Unit 6On duty, off duty

AIMS S

At the end of this unit you will…

be able to play some games and chat about your hobbies and favourite pastimes, in particular culture-related activities like art and music, and sports.

be socially skilful and know how leaders behave. be able to communicate in a shop to buy/sell things. be able to organize a party or a celebration. be able to tell funny jokes. know how to support your speech/ texts with erudite quotations and popular

proverbs and idiomatic expressions. be able to talk about topics of social interest, such as drugs, the media and the

Internet and the Web. be able to prepare a public speech. be able to write informally and exchange email. know key aspects of India and South Africa.

WARM UPP

Describe the photograph on this page:

a) What are your favourite hobbies? Do you practise them in a formal, regular way?b) Do you prefer indoor to outdoor leisure activities?c) Do your partner, family and friends share your hobbies?d) What would you like to do in your free time that you do not do?

CONTENTS

TOPICS ORAL INTERACTION

, ORAL MEDIATION

LISTENING COMPREHE

NSION, ORAL

PRODUCTION

COMMUNICATIVE

FUNCTIONS

VOCABULARY GRAMMAR

REVIEW

READING COMPREHENSION

WRITING CULTURE

PROJECT

Leisure. Public and personal communication. Professional and social success.

Hobbies and pastimes (games, art, culture, shopping).Parties and celebrations.

Plosives.Mute sounds.Hobbies and pastimes (sports, music).

English humour.Jokes about work.Social success and leadership at work.

Sayings: quotations, proverbs and idiomatic comparisons.Theme parks.Drugs.The media.

Reported speech.

Holidays. Internet and the Web.

Informal writing.E-mail.Public speeches.

India. South Africa.

Preparing a memorable and erudite speech about an ethical issue.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

1. Listen to the following conversation between two friends talking about their respective hobbies (TRACK 53):

[…]J: Have you seen the Manchester United vs Chelsea match today?R: I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I thoroughly enjoyed it. What did you make of it?J: Man United was dominating until half time but in the second half, the match changed radically. R: I quite agree. Both goalkeepers had a hard time at times. It was painful to see the faces on the respective coaches, especially when the referee showed the ‘I don’t know how many’ yellow cards to their players. It was a draw in the end and in my opinion, a fair result. Mind you, since it was the Nadal-Federer’s final, I swapped to another channel because I didn’t want to miss it.J: Did you? Who won in the end?R: Nadal… I think Federer pulled a muscle towards the end… He was forcing his bad knee too much. They both deserved to win. It was a fair game, very gentlemanly.J: That’s how it should always be. R: Yeah… and we should practise more sports, or at least do some physical activity. It’s all very well judging others make all the effort from our comfortable sofas. It wouldn’t be so bad if it were just the footy, but I watch chat shows, game shows, soap operas, documentaries, the news, films… I should sell my telly and go cold turkey for a couple of months!J: I’m completely in agreement. I’ve been thinking about the fact that I’m turning into a real couch potato. The other day I did my back when I tried to lift a heavy box.R: Don’t you like doing any physical activity?J: I love cross-country walking, you know, trekking and all that. The problem is the time. I have so many work and family commitments…R: Tell me about it! I must admit I don’t like sports that much. I’m more into music, especially classical music: Renaissance, Baroque and Romantic. I used to play the cello.

J: I prefer modern stuff, like hip hop and garage music… Anyway, it’s a shame you gave it up. You were very good at it. You should try and join a band looking for a cello player.R: It’s not a bad idea. I still go to concerts, though. I might put an advert in the local newspaper when I finish the repair works I’m doing on my house.J: Oh, well, there you have a hobby, a physical activity and a way to save yourself a fortune. I’m useless at DIY.R: Well, when there’s a will, there’s a way…[…]

2. Answer the following questions from the previous dialogue:

a) What sport does R. prefer to watch: football or tennis?b) What was the football match like?c) Are they proud to be regular sport supporters?d) What other activities are mentioned and what problems do these two people find

to practise them?

ORAL MEDIATION

3. Pretend you are three friends playing a game and having a chat. One of you has difficulties at times understanding what is being said. Read the dialogue and help him out by paraphrasing the bits that he finds confusing (TRACK 54):

A: I’m bored out of my tree. Why don’t we play a game?B: A board game like chess, draughts, ludo…?A: No, I can’t be bothered to go downstairs to the game cabinet… We can play a guessing game.C: I don’t like hunting. I love animals and I’m a vegan. B: No, he means…C: Aaaaah.B: OK, you mean one of those games where one player asks questions to the others try to guess the famous person he’s thinking of?

