhamen‘s tomb was being held in Britain a successor of one of the original team died the same night as he finished packing the treasures. Two men who were organizing the exhibition and who were flying the treasures from Egypt died from heart attacks.

Writing: The Cause and Effect Essay and the Body

―One ought only to write when one leaves a piece of one's own flesh in the inkpot, each time one dips one's pen. ― ~Leo Tolstoy

What is a Cause and Effect Essay?

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This type of essay focuses on a condition or situation somehow relevant to you or your surroundings concerned with why things happen(cause) or what happens as a result (effect). It is the most often used genre to describe a life- changing experience or to write about someone or something that has greatly influenced your life. The format of this type of essay should include only facts and objective information.

Notice this: What is the basic structure of the Cause and Effect Essay? Read the sample text, ―Rainforest destruction‖, in order to identify the structure followed by the writer (the underlined subtitles given in bold type appear here, only to make it easier for you to recognize the structure).

Rainforest Destruction Introduction: The tropical rainforests of West Africa, Brazil, Latin America and Southeast Asia are some of the most important environmental regions of the world. They hold millions of unique plants, animals, and people. However, they are being destroyed rapidly for agriculture, mining and logging. This essay will examine the causes of this destruction and outline its effects on our lives. Causes: A complex web of factors is contributing to the destruction of the rainforests. Cause 1: One of the main causes of destruction is logging for timber. Millions of hectares are cut down every year, often illegally. The most valuable wood is taken and not replaced. Cause 2: Mining companies are responsible for much deforestation. They cut down trees to extract gold and other minerals. Moreover, their activity often causes pollution. Cause 3: However, one of the biggest contributors to rainforest destruction is that they are often located in developing countries. As a result, the forests lack protection and are in danger from wealthy developers, companies and negligent people.

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Effects: Rainforest destruction has many catastrophic effects. Effect 1: A tragic effect of the loss of the rainforest is the extinction of plants and animals that could provide us with food, medicine or valuable products. Thousands of species disappear each year leading to a poorer world with less biodiversity. Effect 2: One surprising result of the destruction of the rainforest is that soils and nutrients are washed away. When the trees are cut down, the soil is exposed to the heavy rain and quickly becomes infertile and useless. The forests cannot grow again, and the people who used the land have to move on. Effect 3: One of the most serious effects is global warming. When the trees in the rainforest are cut down, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. This carbon dioxide acts as a blanket, trapping the sun‘s heat and warming the planet. This can have huge consequences for the world‘s climate. Conclusion: In summary, the rainforests are important for the environment because they produce oxygen, store carbon and have huge stores of timber, minerals, medicinal plants and food. They are potentially a huge source of genetic material, but human activities are damaging this treasure. If we do not take action now, this vital part of our heritage will be lost forever.

References: . http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/rainforest.html#where . http://www.davesite.com/rainforests/review2.shtml . http://www.savetherainforest.org/savetherainforest_006.htm . http://www.msu.edu/user/urquhar5/tour/slide0.html . http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/rforest/where.htm

Source: http://uk.ask.com/beauty/Cause-and-Effect-of-Rainforest-Destruction

Cause and Effect Essays may be structured basically in one of these two ways:

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Effect Cause 1 The cause(s) of a situation is/are 1 Cause discussed first and then it/they Effect Cause 2 is/are 2 Effects followed by the effect(s) Effect Cause 3 3

Cause( The essay generally begins with the outcome, or effect, and Effect s) continues to explain or discuss the cause(s) of that outcome. Cause( s)

Cause( s)

Cause or effect?

Very often chain reactions occur, when the effect of an event becomes the cause for some other(s). This is also known as the domino effect. To recognize the cause(s), you can ask yourself ―Why did X happen?", or you can ask "What happened because of …?" In order to determine the effect(s).

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Writing tip

There are four types of cause and effect essays:

 Valuation : (they focus on issues of value or worth. This type of cause/effect essay deals with

consequences and often includes essays that discuss the factors leading to or the results/effects of a decision. Example: My teachers have forced me to evaluate my priorities,

develop self-discipline, and think critically.

 Interpretation: Interpretation essays explain the unknown by reference to what is known. This type of cause/effect essay begins with a known cause and projects probable effects or

begins with a known effect and infers probable causes. The analysis of the causes and effects, therefore, are generally speculative. Example: Total nuclear war would destroy modern civilization.

 Analysis: Analysis essays break a subject down into its constituent parts for the purpose of understanding their function in relation to the whole. This type of cause/effect essay focuses

on the major causes leading to some effect, the major effects of some cause, or cause-effect

chains in order to understand the meaning of, importance of, or significance of some event, occurrence, action, or attitude. Example: The Civil War had lasting effects on the American

psyche.  Syn thesis: Synthesis essays explore the connections of some subject with a larger context.

This type of cause/effect essay explores the broader implications to be drawn or relevance of

the causes and/or effects behind some event, occurrence, action, or attitude. Example: The military decisions and policies which led to thousands of soldiers suffering months of

anguish from Gulf War syndrome reveal the need for a Congressional board of inquiry into Pentagon practices.

Notice this:

What is the basic structure of the cause and effect essay?

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In the Introduction of this type of essay, you present the situation, and review the causes or effects that you will outline. You will also provide background information on the situation under discussion. You should introduce your main idea using the key terms cause and/or effect, and you should state clearly whether you are discussing causes, effects or both.

The Body of your essay outlines the issues under discussion in different paragraphs according to the structure you will follow. The same structure is followed for all the paragraphs you need: the cause or effect is outlined in the topic sentence of the first paragraph, the sentences that follow back up that topic sentence with explanations and the necessary objective evidence; the concluding sentence of that paragraph links the idea to the second paragraph, and so forth.

In the Conclusion, paraphrasing your thesis and summarizing or restating the main points is the most general method used. Other common methods are: making a recommendation and predicting.

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Writing tip

For all kinds of essays, transitions (words, phrases and even whole sentences) always enable your writing to be coherent, as they establish logical connections between and within paragraphs and between sentences, helping to lead the content logically from one idea to the next. This is the reason why transitions are important for Cause and Effect essays, as they make it easy for readers to follow your ideas. You should not, however, use them if they are not necessary.

Transitions are also referred to as ―signposts‖ as they make your essay organization easier to follow. They help readers anticipate information; they also tell readers how to think about, organize, and react to given and new information. The ones commonly used to express cause and effects are given here:

For causes because, due to, one cause is, another is, since, for, first, second, as a consequence,

For Effects consequently, as a result of, it follows that , hence, thus, resulted in, one result is, another is, therefore, if… then.

WhenTake transitionsa look at the connect model paragraphs, text ―Rainforest they destruction‖ can be written again. either How at doesthe end it end? of the What first paragraph,follows the at conclusion? the beginning Why of isthe this second section one, necessary? or in both places.

Study tip: The last section of your essay is the reference list of those texts you have referred to in the essay. There is a difference between the terms references and bibliography: the bibliography you consult does not have to be attached at the end of the essay. Your list of references only includes those texts you have cited, and not everything you have consulted or read.

Do this:

1. Oorganize the paragraphs given below as well as the numbered sentences, in order to build a coherent Cause and Effect Solution Essay.

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Paragraph __

1) Another effect is obesity, which is widely observed in people who like watching TV and eating snacks everyday (there is even a term ―TV snacks‖ to refer to fast food that is suitable for eating in front of the TV). 2) TV is such a powerful machine that people cannot get away from it – it is addictive. 3) It is true that there are specifications for watching TV; TV should be 5 m. away from the eye, the room should be adequately lit; TV should be placed at the same height with our eyes, etc. 4) One of the physiological effects of watching TV in excessive amounts is eye- strain. 5) However, these do not prevent our eyes from getting tired if we keep watching TV for a long time.

Paragraph __

1) Shortly, inventions are meant to be beneficial for human beings, if we know how to benefit from them. 2) TV is one of such inventions that need to be used for the right purpose only – being educated and entertained for a reasonable (according to age) period of time. 3) We may, then, be safe from or at least reduce the adverse physiological and psychological effects of watching too much TV.

Paragraph __

1) However, we are now trying to overcome its physiological and psychological adverse effects on human beings. 2) This was the case when Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-ray and within five years, the British Army was using a mobile x-ray unit to locate bullets and shrapnel in wounded soldiers in the Sudan.

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3) Discoveries and invention of devices are always welcome till we, humans, find a way to abuse its benefits and be adversely affected by it. 4) TV was also invented with positive thoughts in mind – there would be no national borders, education and communication would be worldwide, etc.

Paragraph __

1) Partly connected to this effect, the interpersonal communication among people decreases. 2) This issue is very important since lack of interpersonal relationships mostly ends with divorces. 3) After seeing so many violent scenes on TV, people start considering violent actions normal and they lose their sensitivity to their environment. 4) Apart from the physiological effects, TV also causes psychological effects. 5) One is a result of being exposed to violence. 6) Also, after coming home from work, people seek to relax in front of the TV, and generally people prefer watching TV to talking to each other. 7) Being insensitive to the suffering of other people causes people to become alienated.

Text source: http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/students/typesofessays/Causeand/effectEssay.htm

2. Now find a suitable title for the essay. It is advisable for this section to contain keywords from the essay itself.

3. Read the text in Appendix 8 ―Learning to Hate Mathematics‖ and discuss the answers to the following questions.

a. Does the introduction attract your interest? If your answer is affirmative, say how the writer maintains your interest in the body of the essay. b. Does the writer suggest clearly the purpose of the essay in the introduction? How? c. Does the writer use specific details and examples to identify the various causes and effects?

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d. Does the writer emphasize key points? e. Is the concluding paragraph effective? Explain why or why not. f. Do you think the writer's shift in attitude at the end contradicts or reinforces the points raised earlier in the essay?

Adapted from http://grammar.about.com/od/essayassignments/a/learningmathreasonscomp.htm

The second section of the essay is the body. It is similar to the body of a simple paragraph, except that it is a group of paragraphs each logically flowing to the next. It is in the body where you actually develop the ideas and arguments you outlined in the introduction; therefore, the content of this central part will contain: ideas, explanations, evidence, referencing and relevant examples. Do you then agree with the opinion that the body is like the heart of the essay?

A good topic sentence in each of the paragraphs of the essay should inform the reader of the point you are making and how each paragraph relates to the essay question. If necessary, read again the information about the topic sentence in a paragraph given in the course book Integrated English Practice 1 in Unit 4.

Some writers say that you could think of each paragraph as a mini-essay with its own introductory sentence and conclusion. In Integrated English Practice 1, you also learnt an important golden rule you should keep in mind when writing essays: effective paragraphs have three important qualities.  Unity: when they focus on one main idea.  Development: when the idea is elaborated on in the paragraph. This elaboration usually consists of the evidence you have gathered from your research to support the point you are making in the paragraph, and  Coherence: when everything in the paragraph relates to and expands on the point you are making.

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Source: http://www2.le.ac.uk/offics/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/writing-essays

The writing corner: Writing my Cause and Effect Essay Follow these steps:  Choose an attractive topic for you, and decide what kind of cause and effect essay you want to develop.  Brainstorm for ideas and do some research for it.  Outline your ideas. Keep in mind what makes a good cause and effect essay and how it should be organized.  Start drafting your essay. As usual, you can follow the procedures provided in Unit 2 as a guideline for writing your own essay. Before you start drafting your essay, read the tips given below -- they could help you write a more effective essay.

Tip 1 Back up your thesis with relevant and sufficient details. You can organize them in the following ways: a. Chronological. Details are arranged in the order in which the events occurred. b. Order of importance. Details are arranged from least to most important or vice versa. c. Categorical. Details are arranged by dividing the topic into parts or categories.

Tip 2 For your information research, choose different sources such as books, journals, newspapers and/or websites. A rule of thumb is to choose sources published within the past 5-10 years.

Tip 3 Make your essay stronger by using much supporting evidence. Define terms and support your ideas by providing statistics, personal observations, facts, examples, anecdotes, etc.

When you are not sure if your evidence is objective or well documented, some writers suggest using phrases such as: "It appears that the cause was" or "It seems likely" or "The evidence may indicate" or "Available evidence suggests."

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Tip 4 When transitions connect paragraphs, they can be written either at the end of the first paragraph, at the beginning of the second one, or in both places.

Tip 5 To evaluate the effectiveness of your essay, the following questions are suggested: What are the causes? What are the effects? Which should be emphasized? Are there single or multiple causes? Is a chain reaction/ domino effect involved?

Source for tips: http://essayinfo.com/essays/cause and effect essay.php http://Learning Skills@CSU)

In order to obtain some feedback, exchange your essay with a classmate. But before you do so, use the check list below for another self-revision: o Check the focus of the paper: Is it appropriate to the assignment? Is the topic too big or too narrow? Do you stay on track through the entire paper? o Think honestly about your thesis: Do you still agree with it? Should it be modified in light of something you discovered as you wrote the paper? Does your thesis generalize instead of taking a specific position? Should it be changed altogether? o Think about your purpose in writing: Does the introduction state clearly what you intend to do? Will your aims be clear to your readers? Are you writing to inform or to persuade? o Check the organization: Do the transitions move your readers smoothly from one point to the next? Do the topic sentences of each paragraph appropriately introduce what that paragraph is about? Would your paper be better if you moved some things around? o Check your information: Are all your facts accurate? Are any of your statements misleading? Have you provided enough detail to satisfy reader‘s curiosity? Have you cited all your information appropriately? o Check your conclusion: Does the last paragraph tie the paper together smoothly and end on a stimulating note, or does the paper just die a slow,

redundant, lame or abrupt death? (Source: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/revising- drafts/ )

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Listen to Papa Don’t Preach by Madonna 1. Listen to the song and fill in the blanks places. 2. Read the first stanza of the song, and try to determine its topic. 3. Do you think that being upset is the best solution to the problem that is depicted in the song? Explain. 4. Is this problem something common to young people? Explain. 5. What would you do if you were in a similar situation? 6. Practice your pronunciation. a. Take out from the song all the words that have the sound in saw. b. Take out all the words with the sound in green. c. List all the words with the sound in out. 7. Practice your grammar: a. Take out a sentence in the present perfect. b. Complete this sentence from the song: If you could only … c. Say what meaning this sentence expresses: a condition, a wish, something else. What? 8. Practice singing the chorus from this song and try to learn it by heart. Papa Don’t Preach by Madonna Papa I know you're going to be upset But my friends keep telling me to give 'Cause I was always your little _____ it up But you ______know by now Saying I'm too young, I ought to live it I'm not a ______up What I need right now is some good You always taught me _____ from wrong advice, please I need your _____, Daddy please be ______(chorus) I may be _____ at heart Daddy, Daddy if you could only see But I know what I'm saying Just how good he's been treating me You'd give us your blessing right now

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The one you warned me all about 'Cause we are in love, we are in love, The one you said I could do without so please We're in an awful mess, and I don't mean maybe - please (chorus) Papa don't preach, I'm in trouble deep Chorus: Papa don't preach, I've been losing Papa don't preach, I'm in trouble deep sleep Papa don't preach, I've been losing sleep (repeat)

But I made up my mind, I'm keeping my Oh, I'm gonna keep my baby, ooh baby, oh Don't you stop loving me daddy I'm gonna keep my baby, mmm... I know, I'm keeping my baby.

He says that he's going to marry me We can raise a little family Maybe we'll be all right It's a sacrifice

Madonna

4. Read about Madonna and summarize her biography in this chart. Early career

Genre

Early recordings

Early bands

Religion

Best hits

Discography

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Tours

Concerts

Cause of death

5. In pairs, think of words that may characterize Madonna in terms of her personality traits. Share your views with other people in class. 6. Would you say that Madonna seems socially or politically committed in any ways? Explain. 7. What do you know about former Madonna´s husband Sean Penn? 8. Read and take down:  Words or phrases that you didn‘t know and could understand through context,  Words or phrases that call your attention but don‘t know the meaning of. Ask someone else in class about the meaning of these words or phrases or look them up in a dictionary.

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone (16 August 1958, Rochester Michigan, USA.)

Madonna excelled at dance and drama at high school and during brief periods at colleges in Michigan and North Carolina. In 1977 she went to New York, studying with noted choreographer Alvin Ailey and taking modeling jobs. Two years later, Madonna moved to France to join a show featuring disco singer Patrick Hernandez. There she met Dan Gilroy and, back in New York, the pair formed club band the Breakfast Club. Madonna played drums and sang with the band before setting up Emmy in 1980 with Detroit-born drummer Steve Bray. Together, Madonna and Bray created dance tracks that led to a recording deal with Sire Records. With leading New York disc jockey Mark Kamins producing, she recorded "Everybody," a US club hit in 1982. Madonna broke out from the dance scene into mainstream pop with "Holiday," written and produced by John "Jellybean" Benitez. It reached the US Top 20 and was a Top 10 hit across Europe in 1984. By now, her

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tough, raunchy persona was coming across to international audiences and the attitude was underlined by the choice of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg's catchy "Like a Virgin" as a 1984 single. It was the first of five US number 1 hits for Madonna. Among these was "Material Girl," the video for which introduced one of her most characteristic visual styles, the mimicking of Marilyn Monroe's "blonde bombshell" image. By the time of the Live Aid concert, at which she appeared, and her high-profile wedding to actor Sean Penn, Madonna had become an internationally recognized superstar, known to millions of tabloid newspaper readers without any interest in her music. Among the fans of her work were a growing number of "wannabes," teenage girls who aped her independent and don't-care stance. From 1985-87, she turned out a stream of irresistibly catchy hit singles. "Crazy for you" was co-written by ex- Carpenters collaborator John Bettis, while she and Steve Bray wrote "Into the Groove." These were followed by "Dress You Up" and "Papa Don't Preach," with its message of generational rebellion. "True Blue," "Open Your Heart" and "La Isla Bonita" were later successes. Like an increasing number of her songs, "Who's That Girl" (1987) was tied in to a film. Madonna's film career had begun in 1980 with a bit part in the b-movie A Certain Sacrifice, before she starred in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). In Shanghai Surprise (1986), Madonna appeared with Penn, from whom she separated in 1988. In that year, she also appeared on Broadway in the play Speed-The-Plow by David Mamet. Madonna continued to attract controversy when in 1989 the video for "Like a Prayer," with its links between religion and eroticism, was condemned by the Vatican and caused Pepsi-Cola to cancel a sponsorship deal with the star. The resulting publicity helped the album of the same title — co-produced with new collaborator Patrick Leonard — to become a global best-seller. 1990 saw her career reach a new peak of publicity and commercial success. She starred with Warren Beatty in the blockbuster film Dick Tracy, while the extravagant

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costumes and choreography of the Blond Ambition world tour were the apotheosis of Madonna's uninhibited melange of sexuality, song, dance and religiosity. Madonna's reputation as a strong businesswoman, in control of each aspect of her career, was confirmed in 1992 when she signed a multi-million dollar deal with the Time-Warner conglomerate, parent company of Sire. The publication of her graphic and erotic book Sex put her back on top of the charts, though this time it was in the bestselling book lists. The book was an unprecedented success, selling out within hours and needing an immediate reprint. © 1996 Microsoft Corporation and/or its suppliers.All rights reserved.

The economy of the Caribbean

An outdoor market in Jamaica.

The economy of the Caribbean depends largely on agriculture and tourism. A few islands have mineral deposits, and many of the island nations have tried to encourage manufacturing with varying success. Per capita income varies from island to island.

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The tobacco plant is one of the commercial nonfood crops grown in Cuba. Cuban cigar makers roll the tobacco leaves into the world's finest cigars. Farming is an important economic endeavor in many Caribbean countries. On the larger islands -- Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad -- one-sixth to one-quarter of the land is farmland. On some of the smaller islands, such as Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, and Saint Vincent, at least half of the total land area is cultivated. Most of the islands produce similar crops because their climate and land formations are comparable. On the tiny plots of land that dot the steep mountain slopes of the smaller islands, farmers grow sweet potatoes; cassava, beans, corn, and sometimes tobacco. These crops are all indigenous to the region. In addition, imported plants flourish, such as sugarcane, yams, bananas, citrus fruits, and coffee. Some islands have specialized crops: Grenada has nutmeg; Saint Vincent, arrowroot; Dominica, vanilla; Montserrat and Antigua, Sea Island cotton; and Trinidad, cacao. Jamaica has pimento, also known as allspice, whose leaves and berries yield the aroma and taste of all the spices.

I. What do you think are the most crucial economic activities in the Caribbean region? II. Read the text to check whether you are right or wrong. III. Read again to answer the following questions: a) Are mining and manufacturing strong economic sectors in the Caribbean? b) Which have a higher percentage of cultivated lands, the larger or the smaller Caribbean islands? c) What Caribbean country produces the world finest cigars? d) Which crops are indigenous to the Caribbean and which are imported?

IV. Read and complete the following chart.

Island Specialized Crops

Allspice

Trinidad

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Vanilla

Montserrat and Antigua

Nutmeg

Saint Vincent

V. Discuss in pairs how the colonial and neocolonial systems have hindered the economic development of the area.

(Authentic text) Radio Broadcast: Fund-Drive for Cancer

BEFORE YOU LISTEN

Activating your vocabulary Human death may be produced by different causes. Some of these causes may be prevented, but others may not.

Work with a partner and write two lists of causes, one list should include the causes that can be prevented and the other list should include those that cannot be prevented. PREVENTABLE CAUSES NON-PREVENTABLE CAUSES ______

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______

Now group these causes in smaller classes such as: HEALTH-RELATED ACCIDENT-RELATED NATURE-RELATED ______

WHILE YOU LISTEN

Recognizing the general subject 1. What is this broadcast related to? Listen to the recording and mark the right choice. _____ sports _____ culture _____ medicine _____ history _____ education

Recognizing types of voices 2. How many voices do you hear on the recording? a. Who do you think they are? b. Which voice is clearer? Why do you think so? c. What is the approximate age of the speakers? If necessary, listen again so as to draw your own conclusions.

Getting specific information

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3. Does the broadcast feature the case of a five-year-old, a teenager, or an adult? Listen again and decide. 4. Now listen and determine the disease the person in question is suffering from. 5. Read the statements below carefully. Then listen to the recording once more and say right, wrong, or I don‘t know. a. Burdick is not able to run. b. No child has ever survived the disease in spite of the treatment efforts. c. Brandon‘s grandfather believes in science, not in miracles. d. Brandon‘s grandmother is very worried.

6. Read the following sentences taken and adapted from the recording. Then listen for the missing elements. a. For most ______running is normal. b. For Brandon Burdick being able to run is a sign of a ______. c. The doctors at Saint Jude Children‘s Research Hospital have been ______in stopping the growth of the rare brain ______that is threatening his life.

Working with pronunciation factors 7. Go through these sentences again and do the following activities: a. Mark pauses (tone groups) with a slash. b. Mark blending in each tone group. c. Put an accent on the stressed vowels in each tone group. d. Remember that the unstressed vowels are reduced to / / or / I /. e. Tap on the desk every time you feel a stressed syllable as you listen to the tape. f. How many stressed syllables do you notice in the second sentence? How many unstressed syllables are there between the stressed ones? How long does it take to pronounce each interval between stresses? Why? Is the time interval between stresses always the same or does it depend on the number of unstressed syllables between stresses?

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Listen to the tape several times before you answer. Then discuss this point with your teacher. g. Work in pairs. One student is going to repeat together with the speaker on the tape, ―shadowing‖ his pronunciation. The other student will check his/her pronunciation, concentrating on the correct combination of stressed and unstressed syllables he/she makes. Change roles every other sentence.

Do not work with the whole recording, but choose a few sentences for this activity.

AFTER YOU LISTEN

Working with lexical items derived from the listening text 1. Every penny of it is worth it. This expression can also be said in this way: It is worth every penny of it. What does it mean? In what circumstances can it be used? Discuss this with a partner.

2. Vocabulary expansion

a. Five-year-olds ―For most five-year-olds running is normal.‖

Look ―Brandom is five years old.‖ ―Brandom is a five-year-old boy.‖ The phrase five years old, made up of three elements, becomes a single entity modifying the noun boy. The three elements are unified by hyphens. The element years loses the –s, since in English, modifiers take no inflections.

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But the modifier five-year-old can be used as a noun indicating age group. The plural form of this noun is five-year-olds.

Jack is five years old. Jack is a five-year-old boy. Jack is a five-year-old. Most five-year-olds in our community are attending Kindergarten.

Complete these sentences using hyphenated nouns indicating age group.  Phil is fifteen years old and, like most ______, he is in the 10th grade of high school.  The class is composed of students aged 5 and 6. In the first lesson the teacher divided the class into two groups. One group was formed by ______and the other by ______.

Writing as a follow-up 3. Write a short pledge asking for help for a person badly wounded in an accident, who needs a special type of blood for a transfusion.

Speaking about health assistance 4. Discuss about what health assistance represents for the human being. You may follow the points below in your discussion. Give plenty or arguments to substantiate your views.  Medicine. Should it be prophylactic or curative?  Medical assistance. Should it be free of charge or paid?  Cancer-fighting drugs. Should they be costly or inexpensive?  Manufacture of drugs. Should it be a lucrative business?  Medicine doctors. Should they base their careers on personal profits or on love for their fellow human beings?  Pediatricians. Should they be mere doctors or should they be like parents to their patients?

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 Refer to any experience, positive or negative, that you have gone through or witnessed in regard to medical assistance.

Getting ready to teach: Getting teenagers to use English in class

Is it easy to get teenagers to use English in class? You are already doing your practicum at schools and you have noticed that getting teenagers to use English in class poses a considerable challenge to most teachers. This is an issue that has been studied by many professors around the world.

Do this:

1. Analyze what is suggested by Catherine Sheehy Skeffington from the British Council, Barcelona, for overcoming this problem. Do you agree with her points of view? Share your opinions in pairs first, then with your English professor.

Tip1: Explain why this is important Only you know how mature your class is and how well they will respond to the rationale behind your methods. However, it's often worth giving even a less mature group a chance to understand what you're trying to achieve. Not all students will react in the same way - the underlying theory may motivate smaller groups within the class, even though it might not appeal to the class as a whole.

Tip 2: Confidence tricks This involves rewarding students for using 'easy language' - making them believe the goal is easy to achieve.

 Classroom language is ideal for this, as are pronunciation games.  Drilling has a particular appeal, as the student's voice is safe in a crowd of voices, and it is the sound of the English (not their English) that is strange or amusing.

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 Along the same lines, choosing a buzzword for a class can encourage even the weakest student to try to use English.

Tip 3: Attainable goals Obviously, the lower the level of the group, the less English you can expect them to produce.

 For very low levels, the aim may be to spend only five or ten minutes speaking English per class. Initially this may be spent presenting and practicing classroom language, which then allows them to extend 'English time' for themselves.

 For higher levels, it is still worth identifying when it is more important to be using only English and when it is good to use their native language. This should be indicated by some kind of visual to remind them when to do what.

(Taken from www.teachingenglish.org.uk website)

2. Interview three of your teachers, and even teachers from middle school, and try to find out what they actually do in order to teach English in English. Then share your results with the rest of your class.

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Unit 6: Past events and states, and recent changes

(Classroom prepared text) Alive or Dead? Before you listen 1. Work in pairs and comment with your partner on the following ideas:  There‘s life after death.  A person´s soul remains hoving around after he/she is dead.  A dead person can be brought back to life. While you listen 2. Listen to the text and say right or wrong. Then correct the wrong items. a. Toby is at home recovering from an accident. b. Toby has a secret she wants to tell everybody. c. Toby remembers being hit by a bicycle. d. Toby couldn‘t see what was happening to her. e. Her secret has to do with a living experience. f. Nobody tried to assist her before the ambulance arrived. g. A friend saved her life.

3. Listen and answer the following questions: a. Why was Toby afraid that people would think she was crazy? b. Why do you think the man who was breathing into her mouth stopped and stood up? c. According to the text, why could she see all this from above her body?

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4. Listen to the text and fill in the blank spaces.

Yes, but ______. The dead body on the road

______. I ______and

was free. I ______as one of the men from the ambulance

______and ______a needle and

______from a bottle. Then he

______into ______.

After you listen 5. Discuss this in pairs: Is this a credible story? Explain.

The consonant sounds ǀpǀ, ǀtǀ, ǀkǀ, ǀbǀ, ǀdǀ and ǀɡǀ When pronouncing a plosive the air is compressed within the mouth and then exploded as the rest of the word is pronounced.

1. ǀpǀ as in Peter, chopper, cop, and hiccough This is a voiceless bilabial stop sound. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and it is usually spelled p, pp, or gh. At the beginning of a stressed syllable this sound is aspirated. Do this: Practice pronouncing the sound /p/ in initial and middle positions with a piece of paper close to your mouth. What did you notice when pronouncing this sound?

2. ǀtǀ as in time, cutting, Thomas, worked, picked.

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This is a voiceless alveolar stop which occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words. It is usually spelled t, tt, th, or ed. At the beginning of a stressed syllable this sound is aspirated.

Do this: In pairs, make a list of proper names that have the sound /t/ in initial or middle position. Then tell other pairs ―whom you met on the way to school today‖.

3. ǀkǀ as in kick, come, accountant, characteristic, queue. This is a voiceless velar stop sound. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and it is usually spelled k, c, cc, ck, ch, q. At the beginning of a stressed syllable this sound is aspirated.

Do this:

What countries in the world have the sound ǀkǀ on their names? Stand up and ask five people around the class.

4. ǀbǀ as in basket and hobby This is a voiced bilabial stop sound. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and is usually spelled b or bb. It is articulated with less vigor than ǀpǀ.

5. ǀdǀ as in Daniel, ladder, loved and begged This is a voiced alveolar stop sound. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words. And it is spelled d, dd or ed for the past tense of regular verbs ending in a voiced sound.

6. ǀɡǀ As in gate, egg, ghost and guide This is a voiced velar stop sound. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and it is spelled g, gg, gh, or gu.

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Do this:

Do you think the sounds ǀbǀ, ǀdǀ and ǀɡǀ are difficult for Spanish speakers? How do you know? Discuss this in groups of four. Then share your conclusions with your teacher around the class.

Proverb: Liars need good memories Discuss these questions in pairs. a. Why do people lie? b. In what situation would you lie? c. Why do we say that liars need good memories? d. Do you remember a story about a liar in which this proverb can be used? e. What‘s your opinion about lying and liars? f. Is there a similar proverb in your native language?

6.1. Remembering and reporting A. Rembering Do this: 1. Read this fragment from ―Alive or dead?‖, the story you listened to at the beginning of this unit, and discuss in pairs these questions:  What happened first, being hit by a car or remembering?  What syntactic function does the –ing verb play in this sentence? How do you know?

Toby: But something strange happened to me. If I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone else? Ellis: Of course, honey. I‘ll keep it a secret. Toby: OK. Here goes. I remember being hit by the car. Then I was floating, weightless, about five meters above my body, looking down at my poor broken body. I didn‘t feel any pain. Actually, it was a very pleasant

sensation.

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2. What is the difference between these two sentences? I remember locking the door. I remember to lock the door. Choose the right answer for each sentence from the ones given below. Possible answers: Remembering occurred before locking. Locking occurred before remembering. 3. In pairs act out the conversation between Toby and Ellis. Keep it going as long as you can by making up other things you ―remember?‖ B. Reporting Do this: 1. Listen to this conversation in which someone is reporting something, and take down exactly what is reported. 2. Change the reported part into what actually was said by A. What changes occurred in the reported statements? Discuss this in pairs. 3. Then study about reported speech in the section ―Notice this‖ below. 4. Your teacher will give each of you the task of explaining for the rest of the class one item from the ones covered in that section. Be ready to give as many examples as you can.

A. Now, do you all remember what I told you? B. You said that the plane would go up to three thousand meters and then we would jump in two´s. It´s called tandem sky diving. And you told us that we were going to fall for forty seconds at two hundred kilometers an hour, before the parachute opened. And I´m jumping with you. A. Almost right. You should have payed attention Paulo. Gaby is jumping with me. And you and Manuel with two instructors. Alison, what´s the matter? You look worried. Is it something to do with Rick and Lucy? B. Yes, they shouldn´t have let the boy escape. They should have bought him back to Ace. A. Don´t blame Rick and Lucy. He should have known better. B. Alison, can we go right over Stone Henge? I want to take a picture. A. (Laughs) Oh, we can try. But you should have told me earlier. B. Sorry, I forgot. It´s for my father, you see, the picture.

(Taken from American Shine 6 by Kathryn Johnston et. Al, 2002. McMillan, London, UK.) Taken from Shine 6, Track 39)

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Reported speech

There are two ways of telling a person what somebody else has said: using the exact words or giving a version of what the other person has said. In grammar we call this direct and indirect (or reported) speech. When we use reported speech we change the words that were said to make them fit into our sentence.

When we use reported speech we are usually talking about the past. So, verbs usually change to the past in reported speech. For example: am/is become was have/has become had are becomes were will becomes would can becomes could do becomes did, etc.

The simple past can usually stay the same in reported speech, or you can change it to the past perfect: Direct: George said: ―I woke up feeling sick and so I stayed in bed.‖ Indirect: George said (that) he woke up feeling sick and so he stayed in bed, or George said (that) he had woken up feeling sick and so he had stayed in bed.

It is not always necessary to change the verb when you use reported speech. If you are reporting something and you feel that is true, you do not need to change the tense of the verb, e.g., Direct: George said, ―The Earth is flat.‖ Indirect: George said (that) the Earth is flat. Direct: Jenny said, ―I like Paris.‖ Indirect: Jenny said (that) she likes Paris.

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Notice that the verb can be changed into the past or be left in the present, and both forms are correct. However, you must use a past tense when there is a difference between what was said and what is really true. Study this situation: You met Nancy and she said, ―George can´t come to school today.‖ (direct speech) Later that day you see George in school and you say: ―I´m surprised to see you in school, George. Nancy said that you couldn´t come.

