This is just a reminder that you need to email me an introduction and a conclusion, adding
a) a brief statement of what the article is about;
b) include the title, copy and paste the introduction and the conclusion;
c) describe the strategy the author used to introduce the essay and to conclude it;
d) include the link to the article at the end.
The weekend is over and I've only received two practicos assigned last weekend. I hope you'll be emailing it before class on Thursday.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Samples of good writing from essays on video gaming
Two good introductions:
Typical of our culture is to make use of technology, especially computers, as a way of entertainment. And in this respect, video gaming is at the top of the list. Despite the widespread criticism it has attracted, there will always be defenders ready to point out a number of good reasons to go on playing without feeling any kind of remorse. (TN)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Have you ever imagined that a simple video game could ever become as real as life? Over the years, video games have increasingly developed into a widespread form of entertainment, and, while the characters and situations they present are made even more lifelike, the heated debate of its social impact is intensifying. (MM)
Two good discussion paragraphs:
First of all, video gaming starts as a form of entertainment, but it can become an addiction so the primary reason for playing is not fun anymore, but inner necessity. The consequence of becoming an addict is alienation and social isolation. This has become a main point of discussion since the mass public shootings occurred in the United States. The teenagers who killed their classmates were thought to have found inspiration in a very well-known video game. Therefore, video games can create addiction and promote violent behavior. (PC)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
There is a widespread idea that video games are very violent and that they are polluting gamers' minds. A lot of people think that playing violent video games might be bad for children, as it might turn them into violent adults. However, millions of people around the world play these games and the vast majority of them are very peaceful people and never pick up a gun in real life. The violence in video games after all is very crude, exaggerated, and cartoon like. It bears no relation to real life and people who play video games know this. Now, it is certainly true that if a slightly disturbed child plays these video games too much, he might become more violent, but then it is also true that sort of child would become violent if he watched a film or listened to heavy metal, or did any one of a number of other activities. Video games themselves cannot be blamed for causing people to act violently in real life. (AS)
Typical of our culture is to make use of technology, especially computers, as a way of entertainment. And in this respect, video gaming is at the top of the list. Despite the widespread criticism it has attracted, there will always be defenders ready to point out a number of good reasons to go on playing without feeling any kind of remorse. (TN)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Have you ever imagined that a simple video game could ever become as real as life? Over the years, video games have increasingly developed into a widespread form of entertainment, and, while the characters and situations they present are made even more lifelike, the heated debate of its social impact is intensifying. (MM)
Two good discussion paragraphs:
First of all, video gaming starts as a form of entertainment, but it can become an addiction so the primary reason for playing is not fun anymore, but inner necessity. The consequence of becoming an addict is alienation and social isolation. This has become a main point of discussion since the mass public shootings occurred in the United States. The teenagers who killed their classmates were thought to have found inspiration in a very well-known video game. Therefore, video games can create addiction and promote violent behavior. (PC)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
There is a widespread idea that video games are very violent and that they are polluting gamers' minds. A lot of people think that playing violent video games might be bad for children, as it might turn them into violent adults. However, millions of people around the world play these games and the vast majority of them are very peaceful people and never pick up a gun in real life. The violence in video games after all is very crude, exaggerated, and cartoon like. It bears no relation to real life and people who play video games know this. Now, it is certainly true that if a slightly disturbed child plays these video games too much, he might become more violent, but then it is also true that sort of child would become violent if he watched a film or listened to heavy metal, or did any one of a number of other activities. Video games themselves cannot be blamed for causing people to act violently in real life. (AS)
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Answer Key to Unit 1
Page 5
Exercise 2.
a.