A: Yes, but we could do it with artistic buildings, instead. I’ll start. Remember the rules. You can only ask yes-no questions to a maximum of five. B: OK, is it in Spain?A: Yes.B: Is it very old?A: Yes.B: Is it in Castile?A: No.B: Is it in Andalucia?A: Yes!B: Is it Arabic?C: Then if it is located in an Arabic country it is not in Andalucia!B: No, I mean…C: Aaaaaah, I thought… forget it. Let’s carry on.A: Yes!! You had your fir questions. You must have a guess now.B: The Alhambra?A: Well done!! How did you know?B: Oh, it’s my favourite Spanish monument. Did you know that “Alhambra” means “the red one” and that this palace cum fortress complex was built in the 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus? They were the last Muslim Emirs in Spain and belonged to the Nasriddynasty. After the “Reconquest” of the “Catholic Monarchs” in 1492, some portions were used by the Christian rulers, and in 157 The Palace of Charles V was built and inserted in the Alhambra within the Nasridfortifications. A disgrace, if you ask me. After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was "discovered" in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations commencing. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country's most significant and well known Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian buildings. It’s superb, really, and it’s not surprising that the Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the inspiration for many songs and stories.A: I didn’t realize that you knew so much about the Alhambra.B: Which is your favourite historical building?A: I’m more into drawing, painting and printmaking, rather than architecture or sculpture. I love going to museums to see the real pictures myself.C: I find royal portraits dead boring. I mean: who cares?A: Noooo, I mean…C: Aaaaah, that’s different.B: And which painter or which picture do you particularly like?A: I like many, but whenever I go to Madrid, I always visit Picasso’s Guernica at the Reina Sofia Museum of Modern Art.B: Picasso’s Guernica is one of the most visually stunning paintings in the world, and one that is best appreciated when viewed in person.At first glance, the painting looks like chaos – all hard lines, blunt angles, and cartoonish scenes of animals and people. But when you look at the details, you begin to see more. Here’s a woman, grieving for the child in her arms. There’s a fallen man, his broken sword lying beside him. The painting depicts the bombing of Gernika (in Basque Spain) during the Spanish Civil War. The Guernica takes up nearly an entire wall of the museum. It’s 11 feet tall and nearly 27 feet wide; it is simply massive. The museum holds four floors of modern, contemporary and post-impressionist art, from Picasso as well as other Spanish artists like Dali, Miro, and Munoz.

A: What a good way to spend your Saturday afternoon; there’s nothing like keeping your mind and your spirit in a continuous long-life learning process.C: I don’t like learning about alcoholic drinks. They’re no good for you.B: Noooo, he means…C: Aaaaaah.

COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTIONS

4. Humour.

There are many things you should know about humour. There are some aspects of it that are universal: everybody likes it and it makes people have an enjoyable time. However, to a certain extent it is possible to identify peculiarities in the sense of humour of nations and communities. And, as we saw on unit 3, be careful not to offend others For example, the Spanish have a tendency to overstatements and the English, to understatements and irony. And, of course, each individual has his/her own preferences!

Read the following American joke:

This is an actual job application a 17 year old boy submitted at a McDonald's fast-food establishment in Florida... and they hired him because he was so honest and funny!

NAME: Greg Bulmash

DESIRED POSITION: Company's President or Vice President. But seriously, whatever's available. If I was in a position to be picky, I wouldn't be applying here in the first place.

DESIRED SALARY: $185,000 a year plus stock options and a Michael Ovitz style severance package. If that's not possible, make an offer and we can haggle.

EDUCATION: Yes.

LAST POSITION HELD: Target for middle management hostility.

SALARY: Less than I'm worth.

MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT: My incredible collection of stolen pens and post-it notes.

REASON FOR LEAVING: It sucked.

HOURS AVAILABLE TO WORK: Any.

PREFERRED HOURS: 1:30-3:30 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL SKILLS?: Yes, but they're better suited to a more private environment.

MAY WE CONTACT YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER?: If I had one, would I be here?

DO YOU HAVE ANY PHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM LIFTING UP TO 50 LBS?: Of what?

DO YOU HAVE A CAR?: I think the more appropriate question in my case would be: "Do you have a car that runs?"

HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY SPECIAL AWARDS OR RECOGNITION?: I may already be a winner of the Publishers Clearing house Sweepstakes.

DO YOU SMOKE?: On the job no, on my breaks yes.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS?: Living in the Bahamas with somebody who thinks I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually, I'd like to be doing that now.

DO YOU CERTIFY THAT THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE?: Yes. Absolutely.

SIGN HERE: Aries.

5. What kind of humour do you have: blue, brown, white, black? Tell us a funny joke!

ORAL INTERACTION

6. Fill in the missing line of this dialogue with your own sentences. Then interpret the dialogue with other partners. Finally, compare your version with the transcription given (TRACKS 55 and 56):

R.: __________J.: Yes, I’m going to miss her. I think we should prepare a surprise goodbye party in the department.R.: __________J.: Everybody, including the admin staff, the technicians and the cleaning ladies.R.: __________J.: We could have it in the common room. We can send an email to the people asking who’d like to come. Once we have the whole list, each of us could be in charge of bringing something: food, drink, plastic cutlery…R.: __________J.: Of course. We could make a DVD with songs selected by each one of us, songs that we relate to her in some way for the style, the band or the lyrics. In fact, that could be our collective present!R.: __________J.: You’re probably right. Do you mind being in charge of collecting the money?R.: __________J.: Done. I’ve got an idea. She’s really into walking. Perhaps we could buy her a pair of walking boots. She mentioned the other day that she was in need of a new pair.