Besides verb tense, several other changes generally occur in reported speech. Read the following sentences. What do you think the original sentence was? If more than one way is possible, what is the most sensible variant? a. Shifts of pronouns Joanne said that she had a fever and her throat hurt. David told me that he liked my new cowboy boots. b. Shifts in modal auxiliaries He said that it might rain He said that he could do it soon. I asked Jane if we should invite Rose to the party. She said that the party would be held at Ed´s house. She said that she had to leave early. c. Shifts in demonstratives Ben said that he didn´t like that Joke. Ted said that those examinations were nerve-racking.

Note that there is no shift in demonstratives from this to that and from these to those if the situation described in the reported situation holds true. Have you read this report about smoking? (He asked me if I had read this report … ) i.e., the speaker is referring to a report he still has. How expensive are houses these days! (She exclaimed that houses are expensive these days ..). That is, houses are still expensive.

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d. Changes in adverbials of time and place Jim said that he wanted to stay there. I was surprised because Sam said he was leaving the following day. …. Sam said he was leaving then/ at that time. … Sam said he was leaving a year later. Al told me that he had seen Lee the day before. He said that he had seen her the previous month for the last time.

Reported commands A command is an imperative sentence; that is, it is an order and it usually begins with a verb and has no subject. (The subject is always you.) A reported command is a declarative sentence, but it needs an infinitive. e.g., The teacher told me to go out. A told me to kiss C. Reported questions  How are reported yes/no questions formed? You need the connector if or perhaps whether; the question becomes a statement, and the auxiliaries do, does, did are not used. The introductory verb may be: asked, wanted to know, wants to know, wondered, etc., and several changes occur for the words denoting time and space, as was explained above.  How are reported information questions formed? In reported information questions, the subject comes before the verb, e.g., He asked where I was going. The auxiliaries do, does or did are not used, and question marks are not used either.

Do this: 1. Report statements to somebody else. Work in pairs and pretend you are making a phone call. The person you want to talk to is not home, so you have to leave a message.

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2. Report questions. Do this in writing first and then share what you have done with the person sitting next to you. You have been away for a while and have just come back to your hometown. You meet Jenny, a friend of yours. She asks you a lot of questions: a. How are you? b. How long have you been back? c. What are you doing now? d. Where are you living? e. Are you glad to be back? f. Are you going away again? g. Why did you come back? Tell another friend what Jenny asked you. 3. Report these commands that were said by an angry teacher. Open the door. Stay where you are. Sit up straight. Stop jiggling. Pass that ball to the front. 4. In pairs, report the conversation that took place between Toby and Ellis (first section from this unit). But of course, you don´t want to go back and read the conversation; instead, you want to train your memory.

6.2. Relate past states and events to the previous events that led to them

The past perfect is used:  to relate past states to the previous events that led to them; and  to refer to an action completed in the past prior to some other past event. In other words, the past perfect indicates past in the past. Do this:

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1. Listen to and read the story given below, then draw a time line in order to determine the order in which things happened: What happened first? Discuss this in pairs. 2. In pairs, make a list of everything these children had probably done before wandering away from their parents.

A reporter describes a news story. Listen. Two children, a five year-old girl and her four year old brother were found in good conditions after spending the night lost in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. A helicopter rescue crew found the children at about 6.00 o‘clock this morning. They were in an open area about two miles from the site where the family had

camped the night before. The children had wandered away from the camp site

while their parents were collecting firewood. The parents used a cell phone to call

the police who were unable to find the children in the dark.

The helicopter rescue crew arrived at dawn and found the children shortly thereafter. The rescuers report that the children were cold, hungry and scared, but unharmed and very glad to be reunited with their parents. (Taken from Let´s talk English, track 29, listening 4, ttppart 2)

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The past perfect progressive is used to refer to: e. An action or habit taking place over a period of time in the past prior to some other past event. For example: He had been walking to school before his father bought him a bicycle. f. A past action that is in progress and gets interrupted by another past action. For example: We had been planning to go on a vacation to Camagüey but changed our minds when we heard of a hurricane coming up. Do this: 1. In pairs tell each other about habits taking place over a period of time prior to some other past event. Follow these hints. For example: I had been traveling to school on foot for more than two years when a new bus began to offer services in our community. - travel on foot to school - play soccer bare foot - drink water from the tap - bathe with cold water - sleep with a fan on

2. In pairs tell each other about a past plan that got interrupted by another past action. Look at the example given above in the ―Notice this‖ section.

6.3. Tell a story According to Webster´s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, a story may be an account of incidents and events; it may be an anecdote, especially an amusing one; it may be a fictional narrative shorter than a novel (a short story), etc. (p. 865).

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We are all used to telling one another all kinds of stories about all sorts of incidents and events, especially among friends, particularly after being away from one another for a while. When we tell a story we usually structure it this way: 1. We set the background for the story for which we usually need the past continuous. 2. Then we start listing the events that took place, making sure that we make clear what happened, where, when and to whom. The easiest way to do this is for you to structure the events in the order in which they took place. 3. Next we need to put an end to the story, and we do so by using a discourse maker that signals the ending. For example: - ―The next thing I knew I was back in my body, feeling the terrible pain and weight of a smashed body. Or - ―To make a long story short …..‖ - ―Just to put it in a nutshell ….‖

Do this: 1. Bring to class a bunch of pictures or photographs and display them in the classroom in a way that portrays the events that occurred as part of a story, real or imaginary, in which you were involved. 2. Work in groups of four and tell one another your stories. Make sure each of you asks questions in order to understand better, or know more about, the other people´s stories. 3. Record the best story told in your groups, listen to yourselves at the language lab, and self-correct yourselves or self-monitor one another.

Project Work

Project 6: Those who love to teach Teachers are to students what doctors are to patients. The latter save people from diseases and the former save people from ignorance and in return they always learn

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in the process. Teachers should be ready to make the teaching learning process accessible, to be a role model for the students and to learn from them. Does the saying ―there is no royal way to learning‖ apply to teachers? What are your views about this proverb? Suggestions: 1. You are writing your research paper and it is going to be about pronunciation. Work in pairs to create an interview to a teacher of English in your community in order to search for information about the topic and to list some of the main mispronounced words by their students. Ask this teacher for the best techniques to correct students´ mistakes. Don‘t forget to write the teacher´s instructions to help each student to pronounce the words correctly. 2. Guiding your students to do project work in a secondary school is sometimes an exciting experience that you would like to live through. Since project work is organic and unique for every group, prepare a round table for teachers to exchange some ideas about the best practices regarding this kind of activity. You may want to interview students from 4th and 5th year about their experience with project work during their practicum or invite them to the round table. Don´t forget to refer to all the necessary instructions and suggestions to guarantee a nice route to an end product for this kind of activity. 3. Some of your friends need help in creating a web page in order to socialize the results of research done during their practicum and they don‘t know how to do this. Create a poster with all the necessary instructions for a web page and be a great help for your classmates.

Science, Technology and the Arts Advances in science and technology have made great changes to lives of ordinary people, but artists such as musicians, painters and writers are still highly valued. What can the arts tell us about life that science and technology cannot?

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There is no doubt that the quality of our lives in the 21st century has been greatly improved by various scientific and technological advances. Despite this, the arts and humanities too still have much to teach us about ourselves and life in general.

One area in which we can learn from the arts is that concepts such as beauty matter in and of themselves. In the world of science and technology, the only true measure is whether something works or not. This is a limited view of the world, and the arts differ in that they offer us an alternative and more spiritual outlook. For example, if we listen to Mozart we can learn about harmony and joy through the medium of music or if even we read an author like PG Wodehouse we learn about the value of humor. These essential aspects of life are absent from the clinical world of science and technology.

The other way in which artists can teach us more about life is that enjoying art encourages the habit of self-reflection. If you walk into an art gallery, attend a concert or even just stay in to read a book, you will almost certainly begin to think about your inner values. For me, this is an invaluable lesson in life as if we begin to reflect about ourselves, we begin not just to become more human, but also to consider the lives of others too.

So while science and technology may have made our physical lives more comfortable in the 21st century, it remains true that the arts and humanities are still absolutely necessary for ordinary people as they promote a more spiritual and reflective view of life that is essential to our humanity.

(Downloaded from Dominic Cole´s IELTS Blog www.dcielts.com)

I. Getting ready to read Discuss: 1. Has the 21st century brought great innovations to humanity? Mention some.

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2. How have people´s lives changed because of science and technology? 3. Can science and technology be related to the arts? What can each of them bring to people´s lives?

II. Connecting with the text

1. Read the first paragraph from the text and see if any of the ideas you thought about seem to be introduced.

2. Read quickly through the text in order to suggest a new title that may also suit this text. a. New title:______

3. Complete and expand on the ideas as you read the text: a. The world of science and technology differ from the arts because______b. After you read a book or appreciate a piece of art, ______c. The arts and humanities are important because______

4. Find another way of saying the following ideas stated in the text:

a. There is no doubt that the quality of our lives in the 21st century has been greatly improved. b. In the world of science and technology, the only true measure is whether something works or not. c. These essential aspects of life are absent from the clinical world of science and technology. d. … you will almost certainly begin to think about your inner values.

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III. Sharing and reflecting

1. In small groups or with a partner, discuss: a. What did the author mean when he said: ―The other way in which artists can teach us more about life is that enjoying art encourages the habit of self-reflection‖? b. Do you agree with the author´s view point about the differences between science, technology and the arts? Explain. c. What problematic situations are many developed countries facing because of the overuse of technology among young people and children? d. As teachers, how can we help children understand the role of technology in comparison with the arts?

The suffixes –ist, -er, -ian

The words artists, musicians, painters and writers are all used in the first paragraph of the text that you have just read. They are all nouns that have been derived from other nouns or verbs to which the suffixes –ist, -er or–ian have been added: they generally express the meanings of a person or thing that does something or has to do with an occupation or profession; for example, a person who plays jazz on the piano is a jazz pianist, a person who makes paintings is a painter. Do this: 1. Say what the job, occupation or function of the following people or things are a) A person who takes professional photographs. b) A person who builds something. c) An appliance for drying hair. d) A person who drives a car. e) Someone who takes care of babies. f) A person who plays music professionally

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g) A person who is a specialist in grammar/phonetics h) A device used for computing 2. Say if these words mean a thing, a person, or both? a) a type writer b) a cleaner c) a CD player d) a singer e) a typist 3. Work with a partner to say the function or occupation of the following: a) This person usually improves or corrects what someone else has written. b) This person is a specialist in linguistics. c) This thing is an electrical appliance that can chop, cream, whip, mix, or liquidize food d) This person is a specialist in chemistry e) This person is a specialist in magic

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Writing: The Expository Essay and the Conclusion

―Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them. ― ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

What is an expository essay?

Tick those statements that you think best identify this kind of essay:

___ The writer will give directions or instructions about how to complete a task or how something is done. ___The writer will explain, inform, describe, compare, explore and discuss problems, or simply tell a story. ___ The purpose of the writer is to explain something that may be difficult to understand.

___ The writer will give different views on a subject or report on a situation or event.

If you ticked all the statements, then it seems that you have a pretty good idea of what an expository essay is. The expository essay includes other essay subgenres. It is important to say that this type of essay explains things with facts, as opposed to opinions; in other words, it is more impartial.

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Writing tip

The expository essay is a genre of essay that requires the student to investigate an

idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner. This can be accomplished through comparison

and contrast, definition, example, the analysis of cause and effect, etc.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/

Notice this:

What is the basic structure of the expository essay?

Although the context usually dictates the length of an essay, the most organized way to structure an expository essay is the five-paragraph format. If you need to, you can revise again the information you were given in Unit 1 about the five-paragraph essay.

Can you identify the basic parts in a 5-paragraph essay in the model expository essay ―Passing on Knowledge as the Key Factor of the Human Races' Survival‖, given in Appendix___? Does the structure coincide with these points?

 The introduction includes the thesis statement, which must be narrow enough to be supported within your essay. The thesis of the expository essay should be well- defined, clear and concise.

 The body contains three paragraphs, each limited to one general idea, providing details that support the main point with factual evidence and reasoning. Each supporting paragraph must have a distinct controlling topic.

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 The conclusion restates the thesis and redirects it according to the evidence provided. It should communicate the value and meaning of the thesis statement and the key supporting ideas as it sums up the essay solidly.

Look at the way the structure of an expository essay was diagrammed in this site: http://www.englishtutes.com/Expository_essays/The_structure_of_an_expository_ess ay.shtm

Read the essay ―Passing on Knowledge as the Key Factor of the Human Races' Survival‖ again, if necessary, to identify the elements explained for each part. Which method of development does the writer of the essay use: definition, example, compare and contrast, cause and effect, classification or process analysis?

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Study tip: Expository essays are generally organized according to time: that is, they begin with the first step in the process and proceed in time until the last step. In the table below you will find the most common transitional words that can help you write a good expository essay.

Helper words:

One Another Transition time time TIME After a few hours, Immediately following, Afterwards, Initially, At last In the end, At the same time, In the future, Before In the meantime, Before this, In the meanwhile, Currently, Last, Last but not least, Lastly, During Later, Eventually, Meanwhile, Finally, Next, Soon after, First, Second, Third, Previously, etc. First of all, Simultaneously, Formerly Subsequently, Immediately before, Then,

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Do this:

 Read the essay given below and say what characteristics make it an expository essay?  What type of organization does the writer use: topic, time order, space order, or informative process?  How does the writer connect the ideas in the paragraphs? Highlight or underline the transitional words or expressions s/he uses.

Van Gogh's Art in the Context of His Life

Vincent van Gogh was a person with a difficult and dramatic life. He was a poor, unknown artist suffering from mental disease. His perseverance, use of art as a skill to cope with illness, dedication to art, and the support of his brother helped him to keep on painting. He developed his own style of impasto painting and pushed the boundaries of impressionism. This approach to art set van Gogh‘s place among the most famous artists in history, and though he died unknown, now his name is synonymous with being an artist.

When van Gogh stayed at the mental hospital in Saint-Remy, he used painting as a coping skill to help himself deal with his symptoms. It is a well-known fact that van Gogh had psychological problems; once he attacked his friend Gauguin, and, according to the most popular version of the story from historians, after that he cut half of his ear off with a razor. The admitting physician described Vincent van Gogh‘s symptoms as mania with hallucinations (Van Gogh Museum, 2005). During his hospitalization, he created 150 paintings. Instead of allowing himself to get discouraged during his stay at the hospital, van Gogh persevered and continued to work on his paintings.

Throughout van Gogh‘s life, his brother Theo was a source of financial and emotional support. Though Theo is often credited with introducing the world to Vincent van Gogh‘s art, his efforts might have failed without the support of Theo‘s wife, Johanna van Gogh. After all, Theo died just two months after Vincent (Righthand, 2010).

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Through Theo‘s showing of Vincent‘s work, he had begun to gain some notoriety. However, Johanna prized Vincent‘s art and relied on selling some of the paintings to help support her young son (Righthand, 2010). Van Gogh was a prolific artist. He was painting for 10 years, and during this period of time he created 860 pieces of art (Van Gogh Museum, 2005). His paintings demonstrate a clear style of movement and color in thick layers of paint. Artists cannot gain attention without having an original, notable style of their own – so Vincent van Gogh worked on developing his distinct style. Instead of merely copying the impressionism style that was popular back then, he transformed it into his own; now van Gogh is recognized as being an artist of post-impressionism.

Vincent van Gogh became one of the most famous artists in history. He used art as a tool to fight his mental illness. Despite his difficulties, he diligently worked on his paintings; with the help of his family, he dedicated ten years of his life to producing an incredible number of paintings. After his death, his family continued to promote Vincent‘s work. With van Gogh‘s well-defined style and numerous works, he became an artist adored globally postmortem.

References

Righthand, J. (2010, November 2). The Woman Who Brought Van Gogh to the World. Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/The-Woman-Who- Brought-Van-Gogh-to-the-World.html

Van Gogh Museum. (2005). Van Gogh‘s Life. Retrieved from http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp?page=12267&lang=nl

Source: http://academichelp.net/samples/essays/expository/van-gogh.html

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The writing corner:

Are you ready now to write your own expository essay? As usual, you should follow the essay writing procedures given in Unit 2.

Having written your thesis statement, you should select one of these methods of development: definition, example, compare and contrast, cause and effect, classification or process analysis. Remember that unlike narrative essays, this type does not make reference to emotions; therefore, you should present objective and factual arguments rather than opinions, and you should avoid using the personal pronoun I – use the third person instead. Since expository essays demand objective and supportive facts, you need to research more than for any other of the essay types we have covered in this course book. You should use as many sources as possible. Encyclopedias, like the Cuban Ecured, are actually valuable resources that can help you clarify facts and obtain good background information. See how the model texts document the references at the end, in order to avoid plagiarism. In the table below you can also find some writing tips to be followed when dealing with two important stages of the essay writing process.

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Writing tip

Revising the Expository Essay In the revision phase, review, modify, and reorganize your work with the goal of making it

the best it can be. Keep these considerations in mind:

 Has the information been clearly and effectively communicated to the readers?

 Is the sentence structure varied? Is the word choice precise?  Do the transitions between sentences and paragraphs help the readers‘ understanding?

 Does the concluding paragraph communicate the value and meaning of the thesis and key supporting ideas?

Editing the Expository Essay

Next, proofread and correct errors in grammar and mechanics, and edit to improve style and clarity. While an expository essay should be clear and concise, it can also be lively

and engaging. Having a friend read the essay helps writers edit with a fresh perspective.

A typical expository essay is the process analysis essay, which describes the series of interrelated steps of a given process or event. This genre is relevant both to academic writing and everyday life; directions, recipes, manuals with step by step instructions, etc. are all samples of this kind of essay. You can read in Appendix 10 a sample process essay, ―How to Make a Simple Birthday cake‖.

If you are willing to write this kind of essay, you can follow the study tip given below.

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Study tip

The check-list below will help you write and/or revise this kind of essay.

 What process are you explaining? Why is it important?  Who or what does the process affect?  Are there different ways of doing the process? If so, what are they?  Who are the readers? What knowledge do they need to understand this process?  What skills/equipment are needed for this?  How long does the process take? Is the outcome always the same?  How many steps are there in the process?  Why is each step important?  What difficulties are involved in each step? How can they be overcome?  Do any cautions need to be given?  Does the process have definitions that need to be clarified?  Are there other processes that are similar and could help illustrate the process that you are writing about?  You should not only list the steps. If needed, tell what should not be done or why something should be done.

(Adapted from http://academichelp.net/essays/expository )

The conclusion is an important paragraph in your essay. It essentially reaffirms or restates the thesis statement and your main points. It is usually one paragraph in length which should

reflect a summary of what you announced in your introduction through the thesis statement. Some say that with this paragraph you have the chance to remind the readers of your thesis.

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Writing tip The conclusion is also an important paragraph in your essay. It can help to think of it as being around 5-10% of the total text. It is usually one paragraph in length and should reflect what you said you were going to do in your introduction. The

conclusion will indicate the overall theme and summarize the key points you have raised in the essay. The conclusion is where you reaffirm your thesis and synthesize the significance or importance of the key evidence and examples you have discussed. The conclusion has a synthesis function.

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/teaching/studyingefectively/writing/essays/index.aspx

Do this:

1. Read the concluding paragraphs of some expository essays that are given next and then identify the method used in each case (final thought, question, prediction, or recommendation).

a. ______

If I had gotten a cochlear implant years earlier, maybe I would have been able to hear the water running down the wall. As I mopped up the water, the thought, "Should I get a cochlear implant?" again crossed my mind. (From the essay: Cochlear Implants. For Some, a Miracle. For Others, a Tool. http://deafness.about.com/cs/cochlearfeatures/a/cochlearimplant.htm b. ______Given the degree of impact the Internet has had on society in its relatively short existence, the long term implications are unforeseeable. A world in which all people may communicate openly with one another, regardless of the physical distance between them, was once no more than a very tempting idea, but is now the norm.

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The world is very much analogous to an organism, and to quote a fictional doctor: ―All organisms evolve and develop along patterns only recognized in retrospect.‖ So, it will probably be not sooner than until we experience the results of Internet influence on society, that we may be able to evaluate them. http://academichelp.net/samples/essays/expository/internet-society.html c. ______

You can help your hometown by contributing in many ways. Are you going to sit quietly while your neighbors use water indiscriminately? What will happen in the future when all the water supplies are exhausted? What will happen to your children and their future generations? Do we have to pay for all those who lack consciousness? Stand up and do something! (From the essay: Saving Water, Saving the Environment) d. ______

Nowadays, women are being more exploited than ever on TV commercials and other propaganda. These commercials are denigrating the feminine figure to the extremes. It‘s time for women and society in general to stop this pattern of abuse. Consumers should boycott companies and products whose advertising continues to exploit women in such way. (From the essay: Women Exploitation on TV) e. ______

If people stopped to think before acquiring pets, there would be fewer instances of cruelty to animals. Many times, it is the people who adopt pets without considering the expenses and responsibility involved who mistreat and neglect their animals. Pets are living creatures. If people continue being negligent and irresponsible with their pets, animal cruelty will exist forever! (From the essay: Animal Cruelty) https://ms-khan.wikispaces.com/file/view/05.10.10Conclusions.do

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f. ______

There are theories to explain these occurrences. One scientist put forward the theory that the floors of the tomb were covered with radioactive substances, for example, uranium. However, to this day, no one has managed to explain satisfactorily the occurrences surrounding the strange events following the opening of Tutankhamen‘s tomb. And perhaps the strangest fact of all is that the man who discovered the tomb, Howard Carter, survived the curse and died of natural causes at the age of 66. Why did the man who made the famous discovery escape the curse while many of his colleagues met untimely and tragic deaths? Only the Pharaohs can say. (From the essay: Tutankhamen: The curse of a Pharaoh. (Reading section in Unit 5)

2. The sentences below include some recommendations for writers related to writing good conclusions. Organize them under the right columns. The first one has been done as an example.

DO´S DON´TS c. End your conclusion with an apology

a) Introduce new information in a conclusion. b) Leave the reader with a clear picture of your main argument. c) End your conclusion with an apology. d) Summarize what you have said in your essay. e) Reinforce the thesis and the main supporting ideas.

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Listen to Heal The World, by Michael Jackson

1. Look at the title of the song and try to guess what it might be about. Listen to the song and check your predictions. 2. Listen to the song again and fill in the blanks. 3. What is the message that the song writer wants to express through this song? Explain. 4. Take down all conditional sentences from the song. Then discuss with your partner why the songwriter has used this grammar structure. 5. Practice your pronunciation: select a fragment from the song and sing it as a rap. Turn this activity into a class contest.

Heal The World By Michael Jackson There's a place in your heart And the dream we were conceived in And I know that it is love Will reveal a joyful face And this place could be much And the world we once believed in Brighter than tomorrow Will shine again in grace And if you really try Then why do we keep strangling life You'll find there's no ______to cry Wound this earth, crucify its soul In this place you'll feel Though it's plain to see There's no hurt or sorrow This world is heavenly Be God's glow There are ways to get there If you care ______for the living We could fly so high Make a ______space Let our spirits never die Make a better place... In my heart I feel you are all my brothers Create a world with no fear Heal the world Together we cry happy tears Make it a better place See the nations turn their swords into plowshares

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For you and for me And the entire human race We could really get there There are people dying If you cared enough for the living If you care enough for the living Make a little space Make it a better place To make a better place... For you and for me Heal the world If you want to know why Make it a better place There's love that cannot lie For you and for me Love is strong And the entire human race It only cares of joyful giving There are people dying If we try we shall see If you care enough for the living In this bliss we cannot feel Make a better place for you and for me Fear of dread ... We stop existing and start living There are people dying If you care enough for the living The it feels that always Make a better place for you and for me Love's enough for us growing You and for me ... So make a better world Make a better place...

Heal the world Make it a better place For you and for me And the entire human race There are people dying If you care enough for the living Make a better place for you and for me

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Michael Jackson 1. Why Michael Jackson was called ―The King of Pop‖? Discuss this with your partner. Then compare your ideas with what is said in his biography.

2. Summarize Michael Jackson´s biography in the following chart:

Childhood Videos The 70s The 80s Best hits Discography Tours Concerts Cause of death

3. Discuss these points about Michael Jackson in groups of three:  Do you think Michael Jackson lived a happy life?  Do you think Michael was a greedy person?  Was he someone really socially committed?  Was he a victim of consumer society ?

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ. Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5, then the Jacksons in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.

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In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B, pop and rock artists. Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and History (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which have made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music. Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, have generated controversy. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for his concert series titled This Is It, Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and his personal physician was convicted

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of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and as many as one billion people around the world reportedly watched his public memorial service on live television. In March 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a $250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death. (Taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

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Rastafarianism

Rastafarianism is a religious and cultural movement that originated in Jamaica around 1930. The movement was named after Tafari Makonnen, which was the original name of Haile Selassie I, a prince who in 1930 was crowned emperor of Ethiopia. Ras means ―Lord‖ in the Amharic language. The central doctrine of Rastafarianism, also known as Rasta, is that Haile Selassie is the God of the black race. This belief continued to be held even after his death in 1975. Rastafarians have adopted the law of the biblical Nazarites, which prohibits the cutting of their hair. They are, therefore, easily identified by the long, matted locks known as dreadlocks. Rastafarians sometimes wear knitted caps of red, gold, green, and black -- the colors of the Ethiopian flag, which have symbolic significance for

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members of the movement. They also observe Hebrew dietary laws, abstaining from certain items in their diet, and eating only those foods considered pure and untainted. From Jamaica the Rastafarian movement spread to the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, and to other Caribbean islands. The conversion of reggae singer Bob Marley to Rastafarianism in 1967 helped the Rastafarian message become widespread during the 1970s and early 1980s. After Marley‘s death in 1981 other reggae musicians, inspired by the Rastafarian message, also communicated it through their music. Because of its revolutionary stance, the Rastafarian movement was controversial from its emergence. The creed itself is generally peaceful, and Rasta has become increasingly accepted by mainstream organizations as a legitimate religious movement. I. Are you familiar with the Rastafarian movement? Is it a religious or a cultural movement? Where was it originated? Who is it devoted to? How can you identify Rastafarians? Who are the two personalities represented in the picture above? II. Read the text to find the answers to these questions. III. Read the first two paragraphs again to complete the following chart about Haile Selassie I.

Original Country Position When he was What he is name crowned considered

IV. Read the third paragraph and find out why Rastafarians wear long hair, what the name of their hairdo is, and why the colors of their caps are always red, gold, green, or black.

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V. Read the fourth paragraph to complete the following diagram.

R A UNITED KINGDOM S T JAMAICA A F A R I A N (Important Reggae Singer) I S M

VI. Role play

Student A: You have been assigned a project work at school about the Rastafarian movement; that is why you have come to find a friend of yours who has been studying the topic lately, and might be able to answer a few questions you have prepared. Student B: You have been doing some research on Rastafarianism recently and you love to talk about it. A friend of yours has a few questions for you, to help him/her complete a project work from school. Provide as much information as possible.

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(Authentic text) Conversation with a Canadian about kinds of containers and recycling Activating your vocabulary From the following list tick the items that can be classified as containers.

___Bucket ___Jar ___Bottle ___Can ___Glass ___Jug ___Pot ___Box ___Carton ___Tank ___Vase ___Thermos ___Spoon ___Table ___Cooker ___Book ___Trunk ___Suitcase

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WHILE YOU LISTEN Now make a further classification of those items you ticked. Form two groups, one for those which can contain liquids and the other for those which can contain solids.

FOR LIQUIDS FOR SOLIDS ______

Identifying nationality 1. This conversation actually took place between two men of different nationalities. One is a Cuban and the other is a native English speaker from... where? Listen to the recording and find out.

Recognizing the general subject 2. What do you think is the subject of the conversation? Listen and say.

Getting specific information 3. Read these questions. Then listen to the conversation again and find out their answers. a. Do you ever get paid in Canada for a bottle that you return? b. How many places could there be in a large city like Toronto for people to drop their glass containers? c. Where do most people leave their bottles?

4. Are all kinds of glass containers returnable in Canada? In the list below, mark those that are, as you listen to the final part of the conversation again. _____ bottles of wine

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_____ bottles of beer _____ bottles of rum _____ bottles of soft drink _____ jars of honey _____ jars of jam

Transcribing parts of an oral text 6. Fill in the blank spaces as you listen to this excerpt of the conversation.

―Yes. The same as ______. When we buy ______, you can buy ______in ______, and you can buy ______in ______.

If you buy ______in bottles you get... you pay for the bottles and you can get the ______back if you ______the bottles. So ______and ______are the only things that you can return in bottles. But bottles of ______, ______; bottles of ... ______of honey or jam, impossible. You pay for the jar and you ______it away.

Dealing with features of spontaneous oral language 7. Why does the speaker hesitate so much? Why are there so many incomplete sentences throughout the conversation? Explain.

Working with pronunciation factors 8. Now let us take the same excerpt in order to analyze the speaker‘s pronunciation. Do these activities: a. Mark tone groups with a slanted bar. b. Mark all the blendings within each tone group. c. Stress al the information words. d. Transcribe stressed vowels in phonetic symbols. e. Transcribe the vowels of unstressed syllables. f. Now work in groups of five, changing roles. One student will read the excerpt while the other students will monitor his/her pronunciation. One may concentrate on pauses and the others on blending, stressed vowels, unstressed vowels, contractions, etc.

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AFTER YOU LISTEN

Speaking about the importance of recycling 1. Discussion on recycling

Points for the discussion  In our country, what items are likely to be recycled?  Are only containers recycled?  How can the citizens recycle their used items?  Are you used to recycling your used items?  What do they give you in exchange for your recycled item?  What is the system established for recycling in Cuba?  Why is recycling important?  What are its benefits?  Do you find any relationship between recycling and the environment?  What is the difference between the recycling systems used in Cuba and in Canada?

Working with lexical items derived from the listening text 2. Vocabulary expansion

a. ―Most people throw them in the garbage.‖ What is the meaning of garbage? What other words can be used instead of garbage with the same meaning? You can consult any dictionary, especially the Longman Lexicon of Contemporary English by Tom McArthur.

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Now find other nouns, as well as verbs and adjectives related to garbage and sanitation work in general.

NOUNS VERBS ADJECTIVES ______

Getting ready to teach: Connecting our teaching with global issues (1) The idea that the professions have a moral responsibility to society in the practice of their specialized skills goes back to the Hippocratic Oath in Ancient Greece where doctors swore to use their professional skills for the good of society. Many language teachers find it morally wrong to just stick their heads into their textbooks and pretend that the following world problems don‘t exist:  Huge investment in weapons continues, including nuclear weapons;  Human rights are violated around the globe;  The global environment is being damaged by irresponsible politicians and corporations;  Profit-hungry corporations consume irreplaceable resources, produce mountains of garbage and poison our air and water (Cates 1990: 3);  There is a lot of violence going out there;  Lots of people are dying of starvation and diseases, including AIDS;  Local cultures are being threatened to disappear due to cultural imperialism. (Cates K., Entry for Global Education. In Byram M., Encyclopedia of Language teaching and learning. London, Ed. Routledge, 2000.)

Then, should foreign-language educators only teach grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation? Do this:

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1. Discuss these points in pairs and be ready to report your conclusions to the whole class.

 What can we do from our English lessons to create awareness in our students about the need to change this world?

 What can you plan for the near future to do to contribute to change this world?

UNIT 7: Criticism and alternatives

(Classroom-prepared text) Environmental problems Before you listen 1. What are the main environmental problems affecting your town? Write them down. 2. Find someone in your class who lives at a place where they have the same environmental problem as in your town. Report back to the whole class what you found out about other people´s towns. While you listen 3. Listen to the text and say what Greener World is concerned about in this conversation. 4. Why do they say in Greener World that what is happening is against the law? 5. Tick the correct ending. When a company ignores the laws that protect the environment, Greener World ___ talks to the management. ___ runs a story on a TV station. ___ monitors the situation for a while before taking actions. After you listen 6. What do you think about Greener World‘s strategy to solve the problem with this factory? Would you have done something different? What?

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The consonant sounds ǀfǀ, ǀvǀ, ǀsǀ, ǀzǀ, ǀθǀ, ǀðǀ, ǀʃǀ, ǀʒǀ and /h/

These consonant sounds are called fricatives since they are pronounced with an audible friction of the air being forced past the teeth.

1. ǀfǀ as in fate, raffle, philosophy and rough This is a voiceless labiodental fricative consonant, which occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and is spelled f, ff, ph, or gh.

2. ǀvǀ as in very, of and Stephen This is a voiced labiodental fricative consonant. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and it is usually spelled v, f or ph.

Do this: Discuss these questions in pairs. a. What countries have these sounds on their names? b. What famous people, in Cuba or elsewhere, have these sounds on their names?

3. ǀsǀ as in sea, pass, scissors, piece and waltz This is a voiceless, alveolar fricative consonant sound. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and it is usually spelled s, ss, sc, c, and z.

4. ǀzǀ as in zoo, dizzy, cars and scissors This is a voiced, alveolar fricative consonant sound. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and it is usually spelled z, zz, s or ss.

Do this: In pairs, make up a little meaningful text with some of the words given above as examples. When you are done, present your text to the rest of the class and choose the best writers.

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5. ǀθǀ as in think, ether and path This is a voiceless, dental fricative consonant sound. It is pronounced with the tip of the tongue placed between the upper and lower teeth, letting the air go out. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and it is usually spelled th.

6. ǀðǀ as in there, neither and breathe This is a voiced, dental fricative consonant sound that is pronounced with the tip of the tongue placed between the upper and lower teeth, letting the air go out through the mouth. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and it is usually spelled th. Do this: a. In pairs, answer this question: What would you do so that your students

pronounce the sound ǀθǀ right? b. Plan an activity in order to provide them with practice on this sound.

7. ǀʃǀ as in shepherd, wash, mission, nation, special, mansion, and machine. This is a voiceless, palato-alveolar fricative consonant sound. It is articulated with the blade of the tongue and the back part of the gum ridge. The air goes out as if to make someone shut up. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and it is usually spelled ssi, ti, ci, si, sh, or ch.

