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STUDENT MANUAL
Level II Module 8: GAC008
Academic English II: Reading and Writing Skills

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Date of Issue: August 2019

Version: 8.0
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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................................I
MODULE OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................................................. I
LEARNING OUTCOMES.............................................................................................................................................................................. I
BEFORE YOU BEGIN ................................................................................................................................................................................ II
UNIT DESCRIPTIONS ............................................................................................................................................................................... III
SUGGESTED DELIVERY SCHEDULE ................................................................................................................................................... IV
ASSESSMENT EVENTS ............................................................................................................................................................................. V
ICONS ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... VI
UNIT 1: PEOPLE AND SOCIETY .................................................................................................................................................. 1
PART A UNIT INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................... 1
PART B READING: PREDICTING CONTENT AND IDENTIFYING TEXT TYPES, AUDIENCE, PURPOSE AND STYLE 2
PART C WRITING: WRITING SIMPLE AND COMPLEX SENTENCES ....................................................................................10
PART D WRITING: REVIEW OF ACADEMIC ESSAYS...............................................................................................................26
PART E WRITING: DEVELOPING AN APPROPRIATE STYLE - INTRODUCTIONS TO ACADEMIC ESSAYS.................38
PART F RESEARCH: REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS .................................................................................................46
UNIT 2: PLACES WHERE PEOPLE LIVE AND WORK ........................................................................................................... 51
PART A UNIT INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................51
PART B READING: SKIMMING, SCANNING, INFERRING.........................................................................................................52
PART C WRITING: IMPROVING YOUR PARAGRAPH WRITING ............................................................................................65
PART D RESEARCH: USING BOOKS .............................................................................................................................................73
PART E RESEARCH: USING THE INTERNET ..............................................................................................................................76
UNIT 3: DOING BUSINESS ........................................................................................................................................................ 83
PART A UNIT INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................83
PART B LISTING MAIN IDEAS AND SUPPORTING DETAILS ..................................................................................................84
PART C WRITING: IN-TEXT REFERENCING AND WRITING A REFERENCE LIST ......................................................... 103
UNIT 4: HUMAN HEALTH ........................................................................................................................................................ 113
PART A UNIT INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 113
PART B WRITING: DESCRIPTION OF A GRAPH ..................................................................................................................... 114
PART C WRITING: DESCRIPTION OF A PROCESS OR PROCEDURE................................................................................... 122
UNIT 5: HUMAN PROGRESS .................................................................................................................................................. 131
PART A UNIT INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 131
PART B WRITING: NOTE-MAKING USING ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS .............................................................. 132
PART C WRITING: FURTHER PRACTICE IN PARAPHRASING............................................................................................. 141
PART D WRITING: DEVELOPING NOTES INTO A SUMMARY ............................................................................................ 145
PART E WRITING: EDITING, PROOFING AND PRODUCING THE FINAL VERSION OF THE ACADEMIC RESEARCH
ESSAY ................................................................................................................................................................................ 151
UNIT 6: MAN-MADE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES................................................................................................................... 153
PART A UNIT INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 153
PART B READING: WORD ATTACK STRATEGIES: CONTEXTUAL CLUES ..................................................................... 154
PART C READING: WORD ATTACK STRATEGIES: WORD PARTS .................................................................................. 165
APPENDIX A: ASSESSMENT EVENT 4: ACADEMIC RESEARCH ESSAY PEER ASSESSMENT RUBRIC .................... 173
REFERENCE LIST..................................................................................................................................................................... 175
Student Manual GAC008 Academic English II: Reading and Writing Skills
Introduction

Introduction

Module Overview
Welcome to Academic English II: Reading and Writing Skills.
The purpose of this module is to expand your reading and writing skills for study at university in
English. During the course you will develop your reading and writing skills over a range of academic
genres.
This module builds on the work that you have undertaken in Academic English I: Reading and Writing
Skills. It consists of a series of carefully designed and sequentially structured tasks to improve your
skills in reading and writing. Supporting the tasks is a number of written texts, many of which are
original. Academic texts sourced from previously published works, are referenced in-text throughout
the module and in the reference list at the end of the module.
The GAC Referencing Guide should be used in conjunction with this module.

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module you should be able to use reading and writing skills with increasing
accuracy, fluency and confidence for academic purposes in preparation for higher education study.
More specifically you will learn to:

1. Identify and analyse the features of general and academic text types, and apply this knowledge
to create written texts
2. Demonstrate key reading skills
3. Decode unknown vocabulary and idiom
4. Write complex sentences which link ideas in a variety of ways
5. Write well-constructed paragraphs containing topic sentences with supporting statements, and
a range of cohesive devices
6. Demonstrate writing skills which assist you to avoid plagiarism
7. Use acquired knowledge and skills to research and create academic texts demonstrating
synthesis of ideas
8. Demonstrate information literacy through selecting appropriate research materials and using
accurate referencing and citation conventions

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Introduction

Before You Begin

Before you start, it is important that you make sure that you have the following:
• English-English dictionary: Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 9th Edition (2015), Oxford
University Press, Oxford, U.K.

• English Grammar Text: Murphy, R. (2019), English Grammar in Use, 5th Edition, Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
• notebook or folder for class work and assignments
• notebook to record vocabulary lists

Take every opportunity to practice and develop your English skills while you are studying the GAC. If
you have access to newspapers, magazines or books in English, try to read for at least a half an hour
every day. If you have access to the internet, explore English websites for both your enjoyment and for
academic purposes. See Attachment 1: Useful Research Websites for Students.
This is a communicative English course. You will be asked to speak a great deal in class, and not to use
your native language. This will give you valuable practice before you study at university.

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Introduction

Unit Descriptions
The units included in this course are:

Unit Unit Title Description

1 People and Society • Reading: Predicting Content and Identifying Text Types,
Audience, Purpose and Style
• Writing: Writing Simple and Complex Sentences
• Writing: Review of Academic Essay Writing Skills
• Writing: Developing An Appropriate Style - Writing
Introductions
• Research: Review of the Research Process
2 Places Where People Live • Reading: Skimming, Scanning, Inferring
and Work • Writing: Improving Your Paragraph Writing
• Research: Choosing Books
• Research: Choosing Web pages
3 Doing Business • Writing: Writing Summaries
• Writing: Description of a Process
• Research: In-Text Referencing and Writing a Reference
List
4 Human Health • Writing: Description of a Graph or Table
• Writing: Description of a Process or Procedure
5 Human Progress • Writing: Note-Making using Abbreviations and Symbols
• Writing: Further Practice in Paraphrasing
• Writing: Developing Notes into a Summary
• Writing: Editing, Proofing and Producing the Final
Version of the Academic Research Essay
6 Man-made Environmental • Reading: Word Attack Strategies: Contextual Clues
Issues • Reading: Word Attack Strategies: Word Parts

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Introduction

Suggested Delivery Schedule

Week 1 Unit 1: People and Society

Week 2

Week 3 Unit 2: Places Where People Live and Work

Week 4

Week 5 Unit 3: Doing Business

Assessment Event 1: In-class Test 1: Summary Writing (end of Unit 3B)

Week 6

Week 7 Unit 4: Human Health

Week 8

Week 9 Assessment Event 2: In-class Test 2: Description of a Process and a

Graph (end of Unit 4)
Unit 5: Human Progress

Week 10

Week 11 Unit 6: Man-made Environmental Issues

Module Review
Assessment Event 3: Reading Skills Test (end of Unit 6)

Week 12 Assessment Event 4: Written Assignment: Academic Research Essay

(end of Unit 6)
Assessment Event 5: Course Work

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Introduction

Assessment Events

Assessment Assessment Event Weighting

Number

1 In-class Test 1: Summary Writing 10%

Week 5 or at the end of Unit 3B
Summarise ONE text

2 In-class Test 2: Description 20%

Week 9 or at the end of Unit 4
Write two descriptions: a process and a graph

3 Reading Skills Test 30%

Week 11 or at the end of Unit 6
Read a range of texts and respond to 30 questions

4 Written Assignment: Academic Research Essay 30%

Distribute topics at the end of Unit 1
Submission Week 12 or at the end of Unit 6
Write an academic research essay - approximately 1,000 words

5 Course Work 10%

On-going
a) Participation: at least 90% attendance, contribution to class
discussions and group activities, and evidence of preparation
for class
b) Complete TEN designated Independent Study Tasks.

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Introduction

Icons
The following icons will be used as a visual aid throughout the Student Manual:

Icon Meaning

Before You Begin

Task: Reading

Task: Writing

Task: Listening

Task: Speaking

Review

Hints and Cautions

Independent Study

Assessment Event

Useful Language/Focus

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Unit 1: People and Society

Unit 1: People and Society

Part A Unit Introduction

Part B Reading: Predicting Content and Identifying Text Types, Audience,

Purpose and Style
Part C Writing: Writing Simple and Complex Sentences

Part D Writing: Review of Academic Essays

Part E Writing: Developing an Appropriate Style - Introductions to

Academic Essays
Part F Research: Review of the Research Process

Part A Unit Introduction

Overview In this unit you will learn to:

• identify a range of reading text types such as essays, articles and
letters, and state purpose, audience and language style of each type
• review reading skills such as predicting before you read, and reading
for gist and main idea
• write accurate sentences containing linking devices such as
conjunctions, time phrases and relative pronouns
• develop your academic essay writing skills
• research, record and organise your information

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Part B Reading: Predicting Content and Identifying

Text Types, Audience, Purpose and Style

Task 1.1 Predicting

Sometimes we can predict the topic of a text from the title or subtitles. Work
with a partner. Look at the titles below and discuss the following questions:
• What do you think the text will be about?
• What information will you find in it?
• What kind of publication does it come from?

a. A 4-day Osaka itinerary

b. World Leaders Directory

c. Analysis of Eyewitness Misidentifications

d. Your Views on Training Scheme to Help Teachers Spot Difference

Between Pupil Stress and Mental Health Issues

e. Differences Between Men and Women in Korean Conversation: A Case

Study

Task 1.2 Match the Sources to the Texts

Look at the table below. In the left column you will see the sources supporting
the texts which follow. Skim the texts then draw lines to match the sources to
the text number in the right-hand column.

Source Text
number
Central Intelligence Agency (2019), Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign 1
Governments. Available from: http://tinyurl.com/6jh6td [Accessed 10 July 2019]
Robertson, J. (2013), “Differences Between Men and Women in Korean Conversation: A 2
Case Study” [online]. Available from: https://tinyurl.com/y378x3w4 [Accessed 22 July
2019]
Varga, C. (2019), “A 4-day Osaka Itinerary”, You Could Travel [online]. 3
Available from: https://tinyurl.com/y5konn4m
[Accessed 15 July 2019]
Ferrante, E. (2010), “Re-Examining Eyewitness Identifications”, National Science 4
Foundation [online]. Available from: https://tinyurl.com/y5cpoun2 [Accessed 10 July
2019]
Turner, C. (2019), “Government launches new training scheme to help teachers spot 5
difference between pupil stress and mental health issues”, The Daily Telegraph [online].
Available from: https://tinyurl.com/y277xjwm [Accessed 15 July 2019
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Task 1.3 Reading for the Main Idea

Now quickly read the texts below for the main ideas. Match each one of the
sources on the previous page to one of the texts below. Write the appropriate
number next to each letter.

1.

Day 3:
The Osaka Aquarium is one of the world's largest aquariums and offers the chance to see whale
sharks which is why we wanted to visit it in the first place. We were surprised by how large the
aquarium was and what a variety of marine life we could see. Towards the end of the tour, you can
see stingrays up close and even gently touch them. Just make sure you respect the rules.
No Osaka itinerary is complete without a visit to the Ferris Wheel. For less than 1000 yen you can
admire Osaka Bay from above. It's really tall so it's not ideal for those suffering from vertigo. You
can pick a carriage which has a transparent floor but the queues for those are usually long.
Alternatively, you can opt for a normal carriage where there are no queues. That's what we did and
we could still admire the landscape and enjoy the excitement of being so high up.

2.

Dear Editor,

I welcome the initiative to train teachers to recognize the difference between exam stress and
mental health problems, which appeared in your article of July 12.

In fifteen years of teaching, I have found it impossible not to notice the rise in anxiety among
young people and the terrible impact it can have.

My fear, however, is that this training will only highlight the lack of medical support for young
people once referrals are made. Waiting lists for adolescent mental health services are
unacceptably long, with many people waiting more than eighteen weeks to be seen by a
professional.

Training teachers is certainly a step forward but with this, it may serve to lengthen already long
waiting times.

Naz Shahid, York, U.K.

3.

The CIA publishes and updates the online directory of Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of
Foreign Governments weekly. The directory is intended to be used primarily as a reference aid and
includes as many governments of the world as is considered practical, some of them not officially
recognized by the United States.

Governments are listed in alphabetical order according to the most commonly used version of each
country's name. The spelling of the personal names in this directory follows transliteration systems
generally agreed upon by U.S. Government agencies, except in the cases in which officials have stated
a preference for alternate spellings of their names.

NOTE: Although the head of the central bank is listed for each country, in most cases he or she is
not a Cabinet member.

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4.

Gary Wells, professor of psychology at Iowa State University and an internationally-recognised

expert in scientific psychology, has been studying the relationship between memory and eyewitness
misidentifications. His objective was to reduce the number of innocent people who are convicted of
crimes due to eyewitness misidentifications. Wells has several suggestions for reducing the number
of eyewitness errors.

He recommends that the line-up should contain only one person of interest who fits the culprit’s
description as provided by the witness. Everyone else in the line-up should be innocent "fillers," or
people who look similar to the eyewitness’ description but are innocent.

When providing instructions to witnesses before the line-up, Wells says they should be told that the
real culprit might NOT be included in the line-up. They should also be told NOT to choose someone
unless they are 100% sure of themselves. In this way, Wells says, witnesses become aware that an
acceptable answer might be 'none of the above’.

According to Wells, to avoid the administrator unintentionally influencing the witness, the best
method is the double-blind line-up. In this method, neither the line-up administrator nor the witness
knows who the person of interest is and who the fillers are in the line-up. Witnesses are obliged to
rely entirely on their memory.

5.

This paper discusses the extent to which gender plays a role in language, primarily considering a
sample of a natural conversation in Korean between men and women. Both the discernible
differences and similarities found between the men and women in the sample are used to argue
that although differences may exist, when compared to earlier research (e.g. Bak 1983), Korean
culture in particular appears to be rapidly casting aside masculine and feminine language
differences in favour of a much more balanced language. While this trend tends to contradict
earlier claims that purported numerous significant gender differences in language, more recent
research better explains the observations made in the sample conversation which indicate that
elements of masculine and feminine language are used by both males and females (Cameron
2005).
After briefly introducing a theoretical background to the relationship between language, gender,
and Korean culture, the conversation sample will be introduced and discussed as to how closely
it agrees with previous research.

Task 1.4 Identifying Text Types

Discuss the five texts with your partner. What type of text are they?
Match the text types below to the texts you have read by putting a number next
to each letter.

a. Letter

b. Report in a travel blog

c. Web page

d. Academic paper

e. Report in a psychology journal

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Purpose, Audience and Style

When considering a text, it is important to actively consider the author’s
audience, purpose and style.
1. Purpose
There are four reasons to write:

• newspaper articles
to inform • scientific reports
• travel guides
• letters
to express the writer's
• journals
ideas
• blogs

to convince the • advertising

audience • political statements

• novels
to entertain
• plays

Task 1.5 Read the following paragraphs on the topic of ‘Year-round Schooling’.
Identify the purpose of each paragraph. Check with a partner.
1. Robbie was aghast. What would those lawmakers in Washington come up
with next? School in summer! There was no way he was going to give up
on long, lazy days hanging out at the beach. Summer was a time for fun,
not for being imprisoned in stuffy old classrooms!
Purpose:
2. Year-round schooling is NOT going to improve student achievement. We
don’t want to sit in class all day during the summer. Summer is a time for
slowing down and smelling the roses. If you don’t let us be children, we
will grow up as stressed as our parents and lose our love of learning!
Purpose:
3. Recently obtained research results are conclusive: students in year-round
schools do significantly better than those in traditional schools. Students
from underprivileged backgrounds, whose parents do not have the time or
money to spend on enriching summer activities, stand to benefit the most
from year-round schooling.
Purpose:
4. Our state is not in the financial position to support year-round schooling.
Year-round buses, meals and after-school tutoring cost more. In order to
fund them, not only would property taxes have to be raised, but other
services - such as home visits to the elderly - would have to be cut.
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Purpose:
2. Audience
Writers visualise their audience when they are creating a text and take into
account their profile, expectations and reactions. In this way, writers can enter
into a meaningful imaginary dialogue with the audience.

Task 1.6 Work in groups of four. Read the text below. Identify the audience then rewrite
the text for the audience which your teacher indicates.

OMG Tina! Did u hear? They want us to go to school year-round, even in

the summer! They’re gonna take away our summer break! No more summer
camps or summer jobs. How are we gonna make money to go to Bieb’s
concert??! Don’t they know that we NEED that time to chill? It’s a proven
biological fact that teenagers should be allowed to sleep in! I do NOT want
to go to school in the summer!!