Poor: penniless, poverty-stricken, improverished, badly off, broke, skint, hard up
Mean: stingy, tight-fisted, penny-pinching, miserly
Rich: wealthy, well off, prosperous, comfortable, loaded, affluent
c.
informal: stingy, loaded, tight-fisted, broke, skint, hard up
d.
noun forms: wealth, prosperity, stinginess, comfort, affluence
Exercise 3
1. To gain money by working / to gain money through a competition, etc. as a prize
2. An allowance given to children by parents / simple to earn
3. Set aside for the future; avoid wasteful spending / throw away money on silly things
4. Have cash in one's pocket, purse, etc. / be rich
5. Get value for money / support what you say with appropriate action
6. Money has power / money isn't in endless supply
Exercise 4
Loan: money lent that must be paid back
Grant: sum given by the state or company to pay for educational study
Expenses: money spent on necessary items
Rent: money paid weekly or monthly for accommodation
Mortgage: loan given by a bank, etc. to buy property
Interest: a charge for using borrowed money
Taxes: money paid to the government according to your income or property owned
Fee: amount paid for a professional service
Deposit: sum paid as security when buying, e.g. on credit
Profit: money gained from doing business
Salary: amount paid monthly by company to employee
Pension: weekly or monthly amount from the state or private company paid to retired people
Inheritance: money, property, etc. received from someone who has died
Fare: amount paid to travel on transport
Fine: a penalty for breaking rules / the law
Wages: weekly payment for work or services
Tip: payment left in a restaurant, etc. for good service
READING
Exercise 1
a.
Text A is about a woman winning a million pounds on a TV quiz show; it is from a newspaper.
Text B is from a leaflet or brochure about the services offered by a bank.
Text C is a magazine article about teenagers making money in e-business
Exercise 3
Text A:
Appeal: ability to please or interest
Scooping: winning
Sound: good, sensible
Gamble: to risk / to take a chance
Intensified: increased
Tidy sum: a considerable amount of money
Text B:
Account: sum of money kept by a customer with a bank
Key: means of using
Access: to use
Secure: safe
Excluding: apart from, not including
Text C:
Fortunes: great amounts of money
Bother: to annoy
Driven: motivated
Invention: new
Exercise 4
a.
Keppel's age; what she would have won if she'd answered the last question incorrectly; the number of hours per day various band services are available; the number of hours per week the teenage millionaires work
b.
Henry II; Businesscall; in the bath / launderette; Microsoft
Exercise 5
A. They were showing ads; Mrs Keppel was waiting in suspense.
B. Business people: your business finances, etc.
C. Don't misunderstand me; informal; kids, I'm, you.
GRAMMAR
Exercise 1
a.
Verbs + inf: expect, hope, offer, promise
Verbs + ing: avoid, consider, dislike, practice
b.
To inf: aim, afford, appear, choose, claim, dare, decide, fail, happen, intend, pretend, threaten, refuse, seem
-ing: admit, deny, fancy, mind, miss, resent, resist, risk, suggest
Exercise 2
a.
1. changed activity, continuation of the same activity
2. regret about what you're about to say, regret about a past action
3. stopped one action to do another, did not continue running
4. Will always remember something from the past, will remember to do something in the future
5. intended, entailed / involved
6. chooses to do, enjoys
7. the remembering before the action, the action before the remembering
8. attempted unsuccessfully, experimented to see if it helped the situation
9. heard part of the action, heard the whole action
Other verbs like Hear: see, watch, feel, notice, observe, overhear
Exercise 3
a.
1. taught my sister
2. helped her
3. pretended
4. agreed
5. caused it
6. hoped
7. wanted him
b.
The object is optional in 2 and 7. Without the object in 2, we do not know who the speaker helps. With the object in 7 he pays for the dress; without the object she pays.
Exercise 4
1. Us to work, sharing
2. Talking, to speak
3. Her to think, to look after
4. Setting, to spend
5. Me to take, me not to go
Exercise 5
1. She can't help eating chocolate whenever she is nervous.
2. He promised to love her forever.
3. They're opposed to oil companies increasing diesel prices again.
4. She can't afford to give her children presents.
5. I'd advise the manager to buy/buying eleven new players.
SPEAKING
Asking for clarification or repetition
Could you say that again, please?
I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that.
Additional expressions:
What was that again?
Sorry / Pardon?
I'm sorry, what did you say after… ?
Checking the listener understands
Do you see what I mean?
Is everything clear so far?
Additional expressions:
Are you with me?