8. /h/ as in house, head, behind and ahead 1. This is a glottal, fricative consonant that occurs at the beginning and middle of words and never at the end. It sounds like the sound at the beginning of José in Spanish, and it is usually spelled h . Do this: Practice reciting this poem. But first: - Try to understand all the words in it;

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- Identify in the fragment some of the consonant sounds included above; and - Mark stress and blending in all the verses.

―The Chaos", written by G. Nolst Trenite, a.k.a.,

Charivarius (1870-1946). (Fragment)

Dearest creature in creation,

Study English pronunciation.

I will teach you in my verse

Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.

I will keep you, Suzy, busy,

Make your head with heat grow dizzy.

Tear in eye, your dress will tear. So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.

2. ǀʒǀ as in usual, vision, garage and seizure This is a voiced, palato-alveolar fricative consonant sound, which is articulated with the blade of the tongue and the back part of the gum ridge. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words, mainly of French origin. It is usually spelled su, si, ge, or zu. It is counterpart of ǀʃǀ.

Do this: Practice repeating these words with your partner: usual, vision, garage and seizure .Then together think of other words with this sound and repeat them.

Proverb: Constant occupation prevents temptation

Work in trios and answer the following questions: a. Is there a positive or a negative philosophy behind this proverb? Explain. b. Describe a situation in which this proverb applies.

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c. What are the pros and cons about being idle all the time? d. If you had a friend or relative in a similar situation, what advice would you give him/her?

7.1. Ask and talk about (an environmental) problem Look at these fragments from the conversation that you listened to at the beginning of this unit. As you do so in pairs, carry out the tasks that you are given for each fragment. A. Describe the problem

Man: You know, there‘s a factory outside town that‘s pumping chemicals into the river. Woman: How can they do that? Isn‘t that against the law? Man: Yes, it is, but a lot of companies ignore those laws.

Do this: 1. Answer these questions: - What grammar structure is used in this fragment in order to describe the problem? - Why do you think this grammar structured is used here? - What questions did the woman ask when reacting to the problem? - Would you have asked a different question? What? 2. Describe an environmental problem that you have seen at the school where you are doing your practicum. Take turns describing and reacting to the problems. 3. Make a list of the new vocabulary that came up when describing an environmental problem and enlarge it by sharing your lists around the class.

B. Criticize the problem

That´s terrible! They shouldn‘t be doing that. I mean, they shouldn‘t be pumping chemicals into the river. For God´s sake! They shouldn´t keep ignoring the laws.

Do this: 1. Answer these questions:

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- Does this person sound angry? How do you know? - What grammar structure is used in this excerpt in order to convey the meaning that pumping chemicals into this river is not a good thing to do? :

When we want to tell someone what we think is the right thing to do we use should or ought to. For example: The local government ought to take measures to put an end to this mess.

In order to convey the idea that something is not a good thing to do, we use should not (shouldn´t) or ought not to. For example: They ought not just to criticize this, they ought to take action! 2. What are some things people shouldn‘t keep doing in your school because they disturb other people? What can you do about this? Discuss this in pairs.

C. Consider alternatives in terms of courses of action

Woman: That‘s terrible. What can Greener World do? Man: Well, one thing to do about it is to talk to the management. Woman: What if that doesn‘t work? Man: Well, then another way to stop them is to get a TV station to run a story on it. Woman: Yes, companies hate bad publicity.

Do this: 1. Answer these questions: - What question is asked in order to find out about a course of action to solve a problem? - What question is asked in order to consider alternatives to a chosen course of action? - What connectors are used in order to list alternatives? 2. Students in the secondary school class that you are teaching are missing school a lot lately. Discuss with your partner about different courses of

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action to deal with this situation. Be ready to report back to the whole class after you have finished.

D. Advise someone

Woman: Before Greener World does anything, shouldn‘t we make sure that we´ve got our facts straight? Man: Absolutely. The best thing to do is to monitor the situation over the next several weeks to see what exactly is happening.

Do this: 1. Answer this question: - In this fragment the woman is trying to advise the man on being careful when dealing with this problem. Why is she using a negative construction? 2. Study this:

When teaching your students the modal verb should to ask for and give advice, you want to remember at least two important things:  Advice is not given freely, that is, you do not give advice to a stranger or someone you can´t level with unless they ask you for advice.  In case they ask you for advice, you want to make sure you give the other person choice, to accept your advice or not. In the conversation excerpt that you have just analyzed, the woman has been tactful by using the negative particle after the modal verb should. 3. Work in groups of three. Each of you will think of a professional, personal or environmental problem. You will describe it to your peers and you will tell them about the different courses of action that you have tried in order to deal with this problem. Then you will ask for advice, since this problem is still troubling you.

E. Give an opinion on a course of action Do this:

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1. Answer these questions: - Does this conversation sound polite to you? Why/ Why not? - What words or phrases show that these people are being polite?

Woman: O.K. And maybe I can talk to my uncle about it. Man: Oh, no. I don‘t think that‘s a good idea, not yet, anyway. Woman: Why not? Man: I don‘t think we want to say anything to anyone until we have a clearer picture of what is going on. After we‘ve monitored the situation for a while, then we can decide whether we need to have a meeting with the representatives of the company to tell them what we‘ve discovered. Woman: O.K.

Politeness is the state of being polite, which is related to or having these characteristics: consideration, tact, deference, or courtesy, gentleness or moderateness of tone. Politeness is usually related to formality in language use, which is required in serious or public official situations in which the participants do not know one another well, or some are older than the rest or play social roles that are hierarchically different. Formal language is characterized by indirectness. For example, speakers use a lot of softeners like maybe, perhaps, not yet, anyway, personal pronouns like I, we, etc., in order to make the receiver feel good, give him/her choices and not to impose an idea or an opinion on him/her. Notice also the use of the verb want instead of using should. So, very often you hear native speakers of English say: What you want to do is …. Of course, you don‘t want to …., etc.

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2. In the language lab listen to another dialogue fragment provided by your teacher and identify language items that are used by the speakers in order to sound polite.

7.2. Criticize things people do or don’t do and imagine alternatives A. Criticize things people do or don’t do currently and imagine alternatives Do this: 1. Discuss these talking points in pairs:  Is there anything people deserve criticism for when it comes to using a cellphone?  Do you think our society is ―healthier‖ without the massive use of cellphones? 2. Read about the use of cellphones and find an answer to this question: Do cell phones make people selfish? Then discuss it around the class.

Do cellphones make people selfish? Do cellphones make people selfish? If you‘ve ever had to shush a garrulous iPhone user in the seat next to you at the movie theater, the answer may seem obvious. And now, a new study confirms our phone fears. According to researchers at the University of Maryland‘s Robert H. Smith School of Business, people are less likely to exhibit ―prosocial behavior‖– that is, to act in a way that benefits others– after just moments with a cellphone in their hands. Subjects distracted by the phones were less likely than phone-free people to volunteer for community service projects or participate in games that would benefit charity. Why does this happen? According to the study‘s authors, ―The cellphone directly evokes feelings of connectivity to others, thereby fulfilling the basic human need to belong.‖ Essentially, the phone replaces a person‘s need to connect with others or engage in good works. Perhaps it is time for all of us to put our cellphone use on hold. http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/02/16/selfishness-theres-an- app-for-that/

3. In pairs, expand on these sentences with as many ideas as you can. People who use cellphones should …

People who use cellphones should not … People who use cellphones should make sure they…

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A. Criticize things in the past and imagine alternatives Do this: 1. Discuss this question around the class with your teacher.  What things in your past do you think you should or should not have done? 2. Make two lists of things on the chalkboard in a table like this one:

Things I should have Things I shouldn`t have done done

3. Discuss this other question around the class as well.  How might your life have changed if you had, or hadn‘t, done those things? 4. Summarize what you say in a chart like this one:

If I had (hadn`t) … I would (n`t) have

Conditional sentences in English English conditional sentences express three different kinds of semantic relationships: factual conditional relationships, future or predictive relationships and imaginative conditional relationships. 1. Factual conditional relationships are of four types: generic, habitual, implicit inference, and explicit inference.

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a. Generic factual conditionals express relationships that are true and unchanging. For example: If you boil water, it vaporizes. b. Habitual factual conditionals resemble generic factuals in that they also express a relationship that is not bounded in time; however, the relationship is based on habit instead of physical law. Habitual factuals express either past or present relationships that are typically or habitually true. For example: Present: If I wash the dishes, my wife dries them. Past: If Sally said ―Jump!‖ Bob jumped.

2. Future or predictive conditional sentences express plans or contingencies. For example: If it rains, I´ll stay home.

3. Imaginative conditional sentences are of two types: hypothetical and counterfactual.  Hypothetical conditionals express unlikely yet possible events or states in the if clause. For example: If I had time, I would go and visit you.  Counterfactual conditionals express impossible events or states in the if clause. For example: If Bolivar were alive, he would feel proud of Chávez and Fidel.

Notice the syntactic changes that occur in imaginative conditional sentences:

If I had time, I would go and visit you. (If + past + (would) + verb)

If I had been in Santiago, I would have experienced hurricane Sandy. (If + past perfect+ (would) + have + past participle)

(Adapted from Celce-Murcia Marianne & Diane Larsen-Freeman. The Grammar Book, An ESL/EFL Teacher`s Course. Newbury House Publishers, Inc. Rowley, Massachusetts. Rowley, London, Toronto, 1983: 340-345)

Do this: 1. Work in pairs and complete these sentences.

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(If + past + (would) + verb) a. If I were you, … b. If I were in your shoes, … c. If I lived in the capital city of my province, … d. If I owned a car, … e. If I had a baby, … (If + past perfect+ (would) + have + past participle) f. If I had known that you were sick, … g. If I hadn`t been so tired, … h. If I had gone to the party last night, … i. If our team had played better, … j. If I had told my teacher the truth, … 2. Read this little article and take out the conditional sentences that are used in it. Are these hypothetical conditional sentences?

How many people can the Earth support? It depends on the kind of lifestyle those people enjoy, says Lisa Naughton, a UW-Madison professor of geography and environmental studies. The late 18th century English economist Thomas Malthus – one of the first to express concern about overpopulation – observed that there should be no more people in a country than can "daily enjoy a glass of wine and a piece of beef for dinner." But what if people choose tofu and beer instead? The contemporary ―ecological footprint‖ model offers another way to think about the Earth's carrying capacity. ―If everyone on the planet enjoyed the lifestyle of an average U.S. citizen, the Earth could support only one to two billion people,‖ says Naughton. ―But if everyone used resources at the rate of the average African citizen, far more people could be supported.‖ Joel Cohen, a prominent population researcher at Rockefeller and Columbia universities, offers a more nuanced perspective: ―He points out that there is no ultimate answer to this question,‖ says Naughton. ―Rather, we need to think about broader issues of equity and sustainability when we consider human numbers and environmental impacts.‖ http://www.news.wisc.edu/15708

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3. Work in pairs and do this orally: a. Imagine alternatives in the present with relation to solutions to the issue of population growth in our planet. You may begin like this: What would happen if …? b. Imagine alternatives in the past with relation to the number of people in your nuclear family. You may begin like this: If you had been a larger family when you were little, what would have happened? Or: If you had been a smaller family when you were little, what would have happened? 4. Make a list of new words that you have learned by reading this text. Then share them with your peers around the class. 5. In groups of four discuss the main points raised in the above article about cellphones. Do you agree with them? Is there something that you disagree with? Anything that you partially agree or disagree with? Give reasons to support your answers.

Project Work Project 7: Teaching makes you grow personally and professionally To explain ourselves is always a challenge, but when we try to explain ourselves professionally the challenge becomes a little more difficult. To be good professionals in the educational field we need to be prepared to face situations related to the teaching-learning process and we must be able to explain them to students, parents and authorities. Take this project work as training for your future professional life. Suggestions: 1. Do a case study of any student you are working with and bring it to your group. Include in your project the purpose of this case study from a pedagogical perspective. Refer to the main reasons why you are doing research on this topic, explain causes of the particular situation you are doing research on. You can create a poster to make your presentation livelier. 2. A ―sociogram‖ is a technique that can help you understand the relationship students establish in any group. It is a very valuable tool for

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teachers in general, but for those who teach foreign languages it is great, because when you form teams and pairs during your lessons you need to take these relationships into account, so as to achieve the best communication among students. Ask a pedagogy or psychology professor at your university about this tool in case you are in doubt concerning how to work with it. Design all you need for it and create your own sociogram for the group you are working with at the moment. Write the purpose of your research, classify all the students in the group according to the sociogram and explain the reasons why they are in that classification. Don‘t forget to mention your possible actions as a future professional in the educational field in order to change the state of affairs in this group into a positive atmosphere to learn foreign languages.

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Is there a way to solve the world’s environmental problems? Most people would accept that one of the highest priorities today is to find a solution to the various environmental problems facing mankind. It has been suggested that the best way to achieve this is for governments to raise the price of fuel. I am, however, not sure that this is necessarily the case.

One reason why this approach may not work is that there is not just one environmental problem the world faces today. If governments did make fuel more expensive, it might well help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we produce and so slow down the rate of global warming and air pollution. However, it would not help with other major problems such as intensive farming, overpopulation, the hole in the ozone layer or water pollution. For these problems we need to find other solutions.

A second reason why this policy may not be the most appropriate is that it places the emphasis on governmental policy and not on individual responsibility. Ultimately, most environmental problems are the result of the way we as individuals live our lives. If we wish to find a long-term and lasting solution to them, we need to learn to live in a way that it is greener or kinder to the environment. What governments need to do to make this happen is to ensure there is a global programme to educate people of all ages about the environmental consequences to their actions.

In summary, I believe that increasing the level of taxation on fuel is at best a short-term solution to only one environmental problem. If we wish to provide a home for our children‘s children, education is likely to be the key to making this happen.

(Downloaded from Dominic Cole´s IELTS Blog www.dcielts.com)

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I. Getting ready to read

1. Take a look at the picture/drawing before you read the text. What does it suggest? 2. What are the main problems the world is facing today with relation to the environment? 3. Read the title of the text and predict what answers you expect to find in the text.

II. Connecting with the text 1. Read quickly through the text to check your predictions

2. Read it again to consider what the author´s purpose was. Tick the one you believe that best shows what he wanted to convey.

a. The author wanted to give information about environmental problems and their solution. b. The author gave his opinion and the reasons that backup his position in order to solve environmental problems. c. He wanted to call people to action to solve environmental problems.

3. Answer the following questions about the text. Compare your answers with those of other peers.

Questions: a. What reasons does the author provide to show he disagrees with the idea of raising the price of fuel as a solution to solve environmental problems?

b. What is his opinion about individual responsibility to solve environmental problems?

c. What does the author suggest as the best solution to help preserve the environment?

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4. Find the main ideas the text provides. Then write a summary in order to share it with your partner. Decide which of the summaries best goes over the main points in the text.

III. Sharing and reflecting

1. In small groups , discuss: a. Your viewpoint about the ideas expressed in the text (What you agree/disagree with and why). b. Your opinion about the role of education to save mankind for future generations. c. The role of governments in preserving the environment. Provide examples of good and bad policies. d. Design a group of actions that could help to protect the environment in campus

The suffix -al

The suffix -al is attached to nouns or adjectives to form other adjectives that express the notions: of, like, or suitable for; for example, bronchial, hysterical, theatrical and logical. This suffix is also added to some verbs to derive nouns that express the act or process of doing something; for example, rehearsal, reversal, and refusal.

Do this:

1. Go back to the reading ―Is there a way to solve the world's environmental problems‖? and:

a. Pick out all the words that contain the suffix -al. Say which are functioning as nouns and which as adjectives.

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b. Form new words by adding the suffix –al to the following words. Write an (n) for the nouns and an (a) for the adjectives. Follow the example:

 retrieve retrieval (n)

 logic

 education

 withdraw

 remove

 psychology

 music

 archaeology

 empiric

 derivation

 inflection

 betray

 nature

2. Work with a partner. Say the following statements in another way.

a. The Cuban revolution has brought about changes in the economy, culture, politics, the environment, and education. (areas)

b. I like my friend because he/she usually shows emotion, practice, sentiment, romance, and sometimes a little whim, but has never been disloyal to me.

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Writing: The Problem/Solution Essay

―Writing is not only a process of communication, but an important source of power, a social need and a way to obtain knowledge and resolve problems.‖ (Lindenmann, 1987:11)

What is a problem-solution essay?

This type of essay basically starts by describing a problem (or problems) and then the writer provides possible solutions in the subsequent paragraphs. The problem-solution essay generally requires some research before the writing process can actually begin. It can start either with an argument for a specific solution to a problem, or with a strong case for the urgent need to solve a problem.

―If there’s a problem, there usually is a solution and even when there’s not a definite solution, there are people arguing over which solution is best.‖ Do you agree with this statement?

A good problem solution essay focuses on a problem that is worth pursuing and can be solved practically. You should express your own vision of solving the problem you choose; therefore, when choosing a topic, you must be convinced about it. The following questions may help:

 Why is it a problem?  Why does it have to be solved?  How can it be solved? Think of potential solutions.

Notice this:

What is the basic structure of a problem-solution essay?

In the introduction you should introduce the problem and provide relevant background information that would help the reader understand it better. You

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should capture the reader‘s attention, for example, by asking a question or quoting some fact. The problem should be clearly defined, and the causes and consequences identified if possible (why is it a problem? Why does it matter?) Any key terms that need to be defined should also be included here. Though the thesis statement is usually placed in the opening paragraph, in some cases it could appear in the latter part of the essay, after the discussion of the problem and possible solutions have taken place.

In the body you should fully describe the solutions suggested, each in a separate paragraph. You should discuss the possible outcomes of each solution and your critique as well. You should present your preferred solution last and support it with details, documenting why it is the best. You should not only describe the solution, but also propose how it can be implemented.

In the conclusion you should briefly summarize the problem and the proposed solution. Your conclusion should contain a ―call to action‖, possibly describing the effects of leaving the problem unsolved and trying to involve the reader in looking for a solution to the problem in question.

Try to identify these parts in the model essay Drug Abuse given in the first part of Appendix 11. You can find the answer below it.

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Writing tip

For your problem-solution essay to be effective, keep in mind that you need to:  Research and elaborate on the problem. Include information on where the problem derives from, how far reaching the problem is, why the problem

needs to be solved, and the potential effects if the problem remains

unsolved. Include statistics and other supporting material that clearly demonstrate why the topic is a problem to begin with.  Present and explain multiple solutions. Include any solution(s) that have already been discussed and/or implemented, and explain why it is/they are not the ideal solution to the problem.  Consider and dismiss an alternative solution to the problem based on factual evidence. Keep in mind that before you present your solution, you should propose some other alternatives.  Explain how your solution can be effective, why you decided to reject other solutions and give reasons for your solution to be the best one. It is very convenient to use statistics to support the proposed solution.

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See the way the ideas given above were diagrammed to help you understand the essay structure better.

A PROBLEM-SOLVING ESSAY STRUCTURE

CAUSE 1 CAUSE 2 CAUSE 3

PROBLEM

THESIS STATEMENT

Support

Problem Problem Problem Support Solution 1 Solution 2 Solution 3

Support

Critique Critique Implementatio n Plan

Source of references: http://www.professays.com/essay/types-of-essay http://umhs.eduhsd.k12.ca.us/owl/problem-solution.pdf http://www.bookwormlab.com/samples-and-examples/problem-solution- essay.html http://www.phschool.com/atschool/ahon09/pdfs/AHON_WW_unit_2.pdf http://sharingouressays.blogspot.com/2008/06/problem-solution-essay.html http://umhs.eduhsd.k12.ca.us/owl/problem-solution.pdf http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/hd1/english/probsoln/probsolve1.htm http://www.tesoltasks.com/ProblemSolution.htm

Do this: 1. You should not forget that appropriate connecting words and phrases should be used to show the connection between paragraphs and to link sentences within them. You are provided here with a list of those most commonly used to write a coherent problem-solution essay. Your task now is to arrange them according to the uses given below:

 To express cause:  To express effect:

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 To express purpose:  To express possibility/probability:

HELPER WORDS: a. thus/ therefore/ so/ consequently, the result of … would be …, as a result… would result in … b. It can/ could/ may/ might…, It is possible/ probable/ (un)likely/ foreseeable/certain that…, … is (un) likely to/bound to/certain to/ possible/probable…, c. since/ because, in view of/ because of/ owing to/ due to (the fact that)…, The reason that …/ why …/ for… is that… d. so that…, so as/ in order (not) to …, with the purpose of/ intention of (+ing)

Modal verbs are also usually found in problem solution essays when making suggestions.

2. Go back to the reading section of the unit and take a look again at the text,‖ Is there a way to solve the world’s environmental problems?‖, in order to answer these questions: a. Does the essay describe a strong case for the urgent need to solve a problem or an argument for a specific solution to that problem? b. What kind of paragraph structure does the essay follow? c. How does the introduction focus on the question, does it introduce the problem that will be discussed? d. What main idea does each paragraph focus on? Which are the sentences that support the explanations? e. Circle or underline all the elements that link the paragraphs together (pronouns, transitional words or expressions, repetition). f. What is the function of the conclusion: to summarize the essay or to present the answer to the question?

(Questions adapted from http://www.dcielts.com/ielts-essays/#ixzz21Lyf8ApN )

3. In Appendixes 11 and 12 you can find two problem-solution essays that answer the same essay question. Which one in your opinion is more

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effective? Exchange ideas with any partner who has chosen the same essay. Read the chosen essay again and answer the following questions:

a. How many problems are described in the essay? Which section of the text outlines them? b. What expressions are used to introduce the problems? c. Are the problems illustrated further? How? d. Where does the section with the solutions begin? e. How many solutions are given? How would they be implemented? f. Mark the section that justifies the solutions and calls for action. g. Circle or enclose in parentheses all the connecting words in the essay. h. Underline all the phrases that tell us something about results. i. What modal structures are used to make suggestions?

4. Before actually planning and writing your own essay, see if you can identify the order of the steps a teacher suggests her students to follow when writing a problem-solution essay. As they are NOT in order, you should read them first and then number them from 1 (first) to 7 (last). Check your answers with a classmate or consult your teacher if necessary.

#______In the last paragraph, evaluate your possible solutions and make a general comment.

#______Study the question carefully; take a few minutes to write down all the problems and solutions that you can think of.

#______Start a new paragraph for the solutions. Introduce it with a topic sentence such as Now I will outline some possible solutions or Although there are many problems, there are also some solutions. For your main points, use expressions such as a) One solution is (that) … b) Another possibility is (that) … c) A final alternative is (that) …

#______Choose strong main points: three (or more) problems and supporting details (extra information) and three or more solutions and

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supporting details (extra information). The problems and solutions should be connected (don't write a solution for a problem that you didn't mention).

#______Check your essay again (e.g. spelling, grammar). Have you written 4 paragraphs? Have you reached the 250 word count?

#______Start a new paragraph for the problems. You may wish to introduce it with a topic sentence such as: There are many problems with (global warming). For your main points, use expressions such as a) One problem is (that) … b) Another issue is (that) … c) A final difficulty is (that) …

#______Start your essay with a general introduction: this can be one or two sentences. After that, identify the problem. You may wish to write a thesis statement: Below I will outline some problems and solutions connected with (global warming). The writing corner: Practice the writing process with your problem-solution essay.

The following table with the stages of the writing process and sample ideas for a problem-solution essay can help you.

Prewriting Drafting Revise, edit and proofread Define the problem to be solved. Decide how to organize your After completing your draft, read It is very useful to choose a real life writing. The simplest way to it again carefully to find ways to issue you are really interested in. organize a problem-solution make your writing better. Here Choose a problem (or a set of essay is to begin by identifying are some questions to ask problems) you and your classmates the problem in the first yourself. have faced during the teaching paragraph, leading up to your Revise to strengthen your practicum or think about any local thesis statement. thesis and support. problem(s). Once you have broken Present the solution that you • Do the introduction and thesis your problem down and looked at it think works best, explaining statement identify the problem? from different angles, sit back and why it is the most promising • Do the body paragraphs think about your ultimate goal in one. explain the problem thoroughly? solving the problem. Support your thesis with Do they examine several

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Brainstorm to identify several examples and details. Use solutions and describe the most solutions. Look for as many your lists of supporting effective solution clearly? solutions as you can, even if they information to back up your • Is your proposal supported by solve only part of the problem. List ideas about the best solution to convincing reasons, facts, and each solution and evaluate it. One the problem. examples? good technique is to ask questions. Do not forget to use separate Proofread to identify your Create a chart like this one to help paragraphs for problems and own mistakes. you evaluate your various solutions. solutions. Aim for clear, simple • Are all sentences complete, Think about (a) what the problem is sentences. Use linking with a subject and a verb? (b) how you will explain it (c) and words/phrases when • Are all the words spelled what the effect is. Your paragraph appropriate. correctly? Use a spell-checker will then follow this pattern. Use an analytical tone. As or a dictionary to make sure. Write a thesis statement. Write a you write your draft, remember • Are all proper nouns thesis statement briefly identifying that you are appealing to capitalized, including names of the problem. Your thesis statement people‘s ability to reason, not to people and places? may also indicate possible solutions, their emotions. Describe the • Did you use proper but you may also save that problem and the various punctuation? Check punctuation information for possible solutions objectively. within sentences as well as at later in your essay. Write a strong conclusion. In the end of sentences. Gather supporting information. your final paragraph, restate Look for facts, details, and reasons your ideas about the problem to support your solutions to the and its solution present your problem. recommendation of the best option. Don´t forget your call to action.

Source: Adapted from: http://www.professays.com/essay/types-of-essay

Since it is always advisable to read what other classmates have written in order to support each other‘s work in progress; you can now share your essay with someone else. Keep in mind that peer review will make you a better reader of your own essays. Your essay will be original when you have thought about the subject, researched it well, and made the subject matter your own.

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Listen to “Through the Years” by Kenny Rogers

1. Look at the title of the song and guess what the song is about. 2. Listen to the song and compare your predictions with the song lyrics. 3. Listen to the song again and fill in the blank spaces. 4. In what way do you think the female character in the song turned the male character´s life around? Read the script of the song and try to guess. Then discuss this point with your partner. 5. Practice your pronunciation: Take out from the song all the sentences that have contractions and practice pronouncing them with your partner.

Through the Years by Kenny Rogers

I can't remember when you weren't there When I didn't care for anyone but you I swear we've ______through everything there is Can't imagine anything we've ______Can't imagine anything the two of us can't do

Through the years, you've never ____ me down You turned my life around, the sweetest days I've ______I've found with you ... Through the years I've never _____afraid; I've ______the life we've ______And I'm so glad I‘ve ______, right here with you Through the years

I can't remember what I _____ to do Who I ______, who I listened to before I swear you ______me everything I know Can't imagine needing someone so But through the years it seems to me

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I need you more and more

Through the years, through all the good and bad I know how much we had; I've always ______so glad To be with you ... Through the years It's better every day; you've ______my tears away As long as it's okay, I'll stay with you Through the years

Through the years, when everything went wrong Together we were strong, I know that I belong Right here with you ... Through the years I never had a doubt; we'd always work things out I've ______what life's about, by loving you Through the years

Through the years, you've never let me down You've turned my life around, the sweetest days I've found I've found with you ... Through the years It's better every day; you've kissed my tears away As long as it's okay, I'll stay with you Through the years...

Kenny Rogers

1. What you do know about Kenny Rogers? 2. What do you know about country music? Is it the same as Cuban country music? 3. Why do you think that his hit ―Lucille‖ was so popular? 4. Write a summary of the text according to the chart below.

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Early career Genre In high school Early bands Mainstream success Best hits Discography Tours Concerts Nowadays

Kenny Rogers Kenny Rogers was born August 21, 1938 in Houston, Texas. Rogers released The Gambler in 1978. The title track became another huge country and pop hit and gave Rogers his second Grammy Award. In addition to his solo work, Rogers recorded a series of hits with country legend Dottie West. By this time, he was a true crossover artist, enjoying enormous success on both the country and pop charts. Singer, musician, writer, actor, and photographer. Born on August 21, 1938, in Houston, Texas, Rogers grew up poor, living with his parents and six siblings in a federal housing project. By high school, he knew that he wanted to pursue a music career. He bought himself a guitar, and started a group called the Scholars. The band had a rockabilly sound and scored a few local hits. Breaking out on his own, Rogers recorded the 1958 hit single, "That Crazy Feeling," for the Carlton label. He even got to perform the song on the popular music program American Bandstand. Changing genres, Rogers then played bass with the Bobby Doyle Trio, a jazz group. Moving on to folk-pop style, Rogers was asked to join the New Christy Minstrels in 1966. He left after a year, along with a few other members of the group, to form the First Edition. Fusing folk, rock, and country, the group quickly scored a hit with the psychedelic "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)." The band soon became known as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition and landed their own syndicated music show. They scored a few more hits, such as Mel Tillis' "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town." In 1974, Rogers left the group to go solo again. He decided to focus his energy on country music and "Love Lifted Me" became his first solo top 20 country hit

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in 1975. Two years later, Rogers reached the top of the country charts with the mournful ballad "Lucille," about a man being left by his wife. The song also did well on the pop charts, making it into the top 5. It also brought Rogers his first Grammy Award—this time for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Quickly following up this success, Rogers released The Gambler in 1978. The title track became another huge country and pop hit and gave Rogers his second Grammy Award. He also showed his tender side on the recording with the popular ballad "She Believes in Me." Kenny (1979) featured such hits as "Coward of the County" and "You Decorated My Life." Around this time, he wrote the advice book Making It with Music: Kenny Rogers' Guide to the Music Business (1978). In addition to his solo work, Rogers recorded a series of hits with country legend Dottie West. The two reached the top of the country charts with "Every Time Two Fools Collide" (1978), "All I Ever Need Is You" (1979) and "What Are We Doin' In Love" (1981). Also in 1981, Rogers held the No. 1 spot on the pop charts for six weeks with his version of Lionel Richie's "Lady." By this time, Rogers was a true crossover artist, enjoying enormous success on both the country and pop charts.

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Jamaica

Located south of Cuba, Jamaica is the third largest island of the Greater Antilles. With its lush mountains and clean beaches, the island is known for its beautiful natural surroundings and is a popular tourist destination. The Jamaican territory is mountainous, except for several tracts of lowlands in the southern coastal area. The principal range is the Blue Mountains, of which Blue Mountain Peak, with 2,256 meters, is the highest point on the island. Many small unnavigable rivers traverse the island. Jamaica is a multiracial society, with a population primarily of African or mixed African-European origin. Many people are descended from slaves brought to the island between the 17th and 19th centuries. English is the official language, although many Jamaicans speak patwa, a local dialect of English that incorporates African, Spanish, and French elements. The position of Jamaica as a dependency of Britain for more than 300 years is reflected in both language and customs. However, Jamaica also has a rich tradition of Africa-derived popular culture. Some 21 percent of the total Jamaican labor force is engaged in agricultural production. The chief crop is sugarcane. Other leading agricultural products are

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bananas, citrus fruits, tobacco, cacao, coffee, coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes, hay, peppers, ginger, mangoes, potatoes, and arrowroot. Among the chief exports are alumina, bauxite, sugar, rum, clothing, and coffee. Tourism is vital to the economy and provides a large portion of foreign- exchange earnings. I. Jamaica is one of the best known countries from the Caribbean. Names like Michael Manley in politics, Bob Marley in arts and Usain Bolt in sports have made it even more outstanding for the rest of the world; however, how much do we actually know about it? Brainstorm to come up with as much information about Jamaica as possible. II. Now read the text and chose, out of the following, the topics that are developed in it. Specify the paragraph number in each case. ____ Geographic position ____ Number of lakes ____ What the island is known for ____ Main geographic features ____ Names of the most important rivers ____ Language ____ Population ____ Relevant artists and writers ____ Cultural roots ____ Main crops ____ Politics ____ Main exports III. Read again and say Right or Wrong. Correct the wrong statements. ____ Jamaica belongs to the Lesser Antilles ____ The island has beautiful landscapes ____ It is hard to find mountains in Jamaica. ____ Patwa is dialect spoken in the island ____ Jamaican customs reflect only the British heritage ____ Agricultural production includes coffee in the first place IV. Discuss with your partner what similarities and differences between Jamaica and Cuba you have found in this reading in terms of geography, cultural roots, language, main crops, and other economic activities.

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V. As a future English Language teacher, you know it is important that your students learn about English-speaking countries as well. Use the information you have found in this reading to write at least a coherent paragraph about Jamaica as part of a lesson plan to motivate your student toward the topic.

(Authentic text)

Radio Broadcast: Warnings against drinking while driving

BEFORE YOU LISTEN...

Activating your background knowledge A vice is an abnormal behavior pattern in an individual, which is detrimental to his/her health or morale. Could you mention any of the vices in which the human race has engaged historically? Expand the list started below.

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Smoking ______

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Which of those vices are detrimental to the health of a person and which, to his/her morale? What may be negative effects of drinking and smoking?

WHILE YOU LISTEN...

Recognizing the general subject 1. This is a warning against a common wrongdoing. Listen and choose what it is about: a. smoking while traveling b. drinking while studying c. drinking while driving

Getting specific information 2. Read the list of liquors below. Then listen to the warning again and circle those that are mentioned.

gin, wine, whiskey, beer, brandy

Transcribing parts of an oral text 3. Now listen for the missing parts.

______or ______? ______one mixed ______is the same as ______two ______or two ______of ______.

The ______is false. They all have ______the same ______of ______in them. They can all get you ______, and if you ______they can all get you ______. Think about that before you decide to ______and ______.

Comparing information

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4. Here is another warning about the same topic. Listen and determine if the final remark is the same as or different from that of the previous warning.

Getting specific information 5. Why can you go to jail if someone else causes an accident? Listen and determine the answer to this question.