3. Style

Writers use words to express their emotions or feelings about a particular subject
and the audience. The emotions or feelings writers communicate are related to
the purpose of the text. As a reader, it is up to you to identify the tone by
considering. Ask yourself:

• Does the writer use long or short sentences?

• What does the writer’s choice of words tell you about his/her attitude?
• What is the general atmosphere?
• Is the language formal or informal?
• Is the writing academic/technical/descriptive?

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Some examples of style include:

• enthusiastic
• formal
• reflective
• questioning
• serious
• neutral

Task 1.7 Imagine you are writing to the editor of the local newspaper. Rewrite the text in
Task 1.6, changing its style. Read your new text to the class. They must identify
your style.

Task 1.8 Analysing Writing for Purpose, Audience and Style

Consider the readings in Task 1.3. For each reading, think of an appropriate
purpose, audience and style. When everyone has finished, walk around the room
and compare with other students. The first one has been done for you.

Topic Visiting Osaka

Purpose Provide an appealing and informative description

Audience Potential travellers to Osaka

Style Informal: friendly, relaxed, enthusiastic

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Topic

Purpose

Audience

Style

Topic

Purpose

Audience

Style

Topic

Purpose

Audience

Style

Topic

Purpose

Audience

Style

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Part C Writing: Writing Simple and Complex Sentences

Before In GAC002 Academic English I: Reading and Writing Skills, Unit 1, you learned
You to join ideas in sentences using conjunctions. In this unit, you will review
Begin conjunctions and study additional ways to connect ideas in sentences and
between sentences, namely using:
A. Conjunctions
B. Relative pronouns

Joining Ideas in
Sentences

A. B.
Relative Pronouns

1. 2. 1. 2.
Coordinating Subordinating Defining Non-defining

A. Conjunctions
Conjunctions help ideas in writing flow logically and smoothly. The two main
types of conjunctions are:
1. Coordinating Conjunctions
2. Subordinating Conjunctions

1. Coordinating Conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions are the simplest, most common words used to join
together two parts of a sentence. They are usually put in the middle, between the
two parts of the sentence they are joining.

conjunction
Example
Many people believe children should go to school year-round, so they want
to change the school calendar.

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Task 1.9 Practice Using Coordinating Conjunctions

1. Coordinating conjunctions are short, simple words. Can you guess what
they are from the acronym below? One is done for you.

F A N B O Y S
and

2. Work with a partner. Look at the following example sentences. The

coordinating conjunctions are in bold type. What four things do you
notice about their use? (Look particularly at the use of commas.)

• Year-round schooling is supported by parents and politicians.

• Summer days are for having fun and hanging out at the beach.
• Year-round school allows students much more time to develop new
skills, and less time away from the classroom to forget what they
have studied.
• The government wants to help students achieve better academic
results, so it is considering introducing year-round schooling.

1.

2.

3.

4.

3. Write down the two sentences your teacher will write on the board to
illustrate the difference between dependent and independent clauses.
a) How do you distinguish between dependent and independent clauses?

b) Write two more sentences – one with a dependent clause, the other with
an independent clause.

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4. Work with a partner. Decide whether or not the following sentences need
(additional) commas. Justify your response.
a. Year-round schooling is expensive to fund but well worth the
investment.
b. Year-round schooling requires investment in teachers, materials and
transport.
c. The government is concerned that students are struggling to resume
studying after the summer break so it wants to fund year-round
schooling.
d. The government takes into consideration what the people think, what
they say and what they do.
e. Students are aware that they forget a lot of information during the
summer but they do not want to go to school year-round.
f. It is not worthwhile spending time doing maths problems or reading
literary works.

5. And, but, or, and so are the most commonly used coordinating conjunctions.
Use the most suitable conjunction to complete the sentences below. Check
with a partner.
a. Kirsten’s results are good, there is no need for her to
attend summer school.
b. There is a lot of talk about year-round school lately. Maybe it’s
because of the elections, maybe it’s just a coincidence.
c. To fund summer school, property taxes can be raised,
other public services can be cut.
d. The government wants to introduce year-round schooling,
students want to relax during the summer.
e. Nino went to year-round school in Texas, he did really
well in the state tests.

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Task Further Practice Using Coordinating Conjunctions

1.10
Look at the pairs of sentences below with a partner. Decide which
coordinating conjunction is missing. Is it and, but, or, or so? Join sentences
with the appropriate coordinating conjunction. Remember to use commas
before the conjunctions!

1. Many students are struggling. It is suggested school should be in session

year-round.

2. It is commonly believed that over the summer break students forget what
they have learned. Valuable time refreshing their memories is wasted at
the beginning of the new school year.

3. By 2008, 2.5 million U.S. students were attending year-round schooling.

This figure was expected to rise significantly.

4. It was estimated that by 2012, more than 5 million students would be

enrolled in year-round schooling. There would be school districts which
chose not to adopt this strategy.

5. 71% of adults believe children learn valuable life lessons during the
summer holidays. Some parents complained that mandatory summer
schooling would interfere with their family vacation plans.

6. Those children who are able to attend summer camps or travel keep
learning during the summer. Those who are not as lucky tend to forget
what they have learned over the school year.

7. Research supports the fact that over the summer children from lower
socio-economic groups lose ground. The right thing to do is to support
them in order to narrow the achievement gap.

8. It is necessary to introduce year-round schooling. Valuable time will

continue to be wasted at the beginning of the new school refreshing
students’ memories.

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2. Subordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions join dependent clauses to independent clauses. They are
used either at the beginning OR in the middle of sentences. Examples:

1.
Since teenagers feel that their parents do not understand them, they are stressed.
Teenagers are stressed since they feel that their parents to not understand them.

2.
Even though some stress in good, too much stress is counter-productive.
Too much stress is counter-productive even though some stress is good.

3.
Unless something goes wrong, he will complete the stress research study by the end
of the semester.
He will complete the stress research study by the end of the semester unless
something goes wrong.

4.
When the stress research findings become available, they will have a significant
impact on society.
The stress research findings will have a significant impact on society when they
become available.

The most commonly used subordinating conjunctions introduce the following:

Time
Cause/Effect
when
since
whenever
so that after
because
as soon as
before

Compare/ Condition
Contrast if
although/even provided (that)
though as/so long as
despite unless
in spite of

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2.1 Subordinating Conjunctions of Condition

Conditional clauses present the conditions under which something may or may
not take place. The most common subordinating conjunctions of condition are:
if, provided that, as long as, and unless.

Look at the sentences below with a partner.

Which of the words in bold
mean the same? Which one is
different?

You can study overseas if you get a visa.

provided (that)

so long as/as long as

You can’t study unless

overseas

Work with your partner. Look at the example sentences. Try to work out
the function of the conjunction.

Examples Function
Japan will face a number of social
problems if more jobs are not
created.
Provided (that) Japan can create
more jobs, social problems will be
avoided.
As long as so few jobs are created
in Japan, social problems are
unavoidable.
Social problems are unavoidable in
Japan unless more jobs are
created.

Task 1.11 Practice Using Subordinating Conjunctions of Condition

Circle the correct word printed in bold.

1. The anthropology student is going to study why female soldiers choose to
join the male-dominated military, provided that/unless she can get
funding for her research.

2. The military has agreed to allow the female soldiers to be interviewed

unless/as long as their identities are not revealed.

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3. The student is going to interview 30 female soldiers provided that/unless

the military gives its approval.

4. The research findings will be valid so long as/unless at least 30 female

soldiers are interviewed.

5. She knows that the female soldiers are reluctant to participate as long as/
unless their superiors have agreed.

6. It seems the women’s families supported their decision to join the military
provided that/unless they did not serve abroad for more than one year.

7. The findings will not be valid as long as/unless male soldiers are also
interviewed to find out their opinions about their female colleagues.

8. The research will be completed by the due date so long as/unless the
student can easily interview the participating women.

9. It doesn’t matter if the interviews last two hours each provided that/
unless 30 of them are conducted.

10. The anthropology student will graduate in June if/unless she finishes her
thesis.

Now rewrite the following sentences using the given subordinating conjunction
of condition. Take care to convey the same meaning. Check with a partner.

1. If more jobs are not created, homelessness will increase. (unless)

2. The rate of homelessness will decrease if more jobs are created. (provided
that)

3. The economy will suffer if people are unable to find jobs. (as long as)

2.2 Subordinating Conjunctions of Compare/Contrast

Subordinating conjunctions of compare/contrast are used to describe conditions or
events that are different than expected.

Look at these sentences with your partner and complete the rule in the box.

Jack looks calm, but he is actually stressed.

Despite looking calm, Jack is actually stressed.
In spite of his apparent calmness,
the fact that he looks calm,
Although Jack is stressed, he looks calm.
Even though
Though
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We use and plus a noun, pronoun or –ing.

We use , and plus a subject and

verb.

Task 1.12 Practice Using Subordinating Conjunctions of Compare/Contrast

Work with a partner. Rewrite the sentences below in two different ways
using subordinating conjunctions of compare/contrast. The first one is done
for you.

1. He looks calm, but actually he’s stressed.

a. Despite looking calm, he’s actually stressed.
b. Although he’s stressed, he actually looks calm.

2. Most research examines extreme stress factors, but it is also necessary to

study daily stress factors.
a.
b.

3. The right amount of stress improves performance, but continual stress

affects decision making.
a.
b.

4. Everybody is affected by stress, but individual reactions to stress depend

on previous experience.
a.
b.

5. Girls often respond to stress by looking for help from others, but boys
generally avoid talking about their worries.
a.
b.

6. One source of stress for teenagers is parents, but they love their parents
just the same.
a.
b.

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7. Adults find that work is the greatest stress factor, but somehow they seem
to manage.
a.
b.

8. Adolescents are more stressed in the early evening, but instead of taking a
break they continue to study.
a.
b.

9. Adolescents have many responsibilities, but fewer responsibilities than

adults.
a.
b.

10. The most recent stress research findings are not yet available, but they are
expected to have a significant impact on society.
a.
b.

2.3 Subordinating Conjunctions of Cause/Effect

Subordinating conjunctions of cause/effect show a cause-and-effect relationship

between a subordinate clause and a main clause.

Examples:

My parents were annoyed because I hadn’t cleaned my room.

Because I hadn’t cleaned my room, my parents were annoyed.

Look at the subordinating conjunctions of cause/effect in the box below. In your notebooks,
write a sentence using each one.

because since so (that)

Task 1.13 Practice Using Subordinating Conjunctions of Cause/Effect

Combine the following sentences using a subordinating conjunction of cause/effect.

1. I arrived early for the lecture. I would be prepared.

2. The research showed that more students are having to take jobs. They don’t have enough
money.
3. We should all make efforts to use less plastic. The oceans are polluted with it.

4. I always take my headphones. I can listen to music.

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Now rewrite the following sentences using the same words but in a different order. Take care to
make sure the meaning stays the same and that you use commas correctly.

5. He was finishing his homework so that he could go to the concert.

6. Since it was so late, I decided to go to bed.

7. Because she had been working so hard, Gao Yan felt that she needed to take some time off.

8. I prefer to watch TV by streaming over the internet since it allows me to watch what I want
when I want.

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2.4 Subordinating Conjunctions of Time

Subordinating conjunctions of time are used to show when events happen,
especially when writing narratives.
Examples:
By the time Hollywood child stars become adults, they often have many
problems.
Hollywood child stars often have many problems by the time they become
adults.

Look at the subordinating conjunctions of time in the box below. In your

notebooks, write a sentence using each one.

when as soon as
whenever by the time
after meanwhile
while during
as until
before since

Task 1.14 Practice Using Subordinating Conjunctions of Time

Now put the correct word in the space provided. When you see *, more than
one answer is possible.
Check your answers with your partner and your teacher.

1. Researchers are studying whether Hollywood fame can potentially

destroy a teen’s dignity * strong moral support is absent.

2. * the researchers were conducting interviews, there was

another report of a scandal involving a teenage star.

3. * Hollywood fame comes to children or teenagers some

sort of scandal usually follows.

4. the early 2000s, she was a successful film star.

5. Research shows that parents should think twice letting

their children embark on a Hollywood career.

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6. One problem is the paparazzi * they are always watching

and broadcasting the young stars’ every move.

7. * they reach adulthood, many young stars struggle

with psychological disorders.

8. appearing to be a role model, she was admitted

to a rehabilitation centre.

9. The researchers won’t publish a full report early next

year.

10. * their report comes out, other young celebrities are

likely to have made the front page for the wrong reasons.

Task Combine the following pairs of sentences using conjunctions. Use either
1.15 coordinating or subordinating conjunctions. Try to use each one at least once.
The first one is done for you.
1. Water scarcity is a global issue. Scientific advances enable opportunities
to reuse waste or salty water.
Although water scarcity is a global issue, scientific advances
enable opportunities to reuse waste or salty water.

2. Sewage treatment is when wastewater from homes is cleaned.

Wastewater from industrial activities is also cleaned.

3. In the past there were no sewers. Sewage ran down the streets and into
the local river or sea.

4. Sewage is taken in and pumped across large filters. It is pumped across

filters so that large debris (rubbish) is removed.

5. The sewage has passed across filters. It goes to the primary clarifier,
where large organic solids are collected.

6. The sewage has first moved across the primary clarifier. It can go to the
bioreactor, where active bacteria consume harmful substances.

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7. Next, the water moves to the secondary clarifier where the active bacteria
settle at the bottom. The active bacteria are collected.

8. The water moves through another filter which catches fine particles. The
fine particles are removed.

9. The water has been filtered. The filtered water is disinfected with
ultraviolet light to destroy harmful bacteria.

10. Desalination is another important process. There is also a shortage of

clean drinkable water.

11. Desalination is the process of removing the salt and minerals from sea
water to produce clean drinkable water. Desalination can also produce
salt.

12. Reverse osmosis is a good process for desalinating water. Reverse

osmosis is expensive.

13. Sea water is pumped at high pressure across special membranes. The high
pressure makes the membranes act like extremely fine filters.

14. For the quality of the water, it doesn’t matter which sea water is used.
The pressure must be high and the membranes small.

15. The sea water needs to first be filtered to remove solids. The membranes
could clog.

16. The water taken in can be used for drinking. The water taken in can be
piped back into the sea.

17. Reverse osmosis is the most environmentally-friendly desalination

process. Reverse osmosis is an expensive process.

18. The cost of reverse osmosis may come down one day. Solar energy can
be used to power the water pumps.

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B. Relative Pronouns
In GAC002, you studied relative clauses and relative pronouns. Work with a
partner. Can you answer the following questions?
• What is a defining relative clause?
• What is a non-defining relative clause?
• What is the role of relative pronouns?

Task 1.16 Using Relative Pronouns - Defining Relative Clauses

Student A: Look at your list below and cover Student B's list with a piece of
paper so that you can't see it. Describe the first word on your list using a relative
pronoun (who, which, where). See if your partner can guess the word from your
definition.
Example:
It’s a person who travels in space.

Student B: Look at your list below and cover Student A's list with a piece of
paper so that you can't see it. Describe the first word on your list using a relative
pronoun (who, which, where). See if your partner can guess the word from your
definition.
Example:
It's a place where you can study quietly. It’s a place where you can borrow
books.

Student A Student B
astronaut library

castle actor

computer laboratory

president doctor

professor smartphone

gym passport

café dormitory

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Task 1.17 Combining Sentences - Defining Relative Clauses

A. Look at the relative pronouns in the box below with your partner. Use them
to combine the sentences which follow.

who/that where which

which/that when whose

1. There's the professor. He teaches Biology.

2. I haven't been to the laboratory. The science students do experiments there.

3. I haven't been to the laboratory. It is used for chemistry experiments.

4. There's the textbook. It has all the information you need.

5. That's the professor. His students won a prize.

6. The professor will tell you a time. You can meet then.

7. If you need more information, talk to the professor. He is an expert in his

field.

8. That is the textbook. Its author is your professor.

B. How are number 2 and 3 different?

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C. Fill in the rules.

1. We use or _ to replace people.

2. We use , or to replace a place.
3. We use or to replace an object or thing.
4. We use to replace a possessive pronoun.
5. We use to replace a time.

Task 1.18 Combining Sentences - Non-defining Relative Clauses

Use the pronouns in the box in Task 1.17. In your notebooks, write a sentence
containing non-defining relative clauses for at least five of the following topics:

adolescent stress free-market economies time travel

smartphones mammals video games
e-books London teenager shopping habits

When you have finished, work in groups of three:

1. check each other’s sentences
2. choose one sentence from each student in the group
3. rewrite ‘jumbled up’ versions of the three sentences, including punctuation
4. swap jumbled sentences with another group
5. reorder the other group’s sentences

Example

• has is launched,
That e-book, which
has recently been
. , e-book recently
launched, is selling been which That
well. well selling

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Task 1.19 Relative Pronouns Practice

Read the text about Kelly Stapleton and work in pairs to put the correct relative
pronoun in the space provided.

