UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLÓGICA DE LA MIXTECA
Centro de Idiomas
DIVISION DE ESTUDIOS DE POSGRADO
ENGLISH LANGUAGE READING PROGRAM
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
1
Postgraduate Intermediate Reading program: Table of contents
Posgrado Programa de Lectura: Important information ........................................................................ 4
Course teacher ................................................................................................................................. 4
Course information ........................................................................................................................... 4
Exam information ................................................................................................................................. 4
Partial exam dates............................................................................................................................ 4
Final exam date ................................................................................................................................ 4
Week 1: 10-14 March 2014 .................................................................................................................. 5
Reading 1: Stella McCartney ............................................................................................................ 5
Reading 2: The Personality Compass .............................................................................................. 6
Week 2: 17-21 March 2014 .................................................................................................................. 8
Reading 1: Computer store problem ................................................................................................. 8
Reading 2: A Day’s Work at the Seaside ........................................................................................ 10
Week 3: 24 – 28 March 2014 ............................................................................................................. 11
Reading 1: Restaurant review ........................................................................................................ 11
Reading 2: Film reviews ................................................................................................................. 12
Week 4: 3 March-11 April 2014 .......................................................................................................... 13
Reading 1: An amazing achievement ............................................................................................. 13
Reading 2: The Peel P50 Minicar ................................................................................................... 14
Week 5: 14-18 April 2014................................................................................................................... 15
Reading 1: Fame – American Idol .................................................................................................. 15
Reading 2: Sainsbury’s Supermarkets ............................................................................................ 16
Week 6: 21-25 April 2014................................................................................................................... 18
Reading 1: The Westgate Centre ................................................................................................... 18
Reading 2: Welcome to Stevening.................................................................................................. 20
Week 7: 28 April-2 May 2014 ............................................................................................................. 22
Reading 1: The Art of Travel........................................................................................................... 22
Reading 2: How working long hours can damage your health ........................................................ 24
Week 8: 5-9 May 2014 ....................................................................................................................... 26
Reading 1: An intelligent jacket ...................................................................................................... 26
Reading 2: The travel choices of young adults ............................................................................... 28
Week 9: 12-23 May 2014 ................................................................................................................... 30
Reading 1: Simplify your life ........................................................................................................... 30
Reading 2: Britain’s first tea plantation ........................................................................................... 31
Week 10: 26-30 May 2014 ................................................................................................................. 33
Reading 1: Language learning makes the brain grow ..................................................................... 33
Reading 2: Differences between writing in Spanish and writing in English ...................................... 35
Week 11: 2-6 June 2014 .................................................................................................................... 36
2
Reading 1: The western alphabet ................................................................................................... 36
Reading 2: Writing a better abstract ............................................................................................... 38
Week 12: 9-13 June 2014 .................................................................................................................. 40
Reading 1: The Job Interview ......................................................................................................... 40
Reading 2: Job interview questions ................................................................................................ 42
Answers ............................................................................................................................................. 43
3
Posgrado Programa de Lectura: Important information
Course start date: 10 March 2014
Course end date: 27 June 2014
Course teacher
The teacher for this course is Maria Pinto. Her office is in the Centro de Idiomas new building: Office
12.
Email: mariapinto@mixteco.utm.mx
Website: http://www.utm.mx/~mariapinto/Lectura.html
Course information
There are no face-to-face classes for this course. Students are expected to download the packet of
readings from Maria’s website, and work through them. Please visit Maria in her office, or send her an
email if you have any questions or need help with the readings.
Please make sure Maria has an up-to-date, working email address for you, so that she can contact
you when necessary!
Exam information
You need a promedio of 6.0 to successfully complete the Intermediate level course. 50% of your grade
comes from the average of the three partial exams, and 50% comes from the final exam.
To successfully complete the course, you must do all three partial exams and the final exam and get a
promedio of 6 (or more) out of 10. If you do not complete the course, you will have to take it again,
until you pass.
Partial exam dates
The partial exams dates are:
Partial 1: 1 April 2014
Partial 2: 14 May 2014
Partial 3: 16 June 2014
To take the partial exam on the due date, send Maria an email to arrange a time to take the exam.
There is one reading for each partial exam, with two or three activities to complete.
If you cannot take the partial exam on the due date, you will have to take the partial exams and the
final exam at the same time: on the 27th of June, 2014. Note: this will mean you will have two hours to
complete four exams, instead of four hours to complete the exams!
Final exam date
Final exam date: 27 June 2014
There are two readings for the final exam. You must complete two activities for each reading. If you
have not done one or more partial exams, you will have to complete these at the same time as the
final exam.
If you do not do the final exam on the exam date, you will fail the course.
4
Week 1: 10-14 March 2014
Reading 1: Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney was born in 1971, the daughter of pop star Sir Paul McCartney. She is the youngest
of three sisters. One sister is a potter, and the other sister does the same job as their mother used to
do – she works as a photographer. Stella’s brother, James, is a musician. Stella first hit the
newspaper headlines in 1995 when she graduated in fashion design from art college. At her final
show, her clothes were modelled by her friends, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, both well-known
models. Unsurprisingly, the student show became front page news around the world.
Stella hadn’t been in the news before as a fashion designer, but she had spent time working in the
fashion world since she was fifteen. In March 1997, Stella went to work for the fashion house Chloe.
People said the famous fashion house had given her the job because of her surname and her famous
parents, but Stella soon showed how good she was. She designs clothes which she would like to
wear herself, although she’s not a model, and many famous models and actors choose to wear them.
In April 2001, Stella went to work for another famous fashion house, Gucci. In November 2010, the
Stella McCartney Kids collection was launched for newborns and children up to age 12. We are sure
to hear more about Stella in the future.
1.1 Read the text above and decide if the sentences below are correct or incorrect.
1. Stella has three sisters.
2. Stella’s mother was a photographer.
Correct
Correct
Incorrect
Incorrect
3. Stella met Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss for the first time at her
fashion show in 1995.
Correct
Incorrect
4. Everyone was surprised when Stella McCartney was on the front page
of the newspapers.
5. Stella had jobs in fashion before she left college.
Correct
Incorrect
Correct
Incorrect
6. Stella thinks about the kinds of clothes famous models like to wear
when she is designing.
Correct
Incorrect
1.2 Match the dates with the event in Stella’s life.
1. 1971
a) Graduated from art college.
2. 1995
b) Opened a new line of clothes for children.
3. 1997
c) Started work at Gucci.
4. 2001
d) Was born.
5. 2010
e) Started work at Chloe.
1.3 What does each of the underlined words mean? Circle the correct answer.
1. a potter is a person who
a) works with clay
b) draws
c) paints pictures
2. to hit the newspaper
headlines means to
a) appear in the
news
b) become famous
c) both (a) and (b)
3. someone’s surname is
their
a) first name
b) middle name
c) last name
4. to launch something
means to
a) eat something
b) start something
c) travel somewhere
5
Reading 2: The Personality Compass
Ex some companies hire new workers,
__1__ for people with certain kinds of
hard. They prefer __8__ in a structured
environment because they are good rulefollowers. Their motto is “Do it right the first
time.”
they
personalities for certain jobs. Fortunately, there
is a test that helps these companies do this. It
is called the Personality Compass. The
Personality Compass __2__ people into four
basic types: Norths, Souths, Easts, and Wests.
Wests are natural risk-takers; they are
not afraid to take chances. Wests are often
very creative. They are also flexible, so they
__9__ changing a plan after they have begun
to work. They work very enthusiastically,
especially on new projects. Their motto is
“Don’t be afraid to __10__ something new
today.”
Norths are leaders. They work very
hard to reach their goals. They often have
strong opinions. They are __3__ confident
and independent that they can make decisions
quickly. Their motto is “Get the job done
__4__.”
Everyone has some characteristics from
all four types, but one type is usually __11__
than the others. It is also very common for
people to have both a primary personality type
and a secondary one. In other words, they are
not “true” Norths or Souths, for example, but
are instead “Northwests” or “Southeasts.”
However, since North-South and East-West
are opposites, it is impossible for one person to
have those combinations. Re-read the
descriptions. __12__ personality type are
you?
Souths work best when they work with
others. They are good team players because
__5__ understand the needs of others. They
are also good listeners, and they are almost
always patient and __6__. Their motto is
“Build the best teams.”