[A couple of weeks later at the big store]

Shop Assistant: Yes, how can I help you?R.: __________S.A.: Is it for a man or a woman? Do you know the size?J.: It’s for a woman, size 7.S.A.: Very well. There are all these models… How much do you want to spend?R.: __________S.A.: Sure, this is our best model. The quality is excellent. All leather, no stitches inside, waterproof. And see how light they are.J.: Oh, yes. I like them… what do you think?R.: __________S.A.: You won’t regret it, although I’ll give you the ticket in a little envelope in case your friend wants to exchange them for another model. Please come with me to the tilt. Are you paying cash or by credit card?J.: Cash, please.S.A.: 199 pounds, please.R.: __________S.A.: Thank you. One penny change, thank you.J.: Thank you. Goodbye.

7.Fill in the missing line of this dialogue with your own sentences. Then interpret the dialogue as if you were one of the friends (and one of the customers at the store). Finally, check your version against the transcription provided (TRACKS 57 and 58).

ORAL PRODUCTION

8. Plosives.

There are a few consonanticsounds, plosives, which differ from their Spanish counterparts: [p], [b], [m], [k] and [g]. They are similar in that two parts of your mouth: your upper lip and lower lip and your tongue body and soft palate – get in total touch, blocking the air for a brief period of time (see the two images below) The difference is that the air is released less abruptly in English. Try to imitate it by saying a word like “papa” very slowly.

Listen to the following words and try to imitate them:

PentagramBerryCatherineGladysMountain

Now try to identify if the following words are pronounced in English or in Spanish:

Mummy MamiBeirut BeirutCairo CairoSombrero SombreroPatio PatioMaria MaríaSan Francisco San FranciscoPasta PastaPlaystation Playstation

9. Mute sounds.

As you very well know by now, not every single sound that is written in English is pronounced. This happens with: “b, c, d g, gh, h, k, l, n, p, s, t, u, w”.

The pronunciation of /h/ is similar to that of Spanish /j/, although a lot softer. In fact, its sound reminds of the sound you make when you breath onto a lens to clean it. However, beware, because “h” is not always pronounced; it is mute sometimes. Listen to the following words (TRACK 59):

Henry hour hair heir horrible honour

Identify which of the following words have a mute “h”(try to do this activity without listening to the track; then if necessary use TRACK 60 as scaffolding):

how history what honest who whenhangover where herb whether why hesitation

10. Identify the sounds which are not pronounced in the following words (try to do this activity without listening to the track; then if necessary use TRACK 61 as scaffolding):

whom climb gave through knowledgeweigh muscle whose know sandwichdaughter Wednesday hope crumb drivewrite champagne foreign sign dumbisle feign thought right islandsite light guitar handkerchief pneumoniacomb whether knife write kneeknock calm half wrong guestsalmon talk would should autumnhymn psychiatrist aisle castle Christmasfasten listen guidance often whistlethistle guess wrap who nice

Look up all the words you don’t know!

VOCABULARY

11. Sayings: quotations, proverbs, and idiomatic comparisons.

It is very common to spice up your speech with famous quotations and popular sayings.

A quotation is a reference to an authority’s words. There are two types of quotations: direct and indirect. A direct quotation uses the exact words of an authority and must be identified in writing by using double quotes. An indirect quotation, or paraphrase, is a restatement of someone else’s words. You may phrase it in your own style. You do not need to use quotes but it needs to be documented (at least by mentioning its author).

Quotations are useful because they can provide efficient support to the point you are trying to make and also because you appear as a cultured, knowledgeable person. However, using too many quotations can make you sound pompous or presumptuous. Read the following quotations from Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), the Irish writer, well known for his wit and cynicism:

a) A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal. b) Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.c) America had often been discovered before Columbus, but it had always been hushed

up.d) Arguments are to be avoided; they are always vulgar and often convincing.e) At twilight, nature is not without loveliness, though perhaps its chief use is to

illustrate quotations from the poets. f) Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.g) Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.h) Genius is born--not paid.

i) I always like to know everything about my new friends, and nothing about my old ones.

12. Could you rephrase these quotations using your own words? As Oscar Wilde used to say…; As Gandhi would say…

13. Now read the following quotations about work and comment on them. Do you agree with them?:

Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC) One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that

one's work is terribly important.Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970), Conquest of Happiness You do your best work if you do a job that makes you happy.Bob Ross (1942 - 1995), Best of Joy of Painting, Winter Elegance Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.David McCullough (1933 - ) When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him: 'Whose?'Don Marquis (1878 - 1937) Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?Edgar Bergen (1903 - 1978), (Charlie McCarthy) Measure not the work until the day's out and the labor done.Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861) Getting fired is nature's way to telling you that you had the wrong job in the

first place.Hal Lancaster, in The Wall Street Journal

Do you know any memorable quotations? Do you normally quote others when you speak?

