IGCSE-FLE-Workbook-3rd-Edition

Composition Coursework topics

Argumentative/discursive writing 1 Choose a charity you sympathise with,
and give it a new name. Write the speech
a 'Animal experimentation is cruel and cannot be for a television appeal broadcast for your
justified.' Do you agree? charity.

b 'Nature knows best.' Discuss this claim in the 2 Write an informative piece on robots and
context of medical treatments through the other remotely controlled devices, and
ages, and the way in which medicine is likely to their roles in various fields.
develop in the future.

Descriptive writing

c My time in hospital.
d The healer.

Narrative writing

e 'As he woke up, he realised that he was lying
on an operating table and faces in white masks
were peering down at him ...'. Continue this
story.

f Write a story of an emergency medical rescue.

Unit 8 o Medical notes 95

Unit All in the mind

Reading

1 Read the article below.

Passage A: What's the joke?

Where do jokes come from? No one ever admits humour may be.' The data reveals a huge
to having invented one, but everyone claims to difference between the sexes, with an underlying
have heard it. The nature of humour has been aggression in men's favourite jokes which is
the year-long project of psychologist Richard absent in the women's top ten; women prefer
Wiseman and his team of researchers at the jokes involving wordplay. Stranger conclusions
University of Hertfordshire. Called Laughlab, and emerged, such as that the best jokes have 102
set up to shed light on the mysteries of humour or 103 words in them, that ducks are considered
during Science Year, it has been the largest the funniest animal, and that people find
experiment of its kind ever conducted. jokes funniest in the early evening and in early
October! The ten countries which contributed the
Via the internet, people were invited to feed most jokes divided into three categories: those
their favourite jokes into a centra l database. who preferred jokes involving wordplay; those
Senders were also asked to register their reaction who preferred jokes which make a person look
to selected jokes on a five-point scale, from stupid; and those who preferred jokes which
'very funny' to 'not very funny', and to supply were surreal.
biographical information about themselves.
'Rather than starting with a hypothesis, we The question of the function of humour is at the
wanted to see what the data could tell us,' says core of humanity and has exercised great thinkers
Dr Wiseman. The response was astounding: two from earliest times. According to Aristotle,
million people from 70 countries voted on 40,000 humour began as a kind of magic to drive out
jokes, and the world's funniest joke emerged as a evil. It is still used today as a weapon to ridicule
clear winner. and bring down those in authority. Ugliness and
deformity arouse laughter, which suggests that
Enough responses were col lected to also make humour is used as a protection against something
it possible for the first time to draw conclusions feared or not understood. Mockery of others
about humour, such as whether men and women allows us to feel superior, and clowning and
find the same things funny, and whether a slapstick reassure us that we would
sense of humour is differentiated by nationality. not be so stupid as to slip on a banana
'Even more fundamentally,' says Wiseman, 'the skin or fall off a chair.
data tells us what makes something humorous,
why we laugh, and what the function of

96 Unit 9 o All in the mind

In the 20th century, psychologists and to hide behind jokiness whilst actually making
philosophers tended to explain humour as a a criticism, or while saying something serious
release of tension, tracing the smile back to the but without embarrassing earnestness, as when
satisfaction of a baby. When we laugh - a motor making a proposal of marriage. Since men usually
reflex common to all humans - 15 facial muscles tell the jokes and are more strongly associated
contract and our breathing pattern changes. with comedy than women are, there may also be
Since many mammals have been shown to have a social dominance factor in humour.
some form of laughter, it is likely to predate
language as a means of communication. Chimps None of this explains why laughter can reduce
can use sign language to say 'Stick the banana up us to hysteria, however, or why some phrases
your nose'. However, artificial intelligence systems are funny in themselves. Laughter often turns
cannot be programmed to show amusement, to tears, and vice versa, and it seems clear that
which is what makes humour such an enigma. laughing and crying are two sides of the same
The official Laughlab report is expected to coin as ways of dealing with a kind of assault by
benefit scientists developing artificial intelligence surprise and the abnormal; expressions of relief
in computer programs. that it isn't happening to us, but of horror that it
is happening at all. Frightened cinema audiences
As to its purpose, there are various theories: resort to nervous giggling, and even young
one is that humour helps defuse aggression and children laugh extensively at horrific injuries
avert bloodshed; another one, in contradiction, is inflicted on cartoon characters. It is generally
that it is a sign of victory and relief after battle. agreed that all jokes contain an element of
Yet another view is that it helps to define social the incongruous - a clashing of worlds and
groups and has a cohesive function, signifiying expectations - as well as the need to be able to
acceptance or not; we can laugh consciously see two points of view simultaneously- a skill too
when we wish to flatter someone or show sophisticated for robots, if not for monkeys.
solidarity with them . Humour has also been
described as a self-protective device, allowing one

Language and Style

2 Write crossword clues for the words below from Passage A. You can either give straightforward
definitions, bearing in mind the part of speech, or construct cryptic clues using puns or anagrams.
You may need to use a dictionary.

e solidarity _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Unit 9 o All in the mind 97

3 Underline the hot-spots and practise spelling the following words from Passage A.

a associated f marriage

b consciously g philosophers

c criticism h psychologist

d embarrassing i scientists

e humorous simultaneously

Comprehension and Summary

4 Using the information in Passage A, write an encyclopedia entry under the heading of 'Humour'.

98 Unit 9 o All in the mind

Reading

5 Read the article below.

Passage B: Fire and fear

Firewalking has become the most commonplace of the various exotic 'teambuilding' exercises
inflicted on corporate managers these days. A spokesperson for one US company offering the
activity claims: 'It stimulates greater resourcefulness and creativity in management, promotes
productivity and results in higher morale. It is a way of teaching people to overcome the fears
which inhibit success, because firewalking encourages participants to develop a positive state of
mind and a belief that obstacles can be surpassed through sheer confidence.'
However, a group of Burger King managers in Florida recently learnt a different lesson: if you
walk on hot coals, you bum your feet. Of the 100 participants in a corporate bonding exercise
in Key Largo, a dozen received serious bums and one was taken to hospital. Several went to the
airport the next day in wheelchairs, provoking comments that they were not only being trained
to sell burgers, but to become them. A few years ago, seven trainee salesmen in an insurance
company had the same gruelling - or should that be grilling? - experience, resulting in two of
them having to be taken to a specialist burns unit.
Nonetheless, 80% of the participants in both cases - and this is the usual percentage - came
through the flames unscathed, so is this attributable to the power of the human mind? Not
according to Dr Robin Allen, a physicist at Southampton University: 'Firewalking is a classic
example of something which looks mysterious but is explicable as basic physics.' He has
firewalked many times himself for charity, and gives the simple explanation: 'Wood and wood
ash are relatively poor conductors of heat. As long as you keep moving, there is no problem,
even up to 900 °C.' However, it is accepted that sometimes accidents happen: embers stick to
the feet; soft wood is more conductive than hard woods like oak or beech; some people have
thinner soles than others; sometimes the firewalking is foolishly prepared on metal trays.
What is not a factor, ironically, is mental attitude or leadership potential. Nor is there any
acknowledged connection between such circus tricks and increased company profits. But for
some people it is a genuinely life-changing experience, simply because it enables them to prove
to themselves that they can defeat fear.
The reverse side of this empowerment is phobia, which renders the sufferer incapable of reason
or control of their physical condition. Panic attacks produce all the symptoms of extreme fear:
pumping heart, sweating, shallow breathing, adrenalin production. Normal fear is a response to
a recognised external threat, and a natural means of protection, whereas obsessive fears centre
on an unlikely and illogical threat: spiders, mice, open spaces, high buildings, etc. There are
people so afraid of illness that they visit their doctor or dentist daily. No amount of rational
reassurance can convince phobics that there is no threat, and often the real fear is of something
unrelated and displaced. Psychotherapy is usually recommended, but its results are generally
disappointing.