6. There are some parts missing in the paragraph below. Listen to the warning and write out those parts.

―You think you‘re a careful driver, but let‘s say you stop after work for a drink on your way home, but on your way, someone else causes an accident. Guess who goes to jail. You! You can‘t avoid a driving arrest. Think about it before you drive.‖

Working with pronunciation factors 7. Listen to the first warning again in order to analyze some features of the speaker‘s pronunciation. Do as instructed. a. Mark all the pauses you notice as you listen to it again. b. Mark all linking in each tone groups: consonant to vowel, vowel to vowel, consonant to consonant, etc. c. Put an accent on the stressed vowel in each tone group. d. Do not forget that vowels in unstressed syllables are reduced to / / or / I /. e. Now clap your hands for every stressed syllable you hear. do you pronounce each segment between stresses in the same time interval? If not, try to achieve it so as to get a near native pronunciation. f. Why do you think that there are so few contractions in these warnings? Choose the right answers. There could be more than one right answer: _____ because warnings are formal language. _____ because these warnings are written and then read aloud and contractions are characteristic of spoken language. _____ because contractions are used mainly in dialogues. _____ because contractions are only used in formal oral language.

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8. Now work in pairs. Pretend that you are radio announcers rehearsing the warnings for a broadcast. One student will read one of the warnings aloud and the other student will monitor his/her pronunciation. Rehearse the text several times trying to imitate the voices on the recording. Then change roles. Choose the best ―announcer‖ for recording. Your teacher can actually record some of these oral readings and analyze them with the whole group. Do not pay too much attention to the pronunciation of individual sounds. Concentrate especially on stress, pauses, and intonation.

AFTER YOU LISTEN... Writing as a follow-up 1. Write a short warning against drinking while driving. Use the warnings presented in the lesson as models for your own warning.

Speaking about the causes and effects of alcoholism 2. In small groups, make two lists as exhaustive as possible, one including the causes of alcoholism, and the other including the effects. Then, in plenary, discuss about the causes and effects of alcoholism.

Working with lexical items derived from the listening text 3. Vocabulary expansion a. What types of liquors are mentioned in the warnings? What other liquors can you add to the list? b. According to the degree of alcohol a person is used to consuming, he/she may be classed into several categories between tea-totaler (no alcohol) and alcoholic (too much alcohol). Try to guess the categories that are missing in between. Tea-totaler ______drinker ______drinker ______drinker Alcoholic

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Getting ready to teach: Connecting our teaching with global issues (2) Adopting a ‗global‘ foreign language perspective in our English lessons includes that we teach through texts that may cause a students‘ reflection about the following global issues:

Environmental issues: pollution, deforestation, endangered animals, global warming, recycling Peace education issues: wars, nuclear arms race, refugees, etc. Human rights issues: racism, gender issues, children‘s rights, etc. Intercultural communication issues: cultural issues, global citizenship vs. national identity, multiculturalism, etc. Socio-economic issues: poverty, wealth, consumer society, advertising, etc Linguistic imperialism Health: drugs, AIDS, etc.

Do this: Discuss these questions in pairs:  Which of the above global issues you have dealt with in you studies and in your practicum school?  Which one needs more attention in your group or in the group that you are teaching at the moment? Why?  Have you planned activities that may allow your students to integrate knowledge, skills, attitudes and actions about any global issue studied? Explain.

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UNIT 8: Criticism with relation to past actions, and imagining alternatives

(Classroom-prepared text) Dr. Hilda

Before you listen

1. Have you ever watched Manuel Calviño´s TV program? What do you think about it? What is the purpose of this program?

While you listen 2. Listen and tick the correct ending. a. Dr. Hilda‘s job is ___ to predict people‘s future. ___ to counsel people. ___ to criticize people.

b. Dr. Hilda is ___ a fake. ___ a cold-hearted person. ___ a sensible person.

c. The first caller ___ doesn‘t want her daughter to have a boyfriend. ___ is worried about her daughter‘s date. ___ wants to date an older man.

d. The second caller ___ took his mother‘s car and had an accident. ___ lied to Dr. Hilda about his father‘s car. ___ was afraid of telling his father about the smashed car.

e. The third caller ___ is concerned about his behavior at a party. ___ enjoyed a nice party at home.

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___ is a rude person.

3. Correct the following statements. a. Dr. Hilda is against age difference in love. b. The second caller is worried because someone stole his father‘s old car. c. Dr. Hilda considers that a lie is better than a terrible truth. d. Politics is a safe topic, but the third caller doesn‘t like to talk about it. e. The third caller thinks apologizing is not a good choice.

After you listen 4. Work in trios. Student A: You are a teacher, and there are two students who need to talk to you. Students B and C: You are facing serious problems at school and you are seeking for help. Now you see your English teacher.

The consonant sounds ǀtʃǀ and ǀdʒǀ These consonant sounds are called fricatives since in pronouncing them the air is compressed within the mouth and then released with friction.

1. ǀtʃǀ as in choose, matches, question and righteous This is a voiceless, palato-alveolar affricate consonant sound. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and it is usually spelled ch , tch, t+ion, or t+ous.

2. ǀdʒǀ as in jaw, gem, soldier, suggestion, adjacent and midget This is a voiced, palato-alveolar affricate consonant sound that occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words and is usually spelled j, g, di, gg, dj, or dg.

It is counterpart of ǀtʃǀ.

Do this:

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a. Stand up and check how many people in your class can pronounce the word question right? Then come back and report your findings to your teacher. b. Do the same with word soldier. Then discuss in plenary what may be

done in order to better your pronunciation of the sounds ǀdʒǀ and ǀtʃǀ.

Proverb: No man is an island

Work in pairs and be ready to share your ideas with the rest of the class. a. Do you agree or disagree with this proverb? Why / why not? b. What are the good/ bad things about being alone? c. Describe a situation in which you can use this proverb. d. Is there a similar proverb in your native language? e. Can you give examples of how Latin-American countries are showing that no man is an island?

8.1. Criticize past actions and imagine alternatives in the past Do this: Criticize each of the people who called Dr. Hilda asking for advice and imagine alternatives for them to have solved the problem differently. For example, First caller

First caller: Hello, Dr. Hilda. I‘m calling about my daughter. She‘s dating an older man. Dr. Hilda: Oh, now, how old are these two people? First caller: My daughter´s 18 and this man is 42. Dr. Hilda: Um. First Caller: I told her she has to stop seeing him and now she won‘t speak to me. I feel terrible. Tell me Dr. Hilda. What should I have done? Dr. Hilda: First, you should have spoken to this 42 year-old man. You should have asked him not to date your daughter for a couple of weeks, to give the situation some time to cool off. Then, if they still wanted to see each other and if the man seems like a nice person, you should let your daughter date him. You shouldn‘t worry so much about the age difference.

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You: This person shouldn´t have been so strict with his/her daughter. If the mother had told the 42 year-old man not to date her daughter for a couple of weeks, maybe they would have decided to stop seeing each other. Or maybe if the mother had let the couple stay together for a while, they would have realized that the age difference did matter.

Second caller

Second caller: Hello. I´m a first time caller, and, well, my problem is that my father went away on a business trip and I borrowed his brand new car and I had a bad accident. Dr. Hilda: Where is your mother? Second caller: She‘s in Florida, visiting some friends. Dr. Hilda: All right. Go on. Second caller: Well, I sent a telegram to my father and I…, I told him…, well, I told him someone had stolen the car. Dr. Hilda: Oh, you should have told your father the truth. Your father would probably understand about a car accident and he would be glad you weren‘t hurt. Second caller: I‘m not too sure about that. Dr. Hilda: Oh, give it a try, young man, because the truth is always better than a lie.

You: This person shouldn´t have … If he had …., maybe his father …

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Third caller

Third caller: Well, I invited some friends from the office to my house for a party a couple of weeks ago. Everything was fine until someone started talking about politics. Dr. Hilda: Oh, you shouldn‘t have let the subject of politics come up. Third caller: Well, it came up. And the…, well, I finally got really angry at one of my coworkers and uh…, to prevent a fight, I asked him to leave. Dr. Hilda: And? What happened after that? Third caller: Well, it‘s caused a big problem in the office, and he won‘t speak to me. Dr. Hilda: Again, you shouldn‘t have talked about politics at a party. It‘s not a safe topic.

You: This person shouldn´t have … If he hadn´t … perhaps … If he (apologize), …

When criticizing past actions we use the modal verb should + the present perfect because the actions being criticized have current relevance, in the sense that they may have brought about undesirable consequences. For example: Well, yes, he yelled at me. He shouldn´t have done that, not to me, you know. (I still feel hurt.) When we imagine alternative solutions to a problem/conflict/issue in the past, we use hypothetical conditional sentences, which are formed like this: If+ past perfect + wouldn‘t have (done). For example: If he had talked to me in a different way, I wouldn´t have reacted so abruptly.

Do this:

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Work in pairs. Describe a conflict you once went through or witnessed and the unhappy solution that you (or someone else) found for it. Then criticize the decision that you (or someone else) made, and imagine alternative courses of action. Here are some ideas for conflicts: - Family conflicts - Couple conflicts - Conflicts at school - Conflicts among neighbors

8.2. Criticize things people were or weren´t doing when something else happened and imagine alternatives in the past A. Criticize things people were or weren´t doing when something else happened

Look at this example: Past action: This driver hit this poor old man on the street. Criticism for what he was (not) doing: He should have been concentrating. He shouldn´t have been talking to the person sitting next to him. Grammar structure: should (n‘t) + have + been + v+ ing

Do this: Criticize these people for what they were or weren´t doing. Do as you are shown in the first item. a. Past action: My sister dropped a bunch of plates while doing the dishes. Criticism for what she was (not) doing: b. Sandra tripped on the sidewalk while she was passing by the Habana Libre Hotel. c. My friend didn´t get off at the right bus stop while he was traveling this morning. d. This couple left their 12 year-old daughter alone at home during the weekend and she let lots of friends into the house and turned it into a mess.

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B. Imagine alternatives in the past

Look at these examples:  If the driver had been concentrating, he wouldn´t have hit the poor old man.  If the driver had not been talking to the person sitting next to him, he wouldn´t have hit the poor old man. Grammar structure: If + past perfect continuous ….would (n´t) + have + past participle Do this: 1. Complete these sentences and talk about a possible context for them: a. If these students had been paying attention, … b. If this teacher had not been keeping a record of student progress … c. If the school principal had been working in his office … d. John wouldn´t have left a question unanswered in the test if … e. Sarah wouldn´t have felt so unsecure during the test if …

2. In pairs, criticize things you or someone else were (not) doing when something happened and imagine alternatives in the past.

Project Work Project 8: Voices from the inside To access information, to voice your ideas and opinions, to act independently and to continue learning through life are purposes every teacher should seek in the teaching learning process he or she is guiding at present. Through this last project work you can show how well you can accomplish all the previously mentioned purposes along your pre-service studies. Suggestions: 1. Work in teams to do research about how much your classmates use English or French to communicate themselves in class and outside. Do case studies and present the results to the whole class.

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2. Work in teams. Interview some graduates from your teacher education program in order to find out how pleased they are about the teacher education program in your university. Some of the topics you can include in the interview are: opinions about the quality of the education they received in university, their best experiences in university, their weakest aspect in their preparation and the subject they liked the most. As a result you can present a poster in which you show all the data collected, and even present video fragment with some of their opinions as evidence your findings. 3. You have studied different countries in the Caribbean and you would like to do some special report about one of them so as to go deeper into some cultural and historical facts. Work in teams to determine what you would like to research about. List all the information you need and plan what to do to obtain it. You can write an essay about the experience or about the topic you studied emphasizing on the discoveries and how they help you be a better student teacher.

Testing or Assessing? Some people believe that exams are an inappropriate way of measuring students‘ performance and should be replaced by continuous assessment. Do you agree or disagree with this view?

There is some dispute whether the best method of assessing students is to use examinations or some form of continuous assessment. This is a complex issue and my belief is that there is no one method that applies to all educational systems.

There are three major arguments in favor of retaining exams. One is that they provide a clear and objective measure of what students have learned, whereas any form of continuous assessment is probably going to be far more subjective. An

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additional point is that testing is an excellent way of motivating learners to study harder and to reward the students who do best. Likewise, examinations test the ability of students to work under pressure, and this is a vital life skill for their later careers.

On the other hand, there are still occasions when it can be better to relieve the students of exam pressure and to measure their abilities through continuous assessment. This is particularly the case in lower age groups where young children can be affected negatively by stress and underperform in exams. It can also be argued that continuous assessment is a more effective way of testing some subjects such as design and technology, which are more creative and less academic. A further point is that often continuous assessment can allow teachers to reward students who work hard, but who may be less able and not do well in more formal testing.

In conclusion, while continuous assessment may be fairer in some contexts, there are still times when traditional exams may be more appropriate. A sensible compromise would be to use both forms of testing together, allowing teachers to reward both ability and hard work.

(Downloaded from Dominic Cole´s IELTS Blog www.dcielts.com)

I. Getting ready to read 1. With your partner, discuss: a. How often do you take exams? b. Have you taken any exam recently? How well did you do? How did you feel while doing it? c. What is the role of exams? 2. Look up the meaning of the words Testing and Assessing. Is there any difference? Discuss this with your teacher. 3. Read the title of the text and consider what ideas you expect to find in it.

II. Connecting with the text

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1. Read quickly to confirm your predictions. 2. Read the text again in order to write True (T), False (F) or Not Said (NS) for each of the following statements. Be ready to back up your answers. a. All people consider that exams have an important place in education._____ b. The author considers that in the past exams played a greater role.______c. Exams can help to measure in a more objective way.____ d. The author is against exams at present._____ e. Continuous assessment can help students feel better while they are being evaluated.____ f. Formal testing and continuous assessment should not be integrated in a school program._____ g. Teachers should ask the school authorities when to use formal or informal assessment.____

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3. Find in the text the arguments in favor of exams and the arguments in favor of continuous assessment. Write them in the chart below.

Arguments in favor of exams Arguments in favor of continuous assessment

4. What is the solution the author offers to work out the dispute? Do you agree with it? Explain.

III. Sharing and reflecting 1. Analyze from the perspective of a student and from the perspective of a teacher the possible views about the dispute. Discuss this in small groups or with a partner. 2. What did you learn from reading the text? 3. Write your own reflections about the topic and your reactions to the opinions stated in the text. Share this with your mentor and your methodology teacher.

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The prefixes re- and dis- The words replace and disagree as they appear in the text ―Testing or assessing‖? are formed by the presence of the prefixes re- and dis- before the words place and agree respectively. The former is sometimes used with a hyphen to distinguish between a word in which the prefix simply means ―again‖ or ―anew‖, and a word of similar form having a special meaning or meanings; for example re-collect, recollect, re-act, react. The latter (dis-) usually expresses negative meanings, usually to deprive of, or to cause to be the opposite of.

Do this: 1- Complete the following table with verbs or nouns that follow the same lexical process as disable or reappear

prefix ―old‖ verb new verb new noun dis- make able to disable disablement assemble join disinvite disappearance make reactivation

2- Work with a partner. Say the following phrases using only one word for each, with the prefixes re- and dis-. a. To tell again b. To accuse again c. To use once more d. To affirm another time e. To deprive of courage f. An unfavorable situation or circumstance g. The opposite of qualify

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Writing: The Definition Essay and Proofreading

―The essay is story, the essay is discovery, the essay is song‖

What is a definition essay? As the name suggests it, this type of essay presents the meaning of a specific term, a phrase, a topic, etc. The definition essay will not only define something; the writer will provide a personal commentary on what the specific subject means by explaining why the term is defined as such, illustrating how it is applied, comparing it with other previously made definitions, and/or discussing its origin in a meaningful way.

Notice this: A term could be concrete or abstract. Because of their arguable meaning, it is precisely abstract terms that are most commonly connected with the definition essay. They are considered to be the best topics, because their definition depends more on the writer‘s point of view. For example,

Can you provide any other abstract concept you might want to define in an essay? Take into account that most writers say that it is best if you have had some personal experience in the topic you will define.

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Writing tip

How to write an effective definition: 1. Create a definition. There are several ways and here are a few options. o Define by function. Explain what something does or how something works.

o Define by structure. Tell how something is organized or put together. o Define by analysis. Compare the term to other members of its class and then illustrate the differences. These differences are special characteristics that make the term stand out. o Define by what the term does not mean. This distinction can sometimes clarify a definition and help a reader to better understand it. 2. Use understandable facts, examples, or anecdotes. Select facts, examples, or anecdotes to fully explain your definition. Ask yourself, "Which examples will best help readers understand the term? What examples would most appeal to my

readers? Will a brief story reveal the term's meaning?" Do not use any examples that will not support the definition.

What is the basic structure of a definition essay? This essay genre is basically structured in the same way as any other type, but some specific features will be described below:

The introduction generally contains a brief basic definition of the term, which is usually identified in the thesis statement. Most writers agree that your thesis should include the following information: a. The term to be defined. b. A sentence definition of the term. c. Reason(s) for giving a more detailed definition. d. The kinds of additional information that will be used to extend the definition.

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The body is dedicated to the explanation of the term by using one or more of these patterns of organization: Explanation of a Process Definition (further) Description Comparison/Contrast Classification Cause/Effect Narrative (Anecdotal Illustration)

The conclusion may often include a comment about the term being defined or a summarizing statement. Actually, there is no formal conclusion specific to this type of essay. It could end as a description, a comparison/contrast, a process analysis, etc.

Source: http://www.dca.net/~areid/define.htm

Study tip. Choosing a definition is a fundamental step in writing an effective definition essay; therefore, it is important for you to understand the term well before you define it. Here are some tips you should consider when writing your definition essay.  You should restrict /narrow the term before you start defining it.  You may define the term according to the characteristics it denotes: structure, notion, function, properties, etc.  You should not just copy the dictionary definition, you may also explain the term briefly in your own words.  You should research good examples that allow readers to visualize how the definition can be applied.  You should analyze the word using the information found out by other scientists and researchers.  You should use simple and clear language.  You can use stylistic devices (metaphors, simile, rhetorical question, etc.) to increase the literary richness of your essay.

Do this:

Read the essay given below and say: 1. What is the term defined in it? 2. What distinctive features make it different from other related terms?

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3. What title would you give to this essay?

______

During their lives people follow several important concepts that play a significant role in their existence. Among the most common of them – ―success‖, ―well- being‖, or ―faith‖ are prime examples. Another and, perhaps, one of the most ancient concepts is ―love‖. This word is one of the most widely-used in the world, although there are many good reasons for the substitution of this concept when speaking of it. The thing is that it is often confused with the notion of ―codependency‖, which brings, in contradistinction to ―love‖, a harmful and morbid experience. This paper aims to define the term ―codependency‖ in order to clarify its meaning.

According to Merriam-Webster online, codependency is a psychological condition or relationship, in which a person is controlled or manipulated by another, who is afflicted by a pathological condition. Dictionary.com defines codependency as a relationship, in which one person is physically or psychologically addicted, for example, to alcohol or gambling and the other person is psychologically dependent on the first in an unhealthy way. Finally, Oxforddictionaries.com offers the definition of codependency as an excessive, emotional, or psychological reliance on a partner, typically one with an illness, or addiction, who requires support.

These are the most common interpretations of codependency. As can be observed, all of them contain several key words: relationship, partner, dependence, addiction, or pathology and characterize this state as ―unhealthy‖. At the same time, many psychologists claim that codependency isn‘t just about being in a relationship with a person having an addiction, or who is mentally challenged. Various researches done indicate that it is a state that is commonly mistaken for love and is typical in most relationships. Thus, 98% of grown-up Americans, who are married, or are in a romantic relationship, are considered to be codependent (Weinhold, 2008). Actually, it does not matter whether one of the partners has a certain obsession, as codependency develops even between people who are free from bad habits.

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Therefore, codependency can be defined as a psychological state involving a heavy emotional reliance on a partner, characterized by excessive caring, a constant search of his/her acceptance and approval, and by various painful experiences as a consequence. Among the latter, one can point to excessive unjustified jealousy, repressed anger, unspoken resentment, and the feeling of abandonment. Actually, codependency is considered to be the same kind of addiction as alcoholism and narcomania, the difference being that the object of the unwholesome passion is another person. Codependent people often forget about their needs, interests and goals, sacrificing it all for the benefit of the partner they ―love‖. Stated succinctly, codependents make the relationship more important than themselves. For the classic examples of this disease, one needs to look no further than Romeo and Juliette, Othello and Desdemona, or from the more recent past, Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen, as much less romantic, but still codependent relationship.

Codependency, which is sometimes also called neurotic affection, is supported by a number of extremely powerful and enduring myths, which are taken for granted by the majority of people. For example, one of the most widespread myths is that partners should always endorse each other. Another typical myth is a dream about a perfect partner. One more myth prescribes that partners satisfy each other‘s needs and match all interests in all spheres of life. These and many other myths are supported by mass culture: popular songs, movies, books and other media promote exactly this kind of relationship. The same mistake was constantly made during previous centuries and, perhaps, only religious and philosophical movements, such as Christianity, or Buddhism, had taught people true love.

Considering all of the above, it can be seen that codependency is a phenomenon that is often confused with love, due to the prevalence of numerous uncritically perceived myths, supported by modern and ancient culture. 98% of Americans presumably are in codependent relationships. Generally speaking, this is the unhealthy psychological state of excessive, emotional reliance on a partner, which is characterized by an obsession to control and take care of one‘s partner, and by a constant search for that

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partner‘s approval. This state is accompanied by various painful experiences, such as excessive jealousy, a feeling of abandonment, repressed anger, insults and a constant craving for being needed and recognized. Codependency can be successfully cured without breaking relationships, but it is important for patients to realize their problem and to want to get out of it. http://academichelp.net/samples/essays/definition/codependency.html

Do this:

Read the essay again to answer these other questions:

1. What was the purpose of the definition? 2. Was this an effective definition? If your answer is affirmative, tick those statements that you think support your answer. a. _____ The essay tells the reader what term is being defined. b. _____ The essay presents clear and basic information. c. _____ The essay uses facts and statistics. d. ____ The essay uses anecdotes. e. ____ The essay uses examples that the readers will understand.

3. What other pattern(s) of organization did the writer employ to complete his extended definition? Tick them from those given in the list below: ___ Explanation of a Process ___ Anecdotal illustration ___Description ___ Comparison/Contrast ___ Classification ___ Cause/Effect

4. What language expressions did the writer use to signal the transition between paragraphs?

5. What are the key vocabulary terms used by the writer?

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Writing tip

The following expressions are often used when writing a definition paragraph:

 "is defined as"  "is a kind of"

Were any of the expressions above used in the model essay? Jot them down and/or any other used by the writer when defining the term.

The writing corner:

To help you write an effective essay, you can also read the model text in Appendix __, What is This Thing Called Love? How do you know if the essay is effective or not? The questions below will guide the analysis of its structure. You could consult your answers with other classmates.

Questions to check the effectiveness of the essay: 1. Does the thesis statement tell readers how the writer will define the term? Underline the sentence in the essay. 2. According to the options given in the first writing tip of the unit, which one does the writer use to create the definition? 3. Does the writer use good specific examples to illustrate each point? 4. Does the writer use right transitional words and phrases to link all parts of the essay? (underline or highlight them) 5. Does the conclusion bring the parts of the definition together? 6. Does the conclusion illustrate how the definition is applied?

If you feel you are ready, you can start writing your own definition essay. Follow these steps:

1. Select your subject carefully from those given below. (All the terms in one way or another are related to the teaching profession). Remember that

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whatever topic you choose, you should be interested in and somehow familiar with it, so that you can provide effective examples.

a. Kindness f. Self- k. Common sense b. Sense of Humor assuranc l. Intelligence c. Optimism e m. Personality d. Respect g. Dedication n. Leadership e. A good teacher/bad h. Sensitivity teacher i. Generosity j. Responsibility 2. Your next step is outlining the points you will cover, considering where you need to use examples. (see at the end of these steps the possible formats your essay could have—this is just a suggestion and not a rule to be followed as such) 3. Make sure you follow the orientations given before about the thesis statement. Tell your readers how you will define the term and always keep these readers in mind. 4. Your body should provide specific examples to illustrate each point. Researching can help you find good examples. 5. Make sure your transitions between and within your body paragraphs have been made clear. 6. Write your conclusion keeping in mind this is the last thing the readers will see. Some writers suggest trying to leave an image of how the definition can be applied. 7. Proofread your essay. (only after you have made other editing revisions before)

Choose any of these two possible formats for outlining your essay:

I. Introduction A. Attention getter 1. You may want to include the traditional or dictionary definition here to provide a basis for your personal definition.

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2. You may want to open with a contradictory image to what would be your image to illustrate that definition. B. Thesis: State how you define the term. If you can write the definition using specific points, you will find the definition easier to follow when writing the paper. II. Body A. Background information: 1. Often unnecessary in this type of paper. 2. However, you may need to provide some background about the term or your connection to the term. B. Point one 1. The first part of your definition of the term. 2. Example to illustrate that point. 3. Analysis of how the example illustrates the point. C. Point two 1. The second part of the definition of the term. 2. Example to illustrate that point. 3. Analysis of how the example illustrates the point. D. Point three 1. The third part of the definition (if there is one). 2. Example to illustrate that point. 3. Analysis of how the example illustrates the point. E. Point four, etc. III. Conclusion A. Review your definition‘s main points. B. Closing attention getter. 1. Sometimes a reference back to the opening attention-getter is a good way of unifying the entire essay. 2. You may want to close with an explanation of how your definition has affected you.

SOURCE: http://www2.actden.com/Writ_Den/tips/paragrap/index.htm

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Woman, by John Lennon

1. Before listening to the song, fill in the blank spaces. 2. Listen to the song, and compare what you wrote with the actual song lyrics. 3. What is the attitude of the singer towards women? Think of other songs that have the same message. 4. Should women be treated equally? Explain. 5. Learn the song by heart and sing in class choir.

Woman by John Lennon Woman I can hardly express My mixed emotions at my thoughtlessness After all I'm forever in your debt And woman I will try to express My inner ______and ______For showing me the meaning of success

Ooh, well, well Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo Ooh, well, well Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo

Woman I know you understand The ______child inside of the man Please remember my ______is in your hands And woman hold me close to your heart However distant don't keep us apart After all it is written in the stars

Ooh, well, well

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Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo Ooh, well, well Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo Well

Woman please let me explain I never meant to cause you ______or ______So let me tell you again and again and again

I love you, yeah, yeah Now and forever I love you, yeah, yeah Now and forever I love you, yeah, yeah Now and forever I love you, yeah, yeah

(Source: musica.com)

John Lennon 1. Before reading Lennon´s biography, discuss with your partner why you think a sculpture of John Lennon was built in Vedado, La Habana. 2. Summarize Lennon´s biography in this chart. Childhood At college Early bands Political ideas Best hits Discography Tours Concerts

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Cause of death

1. Find out about John Lennon´s role during the Viet Nam War and share your findings with the rest of the class. 2. Why do you think Lennon was murdered? Who may have murdered him? Ask people in your university about this and have a round table in your class about these points and about Lennon´s life in general.

John Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England. When he was four years old, his parents separated and he ended up living with his Aunt Mimi. John's father was a merchant seaman and John did not see a lot of his father when he was small. As a child, John was a prankster and he enjoyed getting in trouble. As a boy and young adult, John enjoyed drawing grotesque figures and cripples. One of the reasons for his obsession with cripples and deformities was because of the Death of his Mother Julia. The John's school master thought that John could go to an art school for college, since he did not get good grades in school, but had artistic talent. He made it to art school, and was not allowed to play "Rock and Roll". At this college, he met a woman by the name of Cynthia Powell, who became his first wife. As a child, John lived a life of uninterrupted calm. He didn't recall feeling desperately sad or unusually happy. Unfortunately that calm was suddenly shattered when his mother died before his 18th birthday. John did not like to talk about the death of his mother, because it was too great a sorrow to be publicized. After the death of his mother, John went to live with his Aunt Mimi. John considers his Aunt Mimi the greatest person. They lived in a little house, with frilly curtains at the windows, and an old apple tree in the front garden. When John was away from home, he thought about Aunt Mimi and her frilly curtains and her apple tree, and he realized how fortunate he was. Because, though his mother was taken away from him, he was given something precious in return. At sixteen, John created the group called the "Quarry Man". They performed at school. One day, Paul McCartney was introduced to him. At this point, John asked Paul if he could join the group, and he accepted the next day. Paul

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McCartney introduced George Harrison to John Lennon. The first recording they made was called "That will be the day" by Buddy Holly. John came up with the name Beatles for the group. John had a vision when he was 12 years old - a man appeared on a Flaming pie and said unto them 'From this day on you are Beatles with an 'A'. The Beatles were discovered by Brian Epstein in the Cavern, where they were performing. John married Cynthia Powell in August 1962 and they had a son together who they called Julian. Cynthia described John as "Rough, ready and not her type at all, but had an irresistible character". Since the Beatles were becoming very popular at the time, Cynthia had to keep a very low profile. John Lennon divorced Cynthia and re-married with Yoko Ono who he met at the Indica Gallery in November 1966. In 1970 the Beatles broke up and John Lennon went his way and he tried to send out his message out clearer. He started doing this by releasing his first solo album Imagine. Imagine was a passion of John. It crystallized his dream for the world and his idealism. And it was something that John really wanted to say to the world. Imagine was the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed of all John Lennon's post-Beatles efforts.

John Lennon's name will always be synonymous with peace and political activism. His song "Give Peace a Chance" remains an anthem for the anti-war movement –and probably always will.

In September of 1969, Lennon returned his MBE (Member of the British Empire), awarded by Queen Elizabeth to the Beatles in 1965, in protest over Great Britain's support for the Vietnam War. After their marriage in March 1969, John and Yoko staged a "bed-in for peace" at the Amsterdam Hilton. It was at their second bed-in in Montreal in June of 1969 that Lennon recorded "Give Peace a Chance" in his hotel room, aided by a host of celebrities such as Tommy Smothers, Timothy Leary, Petula Clark, Dick Gregory, and Murray the K. The song was sung by half a million Vietnam War protestors at the second Vietnam Moratorium Day in October 1969 in Washington, D.C.

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In 1972, John Lennon gave a charity concert. The concert was held in Madison Square Garden, August 30, 1972, to help improve the living conditions of the mentally handicapped children. Starting with the Toronto Peace Festival in 1969, John with Yoko did a series of rock concerts as their statement of Peace and Love, and to spotlight various social issues effectively. All proceeds from the concerts were given to the needy. This concert in Madison Square garden turned out to be the last concert John did with the Plastic Ono Band. In 1972 the Vietnam War protest was at its height. The Feminist Movement was in a stage of awakening. The concert was filled with love of brotherhood and sisterhood. Everybody joined in on the stage at the end when they sang "Give Peace a chance". People could not contain themselves and marched down Fifth Avenue after the performance, singing "Give Peace a Chance". John Lennon performed with his new band: "Plastic Ono Band". On October 9, 1975, Yoko gave birth to John's other son Sean. John left his whole music career for 5 years to raise his son. He did not miss music at all during this period. He became a househusband and raised his son. John did not really exist anymore in the music world. He realized that there is no life without music after 5 years. He was able to write songs now with ease since there was no pressure. John wrote all the songs on "Double Fantasy" in a period of 3 weeks. This album was written, recorded, and released in 1980. When John was singing and writing this album, he was visualizing everybody in his age group. Unfortunately, John was shot in front of his apartment complex in New York while he was in the process of releasing another album, "Milk and Honey". John died of the age of 40 in the Roosevelt Hospital on December 8, 1980, after receiving multiple gunshots in the back. John was not a follower, but a leader and was always fighting for people's right. He was a person that cared for other people and expressed himself by making different political statements. John was not only a great music writer, but also an excellent pop artist and did a lot in the Rock and Roll music world. John cannot and will never be replaced by anybody. His songs will live forever in all our hearts and minds. Just Give Peace a Chance and let‘s work together for a great and much better world.

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Barbados

Barbados is the easternmost island of the West Indies, situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and east of the Caribbean Sea; outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt. Barbados is generally flat along the coast and hilly in the interior. It is largely surrounded by coral reefs. The climate is tropical, tempered by sea breezes. The island has an estimated population of 284,589 people, with around 80,000 living in or around Bridgetown, the largest city and the country's capital. Wildlife is limited and includes hares, monkeys, mongooses, tree frogs, and various species of birds. The natural beauty and biodiversity of Barbados attract large numbers of tourists, but the growth in popularity has brought about several problems. Although local revenue has increased, water pollution from waste disposal by ships and damage to surrounding reefs have become major environmental concerns. English is the official language in Barbados. Almost 30 percent of the people are Anglicans; other important faiths include various Protestant sects and Roman Catholicism. The economy of Barbados has traditionally relied on the growing of sugarcane and the production and export of refined sugar, molasses, and rum. Sugarcane

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is grown mainly on large estates rather than on small farms. Efforts have been made by the government to reduce the dependency on sugarcane products. Local industries manufacture clothing, furniture, electrical and electronic equipment, and plastic items. Newly discovered reserves of petroleum and natural gas are being exploited. Fishing has also increased in importance. Tourist facilities have been developed, and since the late 1960s tourism has earned more foreign revenue than sugar products.

I. You are probably very familiar with the name of Barbados, but do you know exactly where this country is located? Look at the map of the Caribbean and locate this island and describe its position.

II. Read the first sentence of the text and compare the words and phrases used in it to describe the location of Barbados to the ones you used. Check whether you were right or wrong and focus on the new vocabulary you found.