14. The element of language that best encapsulates a society's values and beliefs is its proverbs.This is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of a community. It is hardly ever possible to translate literally a proverb from one language into another one in a meaningful way, e.g., “That was the last straw that broke the camel’s back” does not mean much in Spanish. The Spanish equivalent: “That is the drop that filled the glass” is more obvious, even if it is not used by English natives. In English you say things like: “Time is money” (not “gold”) and “Time flies like an arrow” (not just: “time flies”). Proverbs are to a whole community what quotations are to single authors. You must not overuse them either.

Explain the meaning of the following:

a) A chain is only as strong as its weakest linkb) A change is as good as a restc) A drowning man will clutch at a strawd) A fish always rots from the head downe) A fool and his money are soon parted

f) A friend in need is a friend indeedg) A golden key can open any doorh) A good beginning makes a good endingi) A good man is hard to findj) A house divided against itself cannot standk) A house is not a homel) A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single stepm) A leopard cannot change its spotsn) A little knowledge is a dangerous thingo) A little learning is a dangerous thingp) A little of what you fancy does you goodq) A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his clientr) A miss is as good as a mile

15. The last type of saying that is highly community-specific is idiomatic comparisons. Let us see how many you know and whether you can try to learn some more. Complete these highly common idiomatic comparisons (there may be more than one possibility):

As mad as a As cold as As poor as a As brown as a As deaf as a As stiff as a As fresh as a As pretty as a As sound as a As proud as a As hungry as a As slippery as an As light as a As blind as a As obstinate as a As strong as an As old as the As happy as a As quiet as a As firm as a As sweet as a As big as aAs brave as a As tough as As clean as a As ugly as As white as a As dry as a As red as a As quick as a As bright as a As sober as a As soft as As cool as a As dead as a As good as As pale as a As black as

What percentage of these idioms coincide with the Spanish equivalents? What can you infer from this analysis about the respective societies?

READING COMPREHENSION

16. Read the following text on different nationals’ holiday habits:

Europeans may increasingly have things in common; however, their vacation preferences still differ greatly. While northern Europeans: Swedish, Norwegians, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Germans, etc. crave for a rest time on sandy sunny beaches, in safe locations with reliable infrastructures, others like the Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, and Greeks, people with deep roots who are quite used to beautiful beaches and warm weather, prefer either trips abroad or visiting relatives in quiet villages and towns inland where they visit their family and friends. It all depends on the depth of the roots and the size of the budget. Age is also a determining factor since young people are keen on adventurous holidays which only they are ready to have with low budget. You have to be young, at least at heart, to cope with the incommodities of camping, youth hostels, InterRail, and many other not so cushy forms of accommodation and travelling. There are many intermediate options for large families and groups such as renting a flat and sharing costs and everyday we hear about more unusual forms of organising your holidays: multiproperty, swapping houses, etc. Imagination to power!

Things are very different in non-European countries. For instance, the Japanese and Americans prefer cultural tourism in countries like France and Italy. This type of tourist is the most interesting one for the receiving country, since they leave so much more money where they go on a daily basis, in things like accommodation, restoration, presents, access to cultural sites and venues, etc., than others in three-month camping. Local authorities make a great effort to take care of security and infrastructure aspects in order to keep this type of tourists happy so that they come again the following year and they recommend it to other generous friends of theirs on their way back to their homes.

17. Answer the following questions about the text:

a) Which is the cheapest option for holidays?b) What type of tourists is preferred by the hosting community?c) Why is there so much national variety regarding vacation preferences?

18. Read the following slightly longer text about the Internet and how it developed from the 60s in the hands of visionary to Web 2.0:

Who was the first to use the Internet?Charley Kline at UCLA sent the first packets on ARPANet as he tried to connect to Stanford Research Institute on Oct 29, 1969. The system crashed as he reached the G in LOGIN!

Did Al Gore invent the Internet?According to a CNN transcript of an interview with Wolf Blitzer, Al Gore said, "During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet." Al Gore was not yet in Congress in 1969 when ARPANET started or in 1974 when the term Internet first came into use. Gore was elected to Congress in 1976. In fairness, Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf acknowledge in a paper titled Al Gore and the Internet that Gore has probably done more than any other elected official to support the growth and development of the Internet from the 1970's to the present .

The Internet was the result of some visionary thinking by people in the early 1960s who saw great potential value in allowing computers to share information on research and development in scientific and military fields. The Internet, then known as ARPANET, was brought online in 1969 under a contract let by the renamed Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) which initially connected four major computers at universities in the southwestern US (UCLA, Stanford Research Institute, UCSB, and the University of Utah).

The Internet was designed in part to provide a communications network that would work even if some of the sites were destroyed by nuclear attack. The early Internet was used by computer experts, engineers, scientists, and librarians. There was nothing friendly about it. There were no home or office personal computers in those days, and anyone who used it, whether a computer professional or an engineer or scientist or librarian, had to learn to use a very complex system. The Internet matured in the 70s and 80s. It became a lot easier for non-technical people to learn to use the nets. It was not easy by today's standards by any means, but it did open up use of the Internet to many more people in universities in particular. Other departments besides the libraries, computer, physics, and engineering departments found ways to make good use of the nets--to communicate with colleagues around the world and to share files and resources.