Unit 9 o All in the mind 99

Language and Style

6 Passage B contains six groups of triple synonyms. Give the other two in each case.
a commonplace _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __ __ __ __ _ __ __ __ _
b encourages _ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~

c overcome _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ __

d recognised _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
e greater _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ __ __ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ __ __ __ __ _
f fear _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __
7 Explain how the writer's attitude to firewalking is conveyed in the first four paragraphs of Passage B.

8 Circle the colons(:) in Passages A and B. Complete the following statement:
Colons have two uses: the first is the way in which it has just been used, which is before _ _ __ _
the other usage is to introduce either a _ __ _ _ _ _ _ or a _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _

100 Unit 9 o All in the mind

9 Study the punctuation of direct speech in Passages A and B. Put inverted commas and other
necessary punctuation into the text below. Use the symbol// to indicate where you would start a new
line to show a change of speaker.

a couple of hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground he doesnt seem to be
breathing and his eyes have rolled back in his head the other guy whips out his mobile phone and
calls the emergency services he gasps to the operator my friend is dead what can I do the operator in
a soothing voice says just take it easy I can help first let's make sure he's dead there is a silence then
a shot is heard the guys voice comes back on the line he says OK now what

Comprehension and Summary

10 Write an extract from the transcript of a television chat show called Mindpower. The guests are
Dr Allen and Dr Wiseman. They are sharing their experiences and views on the ways the human
mind responds to external stimulus.
Dr W: It amazed me that Laughlab provoked such a huge response from the international public.

Unit 9 o All in the mind 101

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102 Unit 9 o All in the mind

Directed Writing

11 A school has received promotional flyers offering the services of the following guest speakers.

Gender differences

Educational consultant Don Gilbert will talk on the differences between the way boys and girls
work in schools and their different attitudes to and methods of studying.
Females use both hemispheres of the brain for communication, whereas males use mainly the
left. The right side of male brains, used for spatial and logical tasks, appears to be more highly
developed. Boys find it hard to sit still and prefer short-term goals, competition, instant feedback,
and factual and science subjects. Girls are generally less demanding, more intuitive, more
conscientious, and tend to excel at arts and languages. They do more reading and writing, whereas
boys prefer to do the talking.
The session will suggest ways of balancing pupil performance in schools, such as by separating
boys and girls for some lessons or by differentiating tasks, syllabuses and methods of assessment
on the basis of gender.

Left-handers' club

Lauren Milsom, organiser of the national club, will talk about the needs of left-handers,
who make up 10% of the population and are on the increase.
More males than females are left-handed. It is a hereditary condition, and older mothers
are more likely to have left-handed children.Many left-handers are musical, mathematical
and sporting prodigies. They need specialised equipment in schools and understanding
of their difficulties, particularly with handwriting and musical instruments, in order to
achieve their potential in a right-handed world. They are often discriminated against and
the word left has negative connotations in various languages (such as sinister in Latin
and gauche in French), although research has shown left-handers on average to be more
creative and intelligent than right-handers, and more able to think laterally because of
the way their brain is structured and because society has forced them to learn to be more
adaptable.

Memory training

Psychologist Dr Ann Lee has written extensively on mind and memory and will talk about
combating forgetfulness, committing information to memory and ways of improving recall (as
applied in the classroom and examination revision) through the use of triggers and memory aids.
Over-reliance on electronic memory aid gadgets, from computers to bleeping keyrings, has
contributed to the decline of human memory. Use it or lose it! Instead of taking notes and
listening carefully to lessons and lectures, we think we can look it up on the internet when we
get home. Techniques for improving students' memories will be suggested, and will include
having a 'home base' for important items, using mental imagery to make associations, and
reviewing information soon after acquiring it and at intervals thereafter.

Unit 9 o All in the mind 103

12 As the director of studies of the coeducational secondary school, which speaker would you invite to
address the staff and student population with the aim of improving academic performance? Tell the
rest of the staff which visiting speaker you are recommending, and why.

104 Unit 9 o All in the mind

Composition coursework topics

Argumentative/discursive writing 1 Research and write about your own
and other people's fears, explaining
a 'Mind over matter'. Do you believe that the how phobias arise and how they can be
human mind can cause or control physical treated.
symptoms?
2 Write a story in which someone has an
b 'Humour is the madness which keeps the world apparently supernatural experience.
sane.' Discuss this claim.

Descriptive writing

c Describe an unusual group activity which you
have participated in or observed.

d The clown.

Narrative writing

e Write a humorous story beginning "'There are
definitely no wild animals around here," said
my father, as we were putting up the tent in the
middle of the woods.'

f Write a short story about a practical joke which
went wrong.

Unit 9 o All in the mind 105

\

Unit Watching
the screen

Reading

1 Read the article below.

Passage A: E-volution

If you don't have a home money, including what is called is happening in their lives now,
computer, as I do (and a laptop 'phishing' - when a bogus site not last week or month when they
so that I will have the same masquerading as your bank asks wrote a letter - it's not called
facilities if I am away from you to enter all your personal ' snail mail' for nothing.
home), your life is very different details. But it is easy to avoid
from mine. I use the web these snares if you keep up to So, there is the telephone, you
constantly and receive dozens of date. say. Indeed there is, and it is
emails every day. let me explain extremely expensive, especially
how this affects my life and puts More importantly, the internet if, like me, you have friends all
you at a disadvantage. contains an infinite treasure over the world . But by using a
house of knowledge of an new technology called VOiP -
Although you may spend more educational kind which has a Voice Over Internet Protocol - I
time writing 'real' letters and civilising influence on the world. can phone my friends, whichever
talking to people on the phone, Without leaving my chair, I am country they are in, absolutely
whereas I stare at a screen better informed than you, with free for as long as I like! What
for hours on end every day, up-to-the minute global news will cost you a fortune costs me
I can be out doing sport or and research into any topic at nothing - and the quality of the
indulging in my hobbies while my fingertips. If I have an ache, line is often better, too. If they
you are queuing at the bank I can check my symptoms and have a web camera, which
or collecting brochures from know I have strained a muscle most of them do, I can actually
a travel agent. Because these and need a hot bath, while see them - in live video - as I
things can be done online, I can you are hobbling along to the speak to them. The age of the
choose and book a holiday, and doctor's surgery for a lengthy telephone is over!
know whether there is enough wait. If I needed expert advice
in my bank account to pay for on a problem or passion, I would What's more, thanks to digital
it, without even having to get be able to get it from complete cameras I can exchange instant
dressed. strangers on the other side of the photos (which cost me nothing
world who happen to share my at all) with my family and scan
Yes, it's true that a lot of interests. and send documents to business
information on the internet is contacts all over the world.
low-grade or of no conceivable You may say that you are in
interest to anybody sane, and closer touch with all your old Basically, I spend less and
that much of it is criminal, like friends because you write to communicate more effectively,
instructions for making terrorist them regularly. How often is even though junk email - 'spam'
bombs. It is also true that there regularly? I speak to most of - is admittedly annoying.
are many scams which trap the my friends nearly every day by Granted I have to upgrade the
unwary into parting with their email, which means I know what hardware every three years

106 Unit 1o o Watching the screen

or so, as the computers get quicker journey to and fro and time lost
and cleverer, and the software has wandering around stores searching for
to be updated too, particularly the what I want, and then finding out that
they haven't got it in stock anyway. I
anti-virus programs, but I still save agree that I have .to be careful about
money in the long run. For instance, using my credit card because of fraud,
when someone gives me a price and there is the question of data
for something, I can check on the protection and how my details can
be made use of by other people to
internet for someone selling it solicit me w ith unwanted goods and
cheaper. I save infinite amounts services, but it's a small price to pay for
of time and money by the amazing convenience of having a
ordering my books research assistant in my study who does
and CDs online, so much of my work for me, and doesn't
and having them even need to be paid!
delivered to the
door, without the

Language and Style

2 Complete the grammatical structures by filling the gaps using ideas from Passage A. Remember to
put in the necessary commas.

a After having _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
b Beforebuying ________________________________
c Notonly __________________________________
d Eventhough _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __
e Inspiteof _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~

3 Underline the conditional sentences in Passage A. Complete the rules describing the functions and
use of tenses of the four types of conditional.