Does that make sense?
Right / OK?
Giving clarification
Let me put it another way.
What I mean is…
Additional expressions:
The point I'm making is…
In other words…
That's to say…
Confirming understanding
Yes, that's quite clear.
Right, I've got that.
Additional expressions:
I see.
Right / OK
VOCABULARY
Exercise 1
2. a continuing or progressing b connecting
3. a moving away b ending or disconnecting
4. a failing b reducing
5. a moving inwards b participating
Exercise 2
1. In (moving inwards)
2. Up (increasing)
3. Off (disconnecting)
4. Up (finishing)
5. Down (failing)
6. Down (reducing)
7. On (progressing)
8. Up (finishing)
9. Off (moving away)
10. On (connecting)
IDIOMS
Exercise 1
Literally it means adjust their belts to a narrower waist; here it means to spend or use less money because they can't afford as much as before.
Idioms are expressions that are natural to a native speaker of a language and they are typically metaphorical (their meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual words). They make the speaker or writer's point clear and they are an economical way of getting the point across.
Exercise 2
1. Pay for everyone
2. Neither gain nor lose money
3. Pay 50% each
4. Set aside cash for future needs
5. Use some money already saved
6. Not have much money
The one which is not needed is return stolen money to its owner.
Exercise 3
1. To be rich: He's worth a fortune / They're rolling in it.
2. To waste money: Throw money down the drain / Spend money like water.
3. To have money problems: The company's in the red / He's living on the breadline.
4. To be charged a lot / too much: That cost us an arm and a leg / She paid through the nose for that. / I was ripped off.
EXAM FOCUS
Exercise 2
1. Bright (day): sunny / bright (pupil) / (look on the) bright (side): be cheerful
2. Grows (phrasal verb grow up: to mature; contrast: to become; idiom money grows on trees: money is in endless supply
3. Set (synonym: to assign; phrasal verb set up: to get something working; contrast: to prepare)
WRITING
Exercise 1
1. Style
2. Ideas
3. Ideas; together; paragraph
4. Order; paragraphs
5. Text
6. Comments; text; dislike
7. Text; vocab; linking
8. Length
9. Relevant
10. Errors; punctuation
Exercise 2.
a.
Poor: penniless, poverty-stricken, improverished, badly off, broke, skint, hard up
Mean: stingy, tight-fisted, penny-pinching, miserly
Rich: wealthy, well off, prosperous, comfortable, loaded, affluent
c.
informal: stingy, loaded, tight-fisted, broke, skint, hard up
d.
noun forms: wealth, prosperity, stinginess, comfort, affluence
Exercise 3
1. To gain money by working / to gain money through a competition, etc. as a prize
2. An allowance given to children by parents / simple to earn
3. Set aside for the future; avoid wasteful spending / throw away money on silly things
4. Have cash in one's pocket, purse, etc. / be rich
5. Get value for money / support what you say with appropriate action
6. Money has power / money isn't in endless supply
Exercise 4
Loan: money lent that must be paid back
Grant: sum given by the state or company to pay for educational study
Expenses: money spent on necessary items
Rent: money paid weekly or monthly for accommodation
Mortgage: loan given by a bank, etc. to buy property
Interest: a charge for using borrowed money
Taxes: money paid to the government according to your income or property owned
Fee: amount paid for a professional service
Deposit: sum paid as security when buying, e.g. on credit
Profit: money gained from doing business
Salary: amount paid monthly by company to employee
Pension: weekly or monthly amount from the state or private company paid to retired people
Inheritance: money, property, etc. received from someone who has died
Fare: amount paid to travel on transport
Fine: a penalty for breaking rules / the law
Wages: weekly payment for work or services
Tip: payment left in a restaurant, etc. for good service
READING
Exercise 1
a.
Text A is about a woman winning a million pounds on a TV quiz show; it is from a newspaper.
Text B is from a leaflet or brochure about the services offered by a bank.