In 1991, the first really friendly interface to the Internet was developed at the University of Minnesota.

A current trend with major implications for the future is the growth of high speed connections. Wireless has grown rapidly in the past few years, and travellers search for the wi-fi "hot spots" where they can connect while they are away from the home or office. Many airports, coffee bars, hotels and motels now routinely provide these services, some for a fee and some for free. A next big growth area is the surge towards universal wireless access, where almost everywhere is a "hot spot". Municipal wi-fi or city-wide access, and other formats will joust for dominance in the USA in the years ahead. The battle is both economic and political.Another trend that is rapidly affecting web designers is the growth of smaller devices to connect to the Internet. Small tablets, pocket PCs, smart phones, ebooks, game machines, and even GPS devices are now capable of tapping into the web on the go, and many web pages are not designed to

work on that scale.As the Internet has become ubiquitous, faster, and increasingly accessible to non-technical communities, social networking and collaborative services have grown rapidly, enabling people to communicate and share interests in many more ways. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, YouTube, Flickr, Second Life, delicious, blogs, wikis, and many more let people of all ages rapidly share their interests of the moment with others everywhere.

19. Answer the following questions about the text:

a) What was the motivation of the early Internet developers?b) In what way has the Internet evolved in its 40+ years of existence? What is the trend these days in telematics communication?c) What is the foreseeable future of Internet connections?

COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTIONS

20. Being successful at work: the leader vs. ‘Mr. Nice’ guy.

People often say that men who are kind, considerate and steady are second rank at work (and in dating too!) to guys who are edgy, risk takers, abrasive, etc. Is that completely true? Do people really respect those who abuse them or are unfair to them?

An old definition of leadership is 'A leader is someone who has followers.' More modern definitions state that 'A leader is someone who empowers other leaders.' and that 'Leadership is the capacity to develop and sustain multiple key relationships toward a common purpose.' The following are considered to be the key properties of a leader:

Willingness to Self-Correct It is inherently difficult to reverse a train once it has left the station. It takes a combination of hard-headedness, humility, and courage to stop and say, ‘This isn’t working’. However, the entrepreneur’s inclination to self-correct stems from the attachment to a goal rather than to a particular approach or plan.

Willingness to Share Credit The more credit an entrepreneur shares for a certain achievement, the more people typically will want to help them. But this quality, like willingness to self-correct, also grows out of motivation. If an entrepreneur’s true intention is simply to make a change happen, then sharing credit will come naturally.

Willingness to Break Free of Established Structures Social entrepreneurs can cause change by redirecting existing organizations, although businesses are limited to marketing products and services for which it is possible to capture profits within a relatively short period of time.

Willingness to Work QuietlyMany social entrepreneurs spend decades steadily advancing their ideas, influencing people in small groups or one on one, and it is often exceedingly difficult to understand or measure their impact. Often they become recognized only after years working in relative obscurity…A person must have very pure motivation to push an idea so steadily for so long with so little fanfare. In his Memoirs Jean Monnet, the architect of European unification, observes that ‘one cannot concentrate on an objective and on oneself at the same time.’ To Monnet, people of ambition fell into two groups: those who wanted to ‘do something’ and those who wanted to ‘be someone.

Strong Ethical ImpetusWith our intelligence, knowledge and culture, it is not necessary to destroy the environment to build. When people work together they are powerful; there is friendship. In the end, there is peace, harmony, tranquility, optimism.

Do you also think that a true leader is not surrounded by followers, but by other leaders?

21. Which of the following features are desirable in a leader? Select the top ten qualities:

Flexible Outspoken Introvert Extrovert Modern Respectful_to_tradition Discrete Enthusiastic Optimist Realist Shy Generous Mean Kind Gentle Sensible Sensitive Hard_working Snob Posh Down_to_earthSelf_consciousSelf_sufficient Ambitious Ethical Old_fashioned ObedientLoquacious Eloquent Good_looking Trustworthy Confident Assertive Fearless Fair Ruthless Peaceful Quiet Happy_go_lucky Go-getter Pig_headedBig_headed Diplomatic Sporty Skillful

Now think of something that you expect to hear from the lips of a person that has each one of those qualities.

Example: Diplomatic OK, guys, let be peace! I think that two smart blokes like you can sort this one out. We’re all on the same boat…

GRAMMAR REVIEW W

22. Reported speech.

Indirect speech (also known as reported speech) is a type of structure which is used to refer to something previously said.- Direct speech: The hotel industry is undergoing an important recession.- Reported speech: They said (that) the hotel industry is/was undergoing an

important recession.