III. Now read the whole text and provide the right order these topics follow in it, if they are present at all.

____ Economy

____ Environmental issues that tourism has caused

____ Population

____ Flora

____ Climate

____ Capital city

____ Location

____ Government

____ Landmarks

____ Official language

____ Fauna

____ Religion

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IV. Divided into three teams, choose one fragment from the text (paragraphs 1- 2, 3-4, or 5-6) per team and read and analyze it. Then report to the rest of the class what you learned. Provide as many details as possible. V. Use the information provided by the rest of the teams as they make their presentations, to develop the topics you organized in Task III. Then, write an email to a friend of yours who is gathering some data on Barbados for a project work. Summarize for him/her everything you have learnt about it.

VI. Time for discussion:

Cuba and Barbados have been historically connected since 1976 by one of the most horrific acts of terrorism that ever happened in the Western hemisphere. What event was this? How many people were killed in it? How? Who were they? Where were they coming from? Who were the masterminds behind this horrendous crime? Did they ever pay for such crime? What was the role of the CIA in it?

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(Authentic text) Radio Broadcast: Trivia Question: ―In what country was the fishing rod and reel invented?‖

BEFORE YOU LISTEN

Activating your vocabulary Which of the following pursuits are pastimes and which are jobs? Which may be considered as both pastime and job?

Reading Fishing Gardening Photography Cooking Collecting stamps Painting Teaching Swimming Fishing, both as a pastime and as a job, requires the use of certain paraphernalia. Could you mention the paraphernalia necessary for fishing?

______

WHILE YOU LISTEN

Understanding the main point 1. Here is a trivia question. Listen to the recording and say what the question posed by the announcer is.

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Recognizing types of voices 2. Listen again and be ready to determine the number of listeners that phone in to answer the question.

3. Out of the total number, how many voices are male and how many female? Listen again and determine this.

Getting specific information 4. Read the list of countries below. Then listen to the tape again and cross out those that are not mentioned. Out of those mentioned, what is the answer to the question?

England Italy China USA France Scotland Poland Russia Ireland Germany

5. Choose the right answer as you listen again. a. ______is the winner‘s name. Bert Bruce Brook b. He is calling from ______. Key West Marathon Maryland c. He won a/n ______. T shirt shirt undershirt

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6. Was the rod and reel originally invented for fishing? Listen again and determine this.

7. How long ago was the fishing rod and reel invented? Listen again if you do not know.

Identifying communicative functions 8. Listen once more for examples of the following communicative functions. a. Greeting someone ______

b. Thanking ______

c. Saying good-bye ______

d. Asking about someone‘s name ______

e. Asking about someone‘s origin ______

Transcribing parts of an oral text

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9. Fill in what is missing in the following excerpt as you listen to it several times.

Announcer: What is your ______? Listener 7: ______. Announcer: ______? Listener 7: Aha. Announcer: And... ______, ______are you calling ______? Listener 7: ______. Announcer: ______? OK ______, you don‘t have to answer this question to ... receiver your ______. This is superfluous to that. You‘ve already won an official Country Public ______, but I‘m gonna ask you: Do you know what the ______was originally invented for by the ______? Listener 7: ______, ah... fly kites. Announcer: No, it wasn‘t flying ______.

Working with pronunciation factors 10. Listen to the trivia question again, concentrating on contractions this time. a. Do the speakers use many contractions? Give some examples. b. Are contractions characteristic of oral of or written language? c. In what kind of syllables do contractions usually occur: in stressed or in unstressed syllables? d. There is a very close relationship between the use of contractions and the need to keep a regular time interval between stresses in connected speech, especially when there are several unstressed syllables between two stressed ones. Can you explain this relationship? e. Now read softly after the recording ―shadowing‖ the speakers´ pronunciation. Try to imitate their use of pauses and contractions as closely as you can. Work in pairs, playing the roles of caller and announcer. (If you are going to work with the whole text, your teacher should give you the transcript.)

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AFTER YOU LISTEN

Working with pronunciation factors 1. Do the following in the excerpt you took down. a. Mark pauses. b. Mark linking. c. Put an accent on the stressed syllables. d. Transcribe all unstressed vowels. e. Analyze the question ―Do you know what the fishing rod and reel was originally invented for by the Chinese?‖ i. How many content words and function words does it have? ii. Is there the same number of unstressed syllables between the stressed ones in all cases? iii. Practice the question until you feel that you pronounce it like the radio announcer. f. Now do the same with the rest of the excerpt. Work in groups of three portraying roles. One student will be the announcer, another student will be the caller, and the third student will monitor the speakers´ pronunciation. Concentrate on the time intervals between stressed syllables, on pauses, and on contractions. Change roles.

Activating your geographical knowledge 2. Look at the world map below. Then locate in it the countries mentioned on the recording.

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Reading as a follow-up 3. Below is a short monograph of China. As you read it, take notes on the following points:  Official name  Population and area  Geographic features  Beijing and Shanghai  Language  China in ancient times  Inventions  Macao and Hong Kong  China after 1949  Taiwan

China, officially the People‘s Republic of China (Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo), country in East Asia, the world‘s largest country by population and one of the largest by area, measuring about the same size as the United States. The Chinese call their country Zhongguo, which means ―Central Country‖ or

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―Middle Kingdom.‖ The name China was given to it by foreigners and is probably based on a corruption of Qin (pronounced ―chin‖), a Chinese dynasty that ruled during the 3rd century BC.

China proper centers on the agricultural regions drained by three major rivers— the Huang He (Yellow River) in the north, the Yangtze (Chang Jiang) in central China, and the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River) in the south. The country‘s varied terrain includes vast deserts, towering mountains, high plateaus, and broad plains. Beijing, located in the north, is China‘s capital and its cultural, economic, and communications center. Shanghai, located near the Yangtze, is the most populous urban center, the largest industrial and commercial city, and mainland China‘s leading port.

One-fifth of the world‘s population—1.3 billion people—live in China. More than 90 percent of these are ethnic Han Chinese, but China also recognizes 55 national minorities, including Tibetans, Mongols, Uighurs, Zhuang, Miao, Yi, and many smaller groups. Even among the ethnic Han, there are regional linguistic differences. Although a common language called Putonghua is taught in schools and used by the mass media, local spoken languages are often mutually incomprehensible. However, the logographic writing system, which uses characters that represent syllables or words rather than pronunciation, makes it possible for all Chinese dialects to be written in the same way; this greatly aids communication across China.

In ancient times, China was East Asia‘s dominant civilization. Other societies— notably the Japanese, Koreans, Tibetans, and Vietnamese—were strongly influenced by China, adopting features of Chinese art, food, material culture, philosophy, government, technology, and written language. For many centuries, especially from the 7th through the 14th century ad, China had the world‘s most advanced civilization. Inventions such as paper, printing, gunpowder, porcelain, silk, and the compass originated in China and then spread to other parts of the world.

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China‘s political strength became threatened when European empires expanded into East Asia. Macao, a small territory on China‘s south-eastern coast, came under Portuguese control in the mid-16th century, and Hong Kong, nearby, became a British dependency in the 1840s. In the 19th century, internal revolts and foreign encroachment weakened China‘s last dynasty, the Qing, which was finally overthrown by Chinese Nationalists in 1911. Over the course of several decades, the country was torn apart by warlords, Japanese invasion, and a civil war between the Communists and the Nationalist regime of the Kuomintang, which established the Republic of China in 1928.

In 1949 the Chinese Communist Party won the civil war and established the People‘s Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland. The Kuomintang fled to the island province of Taiwan, where it re-established the Nationalist government. The Nationalist government controlled only Taiwan and a few outlying islands but initially retained wide international recognition as the rightful government of all of China. Today, most countries recognize the PRC on the mainland as the official government of China. However, Taiwan and mainland China remain separated by different administrations and economies. Therefore, Taiwan is treated separately in Encarta Encyclopedia. In general, statistics in this article apply only to the area under the control of the PRC.

After coming to power in 1949, the Communist government began placing agriculture and industry under state control. Beginning in the late 1970s, however, the government implemented economic reforms that reversed some of the earlier policies and encouraged foreign investment. As a result of the reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, the Chinese economy grew almost 10 percent a year from 1980 to 2005, making it one of the largest economies in the world in the early 21st century.

In 1997 Hong Kong was transferred from Britain to China under an agreement that gave the region considerable autonomy. Portugal recognized Macao as Chinese territory in the late 1970s and negotiated the transfer of Macao‘s administration from Portugal to China in 1999. Macao, too, was guaranteed a special degree of autonomy.

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Writing as a follow-up Now with the notes you have taken, write a summary of the monograph.

Expanding your scientific culture In the fourth paragraph some Chinese inventions are mentioned. Find out more information on them in Encarta Encyclopaedia or in the Internet.

Speaking about China 4. Discuss about the increasing importance of China in the world. Refer to aspects such as the ones below after you find out in the pertinent sources.  economy  politics  culture  science  commerce

Working with lexical items derived from the listening text 5. Vocabulary expansion What is the English equivalent for the Spanish expression un par de minutos as used in the recording? Rewrite the following sentences using that expression.  I need to print two copies of the work.  The trip took me two hours.  I bought two new chairs to replace my old ones.

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Getting ready to teach: Taking action on campus for a better world

If you feel motivated to be a well-prepared English professor who can help in the reshaping of a better world you can initiate Special Interest Groups (SIG) in your university. The groups can be formed by students who share an interest in global education and its aim is to enable students to acquire and use a foreign language while empowering them with the knowledge, skills, and commitment to solve global problems. The SIG thus has a double commitment to excellence in language education and to ―teaching for a better world.‖ The aims of these groups are:  To develop global awareness, international understanding, and the study of world problems through language education.

 To promote the integration of global issues and social responsibility into foreign-language teaching;

 To promote awareness among student teachers of the important developments in global education and the related fields of environmental education, human rights education, peace education, and development education.

Read this flyer from ―Félix Varela‖ University of Pedagogical Sciences for you to have an idea of what may be done:

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Special Interest Groups (SIG) 1. What are our aims?  To search for information, practical ideas and materials.  To carry out actions in order to promote language practice through the SI themes, in and out of class, as a means to integrate instruction and education while teaching L2.

2. What SIG will be formed? There will be groups working on these special interest (SI) themes: A. Environmental education B. Health and sexuality education C. Peace Culture D. Teaching L2 through the arts

3. What students will be coordinating the SIG? A student will be appointed to coordinate the work of each SIG. 4. Where can you look for information? You may visit the resource centers in our department. You may also go to the university library, search through our WEB page or ask university specialists who do research on these themes.

5. How can you keep a record of what you do?  Use a notebook to make notes of materials that you have located/read (with dates) plus your remarks.  Keep a record of the actions you planned and carried out.  Keep a record of feedback that you obtain from students and teachers concerning the quality of the actions that you have carried out.

6. How can you achieve motivation with what you do?  Consider the diagnosis of your ―target‖ students.  Integrate the arts with all the themes.  Carry out your actions in L2 (English or French)  Use information and communication technology (ICT‘s) and other material aids.

7. What action can you carry out? We are calling on your initiative, but here are some ideas you may want to start from: For example, exhibits, contests, cultural activities, important commemorations or dates, festivals, talks within a class, round tables, panel discussions and conferences (eventos).

8. Can we ask first -and –second- year students to join the SIG? Can we ask other students from third and fourth year to join in? Yes, of course, but not on a massive scale. Only those who have a good command of English or French and are enthusiastic and responsible.

9. Will you obtain credits for what you do? Yes, but only if you write, hand in and present papers in English or French

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Do this: 1. Discuss with your classmates about your strengths as a group concerning the global issues topics and then create your own SIG.

2. Create a product (poster, poem, rap, song, message, etc.) dealing with a global issue, in order to publish it in your university Web site.

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APPENDIXES Appendix from the Authentic and Classroom-prepared Text Listening Sections

Transcripts for the classroom-prepared listening texts UNIT 1: Welcome back to West High Section A Maureen: Oh, class pictures! Kate: Remember Ted Green? He was so cute. Maureen: Yeah, and really athletic too. Remember him out on the football field? Kate: How could I forget? But I haven‘t seen him since graduation. What was he planning to do? Maureen: I think he wanted to be an actor. Kate: That‘s right. He went up to Los Angeles to drama school. Maureen: I would love to see him again. I hope he comes tonight. Kate: Me too. I wonder if he is married. Maureen: Yeah. Isn‘t it this guy from our geometry class? What was his name? Kate: Yeah, the quiet one. Dan something. He was easy to forget. Maureen: Dan Porter. That was it. He hardly ever said a word. Kate: He didn‘t go out much either. Poor guy. I don‘t think he ever had a date. Maureen: He always had his head on a book. What a book worm! Keith: OH, look at this one! Maureen: That‘s Jenny Lency. She was always reading books. Kate: Weren‘t she and Dan Porter friends? Maureen: Yeah, I think so. They were always talking about books. Keith: And food. Maureen: Remember how she loved to cook? Maureen: Oh, yeah. Kate: Hey, look at that guy. He‘s really good-looking. Maureen: I think it‘s Ted Green. Shall we? Kate: Of course. Excuse me. You‘re Ted Green, aren‘t you? Dan: Ted Green? No, I‘m Dan Porter. Maureen and Kate: Dan Porter?

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Dan: Yes, I think I was in the same geometry class with you two. Kate: Yes, I think we were. It‘s really nice to see you, Dan. Kate Davis, remember? Maureen: And I‘m Maureen Moore. You know, Kate and I were just talking about you. Dan: Really, something good, I hope. I‘d like you both to meet my wife. Maureen Moore, Kate Davis, my wife: Angela López. Angela: Hello. Kate: Angela Lucas. You‘re that reporter from Channel 4. Angela: Yes, that‘s right. Kate: Wow, nice to meet you, Angela. Maureen: Yes, I‘m glad you could come. Angela: Thanks. Dan and I thought it would be interesting, even though he didn‘t like high school very much. Kate: You‘re kidding. I loved high school. Maureen: Oh, yeah, it was the best time of my life. (Taken from Interchange 2, Video 2, sequence 12)

UNIT 2: Good Teachers A good teacher is many things to many people, I think. I suppose everyone has definite ideas about what a good teacher is. In my own experience, I look back on my old teachers, and I think that people that I respect the most and I think about the most, are those that demanded the most discipline from their students. I think of one teacher in particular that I had in high school. I think she was a good teacher because she was a very strict person. She just tolerated no kind of nonsense at all in her classroom. I remember very vividly a sign over her classroom door. It‘s a simple sign that said ¨laboratory¨. In this room, the first five letters of the word are emphasized, not the last seven, in other words, I guess, ¨labor¨ for her was more important than ¨oratory¨. She always prepared for a lecture and worked for the day and she demanded that her students did the same, with a lot of homework from her, so there was a constant shuffling of papers between her and her students. One time when she‘d broken an arm everybody in the class thought that maybe the homework

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clog would be reduced. But it continued just the same and she rubber stamped her name at the bottom of the papers to show that she‘d read them. I think sometimes teachers who demand the most are rather liked the least, but as time goes by this discipline seems to pay off.

UNIT 2, section 2.2

UNIT 3: Better world Man: Excuse me. Would you like to make a contribution to Greener World? Woman: Sure. What are you working on right now? Man: Well, we‘re developing educational programs for schools. We want to show children how the oceans are being polluted by industrial waste and we want to tell them about how fish supplies are being depleted through overfishing.

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Woman: I think what you´re doing is terrific. I wish I could do more to help. Man: So, have you ever thought about becoming a member of Greener World? Woman: No, but tell me a little more about it. Man: We‘ve been active in this area for almost five years now. Are you aware of some of our other local projects? Woman: No, I don‘t think I am. Man: Well, One of the things we‘ve been doing is planting trees. We have a group of volunteers involved in several tree planting projects in different parts of the city. We‘re trying to get as many trees planted as possible, to help clean the air. And also to help lower the temperature during the summer. Woman: That sounds smart. Man: Aha. We‘ve also placed over 50 recycling bins around the city so that people can drop off things for recycling: cans, bottles, plastic bags, and newspapers. Last year, we raised over one hundred dollars through recycling. Woman: That‘s fantastic. I‘d love to be involved in Greener World. Where do I sign? (Taken from Marisol P. ^230 mp3)

UNIT 4: Chocolate Bob: I am Bob Derry. Shirley: And I am Shirley Griffey with explorations in VOA special English. Today we travel around the world, exploring the history of chocolate. Its story begins with the plant whose scientific name phiobromo cacao means ¨food of the Gods¨. For centuries people have been enjoying the rich flavor of chocolate, a product made from this plant. Bob: Most people today think of chocolate as something sweet to eat or drink, that can be easily found in stores around the world. It might surprise you that chocolate was once highly treasured. Shirley: Historians believe the Maya people at Central America first learned to farm cacao plants around 2000 years ago. The Maya took the cacao trees from the rain forest and grew them in their gardens. They cooked

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the cacao seeds, then crushed them into a soft paste. They mixed the paste with water and flavorful spices to make an unsweetened chocolate drink. The Maya poured the chocolate drink back and forth between two containers so that the liquid had a layer of bubbles or foam. Cacao and chocolate were an important part of Maya culture. There are often images of cacao plants on Maya buildings and art objects. Ruling families drank chocolate at special ceremonies and even poorer members of society could enjoy the drink once in a while. Historians believe that cacao seeds were also used in marriage ceremonies as a sign of the union between a husband and wife. Bob: The Aztec culture in current day Mexico also prized chocolate, but the cacao plant could not grow in the area where the Aztecs lived, so they traded to get cacao. They even used cacao seeds as a form of money to pay taxes or give as holly offerings to the Gods. Only the very wealthy people in Aztec societies could afford to drink chocolate because cacao was so valuable. The Aztec ruler Montezuma was believed to drink fifty cups of chocolate every day. Some experts believe the word for chocolate came from the Aztec word ¨chocolato¨ which in the Navajo language means bitter water¨. Others believe the word chocolate was created by combining Mayan and Navajo words. Shirley: The explorer Christopher Columbus brought cacao seeds to Spain after his trip to Central America in 1502. But it was the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortez who understood that chocolate could be a valuable investment. In 1519, Cortez arrived in current day Mexico. He believed the chocolate drink would become popular with Spaniards. After the Spanish soldiers defeated the Aztec Empire, they were able to seize the suppliers of cacao and send them home. Spain later began planting cacao in its colonies in the Americas in order to supply the large demand for chocolate. The wealthy people of Spain first enjoyed a sweetened version of the chocolate drink. Later, the popularity of the drink spread throughout

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Europe. The English, Dutch and French began to plant cacao trees in their own colonies. Chocolate remained the drink that only wealthy people could afford to drink until the 18th century. During the period known as the Industrial Revolution, new technologies helped to make chocolate less costly to produce. Bob: Farmers grow cacao trees in many countries in Africa, Central and South America. The trees grow in the shady areas of rainforests, near the Earth´s Equator, but these trees can be difficult to grow. They require an exact amount of water, warm soil and protection. After about five years, cacao trees start producing large fruits, called pads, which grow near the trunk of the tree. The seeds inside these pads are harvested to make chocolate. (Taken from Marisol P. 243 mp3)

UNIT 5: Fortune teller Young man: You know, I‘ve always wanted to have my future told. Young woman: Really? Do you know where to get it done? Young man: I‘m not sure. But maybe there´re some fortune tellers listed in the phone book. Let‘s take a look. Young woman: Um… This one. You can have your palm read by Madam Sara for 70 dollars. Young man: That‘s really expensive. Young woman: What about this one? You can get your fortune told over the phone for only $3.75 a minute. Young man: That‘s reasonable. Come on. Try it with me. Fortune teller: Fortune Tellers International. This is Madam Ines. Let me tell you what the future will bring. What‘s your name? Young man: I‘m Leo. Fortune teller: Um…, let‘s see. Well, this is going to be an interesting week for you. Young man: Why is that? Fortune teller: It seems that you are waiting to hear about something important.

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And you should have good news toward the end of the week. Young man: I wonder what that‘s about. Fortune teller: But your situation at work or at school will become more difficult in the coming days. You may find things boring for a while, but you should be patient. Young man: O.K. Fortune teller: Now, on the personal side, you will have some lively and interesting discussions with someone you know well. Pay attention to this friend‘s advice because it will turn out to be for you in the long run. Young man: O.K. That doesn‘t sound too bad. Fortune teller: If you would like to hear more, I´ll need your credit card number, please. Young man: Oh, it‘s 89979670072 (Taken from 226,mp3, Marisol P.)

Unit 6: Alive or dead? Toby is in the hospital recovering from a bicycle accident. Ellis: Toby, do you feel like talking now? You‘ve been in the hospital for three days without saying much. Toby: I know, Ellis. I‘ve been afraid to say anything. I‘m afraid everyone will think I‘m crazy or that my brain has been damaged or something like that. Ellis: What do you mean? You‘re fine. All of the tests show you‘re OK. You broke your leg, but otherwise no permanent damage. Toby: Yes, I know. But something strange happened to me. If I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone else? Ellis: Of course, honey. I‘ll keep it a secret. Toby: OK. Here goes. I remember being hit by the car. Then I was floating, weightless, about five meters above my body, looking down at my poor broken body. I didn‘t feel any pain. Actually, it was a very pleasant sensation. Ellis: Wow! That is strange. What happened then? Toby: I could see a crowd looking at my body. A man began to breath into my mouth, trying to get me to breath. I heard the weil of an ambulance as it

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arrived at the scene. Just then, the man who was breathing into my mouth stopped, stood up, and shrugged his shoulders. He´d given up. I was dead! Ellis: And you saw all of this, from above your body? Toby: Yes, but I felt no emotion. That dead body on the road had no connection with me. I´d left it behind and was free. I watched as one of the men from the ambulance opened his bag and pulled out a needle and filled it from a bottle. Then he injected it straight into my heart. The next thing I knew I was back in my body, feeling the terrible pain and weight of a smashed body. The man shouted, ―It worked! She‘s breathing! She‘s alive!‖ Ellis: Oh, my gosh. Yes, they told me that. They said you were very near death. Well, it‘s OK now. Don‘t worry, I won‘t tell anyone. (Taken from English Course book Impact Issues 22mp3)

UNIT 7: Environmental problems Man: You know, there‘s a factory outside town that‘s pumping chemicals into the river. Woman: How can they do that? Isn‘t that against the law? Man: Yes, it is, but a lot of companies ignore those laws. Woman: That‘s terrible. What can Greener World do? Man: Well, one thing to do about it is to talk to the management. Woman: What if that doesn‘t work? Man: Well, then another way to stop them is to get a TV station to run a story on it. Woman: Yes, companies hate bad publicity. By the way, what‘s the name of this company? Man: It‘s called A. Pack‘s Industries. Woman: Oh, no. My uncle is one of their top executives. Wait a minute. Before Greener World does anything, shouldn‘t we make sure that we´ve got our facts straight? Man: Absolutely. The best thing to do is to monitor the situation over the

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next several weeks to see what exactly is happening. Woman: How do we do that? Man: Well, we can take pictures of the river and even take water samples to see how bad the situation is. Woman: O.K. And maybe I can talk to my uncle about it. Man: Oh, no. I don‘t think that‘s a good idea, not yet, anyway. Woman: Why not? Man: I don‘t think we want to say anything to anyone until we have a clearer picture of what is going on. After we‘ve monitored the situation for a while, then we can decide whether we need to have a meeting with the representatives of the company to tell them what we‘ve discovered. Woman: O.K. (231, Against Law, Marisol P.)

UNIT 8: Dr. Hilda

Listen to people calling Dr. Hilda, a counselor on a radio talk show.

Dr. Hilda: This is Dr. Hilda. Welcome to today‘s show. Now let‘s get started right away with our first caller. Hello. First caller: Hello, Dr. Hilda. I‘m calling about my daughter. She‘s…, she‘s dating an older man. Dr. Hilda: Oh, now, how old are these two people? First caller: My daughter´s 18 and this man is 42. Dr. Hilda: Um. First Caller: I told her she has to stop seeing him and now she won‘t speak to me. I feel terrible. Tell me Dr. Hilda. What should I have done? Dr. Hilda: First, you should have spoken to this 42 year-old man. You should have asked him not to date your daughter for a couple of weeks, to give the situation some time to cool off. Then, if they still wanted to see each other and if the man seems like a nice person, you should let your daughter date him. You shouldn‘t worry so much about the

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age difference. O. K. Now let‘s go to our next caller. Hello, caller. Second caller: Hello. I´m a first time caller, and, well, my problem is that my father went away on a business trip and I borrowed his brand new car and I had a bad accident. Dr. Hilda: Where is your mother? Second caller: She‘s in Florida, visiting some friends. Dr. Hilda: All right. Go on. Second caller: Well, I sent a telegram to my father and I…, I told him…, well, I told him someone had stolen the car. Dr. Hilda: Oh, you should have told your father the truth. Your father would probably understand about a car accident and he would be glad you weren‘t hurt. Second caller: I‘m not too sure about that. Dr. Hilda: Oh, give it a try, young man, because the truth is always better than a lie. O.K. Now let‘s hear from our next caller. This is Dr. Hilda. You‘re on the air. Third caller: Hi. I‘m calling about a problem, it´s kind of personal problem. It concerns work. Dr. Hilda: Oh, yes. Go on. Third caller: Well, I invited some friends from the office to my house for a party a couple of weeks ago. Everything was fine until someone started talking about politics. Dr. Hilda: Oh, you shouldn‘t have let the subject of politics come up. Third caller: Well, it came up. And the…, well, I finally got really angry at one of my coworkers and uh…, to prevent a fight, I asked him to leave. Dr. Hilda: And? What happened after that? Third caller: Well, it‘s caused a big problem in the office, and he won‘t speak to me. Dr. Hilda: Again, you shouldn‘t have talked about politics at a party. It‘s not a safe topic. Third caller: That‘s for sure.

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Dr. Hilda: And you shouldn‘t have gotten so angry either. Third caller: That´s true. But what should I do now. Dr. Hilda: It´s easy. You should simply apologize to your friend and say that you were a fool. Third caller: Well. Maybe that´s a good idea. I´ll give it a try. Dr. Hilda: Good! Well, folks, nothing ventured, nothing gained, I always say. I´m Dr. Hilda. Until the next time! (Taken from Interchange, Lesson 15, Book 2, Exercise 11)

Appendixes from Pronunciation section

Appendix 1

Pronunciation: The vowel sounds: Diphthongs ǀ ei ǀ ǀ a ɪ ǀ ǀαυǀ ǀɔɪǀ ǀɔυǀ A diphthong is a gliding monosyllabic speech item that starts at or near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves to or toward the position for another vowel. 1. ǀeɪǀ as in break, eight, they, fate, chain, and May

This diphthong begins at a point near ǀɛǀ and ends near ǀɪǀ. The lips are loosely spread and the muscles are tense. It is usually spelled ea, ei, ey, a, ai, or ay. 2. ǀaɪǀ as in mice, pie, and cry

This diphthong begins near ǀaǀ and ends near ǀɪǀ, and the lips are unrounded. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words. It is usually spelled i or y. 3. ǀɔɪǀ as in boil, voice, toy and boy

This diphthong begins near ǀɔǀ and ends near ǀɪǀ. The lips go from rounded to unrounded. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words. It is usually spelled oi or oy. 4. ǀαυǀ as in mouth, about, clown, and now

This diphthong begins near ǀαǀ and ends near ǀɪǀ. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words. It is usually spelled ou or ow. 5. ǀɔυǀ as in shoulder, know, boat, sew, Joe, folk

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This diphthong begins near ǀɔǀ and ends near ǀυǀ. It is tense accompanied by lip rounding. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words. It is usually spelled o, ou, ow, oa, ew, oe, or ol.

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Appendix 2 Pronunciation: Nasal sounds The most distinctive feature of these sounds is that the escape of the air occurs through the nose, because the velum is lowered. For this reason, these sounds are called continuants, since there is no interruption of the stream of air as it goes out through the nose, and so the sounds may be prolonged as long as the breath holds on. /m/ as in money, mommy, comb, autumn This is a voiced, bilabial nasal sound, which is pronounced with the lips together as for /p/ or /b/. It occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words. It is usually spelled m, mm, mb or mn. /n/ as in novel and funny This is a voiced, alveolar nasal sound, which is pronounced as the tip of the tongue touches the upper gum ridge. This sound occurs at the beginning, middle and end of words, and is usually spelled n or nn. /ŋ/ as in bank, sing, loving and going This is a voiced, velar nasal sound that occurs when the /n/ sound takes place before velar sounds /k/ and /g/. It is similar to /n/ but the back of the tongue is raised touching the velum and the tip of the tongue almost touches the lower gum ridge. Lateral /l/ as in love and volleyball This is a lateral alveolar sound that is pronounced when the tip of the tongue lightly touches the upper gums, and the air escapes through the sides of the tongue. It is spelled l or ll.

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Appendix 3 Pronunciation: Semi consonants /j/ and /w/ and retroflex /r/ 1. Semi consonants

/j/ and /w/ are called semi consonants or semivowels. a. /j/ as in yellow and yes

This is a voiced, palatal semi consonant that occurs at the beginning and middle positions in words, but not at the end and not before consonants. It is spelled y or i. b. /w/ as in were, quick, twice and wet

This is voiced, velar (labio-velar) semi consonant that occurs at the beginning and middle but not at the end of words and not before consonants. It is spelled w or u. 3. Retroflex

/r/ as in right, marry, wrote, and rhythm This is a voiced, frictionless continuant consonant. It is pronounced as the tongue curls back moving towards the palate. It is spelled r, rr, wr, or rh.

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Appendix from the Authentic Text Listening Section

Transcripts for the authentic listening texts Unit 1: Radio Broadcast: Trivia Question: ―What two colors are found on the flag of the United Nations?‖

Announcer: 8729100 – 7451355 Here‘s the trivia question. What two colors are found on the flag of the United Nations?

What two colors are found on the flag of the United Nations? If you have the answer to that question, I have a US-1 Radio T-shirt…

What two colors are found on the flag of the United Nations? And I think we have an answer, at least I‘m hoping so… We‘ll go to the telephone right now. Take our first call. Good morning, you‘re on the air. Listener: Good morning. Announcer: How‘re you doing today? Listener: OK. Announcer: What‘s your name? Listener: Peggy Summers. Announcer: Peggy Summers, what two colors are found on the flag of the United Nations? Listener: Ah, blue and white. Announcer: Blue and white. Just remembered that? Listener: Oh, yeah. Announcer: Yeah, uh, uh. Listener: I wasn‘t sure. Announcer: Oh, it‘s a real good guess. Ah, it‘s easy to remember the white, I think. Listener: Aha.

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Announcer: I wouldn‘t remember the white. I wouldn‘t have known the answer if I didn‘t have it in a book, you see. Listener: Oh, OK. Announcer: I‘m not… I‘m not really as informed as it may appear. Listener: I‘m not either. It was just a guess. Announcer: All right. Well, you have a T-shirt for that lucky guess. Where are you calling from? Listener: Marathon. Announcer: From Marathon. All right. If you‘ll hang on the phone, I need to get some information for… from you, and… then we‘ll go from the air, OK? Listener: Sure. Announcer: All right. It‘s now twenty-three past eleven o‘clock.

Unit 2: Radio Broadcast: Trivia Question: ―In what city was the first lone- ranger radio program heard?‖

Announcer: My phone number is 8729100 or 7451355. That‘s 8729100 or 7451355. The question once again: In what city was the first lone-ranger radio program, in 1920…, heard? All right. Now I‘ll go to the telephone right after this. In what city was the first lone-ranger radio program heard? And we‘re playing for a one-year subscription to Florida Keys’ Magazine. Let‘s go to the telephones right now. Good morning, you‘re on the air. Listener 1: Hello. Announcer: How‘re you doing today? Listener 1: Good. How are you doing? Announcer: Oh, just fine. Listener 1: Good! Was it Chicago? Announcer: Was it Chicago? Very good guess but not correct. Listener 1: Not correct.

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Announcer: Think about it. Give me a call back. Listener 1: Great, thank you. Announcer: See you. Bye. Listener 1: Bye. Announcer: US-1 Radio. You‘re on the air. Listener 2: Is it Pittsburgh? Announcer: Pittsburgh! Another good guess, but not correct. Listener 2: OK. Thanks. Announcer: See you. Bye. In what city was the first lone-ranger radio program heard? As a matter of fact it was first aired on August 20th, 1920. 8729100 or 7451355, the phone number to call, and we‘re playing for a free one-year subscription to Florida Keys’ Magazine that will be sent to the address of your choice. And let‘s go to the phones once again. Good morning. You‘re on the air. Listener 3: Oh, I was calling for Bill Becker. Announcer: Oh, You‘re calling for Bill Becker. All right, then we‘ll put you on hold and go to the next line. Hold on. Good morning. You‘re on the air. Are you calling for ―Trivia‖? Listener 4: Yes. Announcer: All right. What do you think the answer is? Listener 4: New York City. Announcer: New York City! Another good guess, but not correct. It was in a major city, though. OK. Thank you. Bye. 8729100 or 7451355. In what city was the first lone-ranger radio program heard? That was on August 20th, 1920. Let‘s go to the phones once again. Good morning. Are you calling for ―Trivia‖? Listener 5: Yeah. Announcer: You‘re on the air. Listener 5: Philadelphia. Announcer: Philadelphia! No, I‘m sorry. That‘s not correct either.

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Listener 5: Thank you. Announcer: Thank you. Bye. US-1 Radio. You‘re on the air. Listener 6: Hi! Detroit? Announcer: Detroit! Yes, indeed, the Motor City. Are you from Detroit? Listener 6 : Ah, no. Announcer: No? Listener 6: No. Announcer: And I doubt if you remember that first broadcast. Listener 6: No, but a friend of mine was married to Demar who was the voice of the lone-ranger. Announcer: Really? Listener 6: Yes. Announcer: Oh, that‘s interesting. All right. Indeed, it was on Radio Station WXYC in Detroit. Listener 6: All right. Announcer: On August 20th, 1920. What is your name? Listener 6: Pam Campbell. Announcer: Pam, where are you calling from? Listener 6: No-name Pub. Announcer: No-name Pub! A nice place if you can find it, eh? Listener 6: Yeah, I found it. Announcer: (laughs) You‘ve… (laughs) you will… (laughs) you don‘t wanna lose it, eh? Listener 6: No. Announcer: I note a little tone in your voice. You work at the No-name Pub Right? Listener 6: Right.