Kelly Stapleton, (1) is in her late twenties, has an unusual job for a

woman: she is a stunt person. Kelly, (2) stunts have been shown in

many famous movies, has travelled all over the world. Her most interesting

experience was in Mexico, (3) she climbed Mayan temples (4)

are three stories high, and jumped from the top. It was an

experience, along with many others in her career, (5) has

changed her perspective on life.

‘I'm not so afraid of death anymore and I definitely live my life to the full. Those

quiet moments (6) I have time to myself are very important to me.

The free time I have in the evenings (7) I would usually watch TV, I

now spend doing relaxing things I really enjoy, such as painting, playing music or

spending time with my husband.’

Her husband, (8) job is much less exciting than hers, often worries

that she'll hurt herself. ‘It's very strange being married to someone

(9) crashes a car, jumps from a burning building, or flies through

the air in an explosion nearly every day. In the early years, (10) I

didn't know what to expect, I was very frightened. Nowadays, it doesn't bother me

so much. Her adventurous spirit is one of the things (11) attracted

me to her in the first place.’

Independent Using Linking Devices

Study Write about one of the topics in Task 1.18. Use:
• linking devices between sentences
• linking devices within sentences
• relative pronouns

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Part D Writing: Review of Academic Essays

Review In GAC002 Academic English I: Reading and Writing Skills, you were
introduced to Academic Essay Writing. In this section we will be reviewing and
consolidating your skills in this area.

Task 1.20 The Writing Process

In GAC002 Academic English I: Reading and Writing Skills, Unit 4 Part E, you
were introduced to the writing process.

What can you remember about this process?

Work with a partner. Put the eight steps in writing an essay in order. Then try to
provide at least two important points about each step. Be prepared to discuss this
with your teacher and other members of the class.

gather publish revise synthesise

organise edit think draft

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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Review Organising Essays

In GAC002 Academic English I: Reading and Writing Skills, Unit 4 Part E,

you looked at some different ways of organising essays.
What can you remember?

Task 1.21 Discuss with your partner. List the types of essays which you studied in
GAC002.
compare/contrast

Essay types studied

in GAC002

Essay Types
We will now move on to looking in more detail at how to organise essays.
As you know, it is important to think about how you will organise your ideas in
your essay. To choose the organisational style, first compose a thesis statement.
Next, think about which type of organisational style will best support that thesis
statement.

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Task 1.22 Identifying Essay Types

With your partner, look at the types of essays on the left. Then, match the type
of essay to a possible organisational style.

Organisational Styles

a. This kind of essay explains what a term means. The factual

1. Descriptive meaning is combined with what the term means for the writer.

b. In this kind of essay, it is important to decide whether you will be

2. Persuasive concentrating on similarities or differences. In general, the more
similar things are, the more you concentrate on differences and vice
versa. Paragraphs can be organised to include one major similarity
or difference each.

3. Cause and
effect c. This type of essay attempts to convince people to agree with a
certain point of view. Paragraphs are arranged so that the least
important points are first and the most important points are last.
This helps gradually build the strength of the argument.
4. Compare and
contrast
d. This kind of essay discusses the causal relationships between
things and events. Some paragraphs are divided to show the
reasons why something is happening or has happened. Others
5. Advantages show its consequences.
and
disadvantages
e. This kind of essay describes how to do something, or how
something works by giving a step by step explanation.

6. Definition
f. This type of essay provides the pros and cons of a particular issue.
Both sides of the issue should be explored equally. Paragraphs can
be arranged so that positive and negative aspects of an issue are
discussed in separate paragraphs OR so that a benefit is stated and
7. Process argued against in the same paragraph.

g. These essays can be factual, retell events, or provide details about a

person and/or reaction.

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Task 1.23 Interpreting and Defining the Topic

Following are some sample essay questions. Working alone, read each essay
question and answer the questions below:
• What type of essay is it?
• What is the topic of the essay?
• How many parts are there to the task?
Underline the key words in the question to help you.
Discuss your answers with a partner and teacher.

ESSAY QUESTIONS TYPE TOPIC PARTS

1. Many families nowadays are either forced to, or choose to, migrate to another
country. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of receiving
migrants for the host country?

2. Homes around the world vary according to culture, climate and family
structure. Compare and contrast your home with either that of another
country or a past civilisation.

3. Some women choose a career in the male-dominated military. What causes

them to make this choice? What are the effects of mixed gender in the
military?

4. What is meant by ‘perseverance’? Explain the term and apply it to the role
that it plays in personal success.

5. One cause of stress among teenagers is their parents. Imagine you are going
to conduct research to investigate how parents stress their adolescent
children. Describe the stages of the research process from start to finish.

6. Protecting the environment has become a major worldwide concern. Which

do you think is the most significant threat: air and water pollution,
deforestation, or species extinction? Why do you think this threat is the most
important?

7. Think of a time when life taught you an important lesson. What happened?
How did you learn the lesson? Has the lesson learned helped you since then?
Provide details to take the reader back with you to this important event.

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Planning your Essay

The planning of an essay is divided into three parts:
• Part 1: Brainstorm for main ideas of paragraphs
• Part 2: Select and group the main ideas
• Part 3: List supporting details for each main idea.

provides
feedback
explains the
good inspiring reasons for
understanding instructions
of the job personality
traits
good
under
pressure What makes a knowledge
great leader?

determined

reputation communication
for skills
competence honest
enthusiastic

What makes a great leader?

personality traits communication knowledge

traits skills ge

good
honest explains the understanding
reasons for of the job
instructions
reputation for
enthusiastic
provides competence
feedback

determined
inspiring

good under
pressure

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Task 1.24 Do Essay Question 1 with your classmates and teacher and the remaining essay
questions with a partner.
Read and analyse the essay questions again. Brainstorm possible main ideas
for your body paragraphs.
1. Many families nowadays are either forced to, or choose to, migrate to
another country. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages
of receiving migrants for the host country?

Advantages of
accepting
migrants

Disadvantages
of accepting
migrants

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2. Homes around the world vary according to culture, climate and family
structure. Compare and contrast your home either with that of another
country or a past civilisation.

My Home Features Homes in ___________

Compared/Contrasted

Differences • Differences
•

Similarities

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3. Some women choose a career in the male-dominated military. What

causes them to make this choice? What are the effects of mixed
gender in the military?

Explain why women join Summarise the effects of mixed-gender

forces on the military: military:
1

_3

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4. What is meant by ‘perseverance’? Explain the term and apply it to

the role that it plays in personal success.

Term or concept to be defined:

Dictionary Paraphrased
defintion: defintion:

Synonyms or Example
antonyms: s:

Essential characteristics: Quotatio

ns:

Role that it plays in personal success:

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5. One cause of stress among teenagers is their parents. Imagine you are
going to conduct research to investigate how parents might stress
their adolescent children. Describe the stages of the research process
from start to finish.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

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6. Protecting the environment has become a major worldwide concern.

Which do you think is the most significant threat: air and water
pollution, deforestation, or species extinction? Why do you think
this threat is the most important?

Thesis statement or Main reasons Facts and examples Counter-arguments

opinion and refutations
State two main What are some facts
What is your opinion: and examples to List some opposing
reasons that would
which is the most support your reasons views and refute
convince someone that
important threat to and validate your (argue against) them.
this is true.
the environment? argument?

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7. Think of a time when life taught you an important lesson. What

happened? How did you learn the lesson? Has the lesson learned
helped you since then? Provide details to take the reader back with
you to this important event.

Topic: An Important Lesson Taught by Life

1. Introduction

2. Event

• details

3. How you learned lesson

• details

4. How lesson learned has

helped

• details

5. Conclusion

Task Choose one of the topics in Task 1.24 and write the essay.
1.25

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Part E Writing: Developing an Appropriate Style

- Introductions to Academic Essays

Before Discuss the following questions with your partner:

You
1. What is ‘junk’ food?
Begin
2. What kinds of junk food do you like eating?

3. How often do you eat it?

4. Where can you buy it?

5. Why do you think people eat junk food even though they know it’s
not good for them?

6. How is junk food changing the health of people in your country?

Task 1.26 Introduction Styles

Read the following five essay introductions.
What do you think the essays will be about?
1. Is the modern lifestyle in the United States killing children? Mom's not
home anymore to cook a decent meal. Dad's too busy to play football with
his kids. This is the decade of fast food and passive entertainment. While
children are being starved of love and affection and getting fatter on the
junk food they’re being fed, hospitals are struggling to cope with a
generation of young heart attack victims.

2. Sally Edwards, from the National Health Institute, said: “If we’re not willing
to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn’t settle for junk food”.
Although it is difficult to disagree with this statement, it actually does not
clearly establish the link between what we eat and its impact on our health.
This essay will demonstrate the mounting long-term negative health effects
of junk food consumption by children, and the corresponding pressure put
on hospitals.

3. In 30 years, the number of overweight or obese children in the US has

doubled to a staggering 30% of the population. Because they consume too
much junk food, children are having heart attacks and developing other
serious health problems younger and younger, straining services at
hospitals and health care systems.

4. As a child, Joseph loved his doughnuts for breakfast, chocolate bars for mid-
morning snack, burgers and fries for lunch, and pizza for dinner. Nintendo
was his favourite sport and his most enjoyable evening task was curling up
on the sofa to watch videos with a bag of potato chips. When he had a heart
attack at the age of 40, nobody was surprised. This scenario has become all-
too commonplace and masks an associated problem: the increasing burden
placed on hospitals.
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5. Medical communities in countries all over the world are becoming

increasingly concerned with the effects that over-consumption of junk food
is having on the health of the population, particularly on that of young
people. Since they are experiencing coronary arrests and other serious health
problems at increasingly younger ages, considerable strain is being place on
hospitals and government health care systems which are already under
pressure.

Task Analysing Introduction Styles

1.27
Discuss the following questions with your partner and make notes:

1. Which introduction do you think is the best? Why?

2. In what sort of essay might you find each introduction?

3. How does each paragraph try to interest the reader?

4. Which do you think is the most academic introduction?

5. What are the elements of a good introductory paragraph?

6. Identify the thesis statement in each introduction.

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Thesis Statements
Thesis statements have three purposes, to:

announce a limited subject to readers

share the writer's main point or

opinion about the topic

provide readers with the projected plan

Task 1.28 Work with a partner. Read the weak thesis statements below. First, check
whether they have all three purposes above. Then identify the reason they are
weak by considering the following categories:
• It is an open-ended question
• It is too broad
• It puts forward conflicting ideas
• No judgement is expressed

1. Computers are regularly used in schools nowadays.

2. Is year-round schooling for high school appropriate?
3. Social networking sites are useful marketing tools; on the other hand, they
are also entertaining and allow you to keep in touch with people.
4. Unless the authorities act to reduce violent crime in megacities, the whole
structure of society as we know it will be destroyed.
5. Japan has a high unemployment rate.
6. The press criticised the World Cup in South Africa for the way it was run,
but for fans it was exciting and offered great entertainment.

Task 1.29 Work with a partner. Read the thesis statements below. Decide whether each
is strong or weak. Explain your reasoning.
1. There are some negative and positive consequences associated with
attending school year-round.

2. Although attending school year-round can have a positive impact on

academic achievement, it also poses a risk in that young people do not
have the time to explore alternative activities.

3. While navigating the internet can be harmful to children, it can also be

educational and entertaining.

4. Is navigating the internet potentially harmful to children? The answer is

a resounding ‘yes’ and the reasons for this will be explored in the
following essay.

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5. Violent crime is increasing in megacities such as São Paulo because the

traditional social structure has been disrupted and jobs are scarce.

6. Violent crime has many causes and effects.

Task Work with a partner. Add your opinion to the topics on the next page to
1.30 create thesis statements. The first one has been done for you.

Topic: Japan's social problems Topic: Dolphins in captivity

Opinion:
Opinion:
More jobs are needed to stop them
from getting worse

Thesis statement: Thesis statement:

Unless Japan creates
more jobs, its social
problems will worsen.

Topic: Fast food restaurants Topic: Gangs

Opinion: Opinion:

Thesis statement: Thesis statement:

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Task 1.31 Reconsider the weak thesis statements in Task 1.28. Underline the topic, and
then rewrite them so they are strong thesis statements. Compare with a
partner.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Task 1.32 Work on your own. Write thesis statements for the topics in Task 1.8. Share
as a class.

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Introductions
Introductions are the first part of an essay or assignment. They clarify your
viewpoint and outline how the essay will be structured. Introductions:

1. provide a general statement about the topic

2. give the necessary background information

3. provide a thesis
statement

Task 1.33 Identifying Introduction Functions

Work with a partner. Read the following extracts from introductions. Which
of the above three functions is the extract completing?

1. That teenagers are stressed by their parents is one of the main findings of
the study carried out in July 2011.
2. Sewage treatment has undergone much progress since the days when
wastewater ran down the streets and into the local river or sea.
3. In many schools, computer technology remains underutilised in helping
improve academic achievement.
4. Year-round schooling is on an upward trend, with at least 30% of US
states now implementing it.
5. Social networking sites offer companies a means of extending their reach
over target consumers.
6. Reverse osmosis water desalination is an eco-friendly manner of
obtaining drinking water, particularly if solar panels can be used to power
the pumps.

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Task 1.34 Identifying Introduction Styles

Introductions will vary according to the topic, purpose and audience: there is
not one type of introduction that accommodates all essays or research reports.
Reread the example introductory paragraphs provided in Task 1.26.

What do you notice about them?

A. Match the five introductions in Task 1.26 to the introduction styles below.
Put the correct number in the box provided.

B. Underline the sentence in the paragraph that helps you to decide which
kind of introduction it is.

Introduction
styles

Use an ATTENTION GRABBER: a fact, figure, or

statistic that gets your reader’s attention. Use it to
illustrate a point and follow it with elaboration in the
body.

ASK A QUESTION to interest the reader or create a

controversy. Answer the question in the body paragraphs.

Use a GENERAL TOPIC INTRODUCTION: a general

statement about the current situation. Get more specific in
the rest of the introduction and body.

Use an ANECDOTE: a personal story which is to the

point and relevant to your essay.

Cite an INTERESTING QUOTATION: Base your topic

on an expert’s opinion, or simply use the quotation to get
your reader’s attention.

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Task 1.35 Preparing to Write an Introduction

Discuss with a partner. Imagine you have been asked to write an essay on the
topic: As drinking water becomes scarcer, scientific advances enable
opportunities to reuse waste or salty water. Discuss.

Prepare to write the introduction by answering the following questions:

1. What is the main topic?
2. What background information should you provide?
3. How will you limit the topic? Can you relate it to your own or your
country’s experience? Can you limit the time period?
4. What is your opinion about this topic? What is the point that you will
make?
5. How will you organise the body of the essay? Which essay type will you
adopt?

Task 1.36 Writing an Introduction

Work on your own. Write an introduction of approximately 100 words, using
your answers from Task 1.35. If necessary, conduct minimal research. As you
are only writing an introduction, there is no need to mention sources.
Exchange your introduction with a partner. Underline the thesis statement.
Identify the type of introduction used.
Put your introduction up on the wall in your classroom. Read the other
students’ introductions. Discuss the different approaches as a class.

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Part F Research: Review of the Research Process

Review In GAC002 Academic English I: Reading and Writing Skills, we looked at:
• locating sources
• checking for reliability
• finding the information you need
What can you remember about these topic areas?
List three important things you can remember for each topic area.

Finding the information you

Locating sources Checking for reliability
need

Task Pair Work

1.37
Find a partner and compare your ideas.

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Defining When you have to research a topic, it is important to know what aspect of
Your that topic you are researching because otherwise you will be swamped with
Research material. If your topic is too broad, there will be too much to write about and
you will find that you simply won’t know where to begin. Narrow your topic.
If you are writing an essay, the essay question should help you to narrow
down the field of your research.
For example, consider the essay topic:
Discuss the increase in obesity in children in western countries.
Ask yourself the following questions:

What are the

defining/content words?

What are the

words?

What are the

words?

When researching this essay, if you simply started researching ‘obesity’, you
would have far too much information. You would need to narrow down your
research into obesity ONLY in children and ONLY in western countries.
More specifically, the question only asks you about the INCREASE in
obesity in these areas.
Even then, it would be helpful to brainstorm some of the questions you
would want to answer in your essay and use these as a basis for your
research.

Task 1.38 Brainstorm

What questions would you want to answer in the above essay?
Brainstorm these with a partner and write down as many as you can think of.

Tip Draw a mind map to help you organise your ideas.

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Comparing Once you have narrowed the topic, you can carry out the research to find as
Information much information as you can on the subject. If you are using books,
From remember that contents pages and indexes can be very useful to help you
Different
locate specific information in the text.
Sources
You must have more than one source of information. Remember that it is
important to keep a record of each source you have used and the information
you obtained from it. This is because you will need to reference the source
in your writing.
When comparing information from more than one source, points to notice
include:

Item ✓

How up-to-date is the information? (What is the date of

publication?)
How reliable is the source? (Who has written it? Who are
they?) Do they present a neutral/biased point of view?
Which sources agree with each other - what seems to be the
established point of view?
Which sources do not agree with that view? What evidence
do they have against it?

Task 1.39 Research the areas you and your partner identified through the questions in Task
1.38. Find more than one source for each area. Make sure you note the source
of each piece of information you find.
Bring the information to the next class.