Text C is a magazine article about teenagers making money in e-business
Exercise 3
Text A:
Appeal: ability to please or interest
Scooping: winning
Sound: good, sensible
Gamble: to risk / to take a chance
Intensified: increased
Tidy sum: a considerable amount of money
Text B:
Account: sum of money kept by a customer with a bank
Key: means of using
Access: to use
Secure: safe
Excluding: apart from, not including
Text C:
Fortunes: great amounts of money
Bother: to annoy
Driven: motivated
Invention: new
Exercise 4
a.
Keppel's age; what she would have won if she'd answered the last question incorrectly; the number of hours per day various band services are available; the number of hours per week the teenage millionaires work
b.
Henry II; Businesscall; in the bath / launderette; Microsoft
Exercise 5
A. They were showing ads; Mrs Keppel was waiting in suspense.
B. Business people: your business finances, etc.
C. Don't misunderstand me; informal; kids, I'm, you.
GRAMMAR
Exercise 1
a.
Verbs + inf: expect, hope, offer, promise
Verbs + ing: avoid, consider, dislike, practice
b.
To inf: aim, afford, appear, choose, claim, dare, decide, fail, happen, intend, pretend, threaten, refuse, seem
-ing: admit, deny, fancy, mind, miss, resent, resist, risk, suggest
Exercise 2
a.
1. changed activity, continuation of the same activity
2. regret about what you're about to say, regret about a past action
3. stopped one action to do another, did not continue running
4. Will always remember something from the past, will remember to do something in the future
5. intended, entailed / involved
6. chooses to do, enjoys
7. the remembering before the action, the action before the remembering
8. attempted unsuccessfully, experimented to see if it helped the situation
9. heard part of the action, heard the whole action
Other verbs like Hear: see, watch, feel, notice, observe, overhear
Exercise 3
a.
1. taught my sister
2. helped her
3. pretended
4. agreed
5. caused it
6. hoped
7. wanted him
b.
The object is optional in 2 and 7. Without the object in 2, we do not know who the speaker helps. With the object in 7 he pays for the dress; without the object she pays.
Exercise 4
1. Us to work, sharing
2. Talking, to speak
3. Her to think, to look after
4. Setting, to spend
5. Me to take, me not to go
Exercise 5
1. She can't help eating chocolate whenever she is nervous.
2. He promised to love her forever.
3. They're opposed to oil companies increasing diesel prices again.
4. She can't afford to give her children presents.
5. I'd advise the manager to buy/buying eleven new players.
SPEAKING
Asking for clarification or repetition
Could you say that again, please?
I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that.
Additional expressions:
What was that again?
Sorry / Pardon?
I'm sorry, what did you say after… ?
Checking the listener understands
Do you see what I mean?
Is everything clear so far?
Additional expressions:
Are you with me?
Does that make sense?
Right / OK?
Giving clarification
Let me put it another way.
What I mean is…
Additional expressions:
The point I'm making is…
In other words…
That's to say…
Confirming understanding
Yes, that's quite clear.
Right, I've got that.
Additional expressions:
I see.
Right / OK
VOCABULARY
Exercise 1
2. a continuing or progressing b connecting
3. a moving away b ending or disconnecting
4. a failing b reducing
5. a moving inwards b participating
Exercise 2
1. In (moving inwards)
2. Up (increasing)
3. Off (disconnecting)
4. Up (finishing)
5. Down (failing)
6. Down (reducing)
7. On (progressing)
8. Up (finishing)
9. Off (moving away)
10. On (connecting)
IDIOMS
Exercise 1
Literally it means adjust their belts to a narrower waist; here it means to spend or use less money because they can't afford as much as before.
Idioms are expressions that are natural to a native speaker of a language and they are typically metaphorical (their meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual words). They make the speaker or writer's point clear and they are an economical way of getting the point across.
Exercise 2
1. Pay for everyone
2. Neither gain nor lose money
3. Pay 50% each
4. Set aside cash for future needs
5. Use some money already saved
6. Not have much money
The one which is not needed is return stolen money to its owner.
Exercise 3
1. To be rich: He's worth a fortune / They're rolling in it.
2. To waste money: Throw money down the drain / Spend money like water.
3. To have money problems: The company's in the red / He's living on the breadline.
4. To be charged a lot / too much: That cost us an arm and a leg / She paid through the nose for that. / I was ripped off.