The first conditional uses the _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ tense with the future tense for events which

are ______ . Second conditionals, which use the simple past followed by _ _ _ _ __

plus _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , signify an event which could happen but which is

______ . Third conditionals, formed with the tense followed by

_________ plus , mean that the event is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

because it _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ . There are also zero conditionals, using simple

present in both clauses, which refer to ____________________

Unit 100 Wat<hing the sueen 107

4 Fill in the missing prepositions without looking back at Passage A, then check the last paragraph of
the passage to see whether you have completed it correctly.

For instance, when someone gives me a price _ _ _ something, I can check _ _ _ the

internet _ _ _ someone selling it cheaper. I save infinite amounts _ __ time and money

_ _ _ ordering my books and CDs online, and having them delivered _ _ _ the door, without

the journey to and fro and time lost wandering _ __ stores searching _ _ _ what I want,

and then finding that they haven't got it _ __ stock anyway. I agree that I have to be

careful using my credit card because _ _ _ fraud, and there is the question _ __

data protection and how my details can be made use _ _ _ _ __ other people to solicit

me _ __ unwanted goods and services, but it's a small price to pay _ _ _ the amazing

convenience _ __ having a research assistant _ _ _ my study who does so much of my work

_ _ _ me, and doesn't even need to be paid!

5 Identify the features of Passage A which give the impression that the writer is addressing the reader
directly and informally.

108 Unit 1o o Watching the screen

Comprehension and Summary

6 Using the arguments in Passage A, make a list of ten points to explain to your parents why you need a
home computer.
ii

iii
iv
v
vi
vii
viii
ix
x
7 Write a dialogue between a computer owner and a non-owner, who are arguing about which has the

better lifestyle. Use information from Passage A and ideas of your own.
Owner: I don't know how I ever managed before I got a computer; it saves me so much time.

Un it 1 oo Watching the screen 109

110 Unit 100 Watching the screen

Reading

8 Read the article below.

Passage 8: The box

Over 98% of British households have members of our families or however degrading to themselves and
at least one colour television and sharing mealtimes. Overload to viewers. At worst, TV is a huge,
watch an average of 26 hours per of choice and zapping has malformed, dangerous beast covered
week. This means that, depending destroyed our concentration span, in parasites; at best, it is 'chewing
on their socio-economic category, and Low-quality programming has gum for the eyes'.
children will have watched 25,000 destroyed our discernment - we
hours of TV by the age of 18. More watch anything rather than turn off Studies of families or communities
than half of children in the UK have the box. Advertisers control the purse who Live without TV show that
a set in their own rooms. With five strings of the programme-makers, people communicate more with
terrestrial channels, more than 50 who are forced to make the kind each other and pursue communal
cable and satellite channels, video of programmes which will increase and educational activities. But Life
and DVD, all producing material to profits for the advertisers, and so the without TV is unimaginable for
watch, the consumer now commands paying viewer is doubly exploited. most people in the 21st century. It
an impressive battery of hardware and is a social glue which binds us to
has a staggering range of choice. However, technology is changing our friends, who watch the same
rapidly in this field as in all others. programmes and discuss them in
Seventy years after its invention, TV The spread of cable television, the the playground, at work and on the
has evolved into an interactive and introduction of digital high definition phone the next day. 'Did you see ... ?'
intrusive eye and a 24-hour presence TV and other developments are is an opening for social interaction
in the corner of our sitting-rooms weakening the grip of the advertisers in every context . TV enables us to
and bedrooms. Critics say that it and the big production companies. go to places we shall never see for
has blurred the distinction between With hundreds of channels available, ourselves, to think of doing things
reality and illusion with its so-called the introduction of view on demand we would otherwise never dream of:
reality programmes - which are and pay-per-view, and increasing holidays, hobbies, sports and careers.
totally artificial - and that treating opportunities for the viewer to It brings information and drama,
fact as fiction and vice versa creates interact with and control what enlightenment and entertainment,
a moral vacuum which makes war they are seeing, the initiative has into ignorant and dull Lives. It has
attractive, falling tower-blocks swung firmly in the direction of the the power to bring whole nations
exciting, and people in the process individual who makes his or her own and groups of nations together in
of dying fascinating. The images viewing choices. grief and celebration. It has given
on the news are real and yet they us choices we did not know existed
are Like those in a film . Big Brother, There are persistent arguments and role models to inspire us. TV
now copied in a dozen countries and over how much TV violence fills the visual gaps Left in our
spreading, has turned whole nations contributes to real violence, and imaginations, and makes us more
into voyeurs who can't tell the the possibly damaging moral Likely to appreciate the natural world
difference between real people and effect of desensitising children to and threats against it than any other
celebrities, real Life and TV-packaged bad Language, sex and pain . The means of communication.
existence, real suffering and pretend. 9.00 p.m . watershed does not protect
child viewers when they stay up watershed time before which programmes
It is claimed that we are consumers watching TV much later than that. considered unsuitable for children may not
in a commercial culture, buying a It is also claimed that contemporary be broadcast; introduced in 1959 and still set
product of passive experience as TV programmes make people feel at 9.00 p.m. in the UK
a substitute for our own; we have inadequate if they haven't had their
become addicted to our screens; we 15 minutes of fame, and it seems that
have stopped communicating with many would do anything to get on TV,

Unit 1oo Watching the screen 11 1

Language and Style

9 Give examples of persuasive vocabulary and syntax from Passage B, and explain why they are
effective.

Comprehension and Summary

10 Using the points raised in Passage B, write a speech for or against the debate motion: 'This House
believes that it would have been better if television had never been invented.' Whichever side you
choose to argue, take into account the opposing view.
Begin: Ladies and Gentlemen, I shall be speaking for/against the invention oftelevision, which ...

112 Unit 10 o Watching the screen

Directed Writing

11 For a school media project, do a survey of five friends in your class and write a report which draws
general conclusions from the individual results, including your own, and comments on the viewing
habits of your peers. Ask the following questions, and any you wish to add of your own.

a How many television sets are
there in your house, and in which
rooms are they?

b For how many hours in an average
day is TV watched in your house?

c Who decides when the TV is
switched on and off, and which
programmes are selected?

Unit 1o o Watching the screen 113

I

d Which types of programme are
most commonly watched, and by
which members of the household?

e Would you be prepared to give up
watching TV? Give reasons.
Project report

114 Unit 1o o Watching the screen

12 Write a school magazine article, drawing information from your report and Passages A and B,
entitled 'What would we do without our electronic devices?' This will include a discussion of the
latest mobile phone technology.

Unit 1O o Wat<hing the sueen 115

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116 Unit 1o o Watching the screen

Composition Coursework topics

Argumentative/discursive writing 1 'Global communication means the end of
a Discuss the claim that the media do not just national identity.' Discuss whether you
think it is true that differences between
report events, they make events. countries are being eradicated, and
b 'Computers will be the cause of the end of the whether you think it matters if they are.

human race.' Do you agree? 2 Write a 'day in the life', in the form of
a monologue of a camera operator, TV
Descriptive writing presenter, actor, news correspondent,
or anyone else involved in the broadcast
c Describe the film or programme you would media.
like to make if you were a cinema director or
television producer.

d Imagine and describe a future which has
even more advanced information and
communication technology than the present.