Task 1.40 Consider the sources of information you have identified. Answer the questions
in the above checklist to judge their validity.

Building Up As you go through the material you have collected through your
Your Evidence research, you can sort the information into categories according to the
point of view they support, or the particular topic area they discuss.
In this way, you are building up your evidence. You need more than
one source to present a convincing argument. The more evidence
you can accumulate, the more convincing your argument is likely to
be. Imagine you are a detective, or a lawyer, trying to find as much
evidence as possible to prove your case!

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Keeping We have already mentioned how important it is to keep records of all your
Records sources of information. For the reference list of your essay, you will need the
of following information for every source you used:
Your
Sources

•the author’s last name and initials

•the title of the book or article
•(if an article) the title of the journal, book that the
Books/journals article comes from
•the year of publication
•the publisher
•the place of publication
•page numbers for in-text referencing

• author's last name and initials, if available

• year of publication, if available
• title of article
Electronic • publisher and place of publication, if available
sources • page numbers, if given
• electronic medium (online, database or CD-ROM)
• internet address (URL)
• date you accessed the information

Make sure you make a note of all these details for each piece of information
you intend to use in your essay. Compiling your reference list before you start
writing can be one way of making sure you have all the necessary information
early in your essay writing process, especially if some books have to go back
to the library before you have finished the assignment!

Task 1.41 Compile a reference list for the information sources you have found in Task
1.39.
Use the GAC Referencing Guide to help you.

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Independent Assessment Event 4: Preparation I

Study
Your teacher will now give you the list of essay topics and Assessment
Criteria for Assessment Event 4.
Make sure that you understand the requirements of the topics and that you
understand how your papers will be graded.
Choose the essay topic that you find the most interesting. Consider the topic
carefully. Do some research to make sure that you will be able to find the
information you need. Follow the guidelines for conducting research as
provided in this module.
In the next class, confirm your topic and hand in a rough plan for your teacher
to check.
Agree on due dates for submission of the plan, first draft and final version of
the essay.

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Unit 2: Places Where People Live and Work

Unit 2: Places Where People Live and Work

Part A Unit Introduction

Part B Reading: Skimming, Scanning, Inferring

Part C Writing: Improving Your Paragraph Writing

Part D Research: Choosing Books

Part E Research: Using the internet

Part A Unit Introduction

Overview In this unit you will learn to:

• review skimming and scanning reading skills
• infer meaning from a reading passage
• review topic sentences and supporting statements in paragraphs
• support written generalisations with evidence
• practise paragraph cohesion
• further develop your research skills

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Part B Reading: Skimming, Scanning, Inferring

Before In GAC002 Academic English I: Reading and Writing Skills, Unit 3,

You you studied skimming and scanning reading skills. In this unit, you
Begin will review these reading techniques.

1. Refresh your memory about skimming and scanning

techniques: Discuss with a partner:

• What is skimming? Why do we skim?

• What is scanning? Why do we scan?

If you are unsure, refer back to Unit 3 in Level 1, or check with

your teacher.

2. Look at the reading situations below.

• Write ‘scan’ next to situations in which you would scan.

• Write ‘skim’ next to situations in which you would

skim. Finally, discuss your answers with your teacher and

classmates.

Situation Scan/Skim?

a. You are leaving the house to go to an appointment

when you receive a letter from a friend describing
his life in Singapore. You want to read it but don’t
have much time.

b. You want to rent an apartment from the classified

ads in the newspaper.

c. You are lost in the city and need to look at your

map to find where you are.

d. You want to find a particular address in the street

directory.

e. You have found a web page on the spending

patterns of teenagers and you want to see if the
information will be useful for your business studies
project.

f. You want to relax with your favourite magazine.

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Before Vocabulary and Discussion

You
Read Vocabulary: Read the words in the box below. What do these words have in
common?

suburb modern house mansion outskirts town village farm

two-storey unit block of apartments semi-detached house

garage

eleventh floor garden swimming pool balcony city centre basement

staircase top floor outer suburb

1. Work with a partner. Discuss the meanings of these words and sort them into
the following three groups:

Locations Types of Houses Parts of Houses

Check your answers with your teacher and class members.

2. In a small group, discuss the following questions, using the vocabulary in the
box above as much as possible.

1. Where do you live in your country? In the city centre? In a suburb, or on the
outskirts of a city? Describe in detail the town/village where you live.
2. Do you live in a house or an apartment? Describe it to your group. Give
details about the exterior and interior of your home.
3. In what kinds of places do university students often live? If you study abroad,
in what kind of living arrangement would you most like to live? Why?

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Task 2.1 Scanning Practice

Imagine you are looking for rental accommodation in an English-speaking
country. Your teacher will give you some ‘Accommodation To Let’ or
‘Apartment Rental’ advertisements from the classified section of the newspaper
or from a website.
Work in a small group. Work fast. Time yourself. See how long it takes your group
to scan the accommodation ads to find the answers to the following:

1. How much per week is the cheapest apartment?

2. How much per week is the most expensive house?

3. How much per week is the cheapest one-bedroom apartment?

4. Find an ad where the accommodation is closest to public transport.

5. Find an ad where the accommodation is close to the university.

6. Find an ad that asks for non-smokers only.

7. Find an ad where the accommodation sounds beautiful or luxurious.

Task 2.2 Skimming Practice

Skim this article from a university brochure describing student accommodation on
campus. Then answer the questions below. Compare your answers with a partner.

Student Accommodation on Campus

At our university, there is a variety of accommodation in different price ranges. The
university has several residential colleges that are located within easy walking distance
of the main campus. Each of the residential colleges provides a fully furnished single
room with shared bathroom facilities and full meals.
The most expensive residential college with fees of $500 per week is for both men and
women. It provides a private telephone and personal computer in each room, and a
comfortable shared TV room. There is also a games room with facilities for table tennis,
snooker and board games. Other residential colleges include a women’s college with
private swimming pool, and a men’s only college next to the river’s edge. Rowing boats
are provided for the men’s recreation. To apply to live in a residential college, students
can enquire at the university accommodation office.
The university also provides 50 specially built units in a suburb near the university. Each
unit has three to four bedrooms and is fully self-contained and furnished. These units
are ideal for students who wish to share with other students and the cost of the rent
is approximately $100 per person per week. Students should apply at the university
accommodation office if they wish to have their name placed on the waiting list.

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Off campus, there are many houses and flats for rent. These can be found by looking
in the classified advertisements in the newspaper under ‘Accommodation’, or by
checking notice boards at the university or in local cafes and community notice boards.
Prices vary and most students enjoy living in shared accommodation, where up to six
or seven students live together and share the rent of a large house with many
bedrooms and a garden. Usually, students must pay a bond and rent in advance, and
the cost of electricity and phone is extra.

1. What is the main idea?

2. What three kinds of accommodation does the university guide tell us about?

3. Where might you see this article?

4. Who would find this article most useful or interesting?

Task Places People Live

2.3
You are going to read an article entitled Strange Places Where People Live.
Before you read, discuss the following with a partner.
1. List three characteristics of homes commonly found in cold climates.
•

List three characteristics of homes found in warm climates.

•

What are the main differences?

2. Can you think of an example of a home where the structure or design is

influenced by cultural attitudes?

3. Ideally, where would you like to live? In an urban (city) environment, a

suburb or a rural (countryside) location? Why?

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4. Check the meanings of the words below. They appear in bold in the article
below:

rural community
urban facilities
city dweller resident
sense of community self-contained home
extensions plumbing

Task 2.4 Reading Comprehension

Skim the following article and answer this question:
Which of the living environments mentioned in the article would you most like to
experience? Why?
After you have finished reading, tell your partner which living environment you
would prefer and why.

Strange Places Where People Live

Introduction

The world is a vast combination of environments and peoples. The places people live
are as varied as the foods the people eat, the languages they speak and the religions
they follow. There are many strange places where people have lived for thousands of
years and continue to do so. Before most of us became city dwellers, our ancestors
called some strange places home.

Al Hajarah - Yemen

Al Hajarah is situated 52.3 kilometres from Sana’a, the capital of Yemen. The first
settlers in this incredible walled town are said to date from the 12 th century. The
fortified houses are built on top of a huge rocky outcrop in the Haraz Mountains of
western central Yemen. The taller ones are several stories tall and resemble early
skyscrapers. The self-contained homes have plentiful storage facilities to enable
inhabitants to withstand a siege. Surrounding the town are fertile lands which
receive the highest rainfall in Arabia. To maximise agricultural production, the land
is terraced (dug into levels down the hills). Wheat, barley, fruit and coffee are
grown. Approximately 25,500 people live here today.

Xuan Kong Si - China

Mt. Heng (Hengshan) located in Shanxi province is one of five most sacred mountains
in China. Towards its base is Xuan Kong Si, or the “Hanging Temple”, parts of which
are suspended 50 metres over the edge. The engineering techniques used to build it
still fascinate modern architects. Xuan Kong Si is supported by numerous wooden
beams driven into holes in the side of the mountain. These wooden beams can be

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replaced one at a time so the building’s structure remains sound while renovation
takes place. The first reason this monastery was built in this location was to shield
it from nature. Its high position made it safe from floods and the mountain protected
it from rain, snow and the harsh sunlight. In addition, it followed the Taoist
requirement for silence since no noises reached the resident monks. Although it is
now mainly a tourist attraction, its caves and halls are still inhabited by caretakers
(people who look after it).

Cappadocia - Turkey

Violent volcanic eruptions in Cappadocia in Turkey 10 million years ago created a 100
metre-thick layer of rock comprised mainly of sandstone. Wind and water erosion of
this deposit led to the formation of hundreds of toadstool-shaped sandstone
structures. Humans have lived in this region of Anatolia since before the 6th century
BCE. In the town of Göreme, inhabitants have carved the sandstone ’fairy chimneys’,
as they are known, into homes and facilities such as police stations. The Christians
who inhabited this region also carved thousands of cave churches, chapels and
monasteries out of the rocks. It is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage site,
visited by thousands of tourists each year. Nowadays it has a population of over
6,000 people, many of whom still live in the rock houses.

Matmâta - Tunisia

Matmâta is a unique rural settlement situated 335 kilometres south of Tunis, the
capital of Tunisia. Although it dates back to the time of Ancient Rome, it only became
famous in 1977, when it was used as Luke Sky Walker’s home on the planet Tatooin
in the Star Wars movie A New Hope. People dug large, deep holes in the ground.
Around the perimeter of these holes, caves are dug to form rooms. Explanations for
why locals chose to build their homes in this manner vary. One is that such homes
offered protection from invading Egyptians. Another is that the caves already
existed as the homes of prehistoric animals.

Coober Pedy - Australia

A similar underground community can be found in the town of Coober Pedy, which is
located in the desert halfway between Adelaide and Alice Springs in Australia.
Approximately 80% of the locals live underground. The miners who came here to dig
for opals faced summer temperatures of 55° Celsius and noticed that it was a lot
cooler underground. They began to carve tunnels into homes, for which they provided
plumbing and furniture. The local Aborigines called the place kupa-piti, meaning
‘white fellows’ hole in the ground’, which the miners than changed into Coober Pedy.
The movie Mad Max II was filmed here.

Setenil De Las Bodegas - Spain

An example of homes that have been continuously occupied and renovated over
thousands of years is found in Setenil De Las Bodegas, in Andalucía province in Spain.
The first inhabitants lived in the natural caves, carving away the rock walls to build

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extensions. Some houses are estimated to have a million tons of rock above them.
Even the main street runs under an ancient outcrop of rock. People chose to live here
for practical reasons. The natural caves in the rocks were lived in since pre- historic
times. Instead of building a whole new house, new inhabitants just added a façade
(the front of the building) and ended up with a home which was perfectly protected
against the weather. Setenil’s numerous bars and restaurants contribute to a sense
of community in this town which looks like it has been invaded by rock.

Ponte Vecchio – Italy

For those who prefer a more urban setting, there is the Ponte Vecchio, in Florence,
Italy. It is one of the last bridges to have shops built along it. The current bridge
was first constructed across the river Arno in 1345, hence its name. Ponte Vecchio
means “Old Bridge” in English. Until 1593, most of the shops were butcheries. After
that, they were forbidden from doing business on the bridge and jewellery merchants
took over. While in the past most people used to live above their shops, this is no longer
true. Only a few people still live in the minuscule apartments above the shops.

Word count: 944

Adapted from:
Strange Places Where People Live (2017), Aquiziam [online]. Available from:
https://www.aquiziam.com/strange-places-people-live/ [Accessed 15
July 2019]

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Task 2.5 Reading Comprehension

Work with a partner. Choose THREE places from the article. Complete the table
with advantages and disadvantages of living in each. Compare with another pair.

Advantages Disadvantages
Place 1:

Place 2:

Place 3:

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Task 2.6 Introduction to Inferring from a Text

When we read, we look for meaning not only in what is mentioned in the text,
but also in what is not mentioned. Writers give clues that help you ‘read
between the lines’. When you use these clues, you infer meaning from text.
We read what is written on the page, but our mind leads us to infer the meaning
which is implied (not stated directly). Authors imply, readers infer.
Look at this part of a story:

The long table was covered in a white cloth and was laden with plates
and trays of the most delicious goodies. There were brightly coloured
cream cakes with butterfly wings, party pies, candies, coconut and
chocolate-covered toffees, bananas dipped in chocolate and home-made
cookies in the shape of gingerbread men. And, of course, at the end of
the table out of the sun, there was the biggest, most beautiful pink and
white ice-cream cake with nine candles on it that I had ever seen! I was
so excited!

Try to infer the answers to these questions and say why you think your
answer is correct. The answers are not directly given in the text, but there is
enough surrounding information for us to guess the answers quite accurately.

1. What kind of special occasion may be taking place?

2. Who is telling the story?

3. Was it day or night?

4. Is the table outside or inside?

5. Is the cake for a boy or girl?

6. How many people will be involved in this scene?

Compare your answers with a partner.

If you were able to get most of the answers to the questions correct, you were
using the reading skill of inferring. Through word choice, writers imply
(suggest) meaning which readers infer.
What is the denotation of a word?

What is the connotation of a word?

Your teacher will now lead you through a practice connotation activity.

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How to Make Inferences

There are several ways in which you can infer what the writer may be
implying:

Consider the context

Look for clues provided by examples

Determine whether antonyms or synonyms are

used to create contrasts

Check the connotation (implied meaning) of the

words the writer has chosen to use

Task 2.7 Identifying the Writer’s Implications

Work in groups of three. Read the text entitled Living in Glass Houses. Then,
decide which of the inferences are correct, incorrect, or whether there is not
enough information. Indicate the reasons for your decision. The first one is
done for you.

Living in Glass Houses

Thanks to technological advances, nowadays even homebuyers who live in cold climates
such as the northern United States, the U.K. or even Russia can have homes with walls of
floor-to-ceiling glass. About 50 years ago, it was not possible. However today engineered
glass is available which has double panes (sheets of glass) and an in-between layer of
protective air or gases. The main reason why people like glass houses is because they let in
natural light and views, softening the boundaries between the inside and the outside world.
For some people, choosing glass is not only about looks. People who suffer from Seasonal
Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) experience feelings of depression during the winter caused by
a lack of natural light. S.A.D. sufferers find that they feel happier in glass-walled homes.

Of course, if glass home dwellers can see out, it means that people outside can see in,
especially once darkness falls. It can be rather like living in a fish bowl, with neighbours
inspecting every move. One solution is to install mechanically operated blinds. There are
many more technological innovations on the way for use in glass houses. These include
glass products that are already available, which store energy, transmit heat and absorb
sound.
Adapted from:
Palmer, K. (2008), “Living in a Glass House”, The Star Tribune [online]. Available from: http://tinyurl.com/3bbwqdz [Accessed
27 June 2019]

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1. By technological advances the writer means all branches of technology.

□ correct
X incorrect
□ not enough information
Support from the text: the writer is specifically referring to advances in glass
production technology which enable even people who live in cold climates to have
glass houses.

2. It is now possible to have glass houses anywhere, irrespective of the climate.

□ correct
□ incorrect
□ not enough information
Support from the text: _

3. It is suggested that in the past energy conservation concerns prevented glass houses from
becoming more popular.
□ correct
□ incorrect
□ not enough information
Support from the text:

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4. The passage suggests that glass houses will become increasingly popular in the future.
□ correct
□ incorrect
□ not enough information
Support from the text:

5. According to the passage, living in glass houses provides health benefits.

□ correct
□ incorrect
□ not enough information
Support from the text:

6. By using the word inspecting (paragraph 2), the writer suggests that neighbours only
give a passing glance inside glass houses.
□ correct
□ incorrect
□ not enough information
Support from the text:

7. Based on the passage, it can be inferred that the writer supports widespread construction
of glass houses.
□ correct
□ incorrect
□ not enough information
Support from the text:

Task 2.8 Practice with Inferring

Read the text Strange Places Where People Live once again. Infer the answers to
the questions below.
Keep in mind that whenever you are faced with a reading comprehension task,
there may be questions where the direct answer is not mentioned. These are
questions requiring you to use your skills in inferring.