Easts are __7__ perfectionists that
they always want to do everything right. They
always plan very carefully. They are very
organised and logical, and they work extremely
2.1 Choose the correct option to complete the reading above.
Ex. a. During
b. After
d. While
b. see
c. When
c. watch
1.
a. look
2.
a. divide
b. divides
c. dividing
d. divided
3.
a. such
b. too
c. enough
d. so
4.
a. fast
b. quick
c. rapid
d. speed
5.
a. they
b. their
c. theirs
d. them
6.
a. help
b. helper
c. helpful
d. helpfully
7.
a. too
b. enough
c. so
d. such
8.
a. is
b. stay
c. to work
d. lived
9.
a. hate
b. don’t mind
c. dislike
d. can’t stand
10.
a. tries
b. tried
c. trying
d. try
11.
a. strength
b. strong
c. stronger
d. strongest
12.
a. Which
b. Who
c. Where
d. How
6
d. observe
2.2 Which two jobs do you think best match each personality type? Write why you
matched the job with that personality type.
artist
pilot
project manager
construction worker
accountant
lawyer
7
architect
football player
Week 2: 17-21 March 2014
Reading 1: Computer store problem
Dear Sir,
I bought a computer from you three months ago. Unfortunately, my computer has gone wrong several
times and each time I have brought it back to your store and you have repaired it for me. This is not
very convenient for me because I live in a flat and the computer is heavy. But you say you cannot
come and collect it and you cannot send a computer engineer to my flat. I know some people can
repair their own computers, especially if it is a small problem, but I cannot do that. I now have a new
problem with this computer. I am really tired of bringing it to your store. I haven’t had the computer
very long, so I think you should replace it. I spoke to one of your assistants on the phone this morning
and he was quite rude to me. I chose your store because it was recommended by several friends.
Unless you do what I ask, I will not recommend your store to anyone I know and I will tell my friends
what has happened. None of them has had problems with their computers and I expect they are
thinking of coming to you again when they need more equipment.
Sincerely,
Daniel Brown
1.1 Find a word or phrase in the reading that has the same meaning as the words
below.
a. pesado
b. estoy harto de
c. grosero
d. si no
1.2 Answer the questions.
1. When did Daniel buy the computer?
2. What does Daniel find inconvenient?
3. What solution has Daniel thought of?
4. What threat does Daniel make?
1.3 Comprehension. Read the letter above and choose the best answer for the
following questions.
1. What is the writer trying to do?
a. recommend a computer store
b. find out some information about a computer
c. complain about her computer
d. explain what is wrong with his computer
2. What does the writer say about his friends?
a. They have had their computers repaired several times.
b. They encourage other people to use this computer store.
8
c. They have stopped using this computer store.
d. They know how to repair their own computers.
3. What does the writer want the computer store to do?
a. collect the computer and repair it
b. come to his flat to repair the computer
c. give him advice over the phone
d. give him a new computer
9
Reading 2: A Day’s Work at the Seaside
Do you know how many hours’ preparation
are needed to make a very short piece of film?
chairs on the beach, chatting and drinking coffee
– they were obviously well-prepared.
Our reporter went down to the beach to find
out.
The cameramen and women were very busy –
they were moving the cameras into the right
positions. The rest of the film crew were
arranging the lights and microphones. I had a
chat with a man called Ted – he was very keen to
tell me about his job, which was to clear all the
rubbish from the beach. The beach needed to be
completely clean and tidy, and he had to make
sure there was nothing modern in sight because
the film is about the 1920s. He even had to carry
away some surfing equipment.
Five o’clock was very early in the morning for me,
but I wanted to get there to see all the
preparations. The beach looked a bit different
from usual, and not just because the tourists were
all missing at that time in the morning.
But there were plenty of people around. I noticed
several caravans in the car park with men and
women going in and out of them. I soon realised
that one caravan was the make-up room. The
actors went in as one person and came out
looking like someone else. In fact they looked
completely different when they came out – some
older, some younger, some more handsome. One
actress spent a whole hour with the make-up
artist. When she went in, she was 25, and when
she came out, she was 65!
The director told everyone what to do. I looked
for the star of the film, Alexia Harris, but I
couldn’t see her anywhere. She arrived at about 10
o’clock and looked rather annoyed because she
had to wait for a technician to check her
microphones.
I got the answer to my question – how long does
it take to shoot a film? They shot ten minutes of
film in one whole day, and the film crew were
there for ten hours. I think I prefer my job – at
least I don’t usually have to get up at 5.00a.m! But
it was fun to be a visitor for a day.
Another caravan was the dressing room, and the
actors went in dressed in ordinary jeans and Tshirts and came out in the clothes of the 1920s.
They all looked very relaxed, sitting on picnic
2.1 Are these sentences true or false?
a. It was too early for holidaymakers.
True
False
b. The actors slept in the caravans.
True
False
c. In her make-up, one of the actresses looked older than she really was.
True
False
d. The actors wore their normal clothes in the film.
True
False
e. The star of the film was angry because other people were late.
True
False
2.2 Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. The film crew were shooting a
a) science
fiction film
b) historical film
c) cartoon film
2. The hardest-working people on the
set were
a) the actors
b) the stars of
the film
c) the camera
people
3. The scene that was filmed was
a) ten minutes
long
b) five hours
long
c) ten hours long
4. Ted’s job was to
a) do the make
up
b) move the
cameras
c) clean the beach
10
Week 3: 24 – 28 March 2014
Reading 1: Restaurant review
I’ve read and heard so many good reports of the Thai restaurant The Golden Spoon that I decided to
try it myself. The menu appeared to be all in Thai, but then we noticed the English translations. When
the waitress realised it was our first visit, she came across as she knew it would take us a long time to
choose. In the end, we ordered what she recommended because we didn’t know where to start –
there was so much choice. Because it was early on a Monday evening (they are open from midday to
midnight without a day off), it wasn’t too busy but it got busier later and in fact they recommend that
you book, even on Mondays.
The Golden Spoon offers a wide range of extremely tasty food, mostly quite spicy, but that was fine
with me. Even the vegetarian among us had plenty of choice. Everything was cooked quickly and
perfectly. The first course looked rather small, but there were six more courses to follow and we
couldn’t finish all of them.
The entrance to the restaurant is rather dark and the inside isn’t much better. The Thai family who run
it (the father and grandfather do all the cooking) have been there since 1975, and haven’t really
changed it since then. There are some Thai paintings on the wall which are probably rather beautiful,
but they are very dusty, so it’s difficult to tell. But none of that is important because I didn’t go there to
look at the walls. What I did look at was our meal being prepared in the kitchen, which is in one corner
of the restaurant, and that was a wonderful sight. The meal cost more than I had expected, but was
worth it.
1.1 Read the text. Circle the letter next to the correct answer.
1. What is the writer trying to do?
a. suggest changes a restaurant could make
3. What did the writer think of the food?
b. recommend the food in a restaurant
a. It was too spicy for her.
c. describe what she ate in a restaurant
b. There weren’t enough vegetarian dishes.
d. complain about the service in a restaurant
c. There was too much of it.
d. It was not cooked properly.
2. What does the writer say about the
waitress?
4. What did the writer particularly like about the
restaurant?
a. It was impossible for her to serve so many
customers.
a. the paintings on the walls
b. It was difficult to choose from the menu
without her help.
b. the entrance
c. the prices
c. She translated the menu from Thai for them.
d. the position of the kitchen
d. She took a long time to take their order.
1.2 Answer the questions.
1. What day did the writer go to the restaurant?
2. Do they have vegetarian dishes?
3. Who does the cooking?
4. Where is the kitchen?
11
Reading 2: Film reviews
a. The Girl in Black is a story about something
that happened 400 years ago. Two young
people meet and fall in love but the young man
has to go away to fight in a war. The story
starts well but then nothing really happens.
e. The Blue Country is an action film with a
difference because it is also funny (until the
end, when everyone dies). Most of the action
actually comes at the end, and I did find the
first half boring.
b. The Circle of Life is a film everyone should
see if they want to go home feeling cheerful. I
couldn’t stop laughing. There is one sad part in
the middle, but everything is all right in the end.
Jules Verity, the star, normally sings and
dances in films, so this is a change for him.
f. I hadn’t heard of any of the actors in The
Lost Journey, but I’m sure we’ll see them
again. The film takes place on a small planet in
the future. It is rather difficult to believe, but it
has a good story and is well acted. I loved the
ending, which I hadn’t expected.
c. The Last Time stars Jennifer Nolan and
Peter O’Bride. We follow their lives separately
for the first half of the film until they meet and
fall in love. I hadn’t realized that it was a
musical – this is the first time these well-known
actors have appeared in one.
g. The Tree is a cartoon film which contains
some wonderful songs. Most of the voices are
done by very famous actors and I enjoyed
trying to decide who they were. The action
takes place in a forest, and small children
might be frightened by this.
d. The clothes the actors wear in Cramer
Place are lovely. It is a true story which takes
place in the nineteenth century in an old house.
It is actually difficult to believe this really
happened and I found it impossible to guess
the ending – you just have to wait and see. The
acting is wonderful.
h. The Path to Nowhere is the latest in a
series of films starring Des Riley and Tom
Carver. It starts with a car chase, there is
plenty of action in the middle, and it finishes
with a helicopter following the two men as they
try to escape in a boat. I couldn’t wait to
discover what happened.
2.1 The people below (1-5) all want to see a film. Read the film reviews and decide
which film (A-H) is most suitable for each person.