Narrative writing

e 'I think we have a problem. The computer has
just ...'. Continue this story.

f Write a story with the title 'Big Brother is
watching you.'

Unit 1 Oo Wat<hing the sueen 117

Unit Hot and cold

Reading

1 Read the article below.

.. Passage A: Snow comfort

l

I'm standing on what feels like two fixed skis,
holding on to what looks like the back of a
wooden chair, yelling with what I hope sounds
like authority. I am bowling along a snowy path
at about 18 kmh under the impetus of a team of
six husky dogs. Scandinavia offers husky sledging
1 for tourists. Blessed with plentiful snow, but
cursed with a largely flat terrain, the Scandinavian
countries market their own winter sports.

The masterstroke, however, was the creation of
the Ice Hotel. Now a world-famous attraction, it is
l built from scratch every year on the banks of the
Torne River, deep in Swedish Lapland and firmly
within the Arctic Circle, where the temperature can
plunge as low as -50°C, and where for days on
end in winter the sun does not rise at all. Initially built in 1991 it was the first, and is still the largest, frozen
institution. Everything that looks like glass is actually made of ice: the beds, the chandeliers, the glasses for
) cold drinks. At the Ice Hotel guests stamp about in boots, mittens and snow su its, all provided by the hotel.
Your ice bed comes with reindeer skins plus a cosy sleep ing bag. Even so, most guests only stay one night
before heading for warmer accommodation, Santa's secret underground grotto, or the Northern Lights.

In the daytime you can take your pick of the list of Nordic snow sports, chi ef of which is husky sledging.
More than 150 dogs are kept in a giant kennel opposite the hotel. They pull upward of 10,000 Ice Hotel
1 guests during the winter season. The dogs have to be fit but the guests don't; most people are happy not to
drive but to just sit in the sledge and be driven. For the more traditional, there is cross-country skiing, and for
the more adventurous, lassoing reindeer is one of the options. Going to a wi lderness cab in in a snowmobi le
and staying the night is an opportunity most guests prefer to pass on. The highlight of this experience is the
sauna, so hot that one has to take periodic tumbles in the snow outside.

For a holiday with a difference, it's hard to beat, and makes a good topic of conversation when you get back
home. Not many people have stayed in a giant luxury igloo or been hurtled across a snowy landscape by a
pack of wolf-dogs. I have been invited out much more often since I had these tales to tell!

118 Unit110Hotandcold

Language and Style

2 Find synonyms for the following idiomatic words or phrases as used in Passage A.
a bowlingalong _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _~
b blessed with _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
c cursed with _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
d masterstroke _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
e from scratch _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
f heading for
g upward of
h pass on
i highlight

hard to beat

Comprehension and Summary

3 Write an advertisement for the Ice Hotel in Lapland.

Unit 11 o Hot and cold 119

Reading

4 Read the diary below.

Passage 8: On thinning ice

Sam Branson, son of the millionaire entrepreneur
and owner ofthe Virgin group, Sir Richard Branson,
is on an epic 1200 mile expedition across the Arctic
to witness how climate change is affecting one ofthe
world's most remote places. Here are some extracts
from his diary of the journey.

2.?rd April Knows the. environment we.II and Ifoe.I feet. You want to turn around and \ooK
safer having him around. He. Killed his but '{OU c.an't stop - '{OU have. to move.
l've. just spent m'{ first night sleeping in a first polar bear wne.n ne. was Si'/>. forward. lf '{OU fall in, '{OU're. pre.tt'{ muc.h
finished.Tue. water is so c.old - minus
tent in the. /\re.tic.. l woKe. up at l .oo a.m. 2.Sth A.pri\
4o 0C. - that '{OU c.an fre.e.z.e. in se.c.onds.
and the. wind was howling. 'Snow had Toda'{ has to be. the. highlight of m'I '/ear
c.ove.re.d the. base. of the. tent and the. sun so far. What a spe.c.tac.ular e.Y>pe.rie.nc.e.. 1th Ma'f
was up and full. lt wasn't too c.old inside. We. woKe. up this morning and le.ft the.
the. tent but onc.e. out of '{Our sleeping mountainous valle.'{ where. we. had c.ampe.d Last night, I woKe. to the. sounds of the.
bag '{OU need to put '{Our dothe.s on overnight. It was a dear morning with dogs barKing. Through the. c.ommotion
quic.KI'(. a c.nill in the. air but b'{ 11.00 a.m. the. Iheard some.one. shout: "Polar be.arl' /\
temperature. was pe.rfoc.t. We. now have. hundred thoughts rac.e.d through m'{
I had felt no sense. of isolation sleeping a siY>-da'{ tre.K ac.ross the. land in front mind. How dose. was it? Was some.one.
out on the. ic.e. and on\'{ little. frissons of us and I tninK it's going to get muc.11 hurt? I \ooKed at m'I watc.h - it was
of fear when the.re. we.re. strange. sounds tric.Kie.r. i.'30 a.m. Ijumped out of m'I sleeping
outside. - '{Our thoughts turn to polar bag. When I emerged I saw the. bear was
bears and wolves. When people. asK 1st Ma1 about 15 metres awa'I and surrounded
if l was lone.I'{ in that vast and wind'{ b'{ mist, maKing it seem some.what
wilderness. l c.an hone.st\'{ sa'I no - l Tue. past two wee.Ks have. be.en m'{ste.rious.1he. \ow-l'{ing sun c.oate.d
loved it. l felt at pe.ac.e.. unc.harac.te.ristic.all'{ warm and sunn'I for its fur in a '{e.llowisn light and its breath
this time. of '/ear, but the. most dangerous c.onde.nse.d in the. c.old air.
2.4th April thing is the. inte.nsit'{ of the. UV radiation.
e.spe.c.iall'{ c.ouple.d with the. nigh\'{ Tue. be.ar stared us down, then started to
l woKe. up this morning from a deep re.f\e.c.tive. nature. of the. snow. E-Y>posure. run towards us. 'Some.one. fired a c.rac.Ke.r
sleep. f?'{ night-time. l foe.I so e.-i.nauste.d of sKin and e.'le.s c.an be. a problem so she.II into the. air. These. sound liKe.
be.c.ause. we're. worKing non-stop but wearing sunglasses is essential. fire.worK bangers and are. ve.r'{ good for
also be.c.ause. the. c.old taKe.s it out of uaring awa'{ animals. Tue. shells are. also
'{OU. /\fte.r a long meeting about the. N around 4.oo p.m. we. c.ame. to the. powerful enough to Kill a person.
e.Y>pe.dition, we. organised our food rations
for the. wee.Ks ahead. froz.e.n Mac.Donald \Z.ive.r.Tue. deep, soft 1he. bear was a little. startled and stopped
snow in the. shaded river gorge. made. its c.narge. but didn't re.treat. It looKe.d
Our bre.aKfast c.onsists of granola and travelling arduous but worse. was to magnific.e.nt - it was the. siz.e. of a truc.K
oats. Lunc.h is c.arboh'{drate. bars. soup c.ome.. f o\\owing the. other members of but as agile. as a c.at. We. c.ould see. it
and nuts, and dinner is pasta or ric.e.. the. group. we. realised that the. ic.e. was smelling the. air and c.he.c.King us out as
'Some.now, we. have. to eat a bloc.K of ve.r'{ we.aK. E-ve.r'{ now and again we. heard it walKe.d dose.r. When it got to about 1
butter a da'{ to Keep our e.ne.rg'{ \eve.ls up. loud c.rac.King noises underneath us. It metres awa'I one. of the. Inuit gu'{S snot
was stomac.11-c.hurning. Tue. sharp snap another c.rac.Ke.r she.II in the. air. Tue.re.
This afternoon 'Simon and I went to sends c.nil\s up '{Our bod'{ and '{OU nope. are. two c.rac.Ke.r shells in the. gun - the.
build an igloo. 'Simon is great. \-\e's one. the. c.rac.K doesn't c.atc.11 up with '{OUr re.st is live. ammo.
of the. three. lnuit hunters with our part'{
and he's got a true. sense. of humour. He.