Unit 3: Radio Broadcast: Trivia Question: ―What orbited the Earth every 96.2 minutes?‖

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Announcer 1: What orbited the Earth every 96.2 minutes? And Bill correctly answers it this morning. Announcer 2: That‘s right. Announcer 1: Yes. Announcer 2: That was a guess. Announcer 1: Hum, right there you go. Announcer 2: OK. Announcer 1: What orbited the Earth every 96.2 minutes? Call us up at 8729100 or 7451355. We‘ll get you the food and the taxi to get you there to pick up your food. Announcer 2: OK. I see we have a winner. Good morning, US-1 Radio. You‘re on the air. Give an answer. Listener: Yes. Ah… Sputnik. Announcer 1: Sputnik! Sputnik is right. Announcer 2: That‘s right. Listener: Yeah, yeah, ooh!... Announcer 2: You know what year that was? Listener: Oh, 57. Announcer 2: Right. Announcer 1: Right, 57. 1957. Announcer 2: 57. Who‘re we talking to? Listener: Ah, John Cole. Announcer 2: John Cole! From where? Listener: Marathon. Announcer 2: From Marathon. Congratulations, John. You won yourself some good to eat from Key Colony Grocery and Deli. Announcer 1: And a five-dollar certificate. Five dollars off a ride with Paradise Taxi. Announcer 2: That‘s good, oh John? Listener: That‘s great! Announcers: Hey, yeah, yeah … Announcer 1: …it‘s OK.

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Announcer 2: John, why don‘t you hang on the line and… we‘ll get your address and mail these out to you. Listener: OK. Announcer 1: OK. Hang on Announcer 2: John Cole calling from Marathon this morning.

Unit 4: Radio Broadcast: Weather forecasts

First weather forecast

Radar weather: Sunny and mild today. High in the low-to-mid 80s. Overnight low in the low-to-mid 70s. High tomorrow in the mid-80s. Sunset at 6:57. The winds out of the Northeast… to…5 to 10 knots. Seas outside the reef 3 feet or less; inside, 2 feet or less. Smooth to a light chop in the Florida Bay. Next low tide at 2:35 this afternoon. The next high tide… we‘ll call that at 8:54 this evening. That… just at the Key West harbor. Right now it‘s 70… 79 degrees. Looks good!

Second weather forecast

Hello, Florida Keys forecast controlled by an area of high pressure building out of the southeastern U.S. leaving us with a beautiful weekend.

Mostly sunny skies will dominate and temperatures will be very pleasant. Today we‘re forecasting a high in the mid-80s. Tonight‘s low will be in the mid-70s, and on Sunday it‘s still sunny.

Temperatures will be in the mid-to-upper 80s. Now winds for today will be out of the Northeast at 10 to 15 miles an hour with seas beyond the reef at 2 to 4 feet, inside the reef at 1 to 3 feet.

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Unit 5: Radio Broadcast: Fund-drive for cancer

For most five-year-olds running is normal but for Brandon Burdick being able to run is a sign of a miracle. A sign that the doctors at Saint Jude Children‘s Research Hospital have been successful in stopping the growth of the rare brain tumor that is threatening his life. Still, the hard truth is in spite of our best treatment efforts, no child has ever survived this devastating form of cancer. But Brandon‘s grandfather believes in miracles.

―…this pray that there‘s a miracle somewhere along the road… If I had one prayer for the children at Saint Jude… that is, to find a cure for the cancer… I know it takes a lot of money and a lot of gifts and everything but every penny of it is worth it.‖

Unit 6: Conversation with a Canadian about kinds of containers and recycling

Canadian: No, no, no, no about soft-drinks, that before you used… all the soft- drinks were made in glass that you were supposed to throw away and now they‘re starting to return to returnable bottles; but that… nobody wants to do it because nobody wants to buy it and take it back, and buy it and take it back, the way it is here. Cuban: Hard. It‘s hard here. Canadian: It‘s hard here but in many ways it‘s better, it‘s not… Cuban: You don‘t waste… Canadian: You don‘t:… it‘s not a waste of money, it‘s not a waste of resources because you‘re re-cycling what you use. Cuban: Glass is expensive. Canadian: Glass is expensive! But in Canada you just take glass and nobody re-cycles… You know what we have? We have… you don‘t get paid for it; certainly most people throw away all glass containers. You can never, ever, ever be paid anywhere for glass containers, never. If

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you want to re-cycle your glass containers you have to go and find… there… have… maybe in the city of Toronto there might be twenty- five places that you can drop your containers and, and… Cuban: Drop… Canadian: They… you drop them in a box and they take them away and they use them again but you don‘t get paid for it. It‘s as if you‘re interested in not polluting the environment you can take your own bottles… You can throw them in the garbage. Most people throw them in the garbage. Cuban: Yes, it takes time and… Canadian: Most people throw them in the garbage. And it‘s not added to the price… well, it‘s in the price of an object but you don‘t get the bottle priced back if you take the bottle back. There‘s no place to get the bottle. Cuban: Nobody would tell you… Canadian: The other thing is with soft-drinks. If you buy a bottle of soft-drink, they‘ll say 85 cents plus 40 cents for the bottle and you get your 40 cents back if you want to return the bottle. If you don‘t return the bottle… the same is here. If you wanna throw the bottle away you lose 40 cents. Cuban: Hummm… 40 cents the bottle? Canadian: Yes. The same is beer. When we buy beer, you can buy beer in cans, and you can buy beer in bottles. If you buy beer in bottles you get… you pay for the bottles and you can get the money back if you return the bottles. So beer and soft-drinks are the only things that you can return in bottles. But bottles of wine, impossible; bottles of… jars of honey or jam, impossible. You pay for the jar and you throw it away. Cuban: Everybody would throw it away. Canadian: Everybody throws it away.

Unit 7: Radio Broadcast: Warnings against drinking while driving

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First warning

This is Deputy Brooks Clarke with a quiz for you. True or false?

Drinking one mixed drink is the same as drinking two beers or two glasses of wine. The answer is false. They all have about the same amount of alcohol in them. They can all get you drunk; and if you drive, they can all get you arrested. Think about that before you decide to drink and drive.

Second warning

You might think you‘re a very careful driver, but let‘s, for example say you stop by after work for a few drinks on your way home; but on your way home someone else causes an accident. Guess who goes to jail. You do. You really can‘t afford a drunk-driving arrest. Think about it before you drink and drive.

Unit 8: Radio Broadcast: Trivia Question: ―In what country was the fishing rod and reel invented?‖

Announcer: Here‘s the question: In what country was the fishing rod and reel invented? In what country was the fishing rod and reel invented? If you have the answer to that question you give me a call and I‘ll go to the telephones in just a couple of minutes. I‘ll give you a little hint: the… what we know now is the fishing rod and reel was not originally invented for fish… or for fishing. All right. If that helps ya a little bit. The way I understand… someone who was calling in got disconnected. We‘re sorry. We don‘t know what happened. Please, give us a call back. Phone numbers to call 8729100 – 7451355. Let‘s go to the telephone right now.

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Good morning. You‘re on the air. Listener 1: Yeah, hi! That clue didn‘t help. I thought it was Scotland. Announcer: Scotland? No, I don‘t think so. Listener 1: OK. Announcer: Thank you. Listener 1: Bye. Announcer: Bye. US-1 Radio. You‘re on the air. Listener 2: How about England? Announcer: England? Scotland and England. Neither one of those correct. Listener 2: No, OK. Announcer: Thanks for calling. Listener 2: Oh, bye. Announcer: In what country was the fishing rod and reel invented? And as I mentioned earlier it was not originally invented to catch fish. Good morning. You‘re on the air. Listener 3: How about Ireland? Announcer: Ireland? Not Ireland, not Scotland, not England. Listener 3: OK. Announcer: But good guess. Listener 3: Thanks. Announcer: Thank you. Bye. US-1 Radio. Good morning. You‘re on the air. Listener 4: How about Germany? Announcer: Germany? Well, you‘re getting… hummm… I guess a little closer, but still, that‘s not on the mark. Listener 4: OK. Announcer: Thank you. Bye. In what country was the fishing rod and reel invented? US-1 Radio. Good morning. You‘re on the air. Listener 5: How about Poland? Announcer: Poland? Closer still, but still not the cor…right… correct answer. Listener 5: OK. Announcer: OK. Bye.

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US-1 Radio. You‘re on the air. Listener 6: Yeah, how about the U.S of A? Announcer: The U.S of A! Well, no… ah… another hint is in order here. The fishing rod and reel was invented quite a few years before anyone knew about the New World, or the U. S. of A. , OK? Listener 6: OK. Announcer: That‘s right. Thank you for calling. US-1 Radio. Good morning. You‘re on the air. Listener 7: I would go for China? Announcer: China is absolutely correct. Now… Listener 7: Yes? Announcer: You don‘t have… (laughs) What is your name? Listener 7: Brook. Announcer: Brook? Listener 7: Aha. Announcer: And… Brook, where are you calling from? Listener 7: Marathon. Announcer: Marathon? OK. Brook, you don‘t have to answer this question to… receive your T-shirt. This is superfluous to that. You‘ve already won an official Country Public T-shirt, but I‘m gonna ask you: Do you know what the rod and reel was originally invented for by the Chinese? Listener 7: Maybe, ah… fly kites? Announcer: No, it wasn‘t flying kites. This is rather interesting and something that seemed right for the Chinese culture, that it was invented about three or four thousand years ago, and it was invented in order to retrieve swords that had been thrown at the enemy in battle. Listener 7: Aha. Announcer: Aha. (laughs) Listener 7: Interesting!

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Announcer: Very!… ah… I‘ll tell you what… I‘m gonna have you hang on the line, and I‘m gonna get your name and address and all that pertinent information, OK? Listener 7: OK. Announcer: All right. Brook, thank you very much. Yes, the correct answer to the question: In what country was the fishing rod and reel invented? It was China.

Appendixes from the Vocabulary section

Appendix 1

Prefixes and suffixes that account for approximately 75% of affixed words Table 1

Prefixes % of All Suffixed Words (Cumulative) 1 un- (not) 26

2 re- (again) 40

3 in-, im-, il-, ir- (not) 51

4 dis- 58

5 en-, em- 62

6 non- 66

7 in-, im- (in) 69

8 over- 72

9 . mis- 75

Table 2

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Suffixes % of All Prefixed Words (Cumulative) 1 -s, -es 31

2 -ed 51 3 -ing 65

4 -ly 72 5 -er. –or (agent) 76

(Adapted from ―Teaching Elementary Students to Use Word-Part Clues,‖ by T. G. White, J. Sowell, and A. Yanagihara, 1989, The Reading Teacher, 42, pp. 303-304.)

Appendix 2

Homophones You may have realized that there are words in English that have different spellings, but are pronounced exactly the same way, and their meanings are, of course, different. These words are called homophones, and there are a relatively large number of them in the English language. The following is intended just to illustrate how these words can be confused, so do not take it too seriously, since the story here told may happen to anyone. Your task is to select which of the highlighted words is the one needed in each case. Good luck!

And now isle/I´ll/aisle try to right/write a few lines to/two/too show you /ewe/u why homophones r/are so important in hour/our English language. Let us suppose that you here/hear a word you think you know/no because you have heard/herd it a lot of times before, and then when you sea/see/c it written, it mite/might bee/be a completely knew/new word four/for you with a hole/whole range of different meanings. The thing may tern/turn more complicated if that word you‘ve heard seems/seams to be write/right/Wright and you use it in an E-male/mail addressed to someone you are about to meet/meat sometime. What happens? Instead of feeling grate/great you turn pail/pale when you realize that you have misspelled that word and this person knows/nose it. What can be done to prevent this from happening and not/knot to make efforts in vein/vain? The first peace/piece of advice is that you must know you are not

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going to dye/die because of that, or consider that your orthography is week/weak or that you O/owe that person an apology, just ad/add a little heir/air of humor and feel plain/plane with yourself. The second thing is that you must not consider it a main/mane issue, so/sew/saw do knot/not let your hare/hair stand on end, feel blue/blew with thoughts, or bury/berry your head in the sand. Just hold your horses on remorse and pain like Cane/Cain must have done when he murdered his brother Able/Abel. The third and last piece of advice is that you must change the activity, idle/idol around a little, drink a cup of T/tea if you want and see that nobody nose/knows how to spell every single word in English, that having a hundred percent correct spelling is bearly/barely possible for anyone; that even the best writer has mist/missed or added or changed a letter in a piece of writing, which does not mean that you are a fowl/foul writer at all. A final remark: don‘t show this 21/twenty-one, (not even to your ant/aunt) because I am sure that nobody has scene/seen so many mistakes together. Well, now it‘s time to beet/beat it , say Good by/buy/bye , and wait/weight for more inspirations to write.

Appendix 3 The English prefixes In unit 1 you studied the morphological structure of English words, and the way affixes are divided into prefixes and suffixes depending mainly on their position within the word. As contrasted to suffixes, which may be derivational or inflectional English prefixes are all derivational affixes, that is, they always change the lexical meaning of the new word they form, and rarely change its word class; they are generally class-maintaining. The number of English prefixes is rather large and they express several meanings which may indicate logical notions such as negation, repetition, as well as a variety of other lexical semantic notions. The following list illustrates some prefixes, their word class, meaning and some examples. (See appendix_- -for a list of other prefixes) Preﬁx word class Semantic notion Examples

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anti- noun against anti-slavery, anti-war, anti- nuclear ante- noun preceding antepenultimate, antechamber, antedate un- verb reversal unpack, unravel, unwind, unzip un- adjective not uncertain, un-English, unkind, unwise in- adjective not ineligible, immaterial, irrelevant dis- adjective not dishonest, disloyal, dispassionate re- verb ‗again‘ reread, retell, reheat, re-cover

Some prefixes like in- (negative prefix exclusively found in adjectives of Latin origin with the general negative meaning ‗not‘), may take different forms. That is, it assimilates to the first sound of the base(word to which they attach), resulting in the forms in- il-, im-, or ir-; for example, incomprehensible, inactive, intolerable, implausible, illegal, irregular. In the text ―Time will remain a real mystery‖ you can find the words disappear, disappearance, and unfailing, all cases of prefixation. Do this: 1. Form new words by adding prefixes to the following words. Some of them appear in the text. a. real b. repeatedly c. continued d. believe e. usually f. able g. developed h. sane i. literate

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2- In pairs, practice using words with negative prefixes. Contradict the following statements in the same way as the example. Example: He‘s a very honest man. I don‘t agree. I think he‘s dishonest. a. I‘m sure she‘s discreet. b. I always find her very sensitive. c. It‘s a convincing argument. d. That‘s a very relevant point. e. He‘s very effective. f. She‘s always seemed responsible. g. He seems grateful for help. h. I‘m sure she‘s loyal to the company.

3. Complete the following paragraph about the Cuban 5 with an antonym of the words in parentheses.

The case of the Cuban 5 antiterrorists is one of the clearest examples of ______(justice) in the recent history of the USA. The 5 young men were judged by an______(legal), and ______(legitimate) court, in an- ______(moral) place where ______(sanity) seemed to be present all the time. Gerardo, Rene, Ramón, Fernando and Antonio have been accused of ______(existent) crimes, and the______(accuracy) of the American judicial system has proved ______(capable) of releasing the 5 innocent men from prison. The Cuban people are sure that their case is still ______(conclusive) and that their return home will render______(evitable) if we continue the struggle for their freedom.

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Appendix with additional reading material

Text 1

Cuba and its wonders

The same way the world settle its 7 wonders in history and the same number in modern times, Cuba counts on unique monumental works due to their technical solutions and magnitude. The so called wonders of the Cuban civil engineering, a total of 37 proposals, encompass a period of 72 years with the first of them in the XIX Century. This honor is given to the aqueduct designed by Francisco de Albear that began to function in 1893 and nowadays supplies 20%of the water to Havana City, with a delivery of 144 thousand cubic liters a day. It was considered a master piece at its time and it was internationally recognized in Philadelphia and Paris fairs. The second wonder was born on April, 1912; the ―Havana City Culvert Tunnel‖ designed to evacuate the sewer waters by gravity and under the bay. To 1931 the 1139 km of the Central Road from Occident to Orient of the Island were included in the list of privileged engineering works, with a building rhythm of 23.5 km per month. In 1956 the Focsa building joined the list for being one of the most important ones of its time with 39 floors at a height of 121 meters over the street level. It has an underground parking lot for 500 cars, 375 apartments, shops and swimming pool together with 35 000 cubic meters of concrete, 120 km of cable pipelines and 1 million foot of copper wire used in its construction and no cranes were used to build it. Two years after the construction of that monumental work, began to function the Havana‘s Bay Tunnel, which allows passing under the Bay and eases communication between the city and its east part. The tubes that form the viaduct are from 12 to 14 meters under the sea, with 4 ruts that allow the traffic of about 6 000 vehicles per hour. Another wonder is the Bacunayagua Bridge with heights even of 110 meters. For the first time in Cuba the structural concrete and the laminated steel for the semi arcs were used and it counts on 47 tone beams.

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The most recent one is in the oriental part of the island and it is called the La Farola Viaduct that links Guantanamo and Baracoa with heights even of 450 meters over the sea level and as it was made in an ecological formation pneumatic hammers were used instead of explosives. http://mipais.cuba.cu/cat_en.php?idcat=50&idpadre=45&nivel=2 Text 2 Why is there calm before a storm? The old phrase "calm before the storm" has been used for generations -- many people believe that the worst storms are immediately preceded by a period of calm, smooth weather. The reason for these periods of calm is simple; storms are caused by an updraft of moisture and heat coalescing in one area. As storm clouds form, some of the moisture-saturated air is pushed out of the tops of the highest clouds in the storm system. As this air descends back down, it begins to compress, becoming drier and warmer. Warm, dry air is more stable than cool, wet air; as a result, the air that initially formed the storm also acts as a temporary shield, preventing more air from entering the storm cloud formation and producing the "calm" before the storm. Not all storms work this way, and if there is anything that's constant about weather, it's Mother Nature's unpredictability.

The eye of a hurricane is in the middle of the giant storm -- not ahead of it, as the phrase goes -- yet it's normally calm. That's because the eye, or center, of the storm houses it low pressure. Air, in the form of wind, tries to move into the eye to equalize pressure, but does so in a curve called the Coriolis force. It moves with such great force near the eye that it ends up blowing in a circle and creating an "eye wall." Air flows up and out the top of this area. Researchers have confirmed that tornadoes have a calm core (relatively speaking) much like the eye of hurricanes, around which the intense wins spiral [source: USA Today].

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movement. The seas become wild and unpredictable near the eye of a hurricane http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/why-there-calm-before-storm Text 3 What's one of the most accepted causes for increasing hurricane intensity?

Hurricane frequency and severity are much-debated topics among scientists in the weather community. Many believe that hurricane intensity is not, in fact, on the rise, but that the data aren't accurately reflecting the situation. Technology in meteorology has advanced so much over the past 40 years that it's likely that many earlier storms simply weren't detected or recorded. Others believe that the intensity of storms changes naturally over time, and we haven't had the right technology in place long enough to track the cycles -- if they're even trackable.

However, many scientists do believe that there's an ongoing increase in hurricane intensity -- especially in certain regions like the North Atlantic -- and one of the most accepted theories as to why is that it stems largely from global warming caused by humans.

As the planet's thermostat inches incrementally higher each year, the ramifications affect all the Earth's ecosystems, including its oceans. Warmer sea temperatures (on the surface and far below) are suspected of increasing hurricane intensity to fiercer levels, and in data compiled from the 1970s on, researchers do see a pattern when comparing rising sea temperatures and more intense hurricanes

Since 2004 and 2005, both extreme hurricane years, several important studies have been conducted that swayed even more scientists to the side of global warming as a cause for increased hurricane intensity. In those two years alone, four of the 10 strongest hurricanes ever registered occurred. Scientists who subscribe to the global warming theory generally agree that the trend of intense hurricanes will continue to worsen over time. However, some still argue that even the most recent data are skewed, and the hurricane debate continues.

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http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/cause-for-hurricane-intensity-increase Text 4 How do hurricanes get their names?

What's in a name? Plenty, if you're a tropical storm. Those storms that graduate to hurricanes could end up with their names etched in history, for all of the wrong reasons, if they're violent and lethal enough. Others, of course, could disappear from the news without a whimper as they either break apart before landfall or do very little damage. In either case, naming them isn't as trivial as it sounds: Weather officials name tropical storms and hurricanes in order to classify them, as well as to better report on them to the public. It's not a new phenomenon either. Tropical storms have been given names for hundreds of years; originally, a storm would be named for the Catholic saint upon whose day it made landfall. As time went on, however, the naming patterns began to change.

Today, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), an agency of the United Nations, is in charge of naming the Atlantic tropical storms that sometimes become hurricanes. The WMO took over for the National Hurricane Center, which had named storms since 1953. The organization uses a yearly, fixed list of names arranged alphabetically (omitting the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z) for a given year, such that, for example, the first Atlantic tropical storm of 2011 was named Arlene, the next was Bret and so on. Successive storms for a year simply go down the list of names. There are six years of lists in place, and each list is reused every six years (the 2011 list will be used again in 2017).

Interestingly, while each yearly list of names is reused every six years, a name can be replaced on a list if it was used for a storm that was particularly deadly, costly and generally devastating. For example, just try to find the name Katrina on the list -- you won't. If new names are needed, the WMO chooses them during an annual meeting [source: NOAA]. http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/how-hurricanes-get-their-names

Text 5

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How can I prevent being struck by lightning?

We're all familiar with the expression "you can run, but you can't hide," and to a certain extent that can be true with lightning. Fatalists will say that if a bolt of lightning has your name on it, there is nothing you can do. But being hit by lightning is a fate most people, even fatalists, would like to avoid, and there are a few things you can do to at least minimize your chances of being struck.

For starters, the danger of lightning is much like success in real estate: It's all about location, location, location. In this case, indoors versus outdoors. Lightning storms are a considerable source of danger, especially for people who find themselves outdoors, where it is indeed much harder to hide. If you find yourself trapped outdoors with no form of reliable shelter, do not seek shelter beneath a tree. Instead, crouch down on the ground with your feet as close together as you can (do not lie down on the ground). This process minimizes both the chance of lightning striking you directly and the chance of a nearby strike flowing into you.

To minimize your risk of being struck by lightning, then, the simplest and easiest solution is to find shelter indoors. (Failing that, an automobile can also serve as effective shelter from lightning.) Now that you're indoors, you're still not ensured completely of being safe from lighting, however. Avoid using corded telephones and getting near any metal plumbing; both the phone lines and metal pipes can serve as conductors in the event that lightning strikes your shelter. (Many newer homes have PVC -- polyvinyl chloride -- pipes, but if you aren't sure of what your pipes are made of, stay away during a lightning storm.)

The comforting moral in this story is that, according to the National Weather Service, the odds are about 1 in 1 million of a person being struck by lightning. And even if you are unlucky enough to be on the wrong side of those odds, there is only a 10 percent chance you'll be killed [source: NOAA]. Hmm. Perhaps we meant cold comfort. http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/how-prevent-struck-by-lightning Text 6

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What causes an earthquake? Answered by Planet Green An earthquake occurs when a vibration moves through the Earth's crust, causing the ground to shake and shift. Technically, anything that causes the ground to vibrate is an earthquake. Many people believe that earthquakes happen only when the massive tectonic plates of the Earth move against each other. The shifting and colliding of these plates is certainly the main cause of earthquakes, but volcanoes, falling meteors and other occurrences can also cause the ground beneath your feet to move. Earthquakes can also be caused by humans -- for example, an earthquake might be triggered by a nuclear blast, the collapse of a coal mine or a large explosion of some kind. Even a rumbling semi-truck can set off a mini-earthquake as it passes your home. It's worth noting that not all earthquakes are so, well, Earth-shattering. They're capable of greater subtlety. For example, consider slow earthquakes. These are geologic events that aren't powerful enough to generate seismic waves but they still wind up affecting the distribution of stress beneath fault lines. They can occur over the course of days to months. In recent years, scientists have begun tracking slow earthquakes in an effort to more accurately forecast larger seismic occurrences. Researchers have noted such earthquakes along the famed San Andreas fault in California. A good example of a recent slow earthquake was one that researchers tracked in Hawaii in 2007. During two consecutive days in June of that year, Hawaii's Kilauea volcano experienced a dike intrusion (a crack in the Earth's crust that fills with magma) that caused a slow earthquake on the volcano's south side. Scientists were able to study satellite and GPS data to determine that the slow earthquake began about 15 to 20 hours after the dike intrusion, bringing with it smaller micro-earthquakes as well http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/what-causes-an-earthquake Text 7 What is a tsunami?

A tsunami is a series of waves in the ocean that can reach incredible sizes and achieve devastating speeds. The length of the waves is usually much greater than 100 kilometers (62 miles). They can be triggered by disturbances from

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above the Earth (for example, from a meteorite impact) or more commonly from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslide or explosions [source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology].

Tsunamis that are considered major usually form after earthquakes that register at least a 7 on the Richter scale and are not too deep beneath the Earth (less than 30 kilometers -- 19 miles -- underground). Such earthquakes are usually caused by large-scale shifting of oceanic and continental plates underneath the Earth's crust. (This is why tsunamis so often occur in the Pacific Ocean, where dense oceanic plates interact with less massive continental plates.) Their movement generates a sufficiently high amount of energy along the ocean floor, which gets transferred from the vertically-erupting plates to the water, kicking off the wave series. Landslides occurring underwater after lesser-sized earthquakes can also generate a tsunami [source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration].

Of course, the biggest tsunamis usually bring with them inescapable loss of life and devastation, something our planet has seen for a very long time. There is tsunami evidence dating back some 2 million years ago that was kicked off by an asteroid strike off the coast of modern-day Chile. It covered parts of South America and Antarctica. The eruption of the volcano Krakatoa in 1883, meanwhile, touched off a tsunami 30 meters high (98 feet) that killed tens of thousands of people. More recently, in 2004, an earthquake registering more than 9 in magnitude started a tsunami in Indonesia that killed close to a quarter of a million people; and in 1998 a Papua New Guinea tsunami swept away whole villages, killing more than two thousand people. The hope is that recently developed real-time, deep-ocean tsunami detection systems can help coastal areas be better prepared and try to limit the loss of life when the next one strikes [source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]. http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/what-is-a-tsunami

Text 8 Why does the United States have more tornadoes than any other country?

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Tornadoes are completely natural -- humans have witnessed them on every continent except for Antarctica. However, the United States has far more observable tornadoes than any other country. This is because the United States has an abundance of flat, low-lying geographic regions, and it also has a climate that is conducive to intense thunderstorms, and tornadoes tend to form during thunderstorms.

Turning for a moment from topography to geography, the United States has a few places that might be called tornado hotspots. Most prominent among them, of course, is "Tornado Alley," a slice of America's mid-section running horizontally from Texas up to North Dakota -- taking in portions of Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska. (There are other definitions of Tornado Alley's geographic locations; this one is based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's reckoning of the incidence of tornadoes [source: NOAA].)

Tornado alley's tornadoes usually happen later in the spring time and sometimes into the fall. The region is considered a prime breeding ground for super cell thunderstorms, which tend to produce the strongest tornadoes. Super cell thunderstorms contain something called a mesocyclone, which has a rotating updraft -- they're very dangerous but also, when identified as super cells, can provide a good heads-up that the extreme weather they can produce, like tornadoes, is possible [source: University of Illinois].

Florida, too, has lots of tornadoes. That's because the state has many thunderstorms on a daily basis, and it's also a pit stop for many tropical storms or hurricanes (the tropical storms and hurricanes don't tend to produce the kind of killer tornadoes that come about during non-tropical storms) [source: NOAA].

No matter where they happen, though, one thing's for sure: Tornadoes can be lethal. They kill, on average, about 60 Americans a year, with wind speeds that reach 320 miles per hour (515 kilometers per hour). The deaths are usually caused by flying debris landing on them [source: NOAA]. http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/why-united-states-more-tornadoes

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Text 9 Why is there calm before a storm?

The old phrase "calm before the storm" has been used for generations -- many people believe that the worst storms are immediately preceded by a period of calm, smooth weather. The reason for these periods of calm is simple; storms are caused by an updraft of moisture and heat coalescing in one area. As storm clouds form, some of the moisture-saturated air is pushed out of the tops of the highest clouds in the storm system. As this air descends back down, it begins to compress, becoming drier and warmer. Warm, dry air is more stable than cool, wet air; as a result, the air that initially formed the storm also acts as a temporary shield, preventing more air from entering the storm cloud formation and producing the "calm" before the storm. Not all storms work this way, and if there is anything that's constant about weather, it's Mother Nature's unpredictability.

It's a myth, however, that the sea is calm in the eye of a hurricane. The myth most likely comes from the fact that winds are lighter and calmer in the hurricane's eye. But you still don't want to be out there on a boat: Winds swirl from all directions around the eye, and create giant swells and other sea movement. The seas become wild and unpredictable near the eye of a hurricane http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/why-there-calm-before-storm

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Text 10 How French has influenced English The English language has been shaped by a number of other languages over the centuries, and many English speakers know that Latin and German were two of the most important. What many people don't realize is how much the French language has influenced English. Without going into too much detail, I want to give a little bit of background about the other languages which shaped English. It was born out of the dialects of three German tribes (Angles, Jutes, and Saxons) who settled in Britain in about 450 A.D. This group of dialects forms what linguists refer to as Anglo-Saxon, and at some point this language developed into what we know as Old English. This Germanic base was influenced in varying degrees by Celtic, Latin, and Scandinavian (Old Norse) - the languages spoken by invading armies. Bill Bryson calls the Norman conquest of 1066 the "final cataclysm [which] awaited the English language." (1) When William the Conqueror became king of England, French took over as the language of the court, administration, and culture - and stayed there for 300 years. Meanwhile, English was "demoted" to everyday, unprestigious uses. These two languages existed side by side in England with no noticeable difficulties; in fact, since English was essentially ignored by grammarians during this time, it took advantage of its lowly status to become a grammatically simpler language and, after only 70 or 80 years existing side-by-side with French, Old English segued into Middle English. Vocabulary During the Norman occupation, about 10,000 French words were adopted into English, some three-fourths of which are still in use today. This French vocabulary is found in every domain, from government and law to art and literature - learn some. More than a third of all English words are derived directly or indirectly from French, and it's estimated that English speakers who have never studied French already know 15,000 French words. (2) You can see 1,700 words that are identical in the two languages right here: True cognates. Pronunciation English pronunciation owes a lot to French as well. Whereas Old English had the unvoiced fricative sounds [f], [s], [θ] (as in thin), and [∫] (shin), French

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influence helped to distinguish their voiced counterparts [v], [z], [ð] (the), and [ʒ]

(mirage), and also contributed the diphthong [ɔy] (boy). (3) (What is voiced/unvoiced/fricative?) Grammar Another rare but interesting remnant of French influence is in the word order of expressions like secretary general and surgeon general, where English has retained the noun + adjective word order typical in French, rather than the usual adjective + noun used in English. http://www.languagelessonsbymariel.com/prof-mariel/credentials/143-how- french-has-influenced-english

Text 11 Language curiosities The youngest language is the Afrikaans, which is spoken in South Africa. One of the oldest languages in the world, Aka-Bo or Bo, is now considered as an extinct language as the last person who remembered any Bo died on 26 January 2010, at the age of about 85. Bo was an ancient language in India's Andaman Islands. It is said that languages in the Andamans have their origins in Africa, and some of them may even have to 70,000 years old. Chinese language, more precisely the Mandarin dialect, is the most spoken language in the world, followed by English, and probably one of the most fascinating and the hardest. Among so many other languages spoken in China, the Mandarin is by far the one that dominates with about 800 million people speaking it as their mother tongue and 200 million as their second language. Mandarin is spoken across most of northern and south-western China. If you ever get there and you want to say hello to people you meet, just say "Nĭ hăo". Rotokas, a language spoken in Bougainville, an island to the east of New Guinea, is known as being the language with the smallest phonemic inventory in use. The Rotokas alphabet has twelve letters, which represent eleven phonemes (AEIKOPRSTUV). There are six consonants (K, P, R, S, T, V) and five vowels (A, E, I, O, U). ―T‖ and ―S‖ represent the same phoneme /t/, while V is sometimes written B.