The general rule in order to turn direct speech into reported speech is that the tense of the main verb “goes back” one step. See the following standard table:

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECHpresent simple I sleep

past simpleHe said he slept

present continuousI am sleeping

past continuousHe said he was sleeping

past simple I slept

past perfect He said he had slept

present perfect I have slept

past perfectHe said he had slept

present perfect continuousI have been sleeping

past perfect continuousHe said he had been sleeping

future I will sleep

simple conditional He said he would sleep

future perfectI will have sleep

simp. conditional perfectHe said he would have slept

The verb tense of the subordinate clause depends on whether the statement is still valid or not.

Modal verbs also experiment a “regression”. Thus, can turns into could, may into might, and must into had to.

The complements have to change accordingly so that there is coherence:

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECHtoday that day

tomorrow that day

yesterday the day before

in two hours’ time two hours later

three years ago three years before

next Tuesday the following Tuesday

last week the previous week

There are many speech verbs that may be used (explain, promise, say, tell, suggest, exclaim, etc.) but the most common ones are say and tell.

In reported questions the auxiliary of the direct question is eliminated and the verb appears after the subject, e.g., How did you manage? She asked me how I managed.

The presence of “that” is optional (if tends to appear in formal communication).

23. Change the following declaration from a crime witness into reported speech. Pay attention to the necessary modifications in the time and place complements:

“I am tired now and I can hardly remember what happened last night. Today has been a hard day and I can hardly keep my eyes open tonight but I told you I would come to testify this afternoon and that is why I’m here now. Last night, as I was approaching home, I saw a man jumping out of my front window upstairs. He had a full rucksack and he was dressed in black. I ran to the house and phoned the police. This morning I went to the police station to give a formal statement. This week I’m going to put bars on my windows to prevent this from happening again and next month I’m going to install a burglar alarm.”

The witness said that he was tired then and…

WRITING

24. Report writing and harmful leisure activities: drugs.

Review the extra activity in unit 5 on report writing. Then read the following text:

Drugs have been used all over the world for many different reasons since time immemorial. In history, we have read about Indian and African healers using marihuana leaves to treat different ailments. In China, opium was usually smoked in public places where the local people gathered to socialize, and in Peru, coca leaves are thought to be necessary in order to get enough energy to work at such a high altitude. In western countries this plant’s derivatives are used by some executives and politicians who consume cocaine to cope with the stress which comes from work overload and lack of necessary sleep.

If we travelled to nearby northern Africa we would be surprised to see people in the street smoking hashish cigarettes as if it were the most natural thing in the world. They don’t consider them either addictive or hazardous to their health.

When developed nations started to ban the dealing and consuming of drugs, problems arose. The risky yet very appealing business of making drugs available to an increasing market of consumers caused the price of drugs to rise and the quality and control of the product to drop.

Consequently, I recommend that the government legalize drugs. By doing so, it would become easier to monitor and regulate both the price and the quality of the drugs offered to the public. Many deaths caused by dangerous mixtures of drugs with other products could be avoided, as well as the delinquency caused by drug-addicts who have to rob or even kill in order to get the money they need for buying their daily doses.

Experiences in some European countries support this option, which has proved to be a good choice for solving the problem of delinquency. However, a lack of international consensus makes the legalization of drugs unfeasible. In a society in which drug consumption is treated differently than it is in other countries, drug users and even worse, drug addicts, would come from all over the world to our country to consume drugs, bringing with them the corresponding economic and health problems.

Economically, this would be a burden for all of us, as the Spanish coffers would have to cover medical expenses and find some way to accommodate these visitors. Furthermore, and even more importantly, is the impact that the condoning of drug use on behalf of governmental institutions would have on our society. Drug consumption among young people is already a problem.

By legalizing drugs we would be confusing our youth by transmitting a message of tolerance and acceptance regarding highly dangerous substances. Adolescents are impressionable and need to have clear references as to what is morally and not morally acceptable. If we, as adults, do not have the courage to say no, neither will our children.

25. Reflect on the structure of this report. Mark the sentences that contain an introduction (I), arguments (A), counterarguments (C), examples (E), statements (S) and partial / global conclusions (Co). Do you think the text if complete? If not, how would you finish it?

26. Email and informal written language, public speeches, and the media.

Read the following informal email sent between two workmates on a speech related to the media. Pay attention to the rhetorical structure of the email (in italics and square brackets at the beginning of each paragraph):

> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2011 03:17:55 +0200>From: helen@flog.uned.es> To: peter@flog.uned.es> Subject: Margaret’s speech

Hi Pete,

How are things? Margaret’s asked us to write a speech between us on the role of media today, so we’d better get this out of our was asap. I reckon she needs it for the Press Annual Award Ceremony in London next week.

[Introduction]: After all the “thank you for being here today” blah-blah,I suggest we start saying something on the line of the fact that in the world of today, media has become almost as necessary as food and clothing. If you think about it, its role is triple: to inform, educate and entertain people. We could say something catchy like: “the media is the mirror in which society looks at itself”. It sounds good, does it? We should

also acknowledge the fact that they put their lives in danger during wars or natural disasters, for us really.