120 Unit 11 o Hot and cold

/\fter this sewnd shot was fired the bear it seemed, it was a stealth bomber - Now we have almost realhed the end of
was startled but then lharged forward sleeK and beautiful but deadl'j. our journe'j, I ret\uted that the battle for
again with real purpose. It looKed hungf'j. the planet as we Know it is being pla'jed
It 'tlas a large male and the'j don't f>lare St'1 Maj out on the sea ile.
easil'j. 1he bear was read'j to attalK and
was showing all the signs of dangerous G.lobal warming has wnsequenles for t:.r-tra energ'j being produled around
behaviour. '5ome more shots 'tlere fired. animals at all levels of the l\rdil food the world iri being absorbed into the
1he bear Mopped and moved ball:: a lhain. 'Population dedine an'jwhere along Olean, inlreariing sea temperatures and
little, still e'jing up his targets. the lhain has a bigger impad in the melting the /\rdil ile. It means the
/\rltil than it might in a 'tlarmer dimate ile season, whilh is so important for
1he Inuit are polar-bear hunters b'j where there are more animals to fill ealh the Inuit for hunting and travelling. is
wlture and one of them now ran to'tlards nid-1e.1he inlrease in non-native spuies diminishing - down from eignt months to
the bear firing live shotsjust past it. migrating north is also a lOnlern in the sir- months. /\$ the Inuit sa-i: 'Yes, shorter
1he bear ran awa'j and graduall'j melted 'tlarming /\rltil.1hese spuies wmpete winter seasons mean that we'll have to
into the snow around him. Wow, what a with native spuies for limited resourles adapt and maKe do. Our question to 'jOU
feeling! ~ared, er-hilarated, awed. What in an alread'j fragile food web, lreating is, "lan 'jOUr wlture adapt when these
an imprerisive lreature! It moved with more stress on the uo-s'jstem as a lhanges Olwr?"'
sulh 9rale and power. However harmless whole.

Language and Style
25 JoitnhsAent:l~ceps together to make complex sentences for each of the 3 paragraphs in the diary entry for

4 pn m assage B.

ii
iii

Unit 11 o Hot and cold 121

6 How does Sam Branson convey a sense of suspense and tension in his account of the meeting with
the polar bear in the 7th May extract?

Comprehension and Summary

7 Write the list of questions an interviewer would ask Sam Branson in order to obtain the information
given in the diary extracts.

122 Unit 11 o Hot and cold

8 Rewrite the entry for 8th May in your own words.
9 In one sentence for each, summarise:
a Sam's pleasures in being in the Arctic.
b Sam's worries about the future of the Arctic.

Unit 11 o Hot and cold 123

Directed Writing

10 Read the information about the Undersea Lodge below.

undersea Lodge

• latest tourist fun spot

• situated in Key Largo, Florida f tected lagoon
• sits on legs 2 metres from bottom o ~ro conti nenta l shelf off Puerto Rico
• originally a research laboratory to e~p ore

• natural nursery area for m~ny reef :1:ehs beneath the sea surface

• to enter, one must scuba dive 6 me

• world's only underwater hotel

• filled with compressed air

· . A' ort
• 1.5-hour drive from M1am1 irp b h t I staff in land-based command
• facility monitored 24 hou rs a day y o e

centre .

• accommodates two couples at a time

• no limit to number of nights stayed

• other, larger, underwater lodges planned for the future
• available for hire for underwater weddings
• underwater pizza delivery can be arranged
• tropical mangrove habitat

• windows 1 metre wide for viewing sea-life from your bed
• diving expertise not necessary and dive instructors provided

• all comforts provided: hot showers, well-stocked kitchen, entertainment
• unlimited supply of air tanks to explore marine environment
• perfect balance of relaxation and adventure

• symbiosis between technology of man and beauty of nature
• futuristic decor mixed with a sense of history

124 unit 11 o Hot and cold

11 Using the facts in the box, write a media information release to promote the Undersea Lodge.
a Put the facts into a logical sequence using numbers and arrows.
b Group facts into sentences using brackets.
c Write information in complex sentences using an appropriate advertising style.

Unit 11 o Hot and <old 125

Composition Coursework topics

Argumentative/discursive writing 1 Discuss the ways in which your region
is showing awareness of environmental
a Many people, including some scientists and issues and ecological threats in its dealing
politicians, believe that global warming is not with waste, recycling, protection against
caused by the activities of humans and that flooding, and so on.
nothing we can do will change the outcome.
What is your view on this issue? 2 Study a magazine article or watch a film
which argues that there is a profound
b Discuss the effects of, and predictions for, threat to the future of the planet. Analyse
climate change in your country. the language used and evaluate the
arguments being made.
Descriptive writing

c Describe a snowy landscape.
d Give an account of a sport or travel experience

involving snow or ice.

Narrative writing

e Tell a story involving an Arctic creature such as
a reindeer, polar bear, husky, seal or penguin.

f 'They set off late at night through the fast
falling snow.' Continue the story.

126 Unit 11 o Hot and <old

Unit Technological

1• nvas1• on

Reading

1 Read the article below.

Passage A: Losing face

Surely the days of the Facebook When I was asked by a enough time to see th at she had
phenomenon are numbered. friend to post pictures, I found contacted 36 people in my name,
Imperceptibly, there has been that I just didn't want to. I didn 't al l of w hom were former fri ends.
a shift in the cu lture, and it's no li ke the idea of potentially exposing
longer considered cool to share myself to a stranger's eyes. I knew A few of th em have subsequently
photographs and silly videos, do that w hen I looked at photographs been in touch to say that th ey were
endless quizzes, promote favourite posted by former schoo l friends, I vaguely offended or bemused by my
movies, books and music, and send felt that I was intruding. monosyllabic responses, or lack of
cute little icons to your friends as any response, w hen they contacted
gifts. Facebook, I soon realised, is a kind me (or, rather, my impersonator.)
of online scrapbook for those who Aside from that, I have no sense of
A few months ago, I discovered like - or pretend to like - collecting w hat damage, if any, has been done.
that my identify had been stolen and sharing daily details; at its best,
on Facebook. Someone had taken it's really just a platform for digital What remains confounding is w hat
my name, posted a black and w hite drivel. this person imagined she would
photograph of a girl's bare feet in achieve by such a stunt. Perhaps she
the sand, and started asking my old However, at its worst, Facebook is hoped to find out a few personal
school friends to become her online a cynical publicity and marketing facts about me from my friends.
'friend' . tool. It's a playground popularity Perhaps she was after someone
contest in w hi ch people cultivate I knew rather than me. Maybe it
Now, I am in no way a Facebook 'trophy' friends in their pursuit of was just an idle prank; maybe she
addi ct. When a friend of my sister's mic ro-celebrity. wished she were me; maybe she
sent me an ema il inviting me to wanted to spook me.
join last year, I agreed only out of And some of them, at least, are
curiosity, and a weak sense that not w ho they say they are. The day I wil l never know. And I would be
perhaps I ought to because everyone after I found out that my identity hard pressed to sue for libel - even
else was. had been stolen, I informed the if I knew w ho my impersonator
Facebook site managers and, within was. In any case, I have never been
So I created a skeleton profile of hours, they had removed w hat comfortable w ith this hall of mirrors,
myself. That is to say, I put my name they cal led 'the offending content', where you can't telI whether
up there, and that was it. I did not w hich made me th in k that thi s was anyone is w ho they say they are and
join any groups or networks (people not an unusual occurrence. My everyone is chasing their 15 pixels
in the same city or with the same impersonator vanished from the of fame.
hobby, interests or pet hates - the eth er as if she, or he, had never
list of possibilities is almost end less). existed, but not before I'd had

Unit 12 o Technological invasion 127

Language and Style

l Why are the words 'friend' and 'trophy' and 'offending content' in Passage A in single inverted commas?