1. Eleni enjoys comedies with a happy ending.
2. Sofia likes adventure films which are exciting from beginning to end.
3. Matteo would like to see a historical film which has a good story.
4. Robert likes watching science fiction films. He likes both cartoons and films with real actors.
5. Julia would like to see a love story with some famous actors. She enjoys films which contain singing
and dancing.
2.2 Find another word or phrase in the text that has the same meaning.
a. hace cuatro siglos
b. alegre
c. hasta el fin
d. viaje perdido
12
Week 4: 3 March-11 April 2014
Reading 1: An amazing achievement
South African swimmer, Natalie Du Toit, won the prize for the best athlete in the Commonwealth
Games in 2002. This was a new prize open to all the athletes who took part.
Natalie won the gold medal in the 50m and 100m Elite Athlete with a Disability swimming events,
breaking two world records. She also made it into the final of the 800m open swimming event (for
able-bodied athletes), where she swam a personal best of 9 minutes, 13.57 seconds.
Natalie, 18 years old and from Cape Town, had an operation to remove her lower left leg after a
motorcycle accident in 2001, but bravely returned to swimming later that year.
The Chairman of the Games said, “Her achievements in Manchester show how hard she has worked
to overcome her difficulties and, at the same time, influence others, including her South African
teammates.”
All 72 competing nations suggested one athlete for the best athlete award. The winner was chosen by
people from each of the six Commonwealth regions. They all thought Natalie should win the prize.
When the South African team suggested Natalie, they said that she had been a wonderful example of
their team theme: Passion, Power, Performance.
1.1 Read the text above and decide if these sentences are correct or incorrect.
Correct
Incorrect
1. Natalie set new world records in two races.
2. Her time for the 800m final was the fastest she had ever swum.
3. After a serious accident, she stopped swimming for over a year.
4. Natalie’s teammates have helped her to recover from her problems.
5. Each country in the Commonwealth Games was able to vote for the
winner of the best athlete award.
1.2 Answer the questions.
1. Where is Natalie from?
2. What’s the fastest time she has ever swum?
3. How did she lose her leg?
4. How many countries participated in the games?
1.3 Choose the best meaning for each word.
1. prize
a) trophy
b) choice
c) treasure
2. remove
a) dispose of
b) amputate
c) extract
3. overcome
a) get the better of
b) knock down
c) sweep off one’s feet
4. regions
a) countries
b) continents
c) cities
13
Reading 2: The Peel P50 Minicar
You are unlikely ever to see a Peel P50 minicar on the road. There is just one left out of the 100 that
were produced in the early 1960s, and it’s in a museum. The Peel P50 was the smallest car in the
world. Everything about it was tiny, from the 6-litre petrol tank to the 49cc engine. It was just 1.35
metres long, and weighed about the same as an eleven year old boy. It cost £199 when it was first
produced in 1962, and had a top speed of about 25kms per hour. The Peel P50 was definitely a town
car, intended for short journeys rather than long distances. It was designed to carry one person and
single bag of shopping – anything larger, like a big suitcase, would not fit. It even had a handle with
which it could be lifted and wheeled around. Picking it up and pushing it was the only way of getting
the car to go backwards. Unfortunately, the Peel P50 was too small to share the busy roads with
buses and huge lorries, and it died out in 1965, after only three years on the road.
2.1 Are sentences 1-5 correct or incorrect according to the text?
Correct
1. It is still possible to see a Peel P50 on display.
2. Only someone the size of an 11-year-old boy could drive the car
because it was so small.
3. Apart from the driver, there was enough space for one piece of
luggage in the car.
4. The car was only suitable for local travel.
5. It wasn’t possible to drive the car backwards.
2.2 Match the number with the activity it refers to.
1. one
a. engine capacity
2. 49
b. number of years the Peel P50 was produced for
3. 1.35
c. year the Peel P50 was first produced
4.1962
d. number of Peel P50 minicars left
5. three
e. length of the car
14
Incorrect
Week 5: 14-18 April 2014
Reading 1: Fame – American Idol
Kelly Clarkson became famous when her beautiful voice won the hearts and minds of the United
States of America, and she was voted the American Idol.
The twenty year old from Texas performed live every week for ten weeks, to an audience of 25 million,
on America’s biggest ever TV show, despite never having had a professional singing lesson. She
received 57% of the vote in the final.
“Nobody really realised I had a talent until I joined my school choir when I was 13. My teacher really
pushed me since I was behind everyone else who had been doing it since 4th grade.”
Kelly developed quickly and, before long, was entertaining audiences in various competitions.
She earned a living as a waitress, a chemist’s assistant, at the movie theatre, and even at the zoo!
It was a strange chain of events that really put Kelly on the path to music though. Having moved to
Los Angeles after graduation, she began sending out tapes of her singing, and trying to get into the
music industry. However, this all stopped when her apartment burned down, leaving her very poor.
The young singer made the 24 hour drive home with nothing.
It was her best friend, Jessica, who was determined for Kelly not to give up, and suggested she tried
out for American Idol. Kelly knew nothing about it. “I went and auditioned for fun, and here I am!”
Her first pop song went straight to number one in its first week, and she hasn’t looked back since.
The final ten performers from the show joined up again for the American Idol Tour, which took them
from Seattle to New York, playing to over 200,000 fans.
1.1 Read the information about the winner of an American pop competition, and decide
if sentences 1-6 are correct or incorrect.
Correct
1. Kelly had singing lessons for ten weeks before the show.
2. When she joined the school choir, she sang as well as the other
children.
3. Kelly sang in competitions and earned money working in a cinema.
4. She left Los Angeles because it was too difficult to get into the music
business.
5. Kelly was determined to win the American Idol competition.
6. When her first recorded song came out, it was immediately the most
popular song in America.
1.2 Answer the questions.
1. What’s America’s biggest TV show?
2. How many jobs did Kelly have before winning
the competition?
3. What happened to Kelly’s Los Angeles flat?
4. Who persuaded Kelly to audition?
15
Incorrect
Reading 2: Sainsbury’s Supermarkets
One of the most successful supermarkets in Britain is Sainsbury’s. The first shop was opened nearly
150 years ago. In 1869, John James Sainsbury and his wife, Mary Ann, opened a small shop selling
fresh milk, butter and eggs in Drury Lane, London. Other products like meat and vegetables weren’t
introduced until later. The shop became well known because, in spite of the food being of higher
quality than at other shops, the prices were not higher. The business was so successful that, by 1882,
John James Sainsbury had opened three more shops in London, followed by a shop just outside
London in Croydon.
Working conditions in nineteenth-century shops would seem hard to us, but Sainsbury’s workers were
well looked after. In return, they had to work long hours. In fact, Saturday evening was often the
busiest time. After closing, the shop had to be cleaned and tidied, and it could be after 2am before the
workers were able to leave.
By 1900, Sainsbury’s was importing food from abroad. People have always complained about how
much they have to pay for their food, but it is worth noticing that food is much cheaper now, compared
to average wages, than it was in 1900.
By the 1920s, the design of many of the shops had changed and a typical Sainsbury’s shop had six
departments, offering a much wider range of products than other food shops. Each shop offered
home delivery throughout the surrounding area, an important service in the days before most people
had cars. This service came to an end during the 1960s, as people had their own transport, but has
come into fashion again with the twenty-first century, since people started ordering their food on the
internet and having it delivered.
By 1939, there were 244 shops around the country, and everything sold was stored in London before
being delivered to each shop around the country. This system didn’t change until the 1960s.
The first self-service shop opened in June 1950 in Croydon. The long counters, long queues, and
chairs for customers, were replaced by checkouts. It was expected that people would miss what they
were used to, but there was no need to worry, because people welcomed the change. However, it
was nearly thirty years before all Sainsbury’s traditional shops had been replaced with modern
supermarkets.
In 1974, Sainsbury’s first out-of-town supermarket opened on the edge of Cambridge, and today, most
towns in Britain have a Sainsbury’s nearby, some having one just outside the town and one in the
town centre.
2.1 Read the text above, and decide if sentences 1-10 are correct or incorrect.
Correct
1. When the first Sainsbury’s shop opened, it sold meat as well as milk,
butter, and eggs.
2. Shoppers paid more at Sainsbury’s shop because of the quality of
the food.
3. Sainsbury’s second shop was in central London.
4. In the nineteenth century, some Sainsbury’s shops were open until
2am.
5. After 1900, some of the food sold came from other countries.
6. In 1900, people spent more of their income on food than they do
now.
7. In the 1920s, Sainsbury’s gave shoppers more choice than other
16
Incorrect
shops.
8. It was possible to have your food delivered by Sainsbury’s in the
1970s.
9. English people enjoyed self-service shopping when it was first
introduced.
10. It took more than 30 years for every Sainsbury’s shop to become
self-service.