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Vatican is the only state in the world where Latin is official language. Also, in Vatican City there is the only ATM in the world where you can get instructions in Latin. Even though it is considered as being a dead language as there are no native speakers, Latin is still taught in schools and universities, and it is fluently spoken by different scholars or members of the clergy. Take a look to some famous Latin phrases: alea jacta est (the die is cast), veni vidi vici (I came, I saw, I conquered), carpe diem (seize the day), divide et impera (Divide and reign). www.azweird.com/.../5_language_curiosities-730.html

Text 12 Plastics in Our Oceans by Kimberly Amaral Strolling through the average supermarket, shoppers find literally hundreds (if not thousands) of items to make their lives easier. Individually wrapped snack cakes, plastic baggies to store sandwiches for lunch, unbreakable soda bottles, and disposable razors, diapers, and shampoo bottles. Unless specifically requested, even the bags we use to carry home our goods are often plastic. To humans, these are items of comfort, if not necessity. But to marine animals, they can be a floating minefield. Plastic--whether it is for a container, a wrapper, or the product itself--has become an everyday part of our lives. This isn't necessarily a bad thing--plastic is also the material diabetics use for their disposable syringes; arthritic patients have for their replaced hips; and construction workers wear to protect their heads. But when plastic reaches our waters, whether it is plastic bags or drifting fish nets, it poses a threat to the animals that depend on the oceans for food. To a sea turtle, a floating plastic bag looks like a jellyfish. And plastic pellets--the small hard pieces of plastic from which plastic products are made--look like fish eggs to seabirds. Drifting nets entangle birds, fish and mammals, making it difficult, if not impossible to move or eat. As our consumption of plastic mounts, so too does the danger to marine life. Before the days of plastic, when fishermen dumped their trash overboard or lost a net, it consisted of natural materials--metal, cloth or paper that would either

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sink to the bottom or biodegrade quickly. But plastic remains floating on the surface, the same place where many genuine food sources lie--and can remain so for 400 years. Plastic is durable and strong--precisely the qualities that make it so dangerous if it reaches the ocean. It can get there from here But how would a syringe that a diabetic uses make it into the ocean? If plastic objects make it into the main sewer system (say, by being flushed down the toilet, or carried by the rain into a street drain), and the water treatment plants are overwhelmed by excessive rain, then those floating objects can float right out to sea. This is precisely what happened on the New York and New Jersey beaches in 1988, when medical waste was floating up onshore. After an unusually dry spring, litter began accumulating on the streets and in storm sewers. When heavy rains arrived in mid-summer, they swept the streets clean and overloaded combined sewers. After floating out to sea, the debris was blown back onto the shores. In a more direct route, boaters may dump their trash right into the sea. In the past, this has been the main cause of plastics in the ocean. In 1975, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that 14 billion pounds of garbage was being dumped into the ocean every year. That's more than 1.5 million pounds per hour. More than 85% of this trash was estimated to come from the world's merchant shipping fleet in the form of cargo-associated wastes. According to the Academy, the United States could be the source of approximately one third of this ocean pollution. Fortunately, since the last day of 1988, it has been illegal for ships to dump plastics into the ocean. But that law is difficult to enforce, and cannot account for the thousands of miles of driftnets and other gear set by fishermen, which can ensnare and kill birds diving for the fish below, or come loose, only to be discovered later by an unfortunate humpback whale. It's a great big world out there Anyone who's been on a boat far from the sight of land will tell you how enormous the ocean feels. Wouldn't this debris simply get dispersed, virtually eliminating the possibility of an encounter with a marine animal? The answer is no. While the ocean does disperse the trash, it also runs in currents, which can keep the floating trash traveling constantly in "gyres," concentrating it in areas

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where currents meet. The largest of these movements, is called the central gyre. It moves in a clockwise circular pattern, moving inside the Gulf Stream, and dominates the western North Atlantic. Studies begun in 1984 have tracked how these currents keep plastics migrating, with heavy concentrations in the northern Sargasso Sea (coincidentally, a favourite spawning place for fish). The Northeast United States, "upstream" of the central gyre, has currents that keep most of the locally generated marine debris local. Usually the only ways to escape this constant circular pattern is if the plastic decays enough to sink, or lands onshore to be (hopefully) picked up by a passer-by. And apparently, the ocean isn't large enough to avoid marine life encounters with debris. Plastic's devastating effect on marine mammals was first observed in the late 1970s, when scientists from the National Marine Mammal Laboratory concluded that plastic entanglement was killing up to 40,000 seals a year. Annually, this amounted to a four to six percent drop in seal population beginning in 1976. In 30 years, a 50% decline in Northern Fur Seals has been reported. These curious, playful seals would often play with fragments of plastic netting or packing straps, catching their necks in the webbing. The plastic harness can constrict the seal's movements, killing the seal through starvation, exhaustion, or infection from deep wounds caused by the tightening material. While diving for food, both seals and whales can get caught in translucent nets and drown. In the fall of 1982, a humpback whale tangled in 50 to 100 feet of net washed up on a Cape Cod beach. It was starving and its ribs were showing. It died within a couple of hours. Along Florida's coasts, brown pelicans diving for fish sometimes dive for the bait on a fisherman's line. Cutting the bird loose only makes the problem worse, as the pelican gets its wings and feet tangled in the line, or gets snagged onto a tree. Plastic soda rings, "baggies," styrofoam particles and plastic pellets are often mistaken by sea turtles as authentic food. Clogging their intestines, and missing out on vital nutrients, the turtles starve to death. Seabirds undergo a similar ordeal, mistaking the pellets for fish eggs, small crab and other prey, sometimes even feeding the pellets to their young. Despite the fact that only 0.05% of plastic pieces from surface waters are pellets, they comprise about 70% of the

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plastic eaten by seabirds. These small plastic particles have been found in the stomachs of 63 of the world's approximately 250 species of seabirds. Wildlife is not the only area to suffer from the effects of marine debris. Plastic bags are the leading external cause of marine engine damage in Massachusetts. Other plastic items foul propellers and interfere with fishing tackle. What's being done about plastics? In 1987, a law was finally passed restricting the dumping of plastics into the ocean. The Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act (MARPOL) went into effect on December 31, 1988, making it illegal for any U.S. vessel or land- based operation to dispose of plastics at sea. It is part of an international treaty, where countries representing at least half of the shipping fleet tonnage in the world agreed to Annex V of the treaty, preventing "pollution by garbage from ships." It prohibits the dumping of plastics anywhere in the ocean, and the dumping of other materials, such as paper, glass, metal, and crockery, closer to shore. The plastics industry has also stepped in, taking measures to reclaim plastic resin pellets that often get lost during production or transport. The Society of the Plastic Industry has produced many public service ads for trade magazines, and was a strong supporter of MARPOL Annex V. Plastics manufacturers are also investigating ways to create "degradable" plastics. Although all materials eventually break down, a plastic soda ring can take up to 400 years to biodegrade. So researchers are working with two types of degradable plastics: photodegradable and biodegradable. Photodegradable plastics are made to become weak and brittle when exposed to sunlight for prolonged periods. At least 16 states--Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island included--have passed laws requiring six-pack holders be biodegradable (these are marked by a small diamond between the rings). Biodegradable plastics are made with corn starch, so bacteria and other organisms eat away at the plastic, breaking it up into smaller pieces. Neither of these methods, however, solves the problem of plastic in the oceans, since they are only broken up into smaller pieces--creating an even more dangerous situation for animals that mistake smaller plastic pieces for food.

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Perhaps the most effective method right now for solving the persistent plastic problem is beach cleaning. Coastal clean-ups gather volunteers to collect trash that has washed up on the beach--or has been left by beachgoers to be carried out by the surf--and removed it from the marine cycle. The Center for Marine Conservation has been coordinating coastal clean-ups since 1986. (The first nationwide clean-up took place in 1988, just four months before the MARPOL treaty took effect. Canada and Mexico joined in on the act in 1989.) The CMC also keeps careful track of all the debris that is collected. Data cards list 85 debris items in eight categories: plastic, styrofoam, glass, rubber, metal, paper, wood and cloth. During the 1993 coastal clean-up, over 3.1 million pounds of trash was collected--more than half of that was plastic. The CMC also divides their data into debris found, listing the "dirty dozen"-- twelve items found most frequently: cigarette butts, paper pieces, plastic pieces, styrofoam, glass pieces, plastic food bags, plastic caps and lids, metal beverage cans, plastic straws, glass beverage bottles, plastic beverage bottles, styrofoam cups. Debris that can be traced to recreational fishing and boating, galley-type wastes, and cruise ship debris all declined in 1993--perhaps a glimmer of hope resulting from the MARPOL treaty. The laws, enforced by the Coast Guard in the United States, are difficult to monitor. Instead, they rely heavily on an educational campaign, bringing about "voluntary compliance through awareness." There is still much debris floating around our seas and endangering marine animals. But as more laws are passed, and as more people become involved in projects like beach clean-ups, perhaps the only plastic will be in our supermarkets. What you can do? 1) Look for alternative materials or avoid excessive packaging when deciding on purchases. Use paper bags, milk and juice in cardboard, and cloth diapers. Insist on paper bags and glass bottles. 2) Recycle. Many communities currently offer pick-up recycling programs for #1 and #2 plastics. Other forms of plastic may be accepted by a local recycling business. If your community doesn't have a recycling program, contact your city or town hall to request one.

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3) Educate others about the problem of marine debris, enhancing "voluntary compliance through awareness." 4) Get involved. Locate or start a coastal clean-up in your area. For Further Reading: Campbell, Lee Anne. "Plastics Are Forever." Nor‘easter. Fall 1989. Weisskopf, Michael. "Plastic reaps a grim harvest in the oceans of the world." Smithsonian. March 1988. R. Jude Wilber. "Plastic in the North Atlantic." Oceanus. Fall 1987. O'Hara, Kathryn J., Suzanne Iudicello, and Rose Bierce. "A Citizens Guide to Plastics in the Ocean: More Than a Litter Problem." Washington, D.C.: Center for Marine Conservation, 1988. Bibliography Go to thesis main menu http://www.whoi.edu/science/B/people/kamaral/plasticsarticle.html

Text 13

Humanities growing impact on the world´s freshwater

As the human population has climbed past seven billion, and the consumption per person of everything from burgers to blue jeans has risen inexorably, the finiteness of Earth‘s freshwater is becoming ever more apparent.

It takes water to make everything, and the explosion of demand for all manner of products is draining rivers, shrinking lakes, and depleting aquifers.

Consider this: on average it takes 2,700 litters (713 gallons) to make a cotton shirt and 9,800 litters (2600 gallons) to make a pair of blue jeans. The cotton crops growing in farmers‘ fields consume most of that water; a smaller share is used in the factories that churn out the clothes.

On any given day we‘re likely wearing more than 15,000 litters (~4,000 gallons) worth of water. And if we slip on a pair of leather loafers, well, add another 8,000 litters (~2,100 gallons). It takes a lot of water to grow the grain to feed the cow whose skin is turned into shoes.

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Such figures might not matter if there was abundant water whenever and wherever we needed it – or if water had a substitute. But water is limited, and there‘s no substitute for it. We need water to quench our thirst, to grow our food, to cool electric power plants, and to make cars, computers and all those cotton shirts.

And that‘s why the size of humanity‘s water footprint – and of yours and mine – matters.

In a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers Arjen Hoekstra and MesfinMekonnen of the University of Twente in the Netherlands have made the most detailed estimate to date of the scale and patterns of humanity‘s water consumption.

This is a tricky and complicated task. Using a high level of spatial resolution, the researchers tabulated all the water from both rainfall and irrigation that‘s consumed in making goods and services for the global population. To complete the picture, they added in the volume of water needed to assimilate the pollution generated along the way. They calculated the annual average global footprint for 1996-2005, the most recent ten-year period for which the necessary data were available.

The result is a large number – 9,087 billion cubic meters (2,400 trillion gallons) per year. That‘s a volume equivalent to the annual flow of five hundred Colorado Rivers.

Agriculture accounts for a whopping 92 percent of that global water footprint. Not only are crops naturally thirsty, we‘re feeding more than a third of the global grain harvest to livestock to satisfy our desires for meat and other animal products. Added up, the average beef burger takes 2,400 litters (634 gallons) of water to make.

In fact diets heavy in meat largely explain why the average water footprint for the United States is twice the global average. U. S. consumers eat 4.5 times more meat than the global average.

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One of the most interesting findings of Hoekstra and Mekonnen is that one-fifth of humanity‘s water footprint travels across national borders in the form of ―virtual water‖ – the water embedded in products that are traded between countries. For Egypt, Israel, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other water-scarce nations, the ability to externalize their water consumption by importing wheat and other thirsty grains allows them to save their scarce water for industrial production and other higher-value uses.

Virtual water trade over the period 1996-2005. Only the biggest flows are shown. Source: Hoekstra and Mekonnen, PNAS early edition, 2012.

Yet some water-stressed countries export a great deal of virtual water to other countries. For example, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, the Central Asian nations of the Aral Sea basin export 96 percent of the cotton they produce. Large-scale cotton production in this region over the last half century has caused the Aral Sea, once the world‘s fourth largest lake, to lose 80 percent of its water. Much of the lake bed is now a salty wasteland.

The United States, blessed with a vast area of highly productive rain-fed cropland, is the world‘s biggest exporter of virtual water, sending millions of tons of grain to countries around the world. Its biggest virtual water imports come from China‘s Yangtze basin, which produces a wide variety of goods for the U.S. market.

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So what is a growing population to do to live within water‘s limits and keep rivers flowing?

The short answer: consumers can alter their diets and buying habits to shrink their water footprints, and producers can use water more efficiently in making their products.

As corporations grow concerned about the risks water scarcity poses to their bottom lines, many are taking a careful look at their supply chains with an eye toward conserving water. Unilever, for instance, has helped Tanzanian tea farmers shift to drip irrigation so its Lipton tea bags have a lower water footprint. Patagonia, retailer of outdoor apparel, has gone a step further. Its eye-opening ―Don‘t Buy this Jacket‖ advertisement and its Common Threads Initiative to motivate companies and consumers to reduce, repair, reuse, recycle and re- imagine our world are helping to motivate water stewardship.

There are dozens more examples of organizations offering practical ways to shrink the size of our water footprints – from Meatless Mondays to the Alliance for Water Efficiency.

The movement to live prosperously while reducing our impact on the planet‘s precious waters is beginning. The pace at which it unfolds is up to us.

Sandra Postel is director of the Global Water Policy Project and lead water expert for National Geographic’s Freshwater Initiative. She is the author of several acclaimed books, including the award-winning Last Oasis, a Pew Scholar in Conservation and the Environment, and one of the ―Scientific American 50.‖ http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/02/17/humanitys-growing- impact-on-the-worlds-freshwater/

Text 14

About the Caribbean: Literature

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Derek Walcott, from Saint Lucia, won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1992.

In the period leading to political independence, a generation of writers emerged whose works voiced the desire for liberation and presented a distinctive portrait of Caribbean culture. The novel New Day (1949), by Jamaican writer Vic Reid, looks forward to a ―new day‖ of independence. Roger Mais of Jamaica portrays the displaced, downtrodden, urban population of the Caribbean in the novels The Hills Were Joyful Together (1953) and Brother Man (1954). The novel A Morning at the Office (1950), by Edgar Mittelholzer of Guyana, presents a vivid portrait of Guyana‘s countryside and society. George Lamming, from Barbados, published In the Castle of My Skin (1953), one of the first and most important Caribbean works dealing with childhood and coming of age in a colonial context. The novel focuses on the struggles of three young boys with poverty, a colonial education, social change, and the forging of an identity; hovering in the background is the promise of migration to the metropolitan centers. A number of female writers were also active during this period. Jean Rhys received critical acclaim for novels about women caught in situations they are unable to change, including After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie (1930), Good Morning, Midnight (1939), and Wide Sargasso Sea (1966). Sylvia Wynter incorporates elements of folk culture into The Hills of Hebron: A Jamaican Novel (1966). From Dominica, Phyllis Shand Allfrey won recognition for her analysis of colonial power in Orchid House (1953).

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The era following independence saw the emergence of poets from the English- speaking Caribbean. Derek Walcott, from Saint Lucia, won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1992. He is perhaps the best-known Caribbean writer internationally. Most of his writings focus on the experiences of Caribbean people and vividly portray Caribbean culture. His books of poetry, recognized for the inventiveness and musicality of their language include In a Green Night (1962), Another Life (1973), The Star-Apple Kingdom (1979), and Omeros (1990). In addition to poetry, Walcott is well known as a playwright. His best- known play is Dream on Monkey Mountain (1970). At the same time Edward Kamau Brathwaite challenged the formal structures of European poetry by adopting the rhythms, references, and language of the African and Afro-Caribbean traditions. In The History of the Voice: The Development of Nation Language in Anglophone Caribbean Poetry (1984), a study of Caribbean verse, he attempts to identify and define the linguistic mixture of the Caribbean. In his essays and poetry, including Rights of Passage (1967), Masks (1968), and Islands (1969), Brathwaite broadens the possible uses of language for a number of subsequent writers, including Jamaican oral poets Mutabaruka, Linton Kwesi Johnson, and Jean Binta Breeze. Other noted English-language writers from the Caribbean include V. S. Naipaul and Earl Lovelace. Born in Trinidad of East Indian ancestry, Naipaul received recognition for novels that focus on Indians living in the Caribbean, including A House for Mr. Biswas (1961) and Guerrillas (1975). His later fiction and nonfiction focused more often on countries in Asia and Africa. Lovelace, also from Trinidad, discusses education, poverty, and village life in his novels, which include The Schoolmaster (1968), The Dragon Can’t Dance (1979), and Salt (1996), which won the Commonwealth Writers Prize. In the French-speaking Caribbean, prominent contemporary writers include Daniel Maximin of Guadeloupe and Édouard Glissant and Patrick Chamoiseau of Martinique. Maximin explores issues of black identity in L’isolé soleil (1981; Lone Sun, 1989) and Soufrières (1987). Glissant‘s novels investigate the Afro- Caribbean heritage. Chamoiseau published Eloge de la Créolité (1989; In Praise of Creoleness, bilingual edition, 1993), an examination of Creole cultural identity cowritten with Jean Bernabé and Raphaël Confiant. Chamoiseau won the Prix Goncourt for his novel Texaco (1992; translated 1997). Maryse Condé

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of Guadeloupe is considered a significant voice among female writers, having won French literary prizes for her novel Ségou (1984; translated 1987). Gabriel García Márquez of Colombia, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1982, is a great advocate of the Caribbean culture. Among his best-known novels are Cien años de soledad (1967; One Hundred Years of Solitude, 1970), and El amor en los tiempos del cólera (1985; Love in the time of Cholera, 1988). Another leading voice in the Spanish Caribbean is the Cuban writer Nancy Morejón. Her collection Cuaderno de Granada (1984; Grenada Notebook, 1984) honors those who defended Grenada‘s revolution during the coup d´etat that was followed by President Maurice Bishop‘s murder and the invasion of the U. S troops in 1983. Writers of Caribbean ancestry living outside the Caribbean are receiving increasing international recognition. They include Canadian-based writers Marlene Nourbese Philip from Tobago and Claire Harris from Trinidad. Olive Senior, born in Jamaica and later a Canadian resident, was the first winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize, for Summer Lightning (1986). Astrid Roemer, born in Dutch-speaking Suriname and a long-time resident of the Netherlands, has published more than 11 works, including About a Woman’s Madness (1979). Female writers based in London, England, include Jean Buffong of Grenada, Joan Riley of Jamaica, Grace Nichols of Guyana, Amryl Johnson of Trinidad, Beryl Gilroy of Guyana, and Janice Shinebourne of Guyana. In the United States, Antiguan-born Jamaica Kincaid, Dominican-born Julia Alvarez, Haitian-born Edwidge Danticat, and Jamaican-born Michelle Cliff have garnered critical attention. Puerto Rican writers in New York City, dubbed Nuyoricans, include Nicholasa Mohr, Carmen María Esteves, and Martín Espada. Literary critics are also recognizing the Caribbean roots of some African American writers who are explicit about their Caribbean parentage, including Paule Marshall, Audre Lorde, and Rosa Guy.

Text 15

About the Caribbean: Trinidad and Tobago

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The main islands that constitute the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago form the two southernmost links in the Caribbean chain. The islands lie northeast of Venezuela and northwest of Guyana, opposite the mouth of the Orinoco River. Tobago is 32 km northeast of Trinidad. The area of Trinidad is 4,828 sq. km; the area of Tobago is 300 sq. km; and the total area of the country is 5,128 sq. km. Trinidad is traversed roughly from east to west by three ranges of hills. The highest point, El Cerro del Aripo, is 940 m above sea level. The island has only one natural harbor, at Chaguaramas on the western coast, but the entire Gulf of Paria provides safe anchorage. In the southwestern part of Trinidad is the famous 42-hectare Pitch Lake, which yields large quantities of asphalt. The island of Tobago is of volcanic origin and is actually a single mountain mass that reaches an elevation of 550 m above sea level at its summit. The population of Trinidad and Tobago is about 1,098, 000 (2008 estimate). The capital and chief city is Port-of-Spain with a population of nearly 55, 000 inhabitants. Other major cities are San Fernando (50,000) and Arima (25,000). The people of the islands are chiefly West Indians of African descent (41 percent) and East Indians (40 percent). Other groups include people of Chinese, West European, and Middle Eastern descent. English is the principal

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language spoken, although Spanish, Hindi, and a French patois are also used. About three-fifths of the people are Christians, with Roman Catholics constituting the largest single group (30 percent). Anglicans form another substantial community (12 percent), and Hindus (25 percent) and Muslims (6 percent) make up the major non-Christian bodies.

Education in the country is free, and attendance at school is compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and 11. Virtually all children attended primary school, and 81 percent of secondary-school-aged children were enrolled in 2008–2009. Most schools are maintained or aided by the government. Higher education is provided by teacher-training colleges, technical institutes, and the University of the West Indies, which has faculties in the arts, social sciences, natural sciences, education, agriculture, medicine, and engineering on the Trinidad-Tobago Campus in Saint Augustine, Trinidad. Trinidad and Tobago‘s petroleum-based economy provides its citizens with a per capita income well above the Latin American average, although living standards are significantly lower than during the petroleum boom years of 1973 to 1982. Widespread unemployment, large foreign debt payments, and fluctuations in world oil prices all served to destabilize the economy of Trinidad and Tobago in the late 1980s and 1990s. In 1994 the republic had its first year of sustained economic growth since the early 1980s. In 2001 crude petroleum production totaled 46.9 million barrels. Natural gas has become an increasingly important export as the nation‘s economy begins to turn away from petroleum production. Coal, iron, gypsum, and graphite are found but in quantities too small to be economically important. Manufactures include processed food, tobacco products, rum, refined petroleum, and fertilizer. Other industries developed in the 1980s produce iron and steel, petrochemicals, and electronic equipment. Agriculture employs 8 percent of the labor force. The most important commercial crop is sugarcane. Cacao, coconuts, citrus fruits, tonka beans, vegetables, rubber trees, and coffee are also cultivated. Tourism is important to the economy and is a leading source of foreign exchange.

Text 16 Time will remain a real mystery

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If you can read a clock, you can know the time of the day. However, no one knows what time itself is. We cannot see it. We cannot touch it. We cannot hear it. We know it only by the way we mark its passing. For all our success in measuring the smallest parts of time, time remains one of the great mysteries of the universe.

One way to think about time is to imagine a world without time. There could be no movement, because time and movement cannot be separated. A world without time could exist only as long as there were no changes. For time and change are linked. We know that time has passed when something changes.

In the real world – the world with time – changes never stop. Some changes happen only once in a while, like an eclipse of the moon. Others happen repeatedly, like the rising and setting of the sun. Humans always have noted natural events that repeat themselves. When people began to count such events, they began to measure time. In early human history, the only changes that seemed to repeat themselves evenly were the movements of objects in the sky. The most easily seen result of these movements was the difference between light and darkness.

The sun rises in the eastern sky, producing light. It moves across the sky and sinks in the west, causing darkness. The appearance and disappearance of the sun was even and unfailing. The periods of light and darkness it created were the first accepted periods of time. We have named each period of light and darkness – one day.

People saw the sun rise higher in the sky during the summer than in winter. They counted the days that passed from the sun's highest position until it returned to that position. They counted three hundred sixty-five days. We now know that is the time Earth takes to move once around the sun. We call this period of time a year.

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Early humans also noted changes in the moon. As it moved across the night sky, they must have wondered. Why did it look different every night? Why did it disappear? Where did it go?

Even before they learned the answers to these questions, they developed a way to use the changing faces of the moon to tell time. The moon was "full" when its face was bright and round. The early humans counted the number of times the sun appeared between full moons. They learned that this number always remained the same – about twenty-nine suns. Twenty-nine suns equaled one moon. We now know this period of time as one month.

Early humans hunted animals and gathered wild plants. They moved in groups or tribes from place to place in search of food. Then, people learned to plant seeds and grow crops. They learned to use animals to help them work, and for food. They found they no longer needed to move from one place to another to survive. As hunters, people did not need a way to measure time. As farmers, however, they had to plant crops in time to harvest them before winter. They had to know when the seasons would change. So, they developed calendars.

No one knows when the first calendar was developed. But it seems possible that it was based on moons, or lunar months. When people started farming, the wise men of the tribes became very important. They studied the sky. They gathered enough information so they could know when the seasons would change. They announced when it was time to plant crops.

The divisions of time we use today were developed in ancient Babylonia four thousand years ago. Babylonian astronomers believed the sun moved around the Earth every 365 days. They divided the trip into twelve equal parts, or months. Each month was thirty days. Then, they divided each day into twenty- four equal parts, or hours. They divided each hour into sixty minutes, and each minute into sixty seconds. Appendixes from the writing section

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APPENDIX 1: EL ENSAYO. Diez pistas para su composición, Fernando Vásquez Rodríguez (Unit 1)

1. Un ensayo es una mezcla entre el arte y la ciencia (es decir, tiene. un elemento creativo -literario- y otro lógico - de manejo de ideas-). En esa doble esencia del ensayo (algunos hablarán por eso de un género híbrido) es donde radica su potencia y su dificultad. Por ser un centauro mitad de una cosa y mitad de otra- el ensayo puede cobijar todas las áreas del conocimiento, todos los temas. Sin embargo, sea el motivo que fuere, el ensayo necesita de una "fineza" de escritura que lo haga altamente literario.

2. Un ensayo no es un comentario (la escritura propia de la opinión) sino una reflexión, casi siempre a partir de la reflexión de otros (esos otros no necesariamente tienen que estar explícitos, aunque, por lo general, se los menciona a pie de página o en las notas o referencias). Por eso el ensayo se mueve más en los juicios y en el poder de los argumentos (no son opiniones gratuitas); en el ensayo se deben sustentar las ideas. Mejor aún, la calidad de un ensayo se mide por la calidad de las ideas, por la manera como las expone, las confronta, las pone en consideración.

Si no hay argumentos de peso, si no se han trabajado de antemano, el ensayo cae en el mero parecer, en la mera suposición.

3. Un ensayo discurre. Es discurso pleno. Los buenos ensayos se encadenan, se engarzan de manera coherente. No es poniendo una idea tras otra, no es sumando ideas como se compone un buen ensayo; es tejiéndolas de manera organizada; jerarquizando las ideas, sopesándolas (recordemos que ensayo viene de ―exagium‖, que significa, precisamente, pesar y medir, poner en la balanza). Si en un ensayo no hay una lógica de composición, así como en la música, difícilmente los resultados serán aceptables. De allí también la importancia de un plan, de un esbozo, de un mapa - guía para la elaboración del ensayo.

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4. En tanto- que discurso, el ensayo requiere del buen uso de los conectores (hay que disponer de una reserva de ellos.); los conectores son como las bisagras, los engarces necesarios para que el ensayo no parezca desvertebrado. Hay conectores de relación, de consecuencia, de causalidad; los hay también para resumir o para enfatizar. Ya a la par de los conectores, es indispensable un excelente manejo de los signos de puntuación. Gracias a la coma y al punto y coma (este es uno de los signos más difíciles de usar), gracias al punto seguido..., es como el ensayo respira, tiene un ritmo, una transpiración. Es el conocimiento inadecuado o preciso de los signos de puntuación lo que convierte a nuestros ensayos en monótonos o livianos, interesantes o densos, ágiles o farragosos.

5. Hay dos grandes tipos de ensayos: uno línea Montaigne (pueden leerse, por ejemplo, "De cómo el filosofar es aprender a morir', "De la amistad" "De los libros"); y otro, línea Bacon (léanse al menos dos: "De los estudios", "De las vicisitudes de las cosas"). En el primer caso el ensayo es más subjetivo, abunda la citación - de manera muy propia- ; en el segundo, el ensayo es más objetivo, y no hay ninguna referencia explícita, o son muy, escasas. Tanto Montaigne como Bacon son maestros para desarrollar las ideas. Tanto uno como otro hacen lo evidente, profundo; lo cotidiano, sorprendente. Ambos apelan a otras voces, ambos recurren al pasado -a otros libros- para exponer sus puntos de vista. Ambos emiten un juicio: se aventuran a exponer su pensamiento. Es importante releer a estos dos autores; fuera de ser un goce y un reencuentro con la buena prosa, son ensayos - modelo, aprovechables por cualquiera que desee aprender o perfeccionar su escritura ensayística. En el mismo sentido, deberíamos apropiamos de la creación ensayística de Emerson y Chesterton, recomendada una y otra vez por Jorge Luis Borges.

6. Otros ensayos exquisitos son los escritos por Alfonso Reyes y Pedro Henríquez Ureña. Un mexicano y un dominicano. Ensayos de peso con profundidad y sobre todo, realizados con todos los recursos literarios y el poder de la imaginación. Quién que haya leído "Notas sobre la inteligencia americana‖ de Reyes, o "Seis ensayos en busca de nuestra expresión" de

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Ureña, no ha sentido como una revelación de la escritura potente, de la escritura gestora de mundos. Hay una "marca de estilo‖ en estos dos ensayistas, una "impronta" personalísima, que pone al ensayo en el mismo nivel del cuento o el poema. Cuando uno lee los ensayos de Reyes o de Ureña, lo que lee - además de un pensamiento vigoroso- es una excelente literatura.

7. Reyes y Ureña son los iniciadores, por decirlo así, de una larga tradición que va hasta Sábato y Borges. Consúltese la compilación El Ensayo hispanoamericano del siglo XX, hecha por John Skirius; en ese texto se condensan voces de ensayistas latinoamericanos valiosos: Manuel González. Prada, Fernando Ortiz, José Carlos Mariátegui, Ezequiel Martínez Estrada, Luis Alberto Sánchez, Germán Arciniegas, Arturo Uslar Pietri, Eduardo Caballero Calderón, Enrique Anderson Imbert...y por supuesto, Octavio Paz, Julio Cortázar y Gabriel García Marques. Puede mirarse, de igual manera, la selección hecha por José Luis Martínez, El ensayo mexicano moderno; en este libro resaltan los ensayos de José Vasconcelos., Ramón López Velarde, Julio Torri, Xavier Villaurrutia, Jorge Cuesta, Edmundo O'Gorman y Leopoldo Zea, entre otros. Y para una perspectiva más nuestra, sería Interesante y necesario conocer la selección elaborada por Jorge Eliécer Ruiz y Juan Gustavo Cobo- Borday Ensayistas colombianos del siglo XX; en esta selección descubriremos voces poco conocidas, la de Baldomero Sanín Cano ("De lo exótico", "La civilización manual"), y la de Hernando Téllez ("La originalidad literaria, "Traducción"). Basten estos textos y estos autores para mostrar cómo hay una enorme tradición en la producción ensayística. Tómense, entonces, como abrebocas 0 "textos de iniciación".

8. Para elaborar un ensayo, entre las muchas cosas que deben tenerse en cuenta, resaltaría las siguientes:

 Cuál es la idea o ideas base que articulan el texto. En otros términos, cuáles son los argumentos fuertes que se desean exponer o la idea que quiere debatirse o ponerse en cuestionamiento. Esta idea (la tesis) tiene que ser suficientemente sustentada en el desarrollo del mismo ensayo.

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 Con qué fuentes o en qué autores se sustenta nuestros argumentos; a partir de qué o quiénes, con qué material de contexto se cuenta; en síntesis, cuáles son nuestros puntos de referencia. Este es el lugar apropiado para la bibliografía para la citación y las diversas notas.  Qué se va a decir en el primer párrafo, qué en el segundo, qué en el último (recordemos que la forma del ensayo es fundamental; recordemos también que antes del ensayo hay que elaborar un esbozo, un mapa de composición).  Qué tipo de ilación (sin hache) es la que nos proponemos: de consecuencia, de contraste, de relación múltiple. Es muy importante el "gancho" del primer párrafo: cómo vamos a seducir al lector, qué nos interesa tocar en él; igual fuerza debe tener el último párrafo: cómo queremos cerrar, cuál es la última idea o la última frase que nos importa dejar en la memoria de nuestro posible receptor. (Aunque no siempre el último párrafo es una conclusión, sí debe el ensayo tener un momento de cierre - de síntesis -, desde el cual puedan abrirse nuevas ventanas, otras escrituras. El último párrafo es una invitación a un nuevo ensayo - los ensayos se alimentan de otros ensayos: un nuevo ensayo abre camino a otros aún no escritos).  Qué extensión aproximada va a tener. Recordemos que el ensayo no debe ser tan corto que parezca una meditación, ni tan largo que se asemeje a un tratado. Hay una zona medianera: entre tres y diez páginas (por decir alguna magnitud). Pero sea cual sea la extensión, en cada ensayo deba haber una tesis (con sus pros y sus contras), y la síntesis necesaria. No olvidemos que el ensayo es una pieza de escritura completa.

Las anteriores puntualizaciones no son excluyentes con otros estilos o con otras maneras de elaboración del ensayo, ni pueden leerse como una camisa de fuerza; son tan sólo recomendaciones, indicaciones generales, indicios.

9. Cuando el ensayo oscila entre las dos y las tres páginas, sobran los subtítulos. Cuando tiene un número de páginas mayor puede recurrirse a varios sistemas: uno subtitulando; otro, separando las partes significativas del ensayo con numerales (yo llamo a este tipo de ensayo de "cajas chinas"). No debe

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olvidarse que cada una de las partes del ensayo precisa estar interrelacionada. Aunque "partamos" el ensayo (con subtítulos, frases o número), la totalidad del mismo (el conjunto) debe permanecer compacta. Si dividimos un ensayo, las piezas que salgan de él exigen estar en relación de interdependencia.

10. No podría terminar estas diez pistas para la elaboración de ensayos, sin mencionar el papel fundamental del género para el ejercicio y el desarrollo del pensamiento. Por medio del ensayo es que " nos vamos ordenando la cabeza": es escribiendo ensayos como comprobamos nuestra ―lucidez‖ o nuestra ―torpeza mental‖. Cuando Theodor Adorno, en un escrito llamado – precisamente – ― El ensayo como forma", señala el" papel crítico de este tipo de escritura, lo que en verdad sugiere es la fuerza del ensayo como motor de la reflexión, como generador de la duda y la sospecha. El ensayo siempre ―pone en cuestión‖, diluye las verdades dadas, se esfuerza por mirar los grises de la vida y de la acción humana. El ensayo saca a la ciencia de su ―excesivo formalismo‖ y pone la lógica al alcance del arte. Es simbiosis. Otro tanto había escrito Georg Lukács en su carta a Leo Popper: La esencia del ensayo radica en su capacidad para juzgar. Los ensayistas de oficio saben que las verdades son provisionales, que toda doctrina contiene también su contrario, que todo sistema alberga una fisura. Y el ensayo, que es siempre una búsqueda, no hace otra cosa que "hurgar" o remover en esas grietas de las estructuras. Digamos que el ensayo - puro ejercicio del pensar- es el espejo del propio pensamiento.