3 Rephrase paragraph 7 (However, at its worst ...) in your own words.

4 What is the effect of the double use of Perhaps and the triple use of Maybe in the penultimate
paragraph?

128 Unit 12 o Technological invasion

S Use the following words from Passage A in sentences of your own to illustrate their meaning.
a phenomenon _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
b imperceptibly _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ __
c networks _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
d potentially _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ __
e intruding _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
f drivel _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
g cynical _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ __
h subsequently _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ __
i bemused _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __

stunt _ _ _ __ __ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ ~

Comprehension and Summary

6 Give Passage A an explanatory sub-headline and a sub-heading halfway through.

Unit 12 o Te<hnologi<al invasion 129

Reading

7 Read the passage below.

Passage B: Who's pressing your buttons?

More than 24 million British adults are now T
surfing social networks like Bebo, MySpace
and Facebook. Bebo caters for a largely teenage and Pakistan. And it's not only young people
audience and has 18 million users, 11.2 million who are switching on to the hundreds of social
in the UK alone. MySpace connected music networks available: 26% of Europeans in the
fans with their rock and pop idols, growing an over-SS age bracket visit a social networking
audience of 110 million worldwide across the site at least once a month; 2007 saw a 12%
age spectrum. But Facebook is grabbing the jump in 'silver surfers'.
headlines, the latest to suck us in - students
and younger professionals spend an average The more excitable prophets say that social
ofhalf an hour every day checking in. It's the networks are changing our lives for ever,
internet equivalent of a continuous video- for better and worse. They say that 12% of
conference call between 'friends' in which a internet minutes are spent on MySpace. It
user presents his or her 'face' to the world, opens people up to new communities, and that
sharing as much of themselves - photographs, could have a profound impact on the world.
personal information, diaries, plans, likes and Certainly we are in the throes of a social
dislikes, news, ideas, invitations - as they revolution that is evolving so rapidly few can
want to with virtually unlimited audiences on predict either its impact beyond the next few
the web. months, or the fallout in years to come.

Its popularity has spread like a virus and Critics are not just restricted to bosses
become so addictive, so quickly. Surveys frustrated at the time wasted by their staff at
claim that social networking sites are costing work. Social networking will dilute real-life
businesses billions in lost productivity. One relationships; we will swap handshakes and
leading company reported that 30% of its hugs for keystrokes, they say. Advertisers
internet capacity is clogged by its social can sift through the personal data on social
networking employees. Companies are now networks to identify and market to potential
said to be banning or restricting access to such customers, but Facebook enthusiasts say 'So
sites. Some are restricting access to lunch what? It's not about forcing things on people.
hours, sending users home to spend hours There's a generation now who have grown up
after work at their computers when their with Facebook who don't care about privacy.'
time was once more gainfully spent actually
meeting people. Facebook started off as an in-college network
for students at Harvard. It graduated to
Even governments are feeling threatened. other universities in the US and Britain. The
Syria blocked access to Facebook as part of students then became postgraduates and
a crackdown on online political activism. employees, carrying their Facebook activities
Likewise, China has banned video-sharing into the workplace, increasing their circle of
without government approval, declaring friends. And then suddenly, in September
that the authorities will no longer tolerate 2006, the site opened up to all internet users.
the 'broadcast of degenerate thinking' on It has now expanded its global popualation
the web. Facebook's usership has grown at a to 62 million users. Even parents are using
phenomenal rate worldwide, and especially in Facebook to monitor their children's friends
Turkey, Israel, France, China, Saudi Arabia and activities. It's quite juvenile: you can
'poke' people, or 'high five' them - or even
'butt slap' them.

13 o Un it 12 o Technological invasion

Facebook offers applications providing connect, we're isolated nothings. If it makes
additional information to keep you hooked you feel better, then it works. And if it works,
and which soak up ever more time that it's unstoppable! The alternative view is that
might otherwise be devoted to work or play. Facebook is just one step in the history of the
You'd think the novelty of its ever-expanding internet; like a comet, it was furiously active
universe would wear off, but the evidence at the beginning, then gradually tailing off
says not - yet. The supporters say, 'Social into the nothingness of outer space.
networking is part of
our lives now. Offline
and online have merged.
There's something deep
in human nature that
likes this stuff. We've
moved away from the
hearth, the street, the
village where we live and
die. Social networking
sites give us something
we're close to, where
every day we meet the
same people. If we don't

Language and Style

8 Look at the apostrophes and hyphens in Passage Band remind yourself of the rules for their use. Put
the missing apostrophes and hyphens in the text below.

Just 54o/o of 11 year olds achieved the expected level in writing in last summers national tests,
compared to 78o/o in reading. Researchers findings are that traditional letter writing will be of no
more use later in childrens lives than the history lessons they learn in school. The head of the largest
teachers union says that students will always want a language that excludes grown ups because for
them its a necessary assertion of a teenagers right to privacy.

9 Passage B may appear to be informative and balanced - in other words, without bias - but the
journalist's own view is clear. Identify and list the words and phrases which reveal it.

Unit 12 o Technological invasion 131

1O The paragraphs in this passage are unlinked and could be used in a different order. Put numbers next
to each to show a different but logical sequence. Explain how this restructuring changes the overall
effect.

Comprehension and Summary

11 'Social networks are changing our lives for ever, for better and worse.' Using arguments from
Passages A and B, summarise the pros and cons (half a page each) of social networking sites.

132 Unit 12 o Technological invasion

Unit 12 o Technological invasion 133

12 Babaoseudt tohneitrhuesienfoofrsmoactiaiol nneintwPoarsksianggessitAesa.nd B' write fi . to ask . a survey of your peers
ve quest10ns m

a

b

c

d

e

Directed Writing

13 Read the information in the fact box below.

Teenagers' love 4 email
is ruining their grammar n will consign the
traditional handwritten letter 2 history,
researchers said yesterday :-(

• Children are inventing a new lexicon for electronic communication with a
range of abbreviations and symbols that adults find hard to understand.

• Educators and politicians believe t hat email English poses a threat to the

language.
• The symbols :-( and :-) represent sad and smiley faces and are used to

signify good and bad news respectively.
• The symbols have been evolved to keep down the cost of mobile phone

text messaging and emailing, speed up the response time, and inject

emotion into concise missives.
• Teachers say that the new shorthand style associated with emails is

making their job of improving literacy skills even harder.
• Researchers who interviewed more than 100 children aged 5-11 concluded

that traditional letter-writing will be of no more use later in life than the

history lessons pupils learn in school. Cont.

134 Unit 12 o Technological invasion

Cont.

• ~~i~ ~~=~~~e0:y~~~l~vues~~i.n;agtency which conducted the research

expressing emotions. rn ex messages represented new ways of

• Wde atredwitnessing ~ communications revolution which children have

a ap e to very quickly.

• Our language is changing in front of our eyes.