2.2 Match the numbers and the words.
1. First shop opened in Drury Lane, London
a. 6
2. Food was brought in from other countries
b. 1869
3. Number of departments in the 1920s
c. 1950
4. Number of Sainsbury’s by 1939
d. 1900
5. Sainsbury’s opened checkouts
e. 244
17
Week 6: 21-25 April 2014
Reading 1: The Westgate Centre
The Westgate Centre offers 200 shops, a swimming pool, restaurants, a bowling alley, and two
nightclubs, as well as 30 acres of parkland with three lakes.
Opening hours
Shops
Park
Mon-Fri
10am-9pm
Sat
9am-5pm
Sun
10am-5pm
9am-4.30pm in winter
9am-7pm in summer
We have thousands of visitors every day, our busiest day of the week being Friday. To avoid the
crowds, come on a Monday or Tuesday.
Inside the centre
When you arrive, go to one of our information offices to get a map. There is one by the main bus stop,
and another at the bottom of the escalator which goes up to the cinema.
The shops are all on the ground floor, and you will find everything from specialised furniture stores to
clothes shops and department stores, as well as restaurant, a bowling alley, and a swimming pool.
On the first floor, above the pool, you will find a 12-screen cinema and two nightclubs. If you wish, you
can buy entrance tickets for any of these facilities, except the nightclubs, from the information centres.
Before 5pm, entrance tickets to all facilities are reduced for students and the over-sixties.
If you wish to stay overnight, the information centre can give you a list of accommodation in the area,
ranging from grand hotels to Bed and Breakfast accommodation.
Outside the centre
Make time to visit the 30 acres of parkland which surround the centre. Boats for up to six people can
be hired and taken out onto one of the lakes for £2 an hour.
Bicycles can be hired every day for £6 an hour. There are 4kms of paths, but you are not allowed to
take hired bicycles beyond the park.
Travel
The centre is located one mile from the M49. Just follow the signs from Junction 13. There is free
parking for 10,000 cars, and there are six car parks. Car parking spaces are never more than five
minutes’ walk away from an entrance. Remember where your car is parked by looking at the coloured
signs – no car park uses the same colour, and each level in the car parks is numbered.
It is just as easy to visit the centre by train. There is a rail service every 15 minutes from Central
London. When you reach Barnwell station, jump on a number 19 bus to the centre. It’s a five-minute
journey and there’s a bus every 15 minutes.
1.1 Read the text above and decide whether each sentence is correct or incorrect.
Correct
1. The park stays open later than the shops every day in summer.
2. There are the most people at the centre on Fridays.
3. There is an information centre on the same floor as the cinema.
18
Incorrect
4. The nightclubs are next to the swimming pool.
5. Students pay less for afternoon performances at the cinema than
evening performances.
6. The centre has its own hotel.
7. The maximum number of people in a boat is six.
8. It is forbidden to ride hired bicycles outside the park.
9. Each level of the car park has different coloured signs.
10. The bus journey from the railway station takes fifteen minutes.
1.2 There are many words which are similar in English and Spanish. Here are five of
them, in Spanish. Find the English word in the text.
Ej. ofrece
offers
1. lagos
2. escalera mecánica
3. especializados
4. reducidos
5.servicio
19
Reading 2: Welcome to Stevening
The town offers excellent accommodation at all prices. You can stay in a simple but comfortable
family home or small guesthouse, or try the international dining room and beautiful rooms at the Grand
Hotel. You can book a room by phoning or emailling the owner. You can get a list from the Tourist
Information Office in St Hugh’s Square, which is open between 9 and 5 on weekdays.
For a small fee, the staff can make reservations while you wait.
There is also a campsite near the town. Space is usually available for small tents, but large groups
should contact the manager in advance to check that there will be room for them.
Stevening has two main shopping areas, the new Stevening Mall, and the traditional market area,
which includes St Hugh’s Square and several attractive narrow streets around it. Please note that
motor vehicles are only allowed into the Square between 7am and 9am. The Mall has over forty
shops, including a department store, clothes shops for all ages, sports shops, a chemist, and a
supermarket.
For sport, visit the Stevening Leisure Centre, which offers indoor tennis, volleyball, and a fitness
centre. You can pay for a half day, or join the Sports Club, which allows you to use the facilities all
day for no charge and at a special discount in the evenings.
The swimming pool is open from May to September. Classes are held in the pool between 3 and 5
every afternoon except Sundays. Details of courses are available at the Leisure Centre, but it is only
possible to book a course at the pool office.
From Stevening, it is easy to visit a number of places of interest. The peace of the Kerrow Hills is a
short free bus ride from the town centre. Maps can be obtained from the Tourist Information Office.
Keen walkers may climb up Kerrow Mountain, but less active visitors can also enjoy the wonderful
views by taking the little train which stops just below the top of the mountain and walking the last few
metres.
2.1 Read the text above to decide if each sentence below is correct or incorrect.
Correct
1. There is a good variety of places to stay in Stevening.
2. The Tourist Information Office charges for booking rooms.
3. You can rent a tent at the campsite.
4. There used to be a traditional market where Stevening Mall is now.
5. You cannot park outside the Tourist Information Office after 9am.
6. You can buy medicine in the Mall.
7. If you join the Sports Club, it is cheaper during the evening than
during the day.
8. You can register for swimming lessons at the Leisure Centre.
9. You must buy a ticket for the Kerrow Hills bus at the Tourist
Information Office.
10. The train stops near the top of Kerrow Mountain.
20
Incorrect
2.2 These people want to visit Stevening. Where should they stay? What should they
do? Make suggestions.
1. Julia likes to stay in expensive hotels. Where should she stay?
2. Boris and Vlad are backpacking around the country and don’t have much
money. They have a tent. Where should they stay?
3. Stephanie and Mike like shopping for the latest clothes. Where should they
go?
4. Anna wants to travel around the area, but can’t walk very well. How can she
see views of the area?
21
Week 7: 28 April-2 May 2014
Reading 1: The Art of Travel
The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton
The old saying 'It's better to travel than to arrive' is usually understood as an attack on destinations
rather than a positive statement about travel. Indeed, people are always complaining about the horrors
of travelling: crowded airports, overbooked flights, cancelled and dirty trains. However, I believe there
are some unusual pleasures in the journeys we make.
Take the aeroplane, for example. Few seconds in life are more exciting than those during take-off.
Waiting at the beginning of a runway, we see familiar locations out of the plane window: grass, a road,
modern hotels - the Earth as we have always known it, where we make slow progress even by car. Then
suddenly, accompanied by the controlled noise of the engines, we rise smoothly into the sky and a
huge space opens up for us, where we can imagine new possibilities in our lives.
Trains are another wonderful travel environment. I love the atmosphere of half-empty carriages
making their way across the countryside: enjoying the silence inside and the regular beat of the wheels
against the track outside. A train journey can be like a dream, where we become involved in different
thoughts and are able to recall distant memories. There's nothing like a moving train to encourage the
mind to perform properly. Thinking can even improve when parts of the mind are busy with other
tasks, like listening to music or following a line of trees.
If we are attracted to air or train travel despite their disadvantages, it is perhaps because we feel that
these experiences provide an important alternative to the habits and limitations of our ordinary world.
1.1 Choose the right answer.
1
What is the writer's main purpose in writing the text?
A.
B.
C.
D.
2
What does the writer say about travelling by air?
A.
B.
C.
D.
3
He finds the delay before take-off annoying.
He enjoys the feeling of freedom it gives.
He prefers it to driving: despite the time taken.
He wishes the engines were much quieter.
When the writer travels by train, he likes to
A.
B.
C.
D.
4
to disagree with an accepted saying
to complain about modern transport
to explain his ideas about travelling
to describe an unusual train journey
spend much of the journey asleep.
sit in a completely empty carriage.
admire the countryside along the way.
Iisten to the movement of the wheels.
According to the writer, a train journey is good for us because
A. it encourages us to remember certain things.
22
B. it allows us to forget about our daily problems.
C. it lets our minds concentrate on a single idea.
D. it offers us the chance to be totally relaxed.
1.2 Choose the best meaning for the following words from paragraph 1.
Ej. better
a) mayor
b) mejor
c) máximo
1. complaining
a) queja
b) quejumbroso
c) quejándose
2.crowded
a) muchedumbre
b) lleno de gente
c) amontonamiento
3.overbooked
a) reservado
b) sobrevendido
c) minimo de reservas
4.unusual
a) raro
b) maravilloso
c) excepcional
1.3 Circle True or False.
1. The author first said, “It is better to travel than to arrive.”
True
False
2. “Take the aeroplane”: The author means that we should always travel
by plane.
True
False
3. The author loves travelling by train.
True
False
4. The author thinks the ordinary world puts limits on us.
True
False
23
Reading 2: How working long hours can damage your health
How working long hours can damage your health
We all know how we feel if we have missed a
night’s sleep, or only had an hour or two of
sleep. Simply put, we don't function well. We
are groggy, weak...and detached from reality as
we understand it. Therefore, it is not hard to
imagine how working long hours with little, no
sleep or too much sleep can affect the body.