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Analyze Find the main ideas and show how they are related, what their function is and why they are important

APPENDIX 2: Task or direction key words that you can sometimes find within the instructions (Unit 1)

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Comment Discuss, criticize, or explain the meaning. on Compare Note the similarities and differences of what you are being asked to compare. Contrast Compare by showing the differences. Criticize Make a judgment about the merit of theories and opinions or about the truth of statements. Back this by discussing the evidence. It is not necessary to attack it. Discuss the strong and weak points and include your own analysis. Define Give the formal meaning of a word, term or phrase. Describe Give a written, detailed account or verbal picture in a logical Diagram Make a graph, chart, or drawing. Label it and include a brief explanation. discuss Investigate and examine by argument giving the reasons for and against. Present a point of view - this will require both description and interpretation. Your opinion must be supported by carefully chosen authoritative evidence. Enumerate List the main ideas in point form. Evaluate Make an appraisal of the worth of something. Give the opinion of leading practitioners in the field of the truth or importance of the concept. Include the advantages and disadvantages. You may also include your opinion. Explain Interpret the facts; your main focus should be on the 'why' or 'how' with the aim of clarifying reasons, causes and effects. Do not just describe or summarise. Illustrate Use a figure, diagram or example (comparisons or analogies) to explain or make clear. Interpret Explore and clarify the meaning using examples and personal comment. Justify Give a statement of why you think it is so. Give reasons for your statement or conclusion. List Give a concise numbered list of words, sentences, or comments. Same as enumerate. Outline Give a general summary/description containing the main ideas supported by secondary ideas. Omit minor details. Prove Show by argument or logic that it is true. Establish certainty by evaluating

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and citing experimental evidence or by logical reasoning. Relate Show the connections and how one cause, or is like, another. Review Examine the subject critically. Analyze and comment briefly in an organized sequence on the major points. State Express the main points in brief and narrative form. Omit details or examples. Summarise Give a concise account of the main points. Omit details and examples. Trace Give the development, process or history of an event or idea.

APPENDIX 3: A five-paragraph essay about Poe´s use of imagery (Unit 2)

1Stephen King, creator of such stories as The introductory paragraph Carrie and Pet Sematary, stated that the includes a paraphrase of something Edgar Allan Poe stories he read as a child said by a famous person in order to gave him the inspiration and instruction he get the reader's attention. The needed to become the writer that he is. 2Poe, second sentence leads up to the as does Stephen King, fills the reader's thesis statement which is the third imagination with the images that he wishes the sentence. The thesis statement reader to see, hear, and feel. 3His use of vivid, (sentence 3) presents topic of the concrete visual imagery to present both static paper to the reader and provides a and dynamic settings and to describe people is mini- outline. The topic is Poe's use part of his technique. 4Poe's short story "The of visual imagery. The mini- outline Tell-Tale Heart" is a story about a young man tells the reader that this paper will who kills an old man who cares for him, present Poe's use of imagery in three dismembers the corpse, then goes mad when places in his writing: (1) description of he thinks he hears the old man's heart beating static setting; (2) description of beneath the floor boards under his feet as he dynamic setting; and (3) description sits and discusses the old man's absence with of a person. The last sentence of the the police. 5In "The Tell-Tale Heart," a careful paragraph uses the words reader can observe Poe's skillful manipulation "manipulation" and "senses" as of the senses. transitional hooks.

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1The sense of sight, the primary sense, is In the first sentence of the second particularly susceptible to manipulation. 2In paragraph (first paragraph of the "The Tell-Tale Heart," Poe uses the following body) the words "sense" and image to describe a static scene: "His room "manipulation" are used to hook into was as black as pitch with the thick darkness . the end of the introductory paragraph. . ." Poe used the words "black," "pitch," and The first part of the second sentence "thick darkness" not only to show the reader provides the topic for this paragraph-- the condition of the old man's room, but also to imagery in a static scene. Then a make the reader feel the darkness." 3"Thick" is quotation from "The Tell-Tale Heart" a word that is not usually associated with color is presented and briefly discussed. (darkness), yet in using it, Poe stimulates the The last sentence of this paragraph reader's sense of feeling as well as his sense uses the expressions "sense of of sight. feeling" and "sense of sight" as hooks for leading into the third paragraph.

1Further on in the story, Poe uses a couple of The first sentence of the third words that cross not only the sense of sight paragraph (second paragraph of but also the sense of feeling to describe a the body) uses the words "sense of dynamic scene. 2The youth in the story has sight" and "sense of feeling" to hook been standing in the open doorway of the old back into the previous paragraph. man's room for a long time, waiting for just the Note that in the second paragraph right moment to reveal himself to the old man "feeling" came first, and in this in order to frighten him. 3Poe writes: "So I paragraph "sight" comes first. The opened it [the lantern opening]--you cannot first sentence also includes the topic imagine how stealthily, stealthily--until, at for this paragraph--imagery in a length, a single dim ray, like the thread of the dynamic scene. Again, a quotation is spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full taken from the story, and it is briefly upon the vulture eye." 4By using the metaphor discussed. The last sentence uses of the thread of the spider (which we all know the words "one blind eye" which was is a creepy creature) and the word "shot," Poe in the quotation. This expression almost makes the reader gasp, as surely did provides the transitional hook for the the old man whose one blind eye the young last paragraph in the body of the man describes as "the vulture eye." paper.

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1The reader does not know much about what In the first sentence of the fourth the old man in this story looks like except that paragraph (third paragraph in the he has one blind eye. 2In the second body), "one blind eye" is used that paragraph of "The Tell-Tale Heart," Poe hooks into the previous paragraph. establishes the young man's obsession with This first sentence also lets the that blind eye when he writes: "He had the eye reader know that this paragraph will of the vulture--a pale blue eye, with a film over deal with descriptions of people: ". . . it." 3This "vulture eye" is evoked over and over what the old man looks like . . .." again in the story until the reader becomes as Once again Poe is quoted and obsessed with it as does the young man. 4His discussed. The last sentence uses use of the vivid, concrete word "vulture" the word "image" which hooks into establishes a specific image in the mind of the the last paragraph. (It is less reader that is inescapable. important that this paragraph has a hook since the last paragraph is going to include a summary of the body of the paper.)

1"Thick darkness," "thread of the spider," and The first sentence of the concluding "vulture eye" are three images that Poe used paragraph uses the principal words in "The Tell-Tale Heart" to stimulate a reader's from the quotations from each senses. 2Poe wanted the reader to see and paragraph of the body of the paper. feel real life. 3He used concrete imagery rather This summarizes those three than vague abstract words to describe settings paragraph. The second and third and people. 4If Edgar Allan Poe was one of sentences provide observations Stephen King's teachers, then readers of King which can also be considered a owe a debt of gratitude to that nineteenth- summary, not only of the content of century creator of horror stories. the paper, but also offers personal opinion which was logically drawn as the result of this study. The last sentence returns to the Edgar Allan Poe-Stephen King relationship which began this paper. This sentence also provides a "wrap-up" and gives the

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paper a sense of finality. http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/five_par.htm

APPENDIX 4: Outlining (Unit 2) The outline is a necessary tool in composing an essay as it is actually the body of your paper.

Developing an outline

1. WHAT IS an outline? A logical, general description 1.1. A schematic summary 1.2. An organizational pattern 1.4 A visual and conceptual design of your writing 2. What does an outline REFLECT? Logical thinking and clear classification 3. What is the PURPOSE of an outline? 3.1. General purpose: aids in the process of writing 3.2. Specific purposes: 3.2.1. Helps you organize your ideas 3.2.2. Presents your material in a logical form 3.2.3. Shows the relationships among ideas in your writing 3.2.4. Constructs an ordered overview of your writing 3.2.5. Defines boundaries and groups 4. What is the PROCESS of writing an outline like? 4.1. Before you begin: 4.1.1. Determine the purpose of your paper 4.1.2. Determine the audience you are writing for 4.1.3. Develop the thesis of your paper 4.2. Then: 4.2.1. List all the ideas that you want to include in your paper (BRAINSTORM) 4.2.2. Group related ideas together (ORGANIZE)

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4.2.3. Arrange material in subsections from general to specific or from abstract to concrete (ORDER) 4.2.4. Create main and sub headings (LABEL) Format The most important rule for outlining form is ... to be CONSISTENT! 1. Structure: Topic or sentence 1.1. Topic outline 1.1.1. words or phrases for all entries 1.1.2. no punctuation after entries 1.1.3. advantages 1.1.3.1. brief overview of work 1.1.3.2. easier and faster to write 1.2. Sentence outline 1.2.1. complete sentences for all entries 1.2.2. correct punctuation 1.2.3. advantages 1.2.3.1 more detailed overview of work, including possible topic sentences 1.2.3.2. easier and faster for writing final paper 2. Roman numerals/letters or decimal form 2.1. Roman numerals/letters I. A. B. 1. 2. a. b. 2.2. Decimal 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.2.1 1.2.2

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1.2.2.1 1.2.2.2 Adapted from the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_outlin.html

APPENDIX 5: The one-paragraph descriptive essay. Sample text: Invasion of the English Teacher's Classroom (Unit 2) The one-paragraph essay below exemplifies the spatial order. You can circle or underline the transitional words and phrases used here. Observe the use of sensory descriptive details to evoke moods and images about the subject matter: an English teacher‘s classroom.

Invasion of the English Teacher's Classroom

As we enter the corner classroom, we immediately know that it belongs to an English teacher. In the front of the room, the chalkboard reports the SAT Word- of-the-Day and critical announcements, while an overhead projector beams instructions for the day's objectives and the night's homework. To the left, a chalk board stretches across the light beige wall and displays important information about class activities; in addition, a laminated large poster offers a time line on American authors. Bulletin boards flank each end of the chalkboard and hold information and illustrations about an author and his works. On the back wall, warped bookshelves overflow with dictionaries, literature books, and bulging writing folders. Locked blue closets, also in the back, contain secret devices that only an English teacher could disclose. The right wall should support large sparkling windows which would brighten the attractive room and nourish flowering pink begonias or delicate purple violets with the warm afternoon sunshine; however, worn bricks shadow the room. Bulletin boards on this wall honor commendable student writing and again trap a chalk board to which ancient remains of yellow dust cling with boredom. In the middle of the area, rows of neatly arranged dark brown desks and sky blue chairs foretell of students reading Shakespeare's sonnets, composing creative essays, or punctuating complicated sentences. In addition, the teacher's desk, located near the right front of the room, conceals tests and lesson plans for the day.

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Finally, even the bluish gray carpet marks an English teacher's presence, as it muffles harsh voices and secludes fallen paper clips and hole punchings which nestle in the crevices of the rough fabric. As we silently exit the room, we extinguish the banks of harsh florescent lights which clutter the ceiling, leaving no evidence of our invasion of the English teacher's domain. http://www.angelfire.com/poetry/writingessays/eng_descriptive-poe.html

My beautiful new watch had run eighteen months without losing or gaining, and without breaking any part of its machinery or stopping. I had come to believe it infallible in its judgments about the time of day, and to consider its constitution and its anatomy imperishable. But at last, one night, I let it run down. I grieved about it as if it were a recognized messenger and forerunner of calamity. But by and by I cheered up, set the watch by guess, and commanded my bodings and superstitions to depart. Next day I stepped into the chief jeweler's to set it by the exact time, and the head of the establishment took it out of my hand and proceeded to set it for me. Then he said, "She is four minutes slow – regulator wants pushing up." I tried to stop him – tried to make him understand that the watch kept perfect time. But no; all this human cabbage could see was that the watch was four minutes slow, and the regulator MUST be pushed up a little; and so, while I danced around him in anguish, and implored him to let the watch alone, he calmly and cruelly did the shameful deed. My watch began to gain. It gained faster and faster day by day. Within the week it sickened to a raging fever, and its pulse went up to a hundred and fifty in the shade. At the end of two months it had left all the timepieces of the town far in the rear, and was a fraction over thirteen days ahead of the almanac. It was away into November enjoying the snow, while the October leaves were still turning. It hurried up house rent, bills payable, and such things, in such a ruinous way that I could not abide it. I took it to the watchmaker to be regulated. He asked me if I had ever

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had it repaired. I said no, it had never needed any repairing. He looked a look of vicious happiness and eagerly pried the watch open, and then put a small dice box into his eye and peered into its machinery. He said it wanted cleaning and oiling, besides regulating – come in a week. After being cleaned and oiled, and regulated, my watch slowed down to that degree that it ticked like a tolling bell. I began to be left by trains, I failed all appointments, I got to missing my dinner; my watch strung out three days' grace to four and let me go to protest; I gradually drifted back into yesterday, then day before, then into last week, and by and by the comprehension came upon me that all solitary and alone I was lingering along in week before last, and the world was out of sight. I seemed to detect in myself a sort of sneaking fellow-feeling for the mummy in the museum, and desire to swap news with him. I went to a watch maker again. He took the watch all to pieces while I waited, and then said the barrel was "swelled." He said he could reduce it in three days. After this the watch AVERAGED well, but nothing more. For half a day it would go like the very mischief, and keep up such a barking and wheezing and whooping and sneezing and snorting, that I could not hear myself think for the disturbance; and as long as it held out there was not a watch in the land that stood any chance against it. But the rest of the day it would keep on slowing down and fooling along until all the clocks it had left behind caught up again. So at last, at the end of twenty-four hours, it would trot up to the judges' stand all right and just in time. It would show a fair and square average, and no man could say it had done more or less than its duty. But a correct average is only a mild virtue in a watch, and I took this instrument to another watchmaker. He said the kingbolt was broken. I said I was glad it was nothing more serious. To tell the plain truth, I had no idea what the kingbolt was, but I did not choose to appear ignorant to a stranger. He repaired the kingbolt, but what the watch gained in one way it lost in another. It would run awhile and then stop awhile, and then run awhile again, and so on, using its own discretion about the intervals. And every time it went off it kicked back like a musket. I padded my breast for a few days, but finally took the watch to another watchmaker. He picked it all to pieces, and turned the ruin over and over under his glass; and then he said there appeared to be something the matter with the hair- trigger. He fixed it, and gave it a fresh start. It did well now, except that always at ten minutes to ten the hands would shut together like a

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pair of scissors, and from that time forth they would travel together. The oldest man in the world could not make head or tail of the time of day by such a watch, and so I went again to have the thing repaired. This person said that the crystal had got bent, and that the mainspring was not straight. He also remarked that part of the works needed half- soling. He made these things all right, and then my timepiece performed unexceptionably, save that now and then, after working along quietly for nearly eight hours, everything inside would let go all of a sudden and begin to buzz like a bee, and the hands would straightway begin to spin round and round so fast that their individuality was lost completely, and they simply seemed a delicate spider's web over the face of the watch. She would reel off the next twenty-four hours in six or seven minutes, and then stop with a bang. I went with a heavy heart to one more watchmaker, and looked on while he took her to pieces. Then I prepared to cross-question him rigidly, for this thing was getting serious. The watch had cost two hundred dollars originally, and I seemed to have paid out two or three thousand for repairs. While I waited and looked on I presently recognized in this watchmaker an old acquaintance – a steamboat engineer of other days, and not a good engineer, either. He examined all the parts carefully, just as the other watchmakers had done, and then delivered his verdict with the same confidence of manner.

He said: "She makes too much steam – you want to hang the monkey-wrench on the safety-valve!"

I brained him on the spot, and had him buried at my own expense.

My uncle William (now deceased, alas!) used to say that a good horse was a good horse until it had run away once, and that a good watch was a good watch until the repairers got a chance at it. And he used to wonder what became of all the unsuccessful tinkers, and gunsmiths, and shoemakers, and engineers, and blacksmiths; but nobody could ever tell him.

APPENDIX 7: The narrative essay, sample text: Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell (Unit 3) When I pulled the trigger I did not hear the bang or feel the kick–one never does when a shot goes home–but I heard the devilish roar of glee that went up from

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the crowd. In that instant, in too short a time, one would have thought, even for the bullet to get there, a mysterious, terrible change had come over the elephant. He neither stirred nor fell, but every line of his body had altered. He looked suddenly stricken, shrunken, immensely old, as though the frightful impact of the bullet had paralyzed him without knocking him down. At last, after what seemed a long time–it might have been five seconds, I dare say–he sagged flabbily to his knees. His mouth slobbered. An enormous senility seemed to have settled upon him. One could have imagined him thousands of years old. I fired again into the same spot. At the second shot he did not collapse but climbed with desperate slowness to his feet and stood weakly upright, with legs sagging and head drooping. I fired a third time. That was the shot that did for him. You could see the agony of it jolt his whole body and knock the last remnant of strength from his legs. But in falling he seemed for a moment to rise, for as his hind legs collapsed beneath him he seemed to tower upward like a huge rock toppling, his trunk reaching skyward like a tree. He trumpeted, for the first and only time. And then down he came, his belly towards me, with a crash that seemed to shake the ground even where I lay. http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/narrative.htm Appendix 8: The cause and effect essay. Sample text: Learning to Hate Mathematics, by Anne Miller (Unit 5)

I started to dread arithmetic back in the third grade because I didn't want to memorize the multiplication tables. Unlike learning how to read, studying math seemed to have no purpose other than to give me massive headaches and shattered nerves. The alphabet was a wonderful code that, when deciphered, entertained me with stories and revealed all kinds of secrets about the world. Multiplication tables, on the other hand, just told me how much six times nine was. There was no joy in knowing that. Although even in third grade I understood that I shared with many other students a terrible fear and hatred of mathematics, I drew little comfort from that fact. Since then, I have struggled with math for a number of reasons.

I especially began to hate math when Sister Celine forced us to participate in her sadistic counting contests. Having ordered us to stand in rows, side by side,

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this jolly nun would shout problems at us: "Forty-eight divided by three? . . . Nine times twelve? . . . Three times eight divided by two?" The students who called out the correct answers fastest would win; those of us who answered wrong or not at all would have to sit down. To be honest, losing never bothered me that much. Rather, it was that feeling in the pit of my stomach before and right after she called out the numbers. You know, that awful math feeling. Not only did mathematics seem irrelevant and dull, it also became forever associated in my mind with speed and competition. During the counting contests, I would deliberately give an incorrect answer early on so that I could escape the game quickly.

As I grew older, math grew worse, like a persistent headache that makes you want to scream to relieve the pain. Negative numbers, I thought, were simply insane. You either have some or none, I figured--not negative some. Patiently, my older brother would try to talk me through the steps when helping me with my homework. Oh, eventually I would puzzle things out (long after the rest of the class had moved on to something else), but I never understood the point of the game. My teachers were always too busy droning out formulas to explain how and why any of these calculations mattered. Who on earth cared about determining the departure times of trains or figuring how long it would take Arthur to walk to the playground? Constantly frustrated by the sheer meaninglessness of it all, I even grew to hate the people and places mentioned in word problems: I imagined trains crashing in the dead of night and little Arthur becoming hopelessly lost on his way home from the playground.

After years of hating math and only barely passing my classes, I started to compound my difficulties in high school by skipping homework. With geometry, of course, that means death. My teachers would punish me by making me stay after school to do--what else?--more math problems. In anger and frustration, I broke pencils and tore paper as I dutifully filled page after page with utterly meaningless calculations. Not surprisingly, I came to associate math with nothing more nor less than pain and heartless punishment. In my recurring nightmares, my head was fractured by fractions and crushed by multiplication signs.

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Though I'm through with math classes now and carry a calculator in my purse, math still has a way of making me queasy. It's not that I can't do the math; it's just that it is math. Recently, however, a strange thing has happened. On a whim the other day, I bought a book called Mathematics for People Who Hate Math, and even though parts of it seem to have been written in a foreign language, I've actually been enjoying the book. In architecture and engineering, in physics and electronics, even in art and music, mathematics does have a purpose and a meaning. Like the letters of the alphabet, numerical signs can tell stories and reveal secrets about the world. Now, without sadistic teachers conducting drills or staging competitions, I think I might even enjoy learning more about math--on my own terms, at my own pace. But don't you dare throw any problems at me when I'm not looking, because I still get that feeling in my stomach sometimes.

Appendix 9: The expository essay. Sample text: Passing on Knowledge as the Key Factor of the Human Races' Survival (Unit 6)

According to Charles Darwin, humanity was not created by some higher outer force, but evolved from lower species. Also, his theory presumes that evolution is an ongoing process; therefore, not only animals and plants continue to evolve, but so does humanity. And while human bodies don‘t seem to transform visibly, the human mind and the way of thinking change significantly from generation to generation, boosted by developing technologies, the constantly accelerating pace of life, and the knowledge left from our predecessors.

The choices people make every day define how their lives change. By experience, people learn to distinguish ―right‖ and ―wrong‖ choices based on the consequences of the decisions they made. This is how thinking evolves. Anne E. Russon and David R. Begun, in their book The Evolution of Thought, say that apes are shown to be the closest relatives to the human species specifically because of a phenomenon that they call a symbolic cognitive process. This is a process ―…that operates on the basis of mental images rather than direct sensory-motor phenomena‖ (Begun, para. 1). This means that the brain thinks, considers, and decides based on visual memory, not on instinctive reaction. People constantly acquire information, altering the choices they make in a given

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situation based on what they have seen and learned. Due to this mechanism, in a case of an emergency, people can respond and act consciously and reasonably using not only their natural instincts like ―fight or flight‖ or a previous experience, but also borrowed knowledge and achieved skills, thus increasing one‘s chances to survive. For example, if one sees a car crash, they will call an ambulance not because nature encumbered them with such a type of reacting to external events, and not because one had already faced a similar situation, but due to obtained knowledge.

Survival is the main and possibly only reason for evolution of any kind. Survival determines the necessity of existence of any instinct, as well as any knowledge obtained. Birds know when to fly south or else they would freeze to death. People as well learn to avoid danger or cooperate in extreme situations in order to survive. Due to the Black Plague in Medieval times, the importance of hygiene was learned by humanity, and once a method of maintaining hygiene in the streets was established, the plague diminished. Scientists developed a way to fight tuberculosis, and today doctors vaccinate people making them immune to this disease. This way the human body is constantly evolving as well, to better protect itself. Therefore, not only the way of thinking and acting is important for survival, but also the physical condition of a human body.

To pass all collected knowledge onto future generations and thus help them survive, people make records of the knowledge they obtained. The paintings on the walls of the Lascaux cave, scrolls containing records about the movement of stars, medical books describing how to cut open the human body – everything that the human race has learned and discovered is recorded and passed on, so that anyone could just pick out a book and find what they need. Even now, people are constantly striving for knowledge of the unknown, such as extraterrestrial life or the world below the sea. Evolution of thoughts runs much faster than the evolution of the body, since the lust for new knowledge can be explained by a need to prepare for what may come in the future, to feel more confident in front of the unknown, and thus guarantee survival.

The aspiration to survive is a powerful factor in the evolution of human species. People pass on their knowledge and experiences to further generations to help

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them avoid repeating certain mistakes; stated succinctly, each generation prepares a starting ground for the future ones. While human bodies do not seem to change significantly, and its functions remain the same, the mind is constantly exposed to various influences and challenges. Transformation and adaptation are required to face these obstacles. The more developed and advanced the human race becomes, the more challenges people face, therefore, the faster evolutionary processes go.

Reference Begun, David R. & Russon, Anne E. The Evolution of Thought: Evolutionary Origins of Great Ape Intelligence. Retrieved from Cambridge University Press Web Site: http://www.cambridge.org/servlet/file/store6/item5725681/version1/9780521783 354_excerpt.htm http://academichelp.net/samples/essays/expository/passing-on-knowledge.html

Appendix 10: The expository essay. Sample text. How to Make a Simple Birthday Cake

Have you ever wanted to make a birthday cake for a loved one? Well, here is how to make a simple birthday cake. All you'll need is a little time, love, and a few items from the grocery store. You will need a boxed cake mix (the favorite of the birthday person), shortening, eggs, oil, flour, and birthday candles (the number will depend on the age of the birthday person.) When you get home, you will need to gather a few items: a large mixing bowl, a large cake pan, an electric mixer or a large mixing spoon, a spatula, and measuring cups and spoons. First, you will need to wash your hands and work area. Read through the directions on the cake box to be sure you have everything you need. Then, gather all of your equipment and food items in your work area, organize it

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according to the order you will use them in making your cake. Be sure to preheat your oven to the appropriate temperature before you begin. Next, put the dry cake mix into your large mixing bowl. Then, put the prescribed amount of water, oil, and eggs into the mix. Then, with the electric mixer or mixing spoon mix the batter until it is smooth and free of clumps. Next, grease the large cake pan with the shortening. If you wish, you can wrap your fingers with wax paper to keep them from getting greasy. Then, flour the pan lightly. If you do this over the garbage can it will be easier to clean your work area later. Next, pour the cake batter into the cake pan, using the rubber spatula to scrape all of the batter off of the sides of the bowl. Be sure the batter is level in the pan so it will rise evenly. Next, place the cake on the top rack of the oven and bake for the amount of time specified on the box, the time is usually around thirty minutes. While the cake is baking clean up you work area. After the cake is done remove it from the oven. If you push a toothpick to the bottom and it comes out clean it is done. Turn off the oven and let the cake cool. After the cake has had ample time to cool, you are ready to spread the icing on the cake. If you use a spatula, rather than a knife, the icing will spread easier and will be less likely to ruin the cake. When the icing is on the cake, place the appropriate number of birthday candles on it, you are ready to present your simple birthday cake. There you have it, a birthday cake that someone will be glad to devour. This cake is easy to make, but still shows someone you care. Be sure to prepare it with love, and your loved one will appreciate it.

Appendix 11: The problem/solution essay. Sample text: Drug Abuse (Unit 7)

Drug abuse is rife in many countries. Billions of dollars are spent internationally preventing drug use, treating addicts, and fighting drug-related crime. Although drugs threaten many societies, their effects can also be combated successfully. This essay looks at some of the effects of drug use on society, and suggests some solutions to the problem. Drug abuse causes multiple problems for countries and communities. The medical and psychological effects are very obvious. Addicts cannot function as

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normal members of society. They neglect or abuse their families, and eventually require expensive treatment or hospitalization. The second effect is on crime. Huge police resources are needed to fight smuggling and dealing. Criminal gangs and mafia underworlds develop with the money from drugs. However, the menace of drugs can be fought. Education is the first battle. Children need to be told at home and in school about drugs. People need to be aware of the effects so that they can avoid this problem A second approach is to increase police manpower and create effective laws to stop dealers. However, the main target should be the user: Families and counselors need to talk to children and people at risk. Parents need to look at their children and help them to become responsible. Worthwhile jobs and housing are also needed to give people a role in society. In conclusion, although the problem of drugs may seem impossible to eliminate, there are concrete steps that can be taken to weaken the hold of drugs on society. The danger from drugs is too great to ignore for us and our children.

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Source: http://writefix.com/?page_id=1205

Paragraph 1: Introduction Drug abuse is rife in many countries. Billions Present situation: definition of dollars are spent internationally preventing /problems drug use, treating addicts, and fighting drug- Present situation: solutions related crime. Although drugs threaten many societies,

their effects can also be combated Thesis sentence: successfully. This essay looks at some of the effects of drug use on society, and suggests some solutions to the problem. Drug abuse causes multiple problems for Paragraph 2: Problem countries and communities. Topic Sentence: The medical and psychological effects are Problem 1: Medical effects: very obvious. Problem 1 examples: Addicts cannot function as normal members

of society. They neglect or abuse their

families, and eventually require expensive Problem 2: Crime: treatment or hospitalization. Problem 2 examples: The second effect is on crime. Huge police resources are needed to fight smuggling and dealing. Criminal gangs and mafia underworlds develop with the money from drugs.

Paragraph 3: Solution However, the menace of drugs can be Topic Sentence: fought. Solution 1: Education Education is the first battle. Solution 1 examples Children need to be told at home and in

school about drugs. People need to be Solution 2: aware of the effects so that they can avoid this problem A second approach is to increase police

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Solution 3: User manpower and create effective laws to stop

Solution 3 examples dealers. However the main target should be the user Families and counselors need to talk to children and people at risk. Parents need to look at their children and help them to become responsible. Worthwhile jobs and housing are also needed to give people a role in society. In conclusion, although the problem of drugs Paragraph 4: Conclusion may seem impossible to eliminate, there are Summary of essay: problem and concrete steps that can be taken to weaken solution: the hold of drugs on society. The danger from drugs is too great to ignore

Future statement: for us and our children.

Appendix 12: The problem/solution essay: Two different models on the same topic Model Answer 1

Essay question: The Internet has transformed the way information is shared and consumed, but it has also created problems that did not exist before.

What are the most serious problems associated with the Internet and what solutions can you suggest?

The enormous growth in the use of the internet over the last decade has led to radical changes to the way that people consume and share information. Although serious problems have arisen as a result of this, there are solutions.

One of the first problems of the internet is the ease with which children can access potentially dangerous sites. For example, pornography sites are easily accessible to them because they can register with a site and claim to be an

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adult. There is no doubt that this affects their thoughts and development, which is a negative impact for the children and for society. Another major problem is the growth of online fraud and hacking. These days, there are constant news stories about government and company websites that have been hacked, resulting in sensitive information falling into the hands of criminals.

It is important that action is taken to combat these problems. Governments should ensure that adequate legislation and controls are in place that will prevent young people from accessing dangerous sites, such as requiring more than simply confirming that you are an adult to view a site. Parents also have a part to play. They need to closely monitor the activities of their children and restrict their access to certain sites, which can now be done through various computer programs. Companies must also improve their onsite IT security systems to make fraud and hacking much more difficult by undertaking thorough reviews of their current systems for weaknesses.

To conclude, the internet is an amazing technological innovation that has transformed people‘s lives, but not without negative impacts. However, with the right action by individuals, governments and businesses, it can be made a safe place for everyone. http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/problem-solution-essays.html Model Answer 2

Essay question: The Internet has transformed the way information is shared and consumed, but it has also created problems that did not exist before.

What are the most serious problems associated with the Internet and what solutions can you suggest?

There is no doubt that the Internet has revolutionized communication and information-sharing in the same way that the telegraph and the television did before it. However, societies have had to cope with unanticipated new problems, including crimes which traditional laws are powerless to prevent. This essay will address some of the illegal acts enabled by the internet and propose solutions.

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To begin with, the global scale of the internet means that national laws are no longer adequate to control what happens online. Take restrictions on legal reporting, for example. In some countries, the media is prohibited from revealing details of a defendant‘s past in case this prejudices a fair trial. However, such restrictions are no longer enforceable now that information may be freely published in other countries and accessed by all. The only solution here, it seems, is to adopt global standards. Since the internet traverses national borders, the flow of information can only be controlled if all nations agree on what can and cannot be shared.

Another problem concerns anonymity, as internet users can easily conceal their identity and even impersonate others. Many crimes such as identity theft and child abuse result from the ease with which criminals can operate anonymously online. Some have proposed a system of online identification, similar to a passport, which would allow all internet users to be verified and traced. I believe this idea should be explored further, though there are clearly concerns about the security of those who use the internet to protest against oppressive regimes.

In conclusion, the only long-term solution to the problem of internet crime is greater international cooperation. Since the problem is global is scale, the solution must also be global. A new agency of the United Nations should be created to tackle the problems described here. http://ielts-academic.com/2012/07/26/ielts-writing-task-2-problemsolution-essay-with-sample-answer/

Appendix 13: The definition essay. Sample text: “What is This Thing Called Love?‖ A wise man once said that love is a wonderful thing. Although this statement leaves sparse room for argument, it does little to define what love is beyond the vague realm of wonderful. It is my duty as a devout romantic to embark upon the seemingly difficult task of defining love by looking at the history, explaining what love is not, and examining the uses of love and the results of that usage.

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The origin of the word is probably the most logical place to start. As with many words in the English language, love is a derivative of the Latin word "causemajoraproblemus" which means "You're miserable when you got it and miserable when you don't." The word was created to explain the biological phenomenon that existed when certain individuals came into contact with each other and either remained together or went about their lives separately. Regardless of the outcome, the relationship was usually characteristic of throat lumps, knotted stomachs, weak knees, temporary loss of language, sweaty palms, dizziness, sneezing, and occasional nausea. Belligerent insanity also resulted. History clearly illustrates this. Can we ever forget the face that launched a thousand ships? Federally expressing Van Gogh's ear? The construction of Le Tour Eiffel? All of these were results of love and love lost.

Star-crossed lovers have stated that love is not hand nor foot nor any part belonging to a man. Matrimonial ceremonies also claim that love is not jealous or boastful. Let it be stated here that love also is not a gourmet dish, a domesticated animal, or a latest trend. Love is not a strategic defense mechanism nor the best kept secret at the Pentagon. Love is not another seasoning to bottle and stick on the dust-lined shelves of the spice rack. Love is not to be confused with adhesive tape.

Instead, love is a great counterpart to late, evening thunder storms on hot July nights. Love goes well with cold pizza on picnic blankets. Love is cold, wet sand between bare toes. Love is a capitalistic sell-all for novels, Top-40 pop songs, summer movies, and greeting cards.

In its simplest terms, love is a four-letter word. Much like other words of similar letter make up, when expressed it can evoke laughter, pleasure, pain, anger, and virtually any wave of reaction. Love also can be confused with feelings of indigestion and gas. Houses have been built, burned, and banished because of love. http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/definition.html he students used to miming wor

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