• Mmoonrethth. an half a billion text messages are sent by mob1·1e phone every

• Th~ h~ad of a teacher~' o~ganisation said that, 'Dropping grammar and

• rep a~rng sentences with Jargon will damage the language.'

~T~hceid!ir~e:ct:o~r~o~f~th~e~a~d~~e~rgti~soi~n;g~a~g~e.n'c;yrvsa"i;d~,;'K~~id~s~;h:av1~e~~atl~w'~aoywsd'h;a;d~~sfosbmuet

• A teach~r said, 'yYriting a long-hand letter is going to have to be

:~.metthhrng tha.t is :tau~ht in school and, while they will know how to do

is, e question 1s, will they want to?'

14 Using different coloured highlighters, divide the bullets in the list above into facts and opinions.

15 Using facts and opinions from the fact box, write a dialogue between an English teacher and a
student in which the teacher warns the student of the dangers of the overuse of texting and email
language, and the student defends electronic communication.

Teacher: You need to use more formal English in your writing assignments if you want to improve

your grades.

Unit 12 o Technological invasion 135

136 Unit 12 o Technological invasion

Composition coursework topics

Argumentative/discursive writing 1 Discuss the effects on present-day
living, and the implications for the future,
a 'There is no such thing as a disinterested of the dependency on the internet of so
opinion; everyone is biased and everything has many individuals and instititutions.
a 'spin' on it.' Do you agree with this claim?
2 Describe a day in the life of a student
b Who needs privacy? Discuss the concept of living in the year AD 2050.
privacy in a world of identity cards, CCTV
surveillance and the selling of personal data.

Descriptive writing

c Describe the alternative persona you would
make up for a role on a social networking site,
and explain your choice of name, biography
and character.

d Describe the scene and atmosphere in an
internet cafe, including the place and the
people in it.

Narrative writing

e Tell a story about someone who has become
addicted to a particular pastime or activity.

f Write a narrative involving an impersonation.

Unit 12 o Technological invasion 137

Acknowledgements

The author and publishers thank the following copyright holders for permissions received to reproduce texts:
p. 14 from The Story ofSan Michele by Axel Munthe, © Axel Munthe 1929, reproduced by permission of John Murray (Publishers)
Limited;
p. 118 from 'Barking mad in the snow' by Rosie Millard from British Airways' High Life magazine, published by Cedar
Communications;
p. 120 from Arctic Diary: Surviving on Thin Ice by Sam and Richard Branson, published by Virgin Books. Reprinted by permission
of The Random House Group Ltd.;
p. 127 'Will you be my friend? Er, no' (Kate Alvarez) The Sunday Times, 28 August 2008 ©NI Syndication
Photos are reproduced with permission of the following copyright holders;
p. l Diego Azubel/epa/Corbis; p. 3 Afio Foto Agency/Alamy; p. 8 OJO Images Ltd/Alamy; p. 23 Gary Conner/Index Stock
Imagery/ Photolibrary; p. 28 Air Canada; p. 47 Jon Arnold Images Ltd/Alamy; p. 60 Tim Graham/Alamy; p. 63 Maximilian Stock
Ltd/Science Photo Library; p. 72 Marco Simoni/Robert Harding; p. 78 Sergio Pitamitz/Robert Harding; p. 87 Mike Walker/Rex
Features; p. 107 ene/Shutterstock; p. 111 Christian Thomas/fStop/Photolibrary; p. 118 Louise Murray/Robert Harding; p. 120 Cubo
Images/Robert Harding; p. 127 PSL Images/Alamy
Thanks to Medicins Sans Frontiers for permission to reproduce their logo on p. 93.

138 A<knowledgements

Answers

Unit 1

2 and 3

a origin (N) b dramatic (Adj) c famous (Adj) d spare (Adj) e appears (V)
f produced (V) g taking part (Adj) h choice (N) i souvenir (N) j centre (N)

4
million, millionaire, millimetre, milligramme, millipede
biennial, biannual, annual, millennium, quadrennial, perennial, annuity

6

a period b enmities c inspiration, imagination d ideal e established
f ceremonial acts g put out h adopted lucky symbol i national traditions

refusals to attend

7

were held, was crowned, were defeated, was extended, was not achieved, were missed, were killed, has
been chosen, were designed, introduced, flown, were chosen, were established, are displayed, is played,
is extinguished, is being played, is carried, is represented

Passives are used for non-fiction, informative, discursive and scientific writing or speaking. They tend
to make expression more tactful, impersonal, formal or objective. The emphasis falls on the object or
event and not on the human agent, who is often unspecified.

8

a December, decimate, decimal (10)
b octopus, octagonal, October (8)
c pentagon, pentameter, pentathlon (5)
d triangle, triumvirate, trio, trilogy (3)
e biannual, biplane, binary (2)
f unique, unicycle, universe, unit (1)
g quintuplets, quintet (s)
h September, septuagenarian, septet (7)

9 b a few, fewer c few d little, a few, at least, a little e less
a Fewer g fewest, least
f fewer

Answers 139

Little (and its comparative less and its superlative least) is used before singular or non-countable
nouns, whereas few (and its comparative fewer and its superlative fewest) is used before plural and
countable nouns. The indefinite article in the phrases a little and a few, and the prepositional phrase
at least make the effect positive rather than negative. For example, A few people attended is more
positive than Few people attended. At least emphasises the fact that this is the minimum and there
may be even more; for example, There were at least twenty countries represented in this event.

10

a The Frenchman responded to his country's military defeat at the hands of the Prussians at the

end of the 19th century by founding the modern Olympic Games, following the original format as
closely as possible, in the hope of promoting physical fitness and world peace.
b Since the IOC was established in 1894 to govern the modern Olympic movement, its job has
been to make decisions relating to the content and conduct of the Games, and to ensure that the
selected host city has met its obligations to provide all the necessary facilities, accommodation
and transport systems.
c The Olympic rings, designed in 1913 and first introduced in 1920, are coloured red, blue, green,
yellow and black, to represent in number the five separate continents and in colour the flags of all
nations, since every country's flag contains at least one of these colours.
d The first modern Olympic Games of 1896, instigated by the Frenchman Baron de Coubertin, had
nine events and 250 participants, who represented 14 countries, and took place in Olympia in
Greece, which is where the original Olympics began in the 8th century BC.

11 Because of the growth of participation in the Games, they have now become politicised. This has
caused terrorist attacks and the withdrawal of athletes to make a political statement. In addition,
the pressure on athletes to perform well for their sponsors and for their country has made some
of them resort to the use of drugs, and there have also been cases of corruption amongst officials.
Countries which take on the responsibility of hosting the Games make themselves liable for a huge
financial burden which is not always acceptable to the people whose taxes have to pay for it.

Unit 2

3 Note that alternatives are possible. The important thing is to mark the beginning and end of the
parenthesis in the right place.

a Wild apes have no need of language, and have not developed it, but tame ones can use it as a tool
for communicating with each other.

b Each slaughtered ape is a loss to the local community - a loss to humanity as a whole - and is a
hole torn in the ecology of our planet.

c The skills of language and counting - essential for negotiating trade - can be taught to orang-
utans, who are less social primates than chimpanzees, in a matter of weeks.

d Fifteen million years (a small gap in the broad scale of evolution) is an immense period in terms of
everyday life.

e Gorilla mothers prefer to cradle their babies on their left sides - a feature shared with humans -
and there have been cases of them showing maternal behaviour to human children.

140 Answers

4 bD cD dT eF

aT

5 a and b

Teddies were named after US President Theodore Roosevelt, who refused to shoot a cornered bear
when out hunting in Mississippi in 1902. After a newspaper cartoonist had made the hunting story
famous, a New York shop owner was granted permission by the President to name the bears in his
shop, made by his wife, 'Teddy's Bears'.