This organic stimulant can be very addictive and
also contribute to insomnia, jittery nerves, and
heart palpitations.
With the stress associated with working long
hours comes the most common addiction: food.
We've all heard of 'comfort' food. When
stressed, people eat more. Also, with long work
hours, workers don't have the chance to sit down
to a good meal and end up eating a lot of
overprocessed fast foods, further damaging their
health.
Without proper rest or deep sleep, the body
becomes overstressed. So working long hours
can cause sleeplessness, as the body is too
wound up from the long hours, gets overtired,
and wants to continue doing things. Disruptions
to normal sleeping patterns and abnormal sleepcycles can damage health, leading to a weaker
immune system, higher blood pressure, and
more aches and pains as the body gets more
tired.
In addition, without adequate rest, the risk of
accidents – both in the workplace, and when
travelling to and from work – increases, as the
tired brain is not alert enough.
Everybody occasionally has to work long hours.
If short-lived, the impact is usually minimalalthough still felt. But we need to make sure that
we don’t work long hours all the time.
When people are stressed, they usually make
bad health choices: overeating, smoking, even
possibly drinking, and in extreme cases, taking
drugs. Many people who work long hours also
depend on caffeine to keep themselves going.
[Modified from http://www.helium.com/items/1799118-how-working-long-hours-can-damage-yourhealth on 3 November 2012.]
2.1 Choose the right option.
1. If we don’t get enough sleep, we
a) work long hours
b) can’t work well
c) feel energised at work.
2. Caffeine can
a) make it harder to sleep
b) calm people down
c) stimulate organs.
3. People eat more when stressed because
a) it makes them feel good
b) they sit down to a good meal
c) they can buy fast food
24
4. We should make sure we don’t work long hours
a) to make our lives shorter
b) to stay healthy
c) to eat comfort food.
2.2 Circle True, False, or Doesn’t say, according to the article.
1. We should miss a night’s sleep, according to the article.
True
False
Doesn’t say
2. When you are overtired, you can’t sleep.
True
False
Doesn’t say
3. People overeat and smoke too much when they are relaxed.
True
False
Doesn’t say
4. Too many people are caffeine addicts.
True
False
Doesn’t say
5. Workers usually eat too much junk food.
True
False
Doesn’t say
6. People have more accidents if they haven’t rested enough.
True
False
Doesn’t say
25
Week 8: 5-9 May 2014
Reading 1: An intelligent jacket
France Telecom R&D, the research and development centre for France Telecom, has recently
designed a 'communicating' jacket, which can be used in the same way as a hands-free mobile phone.
The jacket provides the normal features of a mobile phone without a screen or keypad. The pieces of
the extra-flat telephone, weighing 100g, are hidden inside the jacket, the number keys are inside the
front edge, and the microphone is in the collar. The user presses the star button to get the dial tone or
to hang up, and the caller simply says the name of the person to call, or else dials the number on the
keypad part of the jacket.
France Telecom R&D is testing the jacket in real situations, to see what possible users think of it.
These tests involve professional people working outside the office (on outdoor projects, for example),
non-professional athletes, as well as teenagers and young college students.
The results will help France Telecom R&D to improve the jacket's design. The centre has contacted
clothing manufacturers interested in using the new technology.
Future possibilities include new ways to inform the user of an incoming call. One way heats the
material of the jacket near the skin to tell the user there is a call - for use in very noisy environments.
Developments like these are likely to prove attractive in many situations.
1.1 Read the text and for each question, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D.
1 Why has the writer written the text?
a.
b.
c.
d.
to persuade people to buy the new jacket
to find out what readers think about the new jacket
to tell readers about a new development
to inform readers that mobile phones are no longer necessary
2 What does the reader find out about the jacket from the text?
a.
b.
c.
d.
It has a special place to keep a mobile phone.
It only weighs 100 grams.
It contains different parts of a mobile phone.
It can be folded up flat.
3 To finish a call, you
a.
b.
c.
d.
press a number on the keypad.
say out loud that you want to end the call.
hold the front edge of the jacket.
press a button on the jacket.
4 According to the writer, the jacket
a.
b.
c.
d.
will offer benefits to some users.
could not be used in the real world.
has already attracted the fashion industry.
is suitable for very cold climates.
5 Which of these people would be most likely to use the jacket?
a.
b.
c.
d.
a businessman in a meeting
a manager on a building site
an office worker based at home
a keep fit instructor in a gym
26
1.2 Where are each of these features of the phone to be found in the jacket?
1. the pieces
2. the number keys
3. the microphone
1.3 Answer the questions.
1. Who are the possible users of the jacket?
2. What is one new way to inform users of an
incoming call?
3. Would you wear a communicating jacket?
Why?
27
Reading 2: The travel choices of young adults
The topic of travel at the stage when teenagers
become old enough to drive, go to university, or start
a job has received little public or government
attention. Yet it is essential to encourage young
adults to make sensible choices, given that traffic is
becoming worse and worse.
example, that cycling is seen as a childish activity,
although a general cycling culture in Oxford and
Cambridge encourages students there to use bikes.
Some British universities have banned students from
bringing cars on site and instead provide buses to
important destinations. One university even has
special night buses with security guards on board,
picking students up from nightclubs as late as 3 a.m.
In Britain, a lot of young people start using family cars
or running their own car as soon as they can. It’s
easy to see why. In their early teens, many have
depended on the car and know the disadvantages of
bus and rail travel from personal experience. By
contrast, teenagers are given a positive view of driving
through TV advertising, and know nothing about the
problems of car use.
Not everyone wants to join their friends and own a
car, even though parents often offer to pay for driving
lessons. Many cannot afford to buy one, while a
growing number are against cars altogether, saying
what they produce is bad for the environment.
Whatever their opinion, one thing is certain: travel
habits are hard to break, so young adults need to be
shown which transport choices will be sustainable
over the next twenty years.
Traditional attitudes to transport do often change once
young adults move to new places and meet new
people, such as at university. Research suggests, for
2.1 Circle the correct choice.
1. Why has the writer written this text?
a) to complain about the attitudes of today’s youth
b) to discuss an issue that is important for young people
c) to explain why so many students travel around
d) to describe the various benefits of owning a car
2. The writer thinks that many British children
a) enjoy travelling to school by bus or by train.
b) learn about the negative side of cars from their parents
c) grow up feeling that a car is essential in their lives
d) are annoyed by car advertisements on television.
3. What does the writer say about transport choices at British universities?
a) Travelling by bus at night is unsafe at one particular university.
b) Cycling isn’t considered a suitable form of transport at any university.
c) There aren’t enough buses at universities where cars are prohibited.
d) When they reach university, many students reconsider how they travel.
4. According to the writer, more young people are refusing to drive because
a) they believe that pollution caused by cars is dangerous.
b) they don’t have enough money to keep a car on the road
c) their parents persuade them it is unnecessary to learn
d) their friends are able to give them lifts everywhere
28
5. What advice would the writer give to someone of 18?
a) You’ve managed to get through life without a family car, like most families. Carry on using your
bike, it’s safer.
b) Why don’t you learn to drive before you start at university? It’s possible to take a car on site at all
universities.
c) Although a car might be convenient to you now, you must think about the future before you choose
whether to get one or not.
d) Don’t worry about saving for a car, you can continue to depend on the bus like you always have!
2.2 Choose the correct phrases from the text to translate the following Spanish
phrases into English.
1. suficientemente grande
2. esta empeorando
3. lo mas antes que puede
4. en contraste
5. no saben nada
6. por ejemplo
7. han prohibido
8. recogiendo alumnos
29
Week 9: 12-23 May 2014
Reading 1: Simplify your life
Years ago, a cigarette commercial asked if you
were smoking more, but enjoying it less.
more things they bought, the less they valued
any one of them. Carried to an extreme, he
predicted massive boredom in the midst of
tremendous variety. That was more than twenty
years ago, and his prediction seems more
accurate every year.
That describes the way many of us live today.
We are doing more, but enjoying it less.
And when that doesn’t work, we compound
the problem. In our frantic search for
satisfaction, we try stuffing still more into our
days, never realizing that we are taking the
wrong approach. The truth is simple; so simple it
is hard to believe. Satisfaction lies with less, not
with more.
Lindman of course, is not the first to discover
this. The writer of Ecclesiastes expressed the
same thought thousands of years ago. It is
better, he wrote, to have less, but enjoy it more.
If you would like to enjoy life more, I challenge
you to experiment with me. How could you
simplify your life? What could you drop? What
could you do without? What could you stop
pursuing? What few things could you
concentrate on?
Yet, we pursue the myth that this thing, or that
activity, will somehow provide the satisfaction
we so desperately seek.