Check your answers with a partner

1. What kind of employment would most people living in Al Hajarah have?

2. Why were the houses in Al Hajarah built on a rocky outcrop?

3. What kind of tasks would the caretakers at Xuan Kong Si most likely
undertake?

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4. Other than for the quiet why do you think the monks chose to build Xuan
Kong Si on Mt. Heng?

5. Why do you think Göreme is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage site?

6. Other than for the cooler temperatures, why else did people begin to live
underground in Coober Pedy?

7. Why was the movie Mad Max II, which is set in the future after a nuclear
war, filmed in Coober Pedy?

8. Why does Setenil de Las Bodegas have a strong sense of community?

9. Why do only a few people live on the Ponte Vecchio?

10. Which kind of people do you think live on the Ponte Vecchio?

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Part C Writing: Improving your Paragraph Writing

Before In GAC002 Academic English I: Reading and Writing Skills, Unit 2, you learnt
You how to write topic sentences containing main ideas, and how to support these with
Begin relevant supporting details. In the previous unit, you learnt how to write sentences
using conjunctions. Now you are going to practise writing paragraphs using both
these skills.

Task 2.9 Topic Sentences - Review

Look at the following paragraphs and choose the best topic sentence from the
list below each one.

1. The main reason for this is the lack of employment opportunities available
in country areas because machines are increasingly replacing people.
Young people in particular often find it difficult to find employment.
Another reason is the lack of social activities available in rural areas.

a. It is difficult for young people to live in rural areas.

b. People are moving away from the country in search of a better lifestyle in
the cities.

c. There are not enough jobs available in rural areas.

d. Urban life is much better than rural life.

2. In the city, more cars mean more traffic jams and therefore slower speeds.
In contrast, country roads have less traffic and the drivers are able to
drive at much higher speeds. Additionally, the average trip is much
longer in the country compared to the city, and so the chances of a driver
falling asleep at the wheel are much greater in the country.

a. Cars travel much faster in country areas.

b. Although there are more cars in the city than in the country, it is generally
much safer driving in the city.

c. A reduction in the number of cars on city roads is the best way to make
city driving safer.

d. Sleepy drivers are a major hazard on country roads.

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3. A very positive finding was that 95 per cent indicated the community made
them feel either very welcome or somewhat welcome. Two-thirds felt that
that were made very welcome. The immigrants are likely to take part in
the activities organised by local communities and in sport or different
hobbies. There is also a relatively high level of interaction between rural
immigrants and their neighbours, with 87 per cent of respondents having
visited their neighbours since moving to their current place

Source: Immigrants Endorse Australian Country Life (2003), Charles Sturt

University [online]. Available from: https://tinyurl.com/y2p8xwwm
[Accessed 01 August 2019].

a. Immigrants approve of Australian country life.

b. Most immigrants have great neighbours in rural Australia.

c. Rural communities are the best places to live in Australia.

d. Immigrants enjoy a sense of community in rural Australia.

Task 2.10 Linking Devices - Review
Look at the sentences below with your partner. Combine them into a paragraph
beginning with sentence (b). Use appropriate conjunctions and relative pronouns
learned in Unit 1.
a. People who live in the country know the other local people and are therefore
friendlier towards each other.

b. It is often claimed that living in a city is more stressful than living in the
country.

c. People who live in the country often have to travel a long way to get to
places like shops and schools.

d. People who live in the country have more time to spend with their families.

e. Some people who live in the country complain that they would rather live
in the city.

f. There is not such a variety of things to do in the country.

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Task 2.11 Identifying the Better Sample Paragraph

The following paragraphs are a student’s attempts to write a well-constructed
paragraph about city and country living. Work with a partner. Decide which of
the two is the better paragraph and why. Consider the following:
• overall structure
• topic sentences
• linking devices
• word choice
When you have finished, compare with another pair.

A B

It is often claimed that living in a city is more It is often claimed that living in a city is more
stressful than living in the country because stressful than living in the country because
people who live in the country know the other people who live in the country know the other
local people and are therefore friendlier local people and are therefore friendlier. In
towards each other. In addition, people who addition, country dwellers have more time to
live in the country have more time to spend spend with their families. However, some of
with their families. However, some people them complain that they would rather live in
who live in the country complain that they the city. One reason for this is that they
would rather live in the city. One reason for often have to travel a long way to get to
this is that people who live in the country places like shops and schools. Furthermore,
often have to travel a long way to get places there is not such a variety of things to do in
like shops and schools. Furthermore, there is the country.
not such a variety of things to do in the
country.

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Task 2.12 Writing Cohesive Paragraphs - Practice

Make paragraphs with the following lists of sentences. Use appropriate
linking devices (in addition, however, etc.) to ensure the links between
sentences are clear in the paragraph. Each paragraph must contain a topic
sentence with supporting sentences. Include a qualification with supporting
sentences in each paragraph. You will need to re-order the sentences.

1.
a. The secret to the people in these places living longer is a lifestyle
that includes a healthy diet, daily exercise and a low stress life.
b. People there aren’t just living longer, they are living healthily -
medication and disability-free.
c. The five blue zones are the Italian island of Sardinia; Okinawa,
Japan; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica and the Greek
island of Ikaria.
d. Blue zones are places in the world where people live longer and
healthier than anywhere else on earth.
e. In each of these five places, it is common for people to live to 90
or even 100 years of age.
2.
a. They pollute their bodies, and their bodies suffer.
b. Choosing the right lifestyle is easier said than done.
c. Most people simply choose to not to live the necessary lifestyle.
d. A long and healthy life is possible for everyone.
e. Sophisticated medicines and expensive modern technological
therapies are not required to live long and healthily.
f. The secrets to blue zone longevity and health are not surprising.
3.
a. They suffer from half the rate of heart disease and 20% fewer
cancers than Americans.
b. To find out more, visit www.bluezones.com
c. People in blue zones use their bodies for their daily activities.
d. People in blue zones eat healthy diets.
e. People in blue zones exercise naturally.

Source:
Kleiner, K. (2009), “Blue Zones – Places in the World where People Live to 100 and Stay Healthy”,
Singularity Hub [online]. Available from: http://tinyurl.com/nox4hl [Accessed 27 June 2019]

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Task 2.13 Making Generalisations - Useful Language

When writing academic essays, it is common for writers to make
generalisations. A generalisation is a statement that summarises specific
information from data. Some of the examples below are generalisations.
Mark the ones which are generalisations.

 67% of people thought that smoking in public places such as

restaurants should be banned.
 Most people thought that smoking in public places such as restaurants
should be banned.
 In last week's election, only 5% voted for Mr. Johnstone.
 In last week's election, hardly anyone voted for Mr. Johnstone.
 75% of graduates from the Information Technology faculty find a job
within two months of graduating.
 Graduates from the Information Technology faculty usually find a job
within two months of graduating.
 People living in London earn on average 31% more than people living
in Manchester.
 Salaries were generally much better in London than in Manchester.
 Only 0.5% of people in urban areas live beyond 90.
 It is virtually impossible for a person in urban areas to live beyond the
age of 90.

Task 2.14 Sorting Generalisations

In the sentences in Task 2.13, underline the generalisations. Sort them into the
table below: generalisations of quantity, frequency and probability.
Can you think of any other words or phrases that can be used for generalising?
Add these to the table.

Quantity Frequency Probability

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Task Making Generalisations - Practice

2.15
Make generalised sentences from the following statements that contain specific
information.

1. The percentage of the total population living in urban areas in Burundi is

10.6%.

2. 100% of Singaporeans are urban.

3. In the USA, 80.8% of the population is urban.

4. China has 38% fewer people living in cities than Lebanon.

5. In Trinidad and Tobago, the urban population is listed as 9%.

6. In Australia, 88.7% of the total population lives in urban areas.

Source:
World Health Organization (2019), Proportion of Population Living in an Urban Area
(%)1950–2050: 2010. Available from: https://tinyurl.com/yxbgap3o [Accessed 16 July 2019]

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Task 2.16 Making Generalisations Convincing - Provide Specific Facts

Generalisations are often used to make a main point. However, in order to
persuade the reader that your generalisation is based on fact rather than
opinion, it is important to support these generalisations with relevant
evidence. In this way, you can make your main point believable.
Look at the following example and identify three generalisations.
Underline the facts that support these generalisations.

Have you ever dreamt of moving to Switzerland? It is clean, green and has
picturesque mountain ranges. However, there are certain aspects that you
should consider before making that move.
Generally speaking, Switzerland is an expensive place to live. A study by the
UBS bank published on UBS.com in 2018 found that Zurich and Geneva top
the list of the world’s most costly cities, ahead of Oslo, Copenhagen, and
New York. A one-bedroom apartment in Geneva costs an average of CHF
3,003 a month in rent.
Additionally, if you are female, you are likely to find that your gender plays
a role in your financial prospects. The country has one of the largest gender
pay gaps in Europe, with female employees earning 17 percent less than their
male colleagues in 2017, according to Eurostat figures.
For those who like to do household jobs on a Sunday, it is virtually
impossible to do that here. Sundays in Switzerland are protected by a long
list of social laws, making it illegal to undertake activities such as mowing
your lawn, hanging out laundry, washing your car or recycling glass bottles.

Word count: 187

Sources: Data Explorer (2018), UBS [online]. Available from:
https://tinyurl.com/yxtwj5lf [Accessed 06 August 2019]
Gender Pay Gap Statistics (2019), Eurostats [online]. Available
from https://tinyurl.com/y44yhaky [Accessed 06 August 2019]

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Task 2.17 Supporting Generalisations with Specific Facts - Practice

1.
Look at the following information that compares teen spending with
adult spending. Write two paragraphs containing generalisations which
are supported by facts.

Percentage of U.S. Teenagers Visiting Each

Shopping Venue
(over a 30-day period)

80
70
60
50
% 40
30
20
10 Teenage Girls
0
Teenage Boys

Shopping Venue

Source:
Thompson, D. (2013), “How Teenagers Spend Money” (2013), The Atlantic
[online]. Available from: https://tinyurl.com/yausphps
[Accessed 06 August 2019]

2. Now write about the spending patterns of some people you know.
Interview at least 10 people and create a chart, like the one above.
Then, using the information in the chart, write at least 150 words
about their spending patterns using generalisations supported by
factual evidence.

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Part D Research: Using Books

Before In this section, you will learn how to undertake research for essays by
You choosing appropriate publications. When you do research for Assessment
Begin Event 4 and for your essays at university, it is important that you can find
useful resources quickly and easily.
By saving time and energy in the researching stage, you will have more time
to spend on developing your ideas and writing your essay.

Task 2.18 Reference Sources

With your partner, brainstorm a list of places you can go and publications
you can use to help you do research for your essay. Make notes in the table
below:

Places you can go for information Publications you can use to find
information

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Choosing a Book
Before choosing your reference sources, you should be clear about:
1. The topic of your essay.
2. The type of essay you are writing.
3. Possible main ideas for your body paragraphs.
4. The kind of information you want to find.
Why do you think it is important to be clear about these things?

When choosing a book:

• Look at the front cover.
• Read the information on the back.
This will tell you if the book is related to your topic.

Task 2.19 Before beginning your research, compile a Know-Questions (KQ) chart. It
will help you focus your research and save time.

Work with a partner. Your teacher will give you some practice topics.

Topic:
K Q
In this column, brainstorm what you already know In this column, write down the questions you
about the topic. hope to answer with your research.

Work with a partner. Make KQ charts on topics your teacher provides.

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Task 2.20 Following are some parts of a book that you should check when you open
it. Working alone, match the part of the book to how it can help you. Check
your answers with your teacher.

Part of a book How it can help you

1. Date of a. This section has definitions of new or

publication or specialist words to help you
copyright understand what you are reading.
2. Table of contents b. This tells you when the book was
written so you know if the information
in it is new or old.
3. Index c. This is a list of chapters at the
beginning of the book. It can help you
decide if a book has the information
you need.
4. Preface d. This is an alphabetical list of topics and
page numbers at the end of the book. It
can help you quickly find the
information you want.
5. Glossary e. This is an introduction to the book. It
tells you the writer’s purpose.

Check your answers with your teacher. Your teacher will give you some
books to look at and some information to find. Find the information
using the parts of the book above.

The following checklist may be helpful in helping you evaluate the

usefulness of a book:

Criteria How do you know?

Does the content of the book address your research questions?

Is the author reputable, i.e. an expert in the field?

Is the author biased?

Is the information accurate?

Is the information up-to-date?

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Part E Research: Using the Internet

Introduction An important aspect of research these days is being able to search the
internet for articles relating to a particular topic in which you are
interested.

Warning! However, there are some areas where caution is needed in using the
internet. There are no standards to say how good the material must be, or
how accurate, and so it is important when using online sources to
remember that unless you know that the source is a valid and accurate
source of information, you should treat the information with scepticism.

Review In Unit 1, we revised the importance of checking for reliability of sources

when researching.
What basic points can you remember about checking for reliability of
sources when you are considering books and articles?

Task 2.21 Partner Discussion

These points also apply to online sources. Working with a partner, and
thinking now in terms of online sources, answer the following questions:
• Which online sources are likely to be reliable and accurate? List as
many sources as you can.
• How can you tell where (i.e. what type of organisation) the
information you have found has come from?
• How can you tell when the material was written (i.e. published
online)?

Finding Supposing you have a topic area that you need to research, but you don’t
Information know any internet addresses which may be helpful.
on
the Internet • How can you find information on the internet if you don’t already
know the address of sites you want to consult?

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What is a Web portals let you browse the internet using keywords and also provide other
Web services, such as free email accounts and news or weather. Some web portals are
Portal? for general public use. Others may only be accessed with a username and
password validated by the host organisation.

Public Web Portals Other Web Portals

Yahoo www.yahoo.com U.S.A. www.USA.gov

Google www.google.com/ Australia www.australia.gov.au

AOL www.aol.com GAC http://www.act.org/GAC

What is a A search engine is used for focused and detailed searches. It works by
Search using a searchable database of websites created by that particular search
Engine? engine.
Examples of search
engines: Google
www.google.co
m Bing
www.bing.com
Ask www.ask.com

The ‘Advanced Search’ application allows you to find more specific

information.
Metacrawler (www.metacrawler.com) and Dogpile (www.dogpile.com)
are metasearch engines which use multiple search engine sites (including
Google, Bing and Ask) to run simultaneous searches.

Working alone, note down answers to the following questions.

Focus on • What other search engines or web portals are you familiar with?
YOU • Do you have a favourite one that you use?
• How confident do you feel using the internet?

Task 2.22 Group Discussion

Form a group with two other people and discuss your answers to the above
questions.

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Important When using a search engine, keywords related to a topic are typed into
Points the search box. Search engines scan their database and return all links
When containing the terms provided. The databases are very large and may
Using return thousands of results, so search strategies are needed to narrow
Search down the results.
Engines
Most importantly, don’t rely on one search engine. Every search
engine will provide different results. By using a variety of search
engines, your searches will be more successful.
Choosing appropriate keywords and using commands can help you
conduct effective searches.

Choosing Appropriate Keywords

Keywords are essential words (usually nouns or noun phrases) used
when searching for information via search engines. Well-chosen
keywords can help you efficiently find information. To choose
effective keywords:
1. Determine the main concepts in your research topic.
2. Identify synonyms for the topic.
3. Leave out unnecessary words such as from,
when etc. For example:
Women make great leaders
1. Main concepts: women and leaders
2. Synonyms for the topic:
Women Leaders

females bosses

executives

supervisors

directors

governors

Task 2.23 Work with a partner. Return to the essay questions in Task 1.24. Choose three
essays for which you will identify the keywords. Use the steps outlined
above. Compare as a class.

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Using Commands

Using commands such as quotation marks (“ ”) or the plus sign (+)

can also facilitate searching.

round your key word phrase, like this: "Larsen B ice shelf"
Use quotation marks this tells the search engine to call up pages that include the
terms exactly as you provided them

in front of all the terms that must appear in the search

Use the + symbol results, like this: Toy Story +4

in front of the terms that should be excluded from the

Use the - symbol search, like this: printer -cartridge
Tt

to conduct searches where the terms may be separated by

Use the * symbol one or more words, like this: Larsen B*iceshelf

to limit the search to certain domains, like this: site:.edu

Use site:.domain name

to search within a given website, like this: Larsen B

Use site:Website iceshelf site:nationalgeographic.com

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When Choosing a Website:

Narrow your topic

Search good online search engines such as Google, Yahoo or

Bing using keywords and commands

Choose authoritative websites that belong to well-known organisations

with good reputations.

Check whether the information is reliable. If you find the same

information in at least three sources, it is most likely reliable. Also,
government websites are usually reliable.
Verify the author's credentials: do a quick search on their names.
If they are experts, they will often come up, or their work will
often be cited.

Independent Assessment Event 4: Preparation II

Study
Make your chosen essay topic as specific as possible. For example,
don’t choose a topic like ‘global warming’ as it is far too general.
Instead take one particular aspect of global warming (e.g. how CFCs
contribute to the hole in the ozone layer). Remember that specifying the
geographical area or a particular time frame will focus your research
even more.
For additional help with narrowing the topic, refer to the GAC
Academic Writing Manual, Unit 1 Part B, Narrowing the topic.
Now, use internet search engines to find out more about the subject.
Experiment with different search engines as you do this, and see which
one you prefer to use, and which one gives you the best results.