8

a We are told that the bear was not usually chained during the day and can infer that he did not
like being chained, so we would expect him to break free. By calling it the bear in paragraph 5,
the writer implies that it is the same one. We do not expect a wild bear to accept being hit with an
umbrella. We are told that on her return the lady's bear was 'looking very sorry for himself', which
suggests that he was the bear who had been hit.

b He had been found small and helpless and half-dead ofhunger. Although the bear was strong, he
was gentle and friendly, and loved by dogs, children and the cook. He disliked being on a chain but
was good as gold about it. The lady had punished him previously by making his nose bleed. It was
unfair of her to threaten to deprive him of his favourite food of apples because of her own mistake.

9

a A woman owned a full-grown pet bear which she chained up when she went out. One Sunday she
met a bear in the forest on her way to her sister's house and, assuming it was her bear, she scolded
and hit it for having broken its chain and followed her. The bear went away, but when the lady
arrived home, and found her bear still chained up, she was told by her cook that he had never left,
and she then realised that she had attacked a different bear.

b Cubs are considered appealing and vulnerable. They appear in popular children's fiction, and
their image is widely used commercially. They can be tamed and kept as pets. Like children, they
like sweet foods. They seem to have friendly eyes, and look cuddly. They are playful and tolerant,
and get on with other animals and children.

Unit 3

2 b mainly c part d vital e sort out
a respective

4 b supervise c correct d equivalents e response f thoroughly
a situation

5
a sub, ad, con, re, per, extro, co, o, a
b re, im, de, ex, pur, sup, trans
c re, in, con
d re, ab, con, dis, pre
e im, com, re, sup, ap

Answers 141

6 Sentences should contain the following words with their correct meanings.
a proceed (go forward); precede (go before)
b lie (no object); lay (with object)
c affect (verb); effect (noun)
d continuous (without breaks); continual (with breaks)
e principal (adjective meaning main); principle (noun meaning fundamental belief)
f whose (belonging to whom); who's (contraction of who is or who has)
g uninterested (not interested); disinterested (not biased)

7
a Dashes have a space either side and are used singly to add on an apparently spontaneous

afterthought. For example: There were hundreds of people there - maybe thousands.
b Hyphens, which do not have spaces before or after, are used to join two or more words together in

a compound. to show that their meaning is dependent on each other. For example: mother-in-law.
old-fashioned.

8 Topflight charters operate out of two airports in the UK, but principally Manchester, where it is
well established and the third-largest airline. It runs scheduled, high-frequency, short-distance
flights. Punctuality is a high priority for the company.

9 Airport managers should be calm and organised, versatile and flexible. They must be efficient
across a range of skills, contexts and interactions with people. Good communication skills and a
sense of humour are necessary characteristics.

10 The job of an airport manager is to adhere to the standards of the company, to monitor processes
to ensure efficient functioning, and to activate the correction of weaknesses through staff training.
They must keep informed, pass on information to the company, and collaborate with other airport
managers for their airline. They must consider the image of the company they represent.

12
a So that if they get separated from their 'auntie' they can explain who they are and their parents

can be contacted.
b In case your child needs to buy something in the airport or on the plane.
c To familiarise your child with the place so thats/he feels less apprehensive about the experience

next day.
d To avoid large crowds which might be overwhelming for your child.
e Because children are likely to feel more homesick and frightened at night.
f In case the flight is delayed or cancelled and your child needs to be returned to you.
g So that your child does not feel trapped amongst strangers and can go to the toilet easily.
h Your child will feel less daunted if able to play with other children or to ask for help from a mother

figure.

142 Answers

Unit 4

2

a We use apostrophes either when we wish to signify omission of letters (for example: can't. six
o'clock) or when we wish to show possession (for example: one week's time, the dog's tail). An
apostrophe after the final s of a word, unless it is a name, indicates that the possessor is plural (for
example: the girls' books).

b We use an apostrophe in it's if the meaning is it is or it has, whereas its without an apostrophe is
used to show possession (compare to his and hers).

3 Semicolons have the same function as full stops but are used when the preceding sentence has a
close connection with the following sentence. They can also be used to separate items in a list.

5 Ancient civilisations played a kind of football and exported the game to their empires. Football as
we know it dates from late-12th-century England. In 1863, after a brief lapse, it was re-established
when the Football Association was set up. By the 1870s professional teams existed, which played
internationally in South America and northern Europe. FIFA evolved as an organisation, resulting
in the World Cup. The modern game owes much to mass-media coverage - which began in 1927 -
and consequent financial influence.

7 c trademark - characteristic

a prospect - expectation b inspiration - motivation
d dexterity - skill e fabric - structure

8 Within speech, most of the same punctuation rules apply as for normal writing, so that there
needs to be a full stop at the end of a sentence, provided that there is no continuation of the
sentence after the end of the speech. If there is, then in place of the full stop we use a comma or,
if appropriate, a question mark or exclamation mark. Even after a question or exclamation mark,
the next word begins with a lower case letter rather than a capital if it is continuing the sentence.
If a sentence in speech is interrupted and then continued, there is a comma before the break and
again before the re-opening of the inverted commas. The continuation will begin with a small and
not a capital letter because the sentence is also continuing. There must always be a punctuation
mark of some kind before the closing inverted commas.

9 After a single vowel, the consonant will double if the vowel sound is short (for example: dinner
with a short vowel sound; diner with a long vowel sound).

10 ex- - out of, from
di- - into two
com(n)· - with, together
pro - - forward
per- - through

12 Football, which has easy rules which everyone can understand, gives pleasure to spectators and
arouses passion for the thrills of the game. It can bond people across boundaries of nationality
and character, as well as strengthen national identity. Young people can be inspired by football
stars and adopt them as heroic role models. The sport develops physical skills and offers an

Answers 143

alternative to sitting at a computer or watching TV. It is a means of poor children being able to rise
to fame and riches.

Some fans become boring and obsessive because of their fixation with the sport, which can
lead to racism and destructive public behaviour. Because football has become linked to politics
and nationalism, and is subject to lucrative sponsorship, media and transfer deals, the game is
vulnerable to corruption. Countries which cannot afford to pay high sums risk having their best
players poached by foreign clubs. The celebrity status of professional footballers interferes with
their private life.

Unit 5

2

noun adjective verb adverb
produce, producer, productive produces productively
product, production
occurrence, recurrence current occur, recur recurringly, currently
depth deep deepen deeply
origins original originate originally
explorers, exploration exploratory, explorative explore exploratively
measure, measurement measurable, measured measured measurably
sponsor, sponsorship sponsored sponsored
conviction, convict convicted, convincing convinced, convict convincingly
definition definite, finite define definitely
extreme, extremity, extreme extremely
extremist

Note that where a two-syllabled noun and a verb are spelt the same, the noun is often stressed on the

first syllable and the verb on the second, e.g. produce and produce, convict and convict.

3 c to separate items in a list
a to separate clauses b to create a parenthesis
d after an initial adverb

5 The tropical River Amazon is fed by torrential rains and thereby produces a fifth of the world's
river water - much more than that of the longest river, the River Nile. The Amazon is not only the
world's widest river, owing to seasonal floods, with an average width of 8 km and a depth which
makes it navigable far inland, but it is also the second longest, at roughly 6300 km.

8 Passages A and Bare purely informative. The extract about the River Congo is literary and lyrical
i.e. its aim is to create atmosphere and evoke feelings, not to convey facts. It achieves this by using
figurative language: similes; metaphors; multiple adjectives; emotive vocabulary; alliteration;
anthropomorphism (ascribing human characteristics to objects); use of second person;
reflections; repetition for effect. These are some of the characteristics of descriptive writing.

144 Answers