[Punch lines]: How about: “Media is the watch dog of the political democracy”. What I mean by that is that, if it plays its role honestly, it will be a great force in building the nation in the right direction. However, you and I know that nowadays, a sector of the media has become a commercialized sector eying only for news that is hot and sells. All this is caused by the TRPS, you know, the TV rating point system.Do you think is risky to say this? Mmmm, perhaps so. Better leave it or ask Margaret herself.

[Digression]: To be quite honest with you, Pete, there is something else that drives me equally crazy: every issue is hyped for a day or two, so much so that when you switch to any channel, they all will be flashing the same story but then when the heat is over there is no following of the case. The news then jostles for space with other stories that are carrying the heat then. I reckon that media has become so much a part of us that to recognise its impact, we need to step back and consciously think about how they shape our lives and what they are saying.

[Body of the speech]: Anyway, enough of that. Going back to Margaret’s speech, we mustn’t forget to mention other media, like radio and newspapers, because there’s really not way out, no possible life in modern society away from the media, even if you decide not to have a telly at home. Whether we like it or not, they determine our understanding of the world and thearticulation of what we believe. Don’t you agree that today news channels and even some newspapers are mouthpiece of some political parties?That’s why it’s so important to look and listen to different channels for the same news and then form a conclusion. If not, we’ll be dummies of some ideology, and we don’t want that, do we?

[Metacomment]: What do you think, Pete? Is this too outrageous to say? It’s just a preliminary bunch of ideas. You’re such an inborn diplomat that I trust you can phrase all this positively…

[Conclusion/ Go-home message]:The speech should finish on a high key, reminding them of their power and hence their ethical responsibility towards society. Something like: “There is still a lot to be done by the media for the betterment of the society”. But in a more punchy way, you know what I mean.

[Details/ Erudition]: OK, enough for an initial brainstorming, Pete. Let me know what you think… In the meanwhile I’ll look for a couple of aphorisms and quotations by some media guru. That always goes down well.

[Metacomment]: I look forward to your reply. By the way, do you think we’ll be invited to the do? I’m not so keen on these formal celebrations myself. They don’t interest me in the slightest; In fact, I find them dead boring and a little bit false. I don’t know about you…

C U,Helen

27. Underline all the informal expressions in the text. Try to write an email of your own on the issue of theme parks using at least ten of such expressions.

CULTURE E

28. Read the following information about India (adapted from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India):

India is a country in South Asia . It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; Bhutan, the People's Republic of China and Nepal to the northeast; and Bangladesh and Burma to the east. Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism—originated here.In the 16th century, European powers such as Portugal, the Netherlands, France, and Great Britain established trading posts and the later took advantage of internal conflicts to establish colony. By 1856, most of India had come under the control of the British East India Company. A year later, a nationwide insurrection of rebelling military units and kingdoms, known as India's First War of Independence or the Sepoy Mutiny, seriously challenged the Company's control but eventually failed. As a result of the instability, India was brought under the direct rule of the British Crown.

In the 20th century, a nationwide struggle for independence was launched by the Indian National Congress and other political organisations. A large part of the movement for independence was led by Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, which led millions of people in several national campaigns of non-violentcivil disobedience. On 15 August 1947, India gained independence from British rule, but at the same time the Muslim-majority areas were partitioned to form a separate state of Pakistan. On 26 January 1950, India became a republic and a new constitution came into effect. Since independence, India has faced challenges from religious violence, terrorism and regional separatist insurgencies.

India is a state armed with nuclear weapons; having conducted its first nuclear test in 1974, followed by another five tests in 1998. Beginning 1991, significant economic reformshave transformed India into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, increasing its global clout.

The Indian economy is the world's tenth largest economy by nominal GDP and fourth largest economy by purchasing power parity. Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India has become one of the fastest growing major economies, and is considered a newly industrialized country; however, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, illiteracy, corruption and inadequate public health. A nuclear weapons state and a regional power, it has the third-largest standing army in the world, and ranks tenth in military expenditure among nations.

Today India is a federal constitutional republic with a parliamentary democracy consisting of 28 states and seven union territories. It is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the World Trade Organization, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the East Asia Summit, the G20, the G8+5, and the Commonwealth of Nations; and is one of the four BRIC nations. India is a pluralistic, multilingual, and multiethnic society. It is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.

29. Answer the following questions on the text that you have just read:

a) Does India have the highest number of inhabitants in the world?b) Why were European countries attracted to it?c) How did India become a British colony and how did it gain its independence?d) Does India have international relevance these days?

30. South Africa.

Read the following information about South Africa (adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa):

The Republic of South Africa is a state in southern Africa. It is located at the southernmost region of Africa, with a long coastline that stretches more than 2,500 km (1,553 mi) and along two oceans (the South Atlantic and the Indian).South Africa has a generally temperate climate, due in part to being surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on three sides, by its location in the climatically milder southern hemisphere and due to the average elevation rising steadily towards the north (towards the equator) and further inland. Even though South Africa is classified as semi-arid, due to this varied topography and oceanic influence, a great variety of climatic zones exist. Winters in South Africa occur between June and August.