Independent Assessment Event 4: Preparation III

Study
For Independent Study, choose appropriate reference material for the
research essay topic you have chosen to complete Assessment Event 4.
You should find and show to your teacher the following:
• three journal articles
• three appropriate web pages
The reference material should contain information related to your topic.
Make notes and write your first essay draft. Your teacher will provide
you with the date for completion of the first draft.

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The checklist below will help you select appropriate digital reference materials.

Criteria for Evaluating Digital Reference Materials

Does the information in the source address the research questions?

Is the author reputable, i.e. an expert in the field?

Is the resource published by a reputable organisation?

How many people link to the source?

How current are any responses to the website?

Are the sources of information stated so the information can be verified?

Is the author or organisation biased, i.e. are all sides of the argument
presented?
Is the URL a personal web page or part of an organisation’s official website?

What is the purpose of the website?

Is the information available in other formats?

Is the information fact or opinion?

Does the website include the contact details for the author or webmaster?

Was the website recently updated?

Is the language used factual, not emotional?

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Student Manual GAC008 Academic English II: Reading and Writing Skills
Unit 3: Doing Business

Unit 3: Doing Business

Part A Unit Introduction

Part B Writing: Listing Main Ideas and Supporting Details

Assessment Event 1: Writing a Summary

Part C Writing: In-Text Referencing and Writing a Reference List

Part A Unit Introduction

Overview In this unit you will learn to:

• practise listing main ideas and supporting details from a reading passage
• further develop paraphrasing and summarising skills
• write a description of a process
• reference sources correctly in academic writing
• write a Reference List

You will complete Assessment Event 1: In-class Test: Summary Writing

during this unit. It is worth 10% of your overall mark.

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Part B Listing Main Ideas and Supporting Details

Before Discuss the following questions with your partner.
You
• How is the workplace now different from the workplace 40 years ago?
Read
• How is it the same?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of the increasing use
of technology in the workplace?
• How has technology impacted on productivity?
• There are more women in the workforce now than ever before. How
has this changed family life? How has it changed the work
environment? Do you think these changes are positive or negative?
Why?

Task 3.1 Reading Comprehension

Group A: Alfred Miller
Read the text about how Alfred Miller perceives working life and answer the
following questions:

1. How old is he?

2. What is his current employment situation?

3. How does he feel about changes in the workplace over the last 50 years?

4. What change was reasonably easy for Alfred to adapt to?

5. In Alfred’s opinion, how do employers treat older workers?

6. What's another change that was difficult for him to cope with?
Why? What does he think about it now?

7. What's the biggest and most challenging change for him?

What was this situation like in the past?
Whom has it affected? How?

8. What advice did his grandfather give him?

What did he think of this advice?
What do you think of this advice? Is it true or not? Why?

After you have finished answering the questions, check your answers with
the other people in Group A. Then, check with your teacher. Finally,
exchange answers with Group B.

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Unit 3: Doing Business

Alfred Miller
Alfred Miller is 65 and will be retiring this year after approximately 50 years with the same
company. There have been unexpected changes in the workplace since his youth, some of
which have made him feel uncomfortable. While he successfully adopted technological
changes, other changes have proven to be more problematic. Nevertheless, Alfred prides
himself on being an adaptable and resourceful person, so after initial periods of self-doubt,
he has managed to keep up with all developments, and even embrace them.

One thing he has found difficult to accept is the disregard employers have for experienced
staff. He finds that older workers are considered as unable to contribute anything valuable
to organisations. Over the last 10 years, he has been marginalised despite actively
participating in the growth of his company from a one-room operation to a multinational
corporation. Alfred regrets that he is no longer given the opportunity to lead teams, and that
many of the ideas he brings up at meetings are ignored. His impression is that management
now prefers to hire younger, cheaper workers who have a lot of energy and enthusiasm, but
don't really have enough experience to do the job.

Another change that he found difficult to adapt to at first was the number of young women
in management positions. To him, it seemed strange to be taking orders from someone young
enough to be his daughter. Additionally, women have a different way from men of
communicating, organising and managing; not to mention that it is sometimes difficult for
working mothers to juggle their family and work commitments. Nevertheless, Alfred has now
become accustomed to this new reality and even enjoys it. He wonders whether he is in the
minority in thinking that companies should offer working women more support - especially
given that his granddaughter will soon be one of them.

Perhaps the biggest and most challenging change has been the trend towards a lack of job
security. In the past, the majority of workers were permanent, salaried employees. There
was very little movement between companies or industries. In fact, when Alfred was young,
the expectation was that if one was loyal to a company, one was assured a job for life.
Consequently, employees never feared for the financial security of their families. This is
definitely not true anymore. Many of Alfred’s friends were made redundant at the age of 50
and have since had a very difficult time finding employment.

Notwithstanding the difficulty of adjusting to these changes, Alfred thinks it would be a

mistake to claim that working life was much better in the past. His own grandfather used to
say that the only alternative to growth and change is death. If a society doesn't grow and
change, then it eventually dies. Alfred believes that the same is true for people.

Word count: 468

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Task 3.2 Reading Comprehension

Group B: Cathy Miller
Read the text about how Cathy Miller perceives working life and answer the
following questions:

1. How old is she?

2. What's her current employment situation?

3. How does she feel about recent changes in the work environment?

4. What three major changes is she excited about?

5. What are the changes that have happened in the area of technology?

6. What are women encouraged to do?

What are women valued for?
What are some of the contributions women make to the workplace?

7. Which development has generated a lot of enthusiasm?

What do the older workers think of it?
What are examples of job flexibility?
What are some of the advantages of it?

8. What does she think are a young person's responsibilities?

What does she think young people should do if there isn't a job for them
to do?
What do you think of her idea?

After you have finished answering the questions, check your answers with the
other people in Group B. Then, check with your teacher. Finally, exchange
your information with Group A.

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Cathy Miller

Cathy Miller is 22 and is very excited to have just joined the workforce after graduating from
university. Given the high unemployment rate these days, she feels fortunate to have got a job.
The revolution that she perceives to be taking place in the workplace is both challenging and
inspiring. When she talks to her grandfather, who is just about to retire, she finds it difficult
to believe just how much the workplace has been transformed.
Technology is one area of revolutionary change. Cathy’s grandfather talks about how they
previously used typewriters, telephones, faxes and letters. New technology allows for much
more efficient communication, with both internal and external communications taking place
practically instantaneously. For example, Smartphones and voicemail remove time boundaries,
making it possible to contact anyone at any time. Computers make the writing process much
more efficient and contribute to our ability to effectively organise financial systems. In
addition, email messages and documents can be sent internationally within minutes, almost cost-
free. Even 30 years ago, this scenario was unimaginable.
Another change that Cathy appreciates is that women are now valued in organisations and
encouraged to pursue careers. The benefits of gender diversity have been proven by research,
so it has become the norm in the corporate world. Cathy is grateful that companies appreciate
women for the different beliefs and perspectives they bring to the table, in addition to the
increased productivity and creativity they generate within groups. In fact, she is aware that
many companies even set quotas for women in upper management, resulting in the shattering of
the ‘glass ceiling’ which previously prevented them from advancing.
An additional complication is the issue of job flexibility. This has generated much enthusiasm
among the younger generation, while creating some fear among older workers who perceive this
as ‘lack of job security.’ However, Cathy prefers to see it in a more positive light. She maintains
that computer technology makes work more flexible in time and place. She notes that people
are increasingly being hired on a casual or contractual basis, enabling them to move from one
company or industry to another. In this way, employees gain a great deal of valuable experience
in a variety of work environments and become adept at managing diversity. Moreover, and Cathy
believes that this is perhaps the most important benefit for ’digital natives’; workers remain
motivated because they are constantly learning, changing and being stimulated by new
experiences.

Overall, Cathy feels that with all the changes in technology, women in the workforce and job
flexibility, it is an exciting time to be starting a career. Cathy believes that it is essential to
take responsibility for ‘learning how to learn’ in order to adapt to the ever-changing work
environment. Gone are the days of depending on a lifetime job. Nowadays, if there isn't an
appropriate job, people create one for themselves.

Word count: 473

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Task 3.3 Reading for Main Ideas and Supporting Details

With your partner, discuss and make notes on the following:
1. What is the topic of the two texts?

2. What are the three main ideas in Alfred Miller's text and the supporting
details for each? Complete the outline below. Some answers are already
done for you.

Check your answers with your teacher.

Main Idea 1
Employers disregard older staff
Supporting details
a.
b.
c. Marginalised
d.
e.

Main Idea 2

Supporting details
a.
b.
c. Women may have difficulty juggling family and work

Main Idea 3

Supporting details
a.
b.
c. If you were loyal, you had a job for life
d.
e.

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3. Work with a partner. What are the three main ideas in Cathy Miller's text
and the supporting details for each? Complete the outline below. Some
answers are already done for you. Check your answers with your teacher.

Main Idea 1
Revolutionary changes in technology
Supporting details
a.
b.
Examples
i.
ii. Computers
iii.

Main Idea 2

Supporting details
a. Benefits of gender diversity
b.
c.
d.

Main Idea 3

Supporting detail 1
a. Work from home
Advantages
i.
ii.
Supporting detail 2
b. Casual/contract employment
Advantages
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

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Review Developing Notes into a Summary

In GAC002 Academic English I: Reading and Writing Skills, Unit 4 Part C, you
learnt how to paraphrase and to write summaries.
What can you remember about how to paraphrase?
Follow your teacher’s directions to write the eight steps involved in
paraphrasing.
Steps in Paraphrasing

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What can you remember about how to write a summary?

Follow your teacher’s directions to write the ten steps involved in summarising.
Steps in Summarising

10

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Task 3.4 Work with a partner. Find synonyms for the words in italics.
1. Alfred is a resourceful person.
2. Alfred has been marginalised.
3. Technology is one area of revolutionary change.
4. Employees become adept at managing diversity.
5. Many of Alfred’s friends were made redundant at the age of 50.

Task 3.5 Work with a partner. Rewrite the sentences so that they mean the same. Use a
different part of speech for the word in italics.
1. One thing Alfred has found difficult to accept is the disregard employers
have for experienced staff.
2. Another change that he found difficult to adapt to was the number of young
women entering management positions.
3. Another change that Cathy appreciates is that women are now valued in
organisations and encouraged to pursue careers.
4. Notwithstanding the difficulty of adjusting to these changes, Alfred thinks
it would be a mistake to claim that working life was much better in the past.
5. An additional complication is the issue of job security.

Task 3.6 Work with a partner. Change the word order of the sentences below. Make sure
the meaning stays the same.
1. Cathy Miller is 22 and very excited to have just joined the workforce after
graduating from university.

2. Another change that Cathy appreciates is that women are now valued in
organisations and encouraged to pursue careers.

3. Overall, Cathy feels that with all the changes in technology, women in the
workforce and job flexibility, it is an exciting time to be starting a career.

4. Another change that he found difficult to adapt to at first was the number
of young women in management positions.

5. Perhaps the biggest and most challenging change has been the trend
towards a lack of job security.

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Task 3.7 Paraphrase and Summarise Long Passages

Work on your own. Use the techniques on page 92 and follow the paraphrasing
and summary writing steps outlined on pages 90 and 91. Paraphrase and
summarise both texts to approximately one third of their original length, i.e.
approximately 140 words for Alfred Miller and 150 words for Cathy Miller.

Task 3.8 Work with a partner. Rewrite the paraphrased summaries, linking the two texts
together. Use conjunctions where necessary. Exchange your work with another
pair. Check their paraphrased summaries using the checklist below:

Criteria

Is all information accurate and consistent with the original?

Does it contain all the main ideas?

Are unnecessary details avoided?

Is the original meaning maintained?

Are synonyms used?

Has the order of ideas been changed?

Has word order been changed?

Have the parts of speech of words been changed? (nouns, verbs, etc.)

Is the summary approximately 1/3 of the length of the original?

Task 3.9 Work on your own. Rewrite your paraphrased summary to reflect your peers’
feedback. When you have finished, summarise the summary in approximately
30 words.

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Making Notes
Making notes from written texts is a skill that is used in many aspects of
university life. Before you begin, discuss the following questions with your
partner.

1. What are notes?

2. Where or in what situations might you take notes?

3. Where or in what situations might you make notes?

4. What is the difference between taking notes and making notes?

5. What are some different methods of taking or making notes?

6. How do you make notes? Why do you use this particular method?

7. Imagine you missed a lecture and you want to borrow your best friend's
notes. What information do you want to get from the notes? In which way
do you hope they are helpful?

Task 3.10 Match the answers below to the previous questions. Write the correct number
in the space provided.

a. Notes are short written records that students use to help them
remember important information.
b. “I make notes using mind maps because I've tried lots of different
ways and that is the one that helps me best. I remember
information better if I see it in a picture.”
“Not me. I use bullet points because I like to see everything in
order, in a line.”
c. Students take notes when they are listening to professors in
lectures, or participating in tutorials.
d. Everyone has their own way. Here are some examples: mind
mapping, bullet pointing, highlighting, numbering, boxing,
circling, colouring, underlining, drawing pictures.
e. Students take notes to remember something important someone
has said. Students make notes to remember something important
they have read. Students make notes to plan an essay, report, or
speech and to help them source texts they have read as reference.

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f. Well, first of all, I would want to get an idea of the general

subject. Then, I hope my friend would write down the most
important points and the supporting details and examples.
Maybe she could put a star or box around especially important
information that might be on the exam. I would also ask my
friend to write legibly so I could read it and be well organised,
so I could understand it. I would also want the notes to be short,
with no extra, irrelevant information because I'm taking a lot of
courses and have a part time job, so I need to be able to read it
quickly.
g. Students make notes when researching for an essay or report in
the library or making a plan for an essay or speech.

Check your answers with your partner and your teacher.

Now look at answer f.
It is important when taking or making notes to write them clearly so that when
you go back to them six weeks later, they will be easy to understand and will
remind you of the information you need.
Now look at answers c and g.
In this unit, we will be looking at how to make effective notes from reading
passages.

Before Imagine you are a taking a business studies class and have been assigned an
You essay about the changing workplace. You have been given a reading from a
Read website as part of your research for the topic.
Before you read Part A, sort the following words/phrases into the appropriate
category in the table. First work on your own, then discuss with a partner.

physical commute flexible smartphones

mobile workforce remote reporting cloud computing
remote collaboration connected technology-rich
tablets wireless telecommute

Characteristics of Technologies Getting to work

the new workplace

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Task 3.11 Reading a Text

Telecommuting: The Dawn of a New Workplace

Part A

In the past, work life was necessarily separated from home life by a physical commute.
Nowadays, mobile communication devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets
provide the opportunity for workplace arrangements, including telecommuting or working
remotely from home or elsewhere. In a market study by Cisco Systems; approximately
two-thirds of employees expressed the desire to work in a flexible environment. In fact,
over half of the respondents said they were prepared to switch to a lower paying job if
they were offered the opportunity to telecommute. Most said they were comfortable
with remote collaboration and reporting arrangements.

However, this desire for a more flexible working environment has created workplace
dilemmas. The same Cisco Systems research found that that almost half of businesses
were unprepared or struggling to put mobile workforce procedures into place. Professor
Kevin Rockmann, of George Mason University, thinks that “organisations are struggling
to know which technologies to support” (Mackenzie 2011). He suggests that businesses
should allow their employees to choose the technologies they wish to use to stay
connected, rather than putting into place company-wide technology policies.

Word count: 180

Adapted from: Mackenzie, I. (2011), “Has Mobile Working Come of Age?”, BBC News [online]. Available from:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12417713 [Accessed 27 June 2019]

Does this text provide you with any new insights into telecommuting?
Make notes here:

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Task Analysing Note-making Skills

3.12
Now look at the notebooks of Student A and Student B, then discuss the
questions with your partner.
Student A

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Student B

1. Which one looks more like your notebook?

2. Which one is better? Why?

3. a. What is the general subject?

b. What is the title of the article?
c. Who wrote the article?
d. Who published the web page?
e. What information is especially important?
f. Which dilemma has this created for employers?
g. Find a mind map.
h. Find bullet points.

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4. a. Are they legible?

b. Are they well organised?
c. Are the notes short?
d. Is there extra information that is irrelevant or unimportant?

5. Should the students change their style? Why?

Check your answers with your teacher.

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Task Reading Comprehension

3.13
You will find the answers to the following questions in Part B of the text
overleaf. Read the questions first before reading the text. When you have found
the answers, discuss them with your partner.

1. What are the two major concerns employers have about telecommuting?

2. Why do employees prefer using their own devices rather than company-
issued laptops?

3. How is cloud computing different from traditionally remotely accessing

information?

4. Why are some managers hesitant to adopt telecommuting for their

employees?

5. How does a flexible work arrangement improve productivity?

6. What technology supports a successful telecommuting experience?

7. In which ways does the telecommuting arrangement benefit both Ms.

Krupshaw and Mr. Ferrufino?