EXAM FOCUS
Exercise 2
1. Bright (day): sunny / bright (pupil) / (look on the) bright (side): be cheerful
2. Grows (phrasal verb grow up: to mature; contrast: to become; idiom money grows on trees: money is in endless supply
3. Set (synonym: to assign; phrasal verb set up: to get something working; contrast: to prepare)
WRITING
Exercise 1
1. Style
2. Ideas
3. Ideas; together; paragraph
4. Order; paragraphs
5. Text
6. Comments; text; dislike
7. Text; vocab; linking
8. Length
9. Relevant
10. Errors; punctuation
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Publication of your blog links
I've included a list of blog links here, but I never asked you if you would NOT like yours to appear on this list. If that is the case, all you have to do is let me know and your link will not be on this list. I'm sorry I did not ask before the publication :(
Sunday, April 15, 2007
New ground, new paths to tread on...
I've been reading some of the entries in your blogs and I'm amazed at how enriching the experience is. Thanks to this, you are no longer the anonymous face that sits in a classroom twice a week in front of me. You have become fully-fledged individuals. Each of us is a complex mixture of experiences, thoughts and an inner life that shapes our landscape as we keep hiking. I hope you experience the same as you read your classmates' blogs. Let me also encourage you to leave comments to one another as well. Keep up the good work!
Oral Presentation Rubric
Oral Presentations: Detailed Evaluation
1- Form: ________/22
____/4 Posture & Gestures
____/4 Eye contact & Facial Expression
____/4 Pitch of voice & Delivery Speed
____/3 Enthusiasm & (Positive) Attitude
____/3 Use of index cards
____/4 Use of audience feedback (eliciting
questions)
2- Content: _______/33
_____ (3) Choice of topic & Clarity of purpose
_____ (3) Outline presentation & Organization
_____ (4) Introduction & Thesis statement
_____ (2) Change signals for headings
_____ (3) Relevance of information
_____ (4) Analysis vs. Facts
_____ (4) Conclusion & Restatement of thesis
_____ (3) Memorization & Mastery
_____ (4) Interest arousal
_____ (3) References
3- Language: _______/25
_____ (5) Grammar & Sentence structure
_____ (5) Vocabulary & Expression
_____ (5) Coherence & Cohesion
_____ (5) Discourse cues & Transition words
_____ (5) Pronunciation
4- Visual Aids: _______/15
" Pictures
" Posters
" Charts or Maps
" Overhead
" Real objects " Slides
" Video or Tape
" PowerPoint
" Board use
" Handouts
5- Timing: ______/5
Total: 100
1- Form: ________/22
____/4 Posture & Gestures
____/4 Eye contact & Facial Expression
____/4 Pitch of voice & Delivery Speed
____/3 Enthusiasm & (Positive) Attitude
____/3 Use of index cards
____/4 Use of audience feedback (eliciting
questions)
2- Content: _______/33
_____ (3) Choice of topic & Clarity of purpose
_____ (3) Outline presentation & Organization
_____ (4) Introduction & Thesis statement
_____ (2) Change signals for headings
_____ (3) Relevance of information
_____ (4) Analysis vs. Facts
_____ (4) Conclusion & Restatement of thesis
_____ (3) Memorization & Mastery
_____ (4) Interest arousal
_____ (3) References
3- Language: _______/25
_____ (5) Grammar & Sentence structure
_____ (5) Vocabulary & Expression
_____ (5) Coherence & Cohesion
_____ (5) Discourse cues & Transition words
_____ (5) Pronunciation
4- Visual Aids: _______/15
" Pictures
" Posters
" Charts or Maps
" Overhead
" Real objects " Slides
" Video or Tape
" PowerPoint
" Board use
" Handouts
5- Timing: ______/5
Total: 100
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Clarification
- You may include your reading reports in your blog.
- Your blog IS your creative writing journal.
- As soon as you create your blog, email me the link, so that I can have access.
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