South Africa is known for its diversity in cultures and languages. Eleven official languages are recognised in the constitution. Two of these languages are of European origin: Afrikaans, a language which originated mainly from Dutch that is spoken by the majority of white and coloured South Africans, and South African English. South Africa is also ethnically diverse. About 79.5% of the South African population is of black African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different Bantu languages, nine of which have official status.South Africa also contains the largest communities of European, Asian, and racially mixed ancestry in Africa. Racial segregation in South Africa began in colonial times. However, apartheid as an official policy was introduced following the general election of 1948. New legislation classified inhabitants into racial groups ("black", "white", "coloured", and "Indian"),and residential areas were segregated, sometimes by means of forced removals. From 1970, black people were deprived of their citizenship, legally becoming citizens of one of ten tribally based self-governing homelands called bantustans, four of which became nominally independent states. The government segregated education, medical care, beaches, and other public services, and provided black people with services inferior to those of white people.Apartheid sparked significant internal resistance and violence as well as a long trade embargo against South Africa. Since the 1950s, a series of popular uprisings and protests were met with the banning of opposition and imprisoning of anti-apartheid leaders. As unrest spread and became more violent, state organizations responded with increasing repression and state-sponsored violence. Reforms to apartheid in the 1980s failed to quell the mounting opposition, and in 1990 President de

Klerk began negotiations to end apartheid, culminating in multi-racial democratic elections in 1994, which were won by the African National Congress under Nelson Mandela. However, the vestiges of apartheid still shape South African politics and society.

South Africa has three capital cities: Cape Town, the largest of the three, is the legislative capital; Pretoria is the administrative capital; and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital. South Africa is a constitutional democracy in the form of a parliamentary republic; unlike most parliamentary republics, the positions of head of state and head of government are merged in a parliament-dependent President. It is one of the founding members of the African Union, and has the largest economy of all the members. It is also a founding member of the United Nations and NEPAD. South Africa is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Antarctic Treaty System, and G20. The economy of South Africa is ranked as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank, which makes the country one of only four countries in Africa represented in this category. Mining has been the main driving force behind the history and development of Africa's most advanced and richest economy. Diamond and gold production may now be well down from their peaks, though South Africa is still the second largest producer of gold and remains a cornucopia of metal and mineral riches.Mining, manufacturing and service sectors account for most of the GDP.

31. Answer the following questions on the text that you have just read:

a) Is South Africa similar to the rest of African countries?b) Which has been the most influential European country in the history of South Africa and why?c) Which economic sector is the main one?d) How did apartheid come to exist and what is the social situation today between the white and black communities?

TASKS AND PROJECTS

32. Prepare a memorable and erudite speech about an ethical issue. What follows is a short list of recommendations for your speech:

Think of the purpose and the go-home message you want to transmit to your audience.

Figure out a realistic context (e.g., an award ceremony, an elections campaign, a particular audience profile, etc.).

Design its overall structure and work top-down, i.e., from general to specific, thinking of the main arguments and counterarguments, their relative order, and the subarguments into which they can be split.

Find a few memorable sayings and quotations and include a few jokes and interesting anecdotes to spice up your speech and capture your audience’s attention.

Pay special attention to the opening and closing sentences, which are bound to stay in people’s memory.

Deliver your speech in front of your group. Try not to read every single word and sound confident and loquacious. After you all have given your speeches you should vote for the most convincing one.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

MY PORTFOLIO

33. The course has come to an end. It is time you reflect on the aspects of the English language that you feel strong at and the ones where you must persevere. Undertake the following self-evaluation test about your command of the English language at this point in the course:

Competence level (1-10)

Written modality

Reception competence (reading comprehension of various text types)Production competence (writing, elaborating texts of various types, general and specialized, formal and informal)Interaction competence (maintaining correspondence, writing letters and replying to them, participating in chats and synchronous and asynchronous written exchange activities)Mediation competence (translating from and into English)Oral modalityReception competence (listening comprehension)Production competence (speaking, delivering talks)Interaction competence (maintaining a face to face or telephone conversations on various topics and using different levels of formality)Mediation competence (interpreting and paraphrasing)

SELF-ASSESSMENT

34. Check your own learning after the study of this unit:

I'm now capable of doing the following in English(√):

Not very well

A little

Well Very well

playing games in English. chatting about my hobbies and favourite

pastimes and topics of social interest. being in a shop and selling/ buying things. organizing a party or celebration. telling jokes. delivering public speeches.

having informal written correspondence. using erudite jokes and popular sayings. talking about India and South Africa. leading others socially and at work.

TO KNOW MORE E

On hobbies:http://www.hobbies-and-pastimes.com/Ideas for holidays:http://www.101holidays.co.uk/On media:http://www.bbc.co.uk/http://edition.cnn.com/On online shopping:http://www.toponlineshopping.com/http://www.amazon.com/On India:http://www.tourisminindia.com/http://www.indianchild.com/history_of_india.htmOn South Africa:https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107983.html