Arthur Lindman, in his devastating book, “The
Harried Leisure Class,” described the futility of
pursuing more. His research focused on what
people did with their leisure time. He found that
as income rose, people bought more things to
occupy their leisure time. But, ironically, the
The more I learn, the more I realize that fullness
of life does not depend on things. The more I
give up, the more I seem to gain. But words will
never convince you. You must try it for yourself.
[Copyright 1990 Dr. Merrill Douglass/Time Management Corporation. Downloaded 25 September 2013 from
http://www.miguelmllop.com/practice/intermediate/readingcomprehension/readingcompindex.htm]
1.1 Circle True or False, based on the reading above.
1. Most people enjoy their lives less today.
True
False
2. The more you have, the more satisfied you are.
True
False
3. Arthur Lindman researched what people did in their free time.
True
False
4. Arthur Lindman was the writer of Ecclesiastes.
True
False
5. The writer wants us to give up things to have a fuller life.
True
False
1.2 Circle the word which has the same meaning.
1. commercial
a) business
b) commerce
c) advertisement
2. compound
a) increase
b) mix
c) decrease
3. myth
a) fact
b) story
c) novel
4. devastating
a) destructive
b) chaotic
c) wonderful
5. challenge
a) encourage
b) dare
c) suggest
6. pursuing
a) chasing
b) making
c) doing
7. gain
a) increase
b) get
c) collect
30
Reading 2: Britain’s first tea plantation
High above the River Fal in south Cornwall, a
team of gardeners is preparing to grow a
much-loved plant for the first time
commercially in Britain. On the Tregothnan
Estate, fields that were once used to grow
potatoes, carrots and peas have become the
home of Britain's first tea plantation.
Green tea, which is said to lower cholesterol,
reduce high blood pressure and prevent
certain illnesses, is far more expensive than
black tea, while the even rarer white tea can
be sold for ten times the price of black tea. If
all goes well, apart from producing the usual
dried tea in packets, the Tregothnan Estate
also aims to introduce fresh leaves, which are
believed to have additional health benefits, for
sale at supermarkets up and down the
country. 'The tea from around the world that
reaches the supermarkets at the moment is
nine months old, but we could get green tea
on their shelves within 24 hours,' says Mr
Jones.
In 1999, Tregothnan staff were unsure
whether they could grow tea, so they planted
five hundred tea plants. They are growing well
and there are now plans to cover the hillsides
with different varieties of tea all the way down
to the river by 2005. This part of the country
has a suitable climate for growing tea and
because the fields face south, Jonathan
Jones, Tregothnan's head gardener, is
especially hopeful: 'We think we've got the
perfect conditions,' he says, and he should
know, because he has just spent three months
visiting tea plantations throughout Asia,
Australia and Africa, on a research trip.
Tea has to be grown for six years before it can
be picked for sale, which means that
Tregothnan staff will have to wait until 2005 to
know whether their efforts have been
successful. However, leaves that were picked
after three years suggest that these particular
plants do produce a light, refreshing and very
drinkable green tea. Stephen Twining, the
tenth generation of the Twining family to work
for the famous tea firm, is positive: 'We do
think there's a market for this tea and provided
the quality is there, we'd consider having it in
stock in our specialist tea shop.' Twinings has
seen its sales of green tea increase by 43 %
this year.
Of course, no one is doubting the demand for
the product. 'The British are the biggest tea
drinkers in the world apart from the Irish,' Mr
Jones says. 'We drink on average three cups a
day, so it makes perfect sense to grow it here.'
However, it is not the commonly used black
tea that will be grown, but green and white tea.
For such special tea, the market is growing by
25% a year, with some 10% of tea drinkers
having tried it.
2.1 Read the text about growing tea in Britain and decide if each sentence is correct or
incorrect.
1 Vegetables used to be grown on the Tregothnan estate.
Correct
Incorrect
2 The first tea plants at Tregothnan were introduced as an experiment.
Correct
Incorrect
3 The next fields to be planted with tea are on flat land.
Correct
Incorrect
4 Jonathan Jones has been able to learn about growing conditions in
different countries recently.
Correct
Incorrect
5 Jonathan Jones suggests that British people drink more tea than
anyone else.
Correct
Incorrect
6 Green tea is a more valuable product than white tea.
Correct
Incorrect
7 The Tregothnan Estate wants to supply its tea in different forms
commercially.
Correct
Incorrect
8 Jonathan Jones believes that tea produced at Tregothnan would be
fresher than imported tea.
Correct
Incorrect
31
9 Some tea plants at Tregothnan will be ready for commercial use
before 2005.
Correct
Incorrect
10 A well-known British tea company is interested in ordering some
Tregothnan tea for its own shop.
Correct
Incorrect
2.2 Answer the questions.
1. Where is the Tregothnan estate?
2. What is Jonathan Jones’ job?
3. What are the health benefits of drinking
green tea?
4. What company does Stephen Twining work
for?
32
Week 10: 26-30 May 2014
Reading 1: Language learning makes the brain grow
Language Learning Makes the Brain Grow, Swedish Study Suggests
ScienceDaily (Oct. 8, 2012) — At the Swedish
Armed Forces Interpreter Academy, young
recruits learn a new language at a very fast
pace. By measuring their brains before and after
the language training, a group of researchers
has had an almost unique opportunity to
observe what happens to the brain when we
learn a new language in a short period of time.
"We were surprised that different parts of the
brain developed to different degrees
depending on how well the students
performed and how much effort they had had
to put in to keep up with the course," says
Johan Mårtensson, a researcher in
psychology at Lund University, Sweden.
Students with greater growth in the
hippocampus and areas of the cerebral
cortex related to language learning (superior
temporal gyrus) had better language skills
than the other students. In students who had
to put more effort into their learning, greater
growth was seen in an area of the motor
region of the cerebral cortex (middle frontal
gyrus). The areas of the brain in which the
changes take place are thus linked to how
easy one finds it to learn a language and
development varies according to
performance.
At the Swedish Armed Forces Interpreter
Academy in the city of Uppsala, young people
with a flair for languages go from having no
knowledge of a language such as Arabic,
Russian or Dari to speaking it fluently in the
space of 13 months. From morning to evening,
weekdays and weekends, the recruits study at a
pace unlike on any other language course.
As a control group, the researchers used
medicine and cognitive science students at
Umeå University -- students who also study
hard, but not languages. Both groups were
given MRI scans before and after a three-month
period of intensive study. While the brain
structure of the control group remained
unchanged, specific parts of the brain of the
language students grew. The parts that
developed in size were the hippocampus, a
deep-lying brain structure that is involved in
learning new material and spatial navigation,
and three areas in the cerebral cortex.
Previous research from other groups has
indicated that Alzheimer's disease has a later
onset in bilingual or multilingual groups.
"Even if we cannot compare three months of
intensive language study with a lifetime of
being bilingual, there is a lot to suggest that
learning languages is a good way to keep the
brain in shape," says Johan Mårtensson.
Lund University (2012, October 8). Language learning makes the brain grow, Swedish study suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October
12,2012 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121008082953.htm
1.1 Choose True or False.
1. All Swedish soldiers have to learn a new language.
True
False
2. The recruits study the language all day, every day.
True
False
3. The recruits also study medicine at Umea University.
True
False
4. Four parts of the brains of the language learning recruits grew.
True
False
5. The researchers could tell who had tried hardest to learn by looking
at their brain development.
True
False
6. Students with hippocampus growth spoke more proficiently.
True
False
7. Bilinguals don’t suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.
True
False
8. Study a language every three months to keep the brain in shape.
True
False
33
1.2 Answer the questions.
1. How many months do recruits spend learning
a language?
2. How long did the cognitive science students
study for?
3. Where does Johan Mårtensson work?
4. What did greater growth of the hippocampus
show?
34
Reading 2: Differences between writing in Spanish and writing in English
the idea to take home is “one thought per
sentence.” Use a full stop when you want to
introduce a new idea, not a comma.
What is considered good writing in one
language is often not considered good writing
in another language. Knowing the differences
between the rhetorical styles of the two
languages will help the writer of Spanish who
needs to write in English. So, what are some of
the differences between Spanish and English?
A third difference between writing in Spanish
and English can be seen in the repetition of
keywords. Keywords indicate the main topic of
the piece of writing. The repetition of keywords
keeps the central argument moving in a direct,
progressive, line. Less repetition of keywords
means that there are more digressions in the
text. Writing in English demands more internal
coherence, that is, that the sentences all
further the main argument. This means that
English writers tend to repeat the keywords
more than writers writing in Spanish.
First, writers in English tend to use list words
more. They tend to use words like “first”,
“second”, “next”, and “lastly” to structure their
writing, to move from point to point, and to help
the reader position him/herself within the text,
and be aware of where they are when reading.
Spanish writers tend to use fewer – but longer
– sentences. The sentences include a number
of digressions, and are more elaborate and
ornate, with a greater use of metaphor and
flowery language. It is more common to see
paragraphs that consist of just one sentence in
Spanish writing.