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Telecommuting: The Dawn of a New Workplace

Part B
Concern over security is the primary challenge which companies are facing when
considering allowing staff members to use their own mobile devices. Almost 60% of
respondents ranked this as the biggest issue, hence the desire to provide staff with
secure company-issued laptops. The problem is that many employees find that the
installed security software prevents them from using the device efficiently. They prefer
the more fluid experience they are used to on their personal devices.

To address this issue, one solution is cloud computing. Cloud computing is where an
Internet security company such as Citrix hosts the company software in a ‘cloud’ or virtual
(online) environment. The cloud hosting company stores and protects the information,
rather than it being stored on a device. In order to access company data, employees log
on to the cloud using a browser. The advantage of cloud computing is that the information
on the cloud can be accessed anywhere with any number of devices, including the iPad
(which three quarters of European and North American companies are adopting).

There is an additional, human, concern when companies are considering implementing

telecommuting. For some employers, particularly ‘old school’ managers, there is a
perception that employees working from home tend to shirk (not work as hard). Having
employees in sight confirms their authority. Professor Rockmann says that the research
contradicts this, adding that employees who are grateful for the increased independence
are actually more productive. Karen Krupshaw, Market Manager for the Washington D.C.-
based real estate company Redfin, agrees. She says that modern technology allows her to
remain connected with her agents, wherever they are, and to see exactly what they are
doing.

Redfin agents all telecommute. Fernando Ferrufino, one of her agents, has been issued
with a 4G data card, which he says is a lot faster than his previous 3G card. Rather than
make several visits to the office in one day to collect documents or do paperwork, Mr.
Ferrufino is now able to work from anywhere there is WiFi. His office can be a home that’s
up for sale or the passenger seat of his car. He spends the time saved on commuting on
more productive activities.

WiFi and portable connection devices have changed the employee-employer relationship.
Once the security issues and management concerns have been adequately addressed,
future generations of workers can look forward to a ‘brave new workplace’.

Word count: 395

Adapted from: Mackenzie, I. (2011), “Has Mobile Working Come of Age?”, BBC News [online]. Available
from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12417713 [Accessed 27 June 2019]

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Task 3.14 Making Notes from Reading a Passage

Use your answers from Task 3.8 to help you make notes from this reading
passage.
Remember that identifying main ideas and supporting details will help you.
Write the main ideas and supporting details into an organiser. Use one
organiser for Part A, and another for Part B.

Task 3.15 Writing a Summary

Use your notes to write a summary. Remember that the summary must be
approximately one third of the original text in length, i.e. up to 200 words in
total.

Assessment Assessment Event 1: In-class Test: Summary Writing

Event 1
This Assessment Event is worth 10% of your overall mark and will now be
done in class under test conditions.

Your teacher will provide you with the details.

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Part C Writing: In-text Referencing and Writing a

Reference List

Review In the research essay that you are writing for Assessment Event 4 and any future
university papers you write, you are required to correctly acknowledge the sources
you have used in your essay.
You may wish to quote an author's work directly using their exact words or
indirectly by paraphrasing their words or ideas in your writing. If you do this, you
must acknowledge the source. This is called in-text referencing.
At the end of your writing, you will also need to provide a reference list. This is
a list of all source materials used to prepare an essay or other written piece of
work.
If you do not learn to acknowledge the sources used in your essays, it is highly
likely that they will contain plagiarism. Your teacher will have already explained
this to you in GAC002 Academic English I: Reading and Writing Skills and
provided you with a copy of the GAC Guidelines to Plagiarism.
The GAC Referencing Guide provides full details of the referencing system you
are to use in the GAC program.
In this section, we are going to look at in-text referencing and writing a reference
list in more detail.

A. In-text Referencing

Before You will read part of a student's essay about work-life balance.
You
Before you read, look at the following quotations. Do you agree with them?
Read
Mark ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ in column A.
Discuss your reasons for your answer with your partner.

A B Quotations
1. “Modern life is making it more difficult to achieve
work-life balance.”
2. “Stress is natural and productive.”
3. “Long working hours prove an employee’s
commitment and lead to success.”
4. “The major cause of on-the-job stress is financial
demands.”
5. “If you want to enjoy life, you must make time for
following your personal interests.”

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Task 3.16 Using Quotations in Texts

1. Now read the student's essay. How do you think the student would respond
to the previous quotations? Mark ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ in Column B.

Difficult economic conditions and the demand to ‘do more with less‘ are
increasing the level of on-the-job stress. Working people are pressured
to juggle work demands with family life, hobbies or recreational
activities. Achieving ’work-life balance’ is becoming more difficult.

Joan Guric, Campus Director at The Center for Creative Leadership, was
involved in a 2007 work-life balance research project. According to Guric:

The typical assumption in U.S. culture is that a leader’s effectiveness is

correlated to the amount of time and energy spent on the job. If that were the
case, leaders who are rated with a high balance between work and personal life
would receive low marks on performance. In fact, the opposite is true.
(Mosca 2009)

The same study indicates that managers who are perceived to have
achieved work-life balance are regarded by their bosses to be much more
effective than those who have not. Managers rated ‘effective’ do better
than the less effective managers by almost 20% in work-life balance
scores (Mosca 2009).

The causes negatively affecting achievement of a work-life balance were

also measured. The major cause for imbalance was the same as for the
same study conducted in 2005: ‘the pace of my job’, which relates to on-
the-job pressure. This research factor was cited by 55% of respondents,
up 6% from the previous study (Mosca 2009).

In second place, 49% of managers perceived that they paid ’too little
attention to personal interests and relationships’. A distant third place
at 32% was ’financial pressures and goals’, followed closely by ’an attempt
to fulfill other’s expectations of me’ at 31% (Mosca 2009).

The study concludes that is that it is up to each individual to identify and

plan for an appropriate work-life balance. “To the extent you are…well,
human” (Mosca 2009) influences how close you will come to achieving this
balance.
Source:
Mosca, S., (2009), The Irony of Achieving a Work/Life Balance, Medical-Legal Topics
[online]. Available from: http://tinyurl.com/3nhkpt5 [Accessed 27 June 2019]

Check your answers with your partner and teacher.

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2. Look at the text again. Find the two quotations.

Explain why the student used them.
With your partner, make some notes in the box below.

Why Did the Student Use Quotations?

Your teacher will now give you some more reasons. Add them to the list you
made above.

3. Look at the two quotations again. Match a quotation to its definition

below:

1. For short quotations (two lines or less), we use quotation marks around
the author's actual words within the text. This is followed by the author's
name, year of the book's publication and page number (if available for
web pages) in brackets.

2. For longer quotations (more than two lines), we don't use quotation
marks. We indent the entire quotation and sometimes put it in a different
font size or style. We use the author's surname, followed by the date of
publication and page number (if available for web pages) in brackets.

Check your answers with your partner and teacher.

Remember to use in-text referencing any time you quote, paraphrase, or use
an author’s ideas. You need to state the:
• author’s surname
• year of publication
• page number (if available for web pages)

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B. Writing a Reference List

The Parts of a Reference List

When writing your Reference List, it is important to list each source separately
and use correct punctuation. Punctuation is a crucial part of referencing
conventions.
Books and electronic sources are referenced differently.
Referencing
Books
1. Author or Editor
• Write the author/editor's surname first and initials second.
• Write the author's surname with only the first letter capitalised.
• The author's last name is followed by a comma, and the initial by a full stop.
• If you are referencing two or more books by the same author: order them according to
year of publication - earliest first.
• If you are referencing two or more books written by the same author in the same year: list
them a and b.

2. Date of Publication
• Write the year in brackets ( ) followed by a comma.

3. Title
• Capitalise the initial letters of the main words in the title and put it in italics, followed by
a comma.

4. Edition

• If it is an edition (other than the first), use '2nd ed.' or '6th ed.', followed by a comma.

5. Publisher

• Put the publisher in regular font, followed by a comma.

6. Place of Publication
• Provide in regular font, WITHOUT a full stop.

! If the reference is longer than one line, indent the lines following the first line

Example

Hartmann, T. (1998), The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, Mystical

Books, Northfield, VT

See Section F1 in the GAC Referencing Guide.

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Task 3.17 Organise Authors in Alphabetical Order

If you refer to or quote an author or read an author's material to research
your essay, you must write a reference list at the end. A reference list is
usually arranged in alphabetical order according to author or editor’s
surname. The surname is followed by initials.
Look at the following lists of author's names with your partner and put them
in alphabetical order.

No Order Alphabetical Order

Browne, R.H.
Aaron, E.
Jackson, G.
Cullins, A.
Ackney, J.K.
Ashbrook, A.M.
Bybee, B.J.
Callahan, M.
Abney, C.L.
Abbey, S.
Jackson, C.L.
Lee, D.Y.
Collins, A.
Axle, R.F.
Browne, T.S.
Childers, S.A.
Browne, E.
Ashlan, D.J.
Lee, S.L.
Childers, M.N.

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Task 3.18 Ordering and Punctuating a Book Reference List

The reference list below was written by a philosophy student. The student
was asked to compare and contrast Eastern and Western religions. The essay
didn’t receive a very good mark because the reference list was incorrectly
written.
With your partner, rewrite the reference list below. Remember to write it in
alphabetical order, and to punctuate correctly. Make sure the details are in the
correct order for each reference.

Reference List

Essence of Jung’s Psychology and Tibetan Buddhism: Western and Eastern

Paths to the Heart 2003 New York, USA Wisdom Publications, Radmila
Moacanin

UK 2008 Rigopoulos, A. Guru: The Spiritual Master in Eastern and Western

Traditions DK Print World

Crofton, I. (ed). Guinness Publishing Ltd. 1990 The Guinness Encyclopaedia

London, UK

Peters, R. And Scott, L. Endless War: Middle-Eastern Islam Vs. Western

Civilization Stackpole Books, UK 2010

Humanities Press Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion: Eastern and

Western Thought Reese, L. 1980 Atlantic Highlands NY

Adams, C. J. (ed) A Reader’s Guide to Great Religions New York 1977 Free
Press

Kuruvila Pandikattu 2003. Religion, Society and Economics: Eastern and

Western Perspectives in Dialogue Peter Lang Pub Inc New York

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Referencing Journals and Websites

Referencing journals and websites is very similar to referencing books.

Referencing Journals

1. Author's surname and initials

2. Year of publication in brackets ( ) followed by a comma

3. Title of the article: in "quotation marks"

4. Title of the journal: in italics

5. Volume number: vol.

6. Issue number: no.

7. Date or month of publication, if applicable

8. Page numbers of the article (p. for = 1 page; pp. = pages)

Example

Furlong, M. & Smith, J. (1994), “The broader systems begins with the
workplace”, ANZ Journal of Family Therapy, vol. 15, no. 4, pp.
197–207

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Referencing Electronic Sources

1. Author's surname and initials, if available

2. Year of publication, if available, in brackets

3. Title of article in "quotation marks"

4. Publisher/name of website/title of the journal in italics

5. Page numbers, if given

6. Electronic medium: [online, e-book, database or CD-ROM]

7. 'Available from' followed by a colon (: ) and URL (internet address)

8. Date of access: [Accessed + the date]

Note: Indent after the first line. See Section F3 in The GAC Referencing Guide to check
on the correct punctuation.
Examples

Birch, A. (2018), “Calculating GDP”, MindTools [online]. Available

from: http://mindtools.net/GlobCourse/formula.shtml [Accessed
22 July 2019]

Mackenzie, I. (2011), “Has Mobile Working Come of Age?”, BBC

News [online]. Available from:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12417713 [Accessed 22 July
2019]
Often with electronic sources, no author is named. In this case, reference the title of the
article as indicated below.

Examples
Australian Red Cross (2019), The Ice Cream Makers of
Mongolia. Available from:
https://www.redcross.org.au/news-and-media/news/
ice-cream-mongolia [Accessed 22 July 2019]
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Unit 3: Doing Business

The Secrets of Palladio's Villa (2004), Available from:

http://www.boglewood.com/palladio/analysis.html [Accessed
July 22 2019]

Task 3.19 Make a reference list comprising three journals and three electronic
sources. Exchange your list with a partner. Use Sections F2 and F3 in
The GAC Referencing Guide to check each other’s lists.

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Unit 3: Doing Business

Task 3.20 Identifying Types of References

Work with a partner. Look at the following references taken from a reference
list.
Which ones are:
Books?
Journals?
Websites?
Write your answers to the right of the table.

1. University of Greenwich (2016), Writing with Authority and

Avoiding Plagiarism [online]. Available from:
https://www.gre.ac.uk/articles/ils/credibility-and-avoiding-
plagiarism [Accessed 22 July 2019]

2. Williams, D. & Carol, J. (2009), Referencing and

Understanding Plagiarism, Palgrave Macmillan, London,
U.K.
3. Grover, D. (2003), “The use of correlation techniques to detect
plagiarism”, Computer Law and Security Report, vol. 19, no. 1,
pp. 36–38

4. Butakov, S. & Scherbinin, V. (2009), “The toolbox for local and global
plagiarism detection”, Computers and Education, vol. 52, pp.781–
788

5. Goosney, J. & Duda, D. (2009), Avoiding the Plagiarism Pitfall:

Preventing Plagiarism in Undergraduate Research, Memorial
University of Newfoundland [online]. Available from:
http://ojs.acadiau.ca/index.php/AAU/article/viewFile/74/41
[Accessed 27 June 2019]

6. Neville, C. (2010), The Complete Guide to Referencing and Avoiding

Plagiarism, Open University Press, London, U.K.

Independent Assessment Event 4: Preparation IV

Study
Ensure that your research essay contains both direct and indirect quotations,
and that they are appropriately referenced in the body of the essay and in the
reference list.

As a rule, your essay should not include more than 10% of direct quotations.

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Student Manual GAC008 Academic English II: Reading and Writing Skills
Unit 4: Human Health

Unit 4: Human Health

Part A Unit Introduction

Part B Writing: Description of a Graph

Part C Writing: Description of a Process or Procedure

Assessment Event 2: In-class Test: Description

Part A Unit Introduction

Overview In this unit you will learn to:

• write a description of a graph or table using appropriate language
• write descriptions of processes

You will complete Assessment Event 2 - In-class Test: Description at the

end of this unit. It is worth 20% of your overall mark.

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Part B Writing: Description of a Graph

Before In this section, we will be looking at how to interpret information from

You graphs and the language required to describe the trends observed. You will
Begin be tested on this in Assessment Event 2 at the end of this unit.
Look at the following graph. How would you describe the number of annual
births in Canada between 1921 and 2009?

Annual Births in Canada: 1921 - 2009

Source:
Births, Canada, 1921 to 2009 (2015), Statistics Canada [online]. Available from: https://tinyurl.com/yxdvrd23 [Accessed 23 July 2019]

Model Description of a Graph

The graph shows the number of annual births in Canada from 1921 to 2009. At
the start of the period, the birth rate hovered around 250,000. In 1938 - just
before the second world war - a sustained increase in births began, resulting in
the so-called ‘baby boom’. The number of births peaked in 1959 when 480,000
babies were born, almost double the 1921 rate. After remaining at
exceptionally high levels, the annual number of births began falling sharply in
1964, not levelling off until the mid-1970s. In 1988 there was again an increase
in births, peaking at 405,000 in 1990. After that, the number of births began to
decline rapidly, going as low as 330,000 in 2000. Since then, the number of
births has been on an upward trend, reaching 380,000 in 2009.

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Unit 4: Human Health

Language Useful Language for Describing Graphs

Focus
Direction Verb Noun
to go up -
to rise a rise
to increase an increase
to boom a boom
to peak gains
to reach a peak upward trend
to go down -
to fall a fall
to decrease a decrease
to drop a drop
to decline a decline
- downward trend
to level off a levelling off
to remain steady -
to hover around -
to stabilise -

to reach a peak
a peak
to peak

to fluctuate a fluctuation
to vary a variation

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These verbs and nouns can also be used with adjectives and adverbs to describe
how much change took place. Here is a list of some useful words to learn:

How Much Change Adjective Adverb

a sharp increase to increase sharply
a dramatic rise to dramatically rise
a steep rise to go up steeply
a noticeable rise to climb noticeably
a steady increase to increase steadily
a gradual rise to rise gradually
a sustained increase -
a progressive rise to rise progressively
a moderate rise to increase moderately
a small rise -
a slight rise to rise slightly
a marginal rise to rise marginally
a slow rise to rise slowly
a staggered increase -

Task 4.1 Work in pairs. Reread the model description of a graph on the previous page.
Which of the graph description expressions can you find?

Task 4.2 Labelling a Graph

Label the graph below with the labels provided. Put the letter on the
corresponding place on the graph. The first one is done for you.

a. a dramatic rise
b. a slight fall
c. a steady increase
d. a sharp decrease
e. a peak
f. a levelling off

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Task 4.3 The following sentences have been jumbled. Rewrite them and match them to
the appropriate diagram. Check with a partner.
a.
1. the / of / quickly. / From / births / 1938,
/ number / rose

2. of / number / 1991 / there / a / in / b.