For the Spanish writer
interested in improving their writing in English,
In summary, if you want to be considered a
good writer when writing in English, keep your
sentences short and simple (the KISS rule for
English), use list words, and stick to one
thought per sentence!
2.1 Choose True or False.
1. Writing styles are different between Spanish and English.
True
False
2. List words help the writer position themselves.
True
False
3. Long sentences are common in Spanish.
True
False
4. Keywords are not repeated in Spanish writing.
True
False
5. There are more arguments in English writing.
True
False
2.2 Complete each sentence with at least two different ideas.
1. Writers in English use list words to:
2. Spanish writers’ sentences are:
3. _____________ writers repeat keywords more than _______________ writers.
35
Week 11: 2-6 June 2014
Reading 1: The western alphabet
The western alphabet, which is used in Europe,
the Americas, Africa, Australia and New Zealand
as well as in other countries, originated in the
Middle East. The people who gave the world this
alphabet were the Phoenicians, a people who
established colonies all over the Mediterranean,
including Carthage in Africa and Gades in Spain.
In their alphabet, the letters were represented by
little pictures which represented sounds. The
Phoenician A was aelph, which means "bull", and
it was made from a little picture of a bull's head.
The letter B was beth which meant "house", and
showed the round-roofed buildings which you
can still see today in Syria.
and traded. The Greeks also started to use the
Phoenician alphabet. They changed the names
so aelph and beth became alpha and beta. The
shapes of the letters are the same but they have
been turned sideways. If you know any Greek,
you can try turning the letters around again, and
see how they look. You will see that the curve on
the right of the Greek A becomes the horns of a
little bull.
Of course, the first two letters of the alphabet
give it its name. Over the years there have been
changes. Latin developed an alphabet with some
different letters from the Greeks, and other letters
have been added since. But really westerners
are using the same system of writing which has
served them so well for thousands of years.
The Phoenicians had contact with another nation
of sailors, the Greeks, with whom they fought
1.1 Choose the correct answer.
1. What is the purpose of this text?
a)
b)
c)
d)
To tell something of Phoenician history.
To tell the story of why we write as we do.
To compare the western alphabet with other alphabets.
To describe the history of the letter A.
2. What change did the Greeks make to the Phoenician alphabet?
a)
b)
c)
d)
They changed the pictures to sounds.
They turned the letters in a different direction.
They completely altered the shape of the letters.
They put a curve on the letter B
3. Where did the Phoenicians come from originally?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Carthage
Gades
The Middle East
All over the Mediterranean
4. The information in this text is meant to be
a)
b)
c)
d)
Amusing
Practical
Interesting
Useful
1.2 Circle True or False.
1. The western alphabet was developed in the Americas.
True
False
2. The Phoenicians used to live in Spain.
True
False
3. The Phoenician alphabet used pictures to represent sounds.
True
False
36
4. The Phoenicians fought with the Greeks.
True
False
5. The Phoenicians turned the Greek letters sideways.
True
False
6. The Greek letter ‘alpha’ is a bull’s head, turned sideways.
True
False
7. The Latin alphabet is very different to the Greek alphabet.
True
False
37
Reading 2: Writing a better abstract
Abstract writing is a highly specialized form of
academic writing. It requires a clear and concise
writing style that conveys complicated
information in a limited amount of space.
Abstracts reach a broader audience than almost
any other form of academic writing.
Approximately 10 to 500 times more people will
read an abstract than the associated article or
attend a presentation.
Writing a good abstract
1. Be clear and brief. Write down what you want
to say. Then cut out unnecessary words. Keep
cutting the abstract down until it fits the word
limits. Ask a friend to read your abstract, and let
you know if it needs any changes.
2. Include all elements of the research article.
Write down one or two sentences covering each
section of your paper: topic and research
question, methods used, results or findings, and
conclusions and recommendations. Do not
summarise the literature review here – this can be
done in the article. Abstracts summarize your
key findings and should not waste space
discussing what others have found.
What is an abstract?
An abstract is a brief representation of a larger
document or presentation. Abstracts serve three
specific purposes. The first, and most important,
is to help the reader decide whether to read the
entire article. By writing an academic abstract,
you are not trying to trick someone into reading
your paper. You are trying to be as clear and
informative as possible, so that the reader knows
what to expect in the content of the paper.
Abstracts also summarize the findings of the
paper. Reading an abstract should give the reader
a clear indication of the importance of your
research. Positioned at the beginning of the text,
abstracts introduce readers to the content of your
article. Finally, academic search engines use the
contents of abstracts to find relevant articles. It is
essential to use key words specific to your
discipline, so that scholars can find your article
when looking for research in your field.
3. No new information. Do not include anything
in the abstract that is not discussed in the text.
4. Write the abstract last. Write the abstract after
you have finished writing your article. But take a
break first! Because abstracts are read by so
many, they need your best effort. If possible,
leave the text for a few days, then come back to it
and read it again. This will help you understand
the perspective of your intended audience. Read
over the paper and underline, highlight or take
notes on the key points of each section. Write
these up as your abstract.
[Downloaded (and modified) from http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/writing/gradhandouts/Academic%20Tasks%20-%20Abstract%20Writing%20%20Presentation.pdf on 3 November 2012.]
2.1 Answer True or False.
1. Abstracts are read by more people than other forms of academic
writing.
True
False
2. The second purpose of writing an abstract is to trick the reader.
True
False
3. Academic search engines search abstracts for relevance.
True
False
4. Abstracts don’t include literature reviews.
True
False
5. You should take a break after writing an abstract.
True
False
38
2.2 Choose the correct answer. (Note: There may be more than one correct answer.)
1. Some of the purposes of abstracts are:
a) to trick the reader into reading the article
b) to tell the reader what will appear in the article
c) to show how important the research is
d) to design academic search engines.
2. The word “brief” in point 1 means:
a) detailed
b) comprehensive
c) short
d) verbose
3. The abstract should:
a) say nothing new
b) include a literature review
c) be written over several days
d) be written by your audience
39
Week 12: 9-13 June 2014
Reading 1: The Job Interview
The interview is the most important part of getting a
job. You may be the most qualified candidate but, if
you do badly at the interview, you will not get the job.
No matter how strong a resume is, without a strong
interview, you won’t be hired. Proper preparation is
the difference between your interview going well and
going badly.
1. Plan Ahead - Research the company and the
position. Review your work experiences. Be ready
to support past career accomplishments with
specific information aimed at the company’s
needs. Have your facts ready!
2. Role Play - Once you have finished studying,
begin role playing (rehearsing). Write down
answers to make your presentation more concise.
Keep your answers specific to the information that
your new employer will want to know.
3. Eye Contact - Maintain eye contact with your
interviewer. Show you want the job with your
interest.
4. be Positive - Avoid negative comments about past
employers.
5. Adapt - Be sensitive to the style of the
interviewer. Pay attention to dress, office
furniture, and general décor: these will afford
helpful clues to assist you in tailoring your
presentation. For example, is the interviewer
wearing a suit and tie, or wearing jeans and a
button-down shirt? In the former case, this is a
very formal office. Use formal English and focus
on the question. The latter office will have a more
casual and relaxed style. In this situation, you can
choose to give more personal information (do not
get too personal, obviously!).
6. Relate - Relate your answers to the interviewer
and his or her company. Focus on achievements
relevant to the position.
7. Encourage – When you are asked a question, if
you are not sure how the workplace operates, ask
the interviewer questions to clarify the workplace
situation before answering.
8. Demonstrate your interest.
1.1 Match the Spanish with the English. (All the English words appear in the text
above.)
1. entrevista
a. clues
2. bien escrito / bien presentado
b. hired
3. contratado
c. strong
4. investigar
d. demonstrate
5. apoyar
e. interview
6. pistas
f. support
7. mostrar
g. research
1.2 Liam and Stella go for a job interview at XYZ Company. According to the article,
which person would get the job? Choose Liam or Stella for each of the situations
below.
1. Liam’s interview goes well. Stella’s is better.
Liam
Stella
2. Liam can relate his work experience to the requirements of the job.
Stella has more work experience, but hasn’t had time to research the
company.
Liam
Stella
3. The interviewer asks why each person left their last job. Liam says he
wanted to work for a bigger company. Stella says that her last boss was
jealous of her and didn’t promote her.
Liam
Stella
40
4. Liam wears a suit and a tie to the interview. Stella wears a simple
dress and sensible shoes. The interviewer is wearing jeans and T-shirt.
Liam
Stella
5. The interviewer asks them what they would do if they had a problem
with their boss. Liam says he would complain to his boss’s supervisor.
Stella asks how the company is structured, and then says that she would
talk to the boss’s supervisor.
Liam
Stella
41
Reading 2: Job interview questions
Types of interview questions
(Adapted from Mary E. Hayward, M.Ed. (1994)
1 Opportunity
questions
These questions give you a chance to show your skills and talents, and to
sell yourself for the job.
Opportunity questions invite you to make the connections between your
experience, education, skills, areas of expertise and the job description.
2 Rapport-building
questions
These questions are suited to establishing and building rapport throughout
the interview. Research shows that the most qualified candidate doesn’t
always get a job offer. The main reason is that someone else in the
candidate pool did a better job establishing rapport with the interview
committee. Use rapport-building questions to demonstrate your
communication skills, your sense of humour, ability to relate well to others,
and your listening skills.
3 Trick questions
These questions are designed to reveal your weaknesses. Examples of
trick questions include: What are your three greatest weaknesses? Or
What things did you and your supervisor disagree about?
Interviewers use these questions to see if they can uncover any major
problem areas in the candidate. Practice your answers carefully for
these questions. Remember, it is preferable not to lie, but you can choose
what information you want to share. There is no need to be 100% truthful!
2.1 Write the English word for the Spanish words below.
1. habilidades
2. entendimiento
3. capacitado
4. truco
5. debilidades
6. mentir
2.2 Put the questions in the correct category.
Opportunity Rapport
1. Why do you want to work for this company?
2. What’s the worst experience you’ve ever had in a
company?
3. What do you like to do in your free time?
4. Why do you think you are the best candidate for this
position?
5. Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with a work
colleague. What was it about, and how did you resolve it?
42
Trick
Answers
Week 1 Reading 1
1.1.1 Incorrect
1.1.2 Correct
1.1.3 Incorrect
1.1.4 Incorrect
1.1.5 Correct
1.1.6 Incorrect
1.2.1 d
1.2.2 a
1.2.1 three months ago
2.1.4 F
1.2.2 taking the computer to
the store
2.1.5 C
1.2.3 the store should
replace the computer
1.2.4 he will not recommend
the store, he will tell his
friends what happened
2.2a 400 years ago
2.2b cheerful
2.2c until the end
2.2d lost journey
Week 4 Reading 1
1.3.1 C
1.1.1 Correct
1.3.2 B
1.1.2 Correct
1.3.3 D
1.2.3 e
1.1.3 Incorrect
1.2.4 c
Week 2 Reading 2
1.1.4 Incorrect
1.2.5 b
2.1a True
1.1.5 Incorrect
1.3.1 a
2.1b False
1.3.2 c
2.1c True
1.2.1 Cape Town, South
Africa
1.3.3 c
2.1d False
1.3.4 b
2.1e False
1.2.2 9 minutes 13.57
seconds
1.2.3 In a motorcycle
accident
2.2.1 b
Week 1 Reading 2
1 a. look
2 b. divides
2.2.2 c
1.2.4 72
2.2.3 a
1.3.1 a
2.2.4 c
1.3.2 b
3 d. so
4 a. fast
Week 3 Reading 1
1.3.3 a
5 a. they
1.1.1 B
1.3.4 b
6 c. helpful
1.1.2 B
Week 4 Reading 2
7 d. such
1.1.3 C
8 c. to work
1.1.4 D
9 b. don’t mind
1.2.1 Monday
10 d. try
1.2.2 Yes
11 c. stronger
1.2.3 The father and
grandfather
12 a. Which
Week 2 Reading 1
2.1.1 Correct
2.1.2 Incorrect
2.1.3 Incorrect
2.1.4 Correct
1.2.4 In a corner of the
restaurant
1.1a heavy
Week 3 Reading 2
1.1b I am really tired of
2.1.1 B
1.1c rude
2.1.2 H
1.1d unless
2.1.3 D
2.1.5 Correct
2.2.1 d
2.2.2 a
2.2.3 e
2.2.4 c
2.2.5 b
Week 5 Reading 1
43
1.1.1 Incorrect
1.1.9 Incorrect
Week 7 Reading 2
1.1.2 Incorrect
1.1.10 Incorrect
2.1.1. B
1.1.3 Correct
1.2.1 lakes
2.1.2. A
1.1.4 Incorrect
1.2.2 escalator
2.1.3. A
1.1.5 Incorrect
1.2.3 specialized
2.1.4. B
1.1.6 Correct
1.2.4 reduced
2.2.1 False
1.2.1 American Idol
1.2.5 service
2.2.2 True
Week 6 Reading 2
2.2.3 False
1.2.2 four
1.2.3 It burned down
1.2.4 her best friend, Jessica
2.2.4 Doesn’t say
2.1.1 Correct
2.2.5 Doesn’t say
2.1.2 Correct
2.2.6 True
Week 5 Reading 2
2.1.3 Incorrect
2.1.1 Incorrect
2.1.4 Incorrect
Week 8 Reading 1
2.1.2 Incorrect
2.1.5 Correct
1.1.1. C
2.1.3 Correct
2.1.6 Correct
1.1.2. C
2.1.4 Incorrect
2.1.7 Incorrect
1.1.3. D
2.1.5 Correct
2.1.8 Incorrect
1.1.4. A
2.1.6 Correct
2.1.9 Incorrect
1.1.5. B
2.1.7 Correct
2.1.10 Correct
1.2.1 inside the jacket
2.1.8 Incorrect
2.2.1 the Grand Hotel
1.2.2 in the front edge
2.1.9 Correct
2.2.2 The campsite
1.2.3 in the collar
2.1.10 Incorrect
2.2.3 Stevening Mall
2.2.1 b
2.2.4 take a train up Kerrow
Mountain
2.2.3 a
Week 7 Reading 1
1.3.1 professionals on
outdoor projects, nonprofessional athletes,
teenagers and college
students
2.2.4 e
1.1.1. C
1.3.2 heat the jacket material
2.2.5 c
1.1.2. B
1.3.3 (your answer)
Week 6 Reading 1
1.1.3. C
Week 8 Reading 2
1.1.4. A
2.1.1. B
1.2.1 c
2.1.2. C
1.2.2 b
2.1.3. D
1.2.3 b
2.1.4. A
1.2.4 c
2.1.5. C
1.3.1 False
2.2.1 old enough
1.3.2 False
1.3.3 True
2.2.2 is becoming worse and
worse
1.3.4 True
2.2.3 as soon as they can
2.2.2 d
1.1.1 Incorrect
1.1.2 Correct
1.1.3 Incorrect
1.1.4 Incorrect
1.1.5 Correct
1.1.6 Incorrect
1.1.7 Correct
1.1.8 Correct
44
2.2.4 By contrast
2.2.5 know nothing
2.2.6 for example
2.2.7 (universities) have
prohibited
prevention of certain
illnesses
2.2.4 Twinings
1.2.2 True
1.2.3 True
1.2.4 True
Week 10 Reading 1
1.2.5 False
1.1.1. False
1.2.6 True
1.1.2. True
1.2.7 False
Week 9 Reading 1
1.1.3. False
Week 11 Reading 2
1.1.1 True
1.1.4. True
1.1.2 False
1.1.5. True
1.1.3 True
1.1.6. True
1.1.4 False
1.1.7. False
1.1.5 True
1.1.8. False
1.2.1 c
1.2.1 13 months
1.2.2 a
1.2.2 3 months
1.2.3 b
1.2.3 Lund University,
Sweden
2.2.8 picking students up
1.2.4 c
1.2.5 b
2.1.1. True
2.1.2. False
2.1.3. True
2.1.4. True
2.1.5. False
Week 9 Reading 2
2.1.1. Correct
2.1.2. Correct
2.1.3. Incorrect
2.1.4. Correct
2.1.5. Incorrect
2.1.6. Incorrect
Week 10 Reading 2
1.1.2 c
2.1.1. True
1.1.3 b
2.1.2. False
1.1.4 g
2.1.3. True
1.1.5 f
2.1.4. False
1.1.6 a
2.1.5.F alse
1.1.7 d
2.2.1 structure writing, move
from point to point, helf the
reader position themselves
1.2.1. Stella
2.1.8. Correct
2.1.9. Incorrect
2.2.3 English, Spanish
2.1.10. Correct
2.2.3 a
Week 12 Reading 1
2.2.2 longer, more elaborate,
more full of metaphors and
flowery language
2.1.7. Correct
2.2.2 c
1.2.4 that those students had
better language skills
1.2.6 a
1.2.7 b
2.2.1 b and c
1.1.1 e
1.2.2. Liam
1.2.3. Liam
1.2.4. Stella
1.2.5. Stella
Week 12 Reading 2
Week 11 Reading 1
2.1.1 skills
1.1.1. B
2.1.2 rapport
2.2.2 Head gardener at
Tregothnan Estate
1.1.2. B
2.1.3 qualified
1.1.3. C
2.1.4 trick
2.2.3 lower cholesterol,
reduced blood pressure,
1.1.4. C
2.1.5 weaknesses
1.2.1 False
2.1.6 (to) lie
2.2.1 above the River Fal,
south Cornwall, Britain
45
2.2.1. Opportunity
2.2.3. Rapport
2.2.2. Trick
2.2.4. Opportunity
46
2.2.5. Trick