Between / steady / the / births. / and /
1973 / was / increase

3. peaked / number / of / births / in / 1986./ c.

The

4. 1961 / number / abrupt / period / in / and d.

/ 1966 / decline / experienced / the / an /
The / of / births. / between

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Unit 4: Human Health

Task 4.4 Completing a Graph

Listen to your teacher describing changes in malaria incidence in Hainan, China
between 1995 and 2008. As you listen, complete the graph below by drawing a
line.
Annual Incidence (Occurrence) of Malaria in Hainan Province, China: 1995-2008

Source: Xiao, D. et al. (2010), “Annual Malaria Incidence in Hainan, China 1995-2008”, Malaria Journal [online].
Available from: http://www.malariajournal.com/content/9/1/185/figure/F3 [Accessed 27 June 2019]

Task 4.5 Completing a Graph

The graph on the following page is incomplete. Listen to your teacher
describing the life expectancy for men and women at birth according to the
country income group in 2012. As you listen, complete the graph as a bar
graph.

When you have completed the graph, write a suitable title.

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Unit 4: Human Health

Title:

90
0.9

80
0.8

70
0.7

0.6
60
Life Expectancy

0.5
50
0.4
40
0.3
30
0.2
20
0.1
10
00
High-income countries Upper-middle-income Lower-middle-income Low-income countries
countries countries
Country Income

Male Female

Source: World Health Organization (2014), Life Expectancy at Birth for Men and Women in 2012, by Country Income
Group. Available from: https://tinyurl.com/y57os69a [Accessed 23 July 2019]

Task 4.6 Describing a Graph

DTP stands for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, which are three serious
diseases. The graph below shows the percentage of people, by region, who
have been immunised with the required three doses of the DTP vaccine
(DTP3) between 1980 and 2017.

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Unit 4: Human Health

DPT3 Immunisation Coverage by Region: 1980-2017

Source:
World Health Organization (2018), Global Immunization 1980-2017. Available from: https://tinyurl.com/y2xs2x9g [Accessed 25 July 2019]

Completing the Description of a Graph

Read the following description of the graph for DTP immunisation coverage globally and in
Western Pacific regions, and complete the missing information using the graph. Use no more than
two words per gap.

Global DTP3 Immunisation Coverage: 1980-2017

By 2017, the DTP3 immunisation rate had reached a of 85%. From a low of 21% in
, the number of children being immunised in the world rose sharply for about ten
consecutive years before dropping slightly and stabilising at in 1992. The number only began to
again in 2004, although at a sluggish rate. The 80% mark of immunised infants was reached and
passed in 2008, almost five years later. Since then, there has been only a increase in
immunisation rate recorded.

Western Pacific Regions DTP3 Immunisation Coverage: 1980-2017

Western Pacific regions have the highest rate of DTP3 immunisation of all regions, although
progress has been uneven. After climbing from 10% to coverage between 1980
and 1990, the number of immunisations quite sharply until 1995, when it started to
again. Subsequent growth was slow but
reaching 85% in 2006. Since then, the trend has again been
, so that in 2017 of infants were immunised in the Western
Pacific region.
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Task 4.7 Writing a Description of a Graph

Now write a description of the information for South East Asia and Africa
shown in the graph in Task 4.6. Your teacher will check it for you.

South East Asia DTP3 Immunisation Coverage: 1980–2017

Africa DTP3 Immunisation Coverage: 1980-2017

Task 4.8 Describing a Graph

Your teacher will provide you with a graph. Write a description of this graph.
Then work with a partner who had a different graph. Read your description
to your partner, who draws the corresponding graph. Check against the
original. Change roles and repeat. Your teacher will collect your description
for marking.

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Unit 4: Human Health

Part C Writing: Description of a Process or Procedure

Before In this section, you will learn how to describe a process. You will be tested
You on this in Assessment Event 2, which is scheduled to be done at the end of this
Begin unit.

Task 4.9 A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan

An MRI scan is used to create a detailed image of the organs and tissues in the
body. The following is a list of stages involved during an MRI scan. However,
they are in the wrong order. Working with a partner, put the stages into the
correct sequence, 1-8 by writing a-h. There are three distinct phases in the scan
process, with two or three steps in each phase.

a. In the post-scan phase, the radiologist will examine the images to see
whether any more are required. If not, the patient can go home.
b. In the preparation phase, the patient is invited to change into a gown.
c. The scan phase begins when the patient is helped into the scanner and
given cushions and headphones to make them more comfortable.
d. The patient must lie completely still in the scanner as any movement will
disrupt the images.
e. The radiologist prepares a report for the requesting doctor.
f. The person conducting the scan will communicate with the patient via an
intercom to make sure they are comfortable and ready to start.
g. Patients are asked to remove any metal jewellery. This is because magnets
are used and any metal objects would interfere with these magnets.
h. The radiologist, a doctor who specializes in medical images, will talk the
patient through the scanning process and help by answering any questions
they may have.

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

6. ______

7. ______

8. ______

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Unit 4: Human Health

Task 4.10 Reading about a Procedure: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan
Read the following description of the procedure for an MRI scan and check
your answers to Task 4.9.

An MRI scan uses a large magnet, radio waves, and a computer to create a
detailed, cross-section image of internal organs and structures. MRI scans
are used as a diagnostic tool.

The scan itself is done in three phases: the preparation phase, the scan
phase, and the post-scan phase.

In the preparation phase, the patient is first of all invited to change into a
gown.

Next, the patient is asked to remove any metal jewellery. This is because
magnets are used and any metal objects would interfere with these magnets.
The radiologist, a doctor who specializes in medical images, will then talk the
patient through the scanning process and help by answering any questions
they may have.

The scan phase begins when the patient is helped into the scanner and given
cushions and headphones to make them more comfortable.

The person conducting the scan will communicate with the patient via an
intercom to make sure they are comfortable and ready to start.

The patient must then lie completely still in the scanner as any movement
will disrupt the images.

In the post-scan phase, the radiologist will examine the images to see
whether any more are required. If not, the patient can go home.

Finally, the radiologist prepares a report for the requesting doctor.

Source: Lam, P. (2018), “What to Know about MRI Scans”,

Adap Medical News Today [online]. Available from
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146309.php
[Accessed 01 August 2019]

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Unit 4: Human Health

Language Language Analysis

Focus
1. In the text on the previous page some of the words or phrases are
in bold. These words and phrases have a special function. Below,
match each of the example sentences with a function.

1. ... the patient is first of all invited … a) purpose

2. … lie completely still in the scanner b) ordering

3. ...examine the images to see ... c) method

4. ... help by answering d) place

2. Now complete the table below by putting the words in the text in
bold into the appropriate column.

Ordering events Purpose Place Method

3. Notice in the text that many of the verbs used are in the passive form.
This directs attention away from the thing or person who is the 'doer'
and emphasises the action itself.
We use the passive voice when:
• the ‘doer’ is unknown
MRI scans were already being used in the 1970s.

• the ‘doer’ is unimportant

A fund-raising appeal to buy a new MRI scanner will soon be launched.

• the statement is a general truth

The results from MRI scans are used as a diagnostic tool.

• writing scientific papers, to give distance

The results of the scans were recorded and analysed.

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Compare the following:

Active Passive

MRI scanners use strong Strong magnetic fields and radio

magnetic fields and radio waves waves are used (by MRI
to generate images of the organs. scanners) to generate images of
the organs.

Discuss the following:

• Why has ‘strong magnetic fields and radio waves’ changed position?
• Why do we use the word 'are'?
• Why do we use ‘are’, and not ‘is’?
• Why has the word ‘use’ become ‘used’?
• Why could we leave out the ‘by MRI scanners’?
Now, go back to the text about the MRI scan procedure and underline all the
passive verb forms you can find.

Task 4.11 Gap Fill

Below is a description of how ice cream is made in an ice cream factory.
Complete the gaps with a word or words from the box and put the verbs into
the correct form.

then to make next first of all

before after this where lastly

by when while to let

as soon as this is done

How Ice Cream is Made in an Ice Cream Factory

, the necessary ingredients are weighed and mixed together. , the mixture is
pasteurised, or heated to a very temperature to kill any harmful bacteria.
_________, the mix is homogenised. This is a process. the fat globules are broken down to make
the ice cream smoother. The mixture is usually left overnight, the fat cools and forms into crystals.
, any flavours or colours are added. this step is done, the mix
is pumped through a special freezer which both freezes part of the water in the ice cream whipping air
into it at the same time. Adding air, which makes up about half the volume of ice cream, prevents the ice
cream from becoming like a frozen ice cube. the mixture is fully frozen, fruits, nuts, sweets or cookies are
and. __________, the ice cream is packaged and put into a freezer at -30°to -40°C where more of the water in
the ice cream is frozen it harder.

Source:
How is ice-cream made? (n.d.) CBBC newsround [online]. Available from: http://tinyurl.com/3fclnw8
[Accessed 23 July 2019]

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Unit 4: Human Health

Task 4.12 Writing a Description of the Process of Collecting, Treating

and Distributing Milk
The flowchart below shows the stages of the collection, treatment and
distribution of milk. Using the flowchart, the notes below and your own
knowledge, write an approximately 150-word paragraph describing this
process.

1. production ➔ 2. collection ➔ 3. treatment


6. delivery  5. packaging  4. processing

1. production at dairy farms

2. collection from the farms
3. milk heated to 63ºCelsius for 30 minutes to kill bacteria (pasteurisation)
4. separation of milk into full fat, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk, and
cream
5. milk put into bottles and cartons of different sizes
6. transportation of milk to private homes, small shops and supermarkets
Structure your paragraph as follows:

Topic Sentence
Indicate that the process of collecting, treating and
distributing milk will be explained.

Body
Describe the steps of the process in paragraph form, in chronological order.
Some steps are related enough that they can be combined into one paragraph.
Use the passive voice.

Conclusion
Explain what the result of the process should be.

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Unit 4: Human Health

Task 4.13 Writing a Description of the Harvesting, Treatment and Grading of Tea
The flowchart below shows the stages of the harvesting, treatment and
grading of tea. Using the flowchart, the notes below and your own
knowledge, write an approximately 150-word paragraph describing this
process.

1. picking ➔ 2. drying and ➔ 3. fermenting

crushing

6. packaging  5. grading  4. drying

1. leaves picked from bushes

2. leaves dried in the sun and then crushed through rollers

3. water added, fermentation of leaves

4. fermented leaves dried

5. grading (according to quality) of dried tea leaves

6. packaging of tea ready for transportation

Structure your paragraph as follows:

Topic Sentence
Indicate that the stages of harvesting, treating and
grading tea will be explained.

Body
Describe the steps of the process in paragraph form, in chronological order.
Some steps are related enough that they can be combined into one paragraph.
Use the passive voice.

Conclusion
Explain what the result of the process should be.

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Unit 4: Human Health

Before The following two tasks provide you with additional practice in describing
You a process. They are more complex and require you to write longer
Begin descriptions than previously. Assessment Event 2 evaluates your ability to
write process descriptions.
Four elements are key when describing a process in writing:
• ordering of events
• purpose
• place
• method

Task 4.14 Writing a Description of How Humans Contract Malaria

The flowchart on the next page shows how humans contract malaria from
mosquitoes. Using the flowchart and your own knowledge, write an
approximately 225-word description of the malaria cycle.
Remember:
• Include all the steps

• Use the passive voice

• Use conjunctions:
✓ Coordinating Conjunctions: and, but, or and so etc.
✓ Subordinating Conjunctions: unless, provided (that), despite, though,
since, before, as soon as, after, since, so etc.

• Use relative pronouns: that, which, where, whose, who

• Use compound sentences

• Organise your description into short paragraphs:

✓ an introduction to the topic
✓ a body containing your description of the process
✓ a conclusion with your final comment

Time limit: 30 minutes

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Unit 4: Human Health

The Malaria Cycle

1. Mosquito injects saliva

when it bites. Parasites enter 2. Parasites enter
blood of human. liver. Change and
increase in
number.

3. Parasites then
enter blood cells.
6. Parasites pass
from stomach of an attack of malaria
mosquito to saliva.

5. Mosquito sucks blood from 4. Parasites change again

human 
new form of parasite
New form of parasite enters
mosquito

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Unit 4: Human Health

Task 4.15 Describing a Process or Procedure

Your teacher will provide you with a chart describing a process or
procedure. Using the chart and your own knowledge, write an
approximately 225-word description of the stages involved.
Then work with a partner who has a different chart. Read your partner your
description while he/she draws the corresponding chart. Check against the
original. Change roles and repeat.
Remember:
• Include all the steps

• Use the passive voice

• Use conjunctions:
✓ Coordinating Conjunctions: and, but, or and so etc.
✓ Subordinating Conjunctions: unless, provided (that), despite,
though, since, before, as soon as, after, since, so etc.

• Use relative pronouns: that, which, where, whose, who

• Use compound sentences

• Organise your description into short paragraphs:

✓ an introduction to the topic
✓ a body containing your description of the process
✓ a conclusion with your final comment

Time limit: 30 minutes

Assessment Assessment Event 2 - In-class Test: Description.

Event 2 This Assessment Event is worth 20% of your overall mark and will now be
done in class under test conditions.
Your teacher will provide you with the details.

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Student Manual GAC008 Academic English II: Reading and Writing Skills
Unit 5: Human Progress

Unit 5: Human Progress

Part A Unit Introduction

Part B Writing: Note-making Using Abbreviations and Symbols

Part C Writing: Further Practice in Paraphrasing

Part D Writing: Developing Notes into a Summary

Part E Writing: Editing, Proofing and Producing the Final Version of the
Academic Research Essay

Part A Unit Introduction

Overview In this unit you will learn to:

• make notes using common abbreviations and symbols
• paraphrase when taking notes from a reading passage
• develop a summary of a reading passage from notes
• write a final draft and present an academic essay

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Part B Writing: Note-making Using Abbreviations and

Symbols
Before To make notes from reading passages in textbooks more quickly, you will
You need to use abbreviations and symbols. Of the two:
Begin
• which one is a picture?
• which one is a shortened word?

Task 5.1 Common Abbreviations

GROUP A
Sit together and look at the following notes a student has made using
abbreviations.
• Identify the abbreviation
• Match it to a word
• Put the correct answer in the space provided

Then, meet a student from GROUP B and share what you have learned.

Abbreviation Word Answer

1. Read ch 10. a. within
2. They went to the meeting w/o him. b. before

3. There are many problems w/i the c. chapter

company.
4. What's the diff? d. including
5. The max number of people allowed e. regarding,
standing on the bus is 18. about

6. We discussed alternative resources f. difference

such as solar power, wind power, etc.
7. The temple is 1,000 yrs old. g. maximum
8. I need to see you re: the sales figures. h. because
9. The govt increased taxes to pay for i. etcetera, and
the war. so forth

10. The min amount you will have to pay j. government

is $400.00.
11. Get the assignment done b/4 you go k. without
to the movies.
12. All hand luggage, inc laptops, should l. minimum
be stored overhead.
13. We pay taxes b/c it’s the law. m. years

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Unit 5: Human Progress

GROUP B
Sit together and look at the following notes a student has made using
abbreviations.
• Identify the abbreviation
• Match it to a word
• Put the correct answer in the space provided
Then, meet a student from GROUP A and share what you have learned.

Abbreviation Word Answer

14. Professionals, e.g. doctors and n. with
lawyers, met to discuss how the tax
would affect them.
15. I want those documents typed ASAP. o. important,
note well

16. Cigarettes are esp dangerous for p. reference;

pregnant women. information

17. This painting is ca 1900. q. versus

18. They spoke w/ the other company and r. as soon as

agreed on a price. possible

19. Q: What's that? s. that is

A: I don't know.

20. Please write an essay of 500 wds. t. question

answer

21. Please ref all your sources of info. u. pages

22. A Siamese, i.e. a cat, is a fun pet. v. words

23. My final paper was 30 pp. long. w. not

applicable
24. That rule is n/a in this case. x. circa; about;
around; from
the year
25. It is NB to correctly acknowledge your y. especially
sources.
26. It is a question of democracy vs z. for example
dictatorship.

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Task 5.2 Your teacher will provide half the class with abbreviations, the other half with
meanings. Walk around the class and find your perfect match. Together, think
of an example sentence to share with the rest of the class.

Task 5.3 Imagine one of your classmates was away from school today. Choose one
lesson to message them about. Tell them about what you did in class and what
they need to do to prepare for the next class. You are only allowed 140
characters in your message. Use the set of boxes below. You are allowed one
character per box.
Exchange messages with a partner. Read each other’s messages out loud and
see whether you understood them correctly.

Task 5.4 Making Notes Using Abbreviations

On the next page is an overview of the findings of the 2018 United Nations
Human Development Index (HDI) report.
1. Use the abbreviations you learned above - and make up some of your own
- to make notes in the space provided overleaf. Your notes should be as
short as possible, but still communicate the meaning. The first paragraph
is done for you.

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Unit 5: Human Progress

The 2018 HDI report

In 1990, the U.N. created a new measure of human development, called the HDI:
the Human Development Index. The new indicator was based on the premise that
“people are the real wealth of a nation” (Human Development Report: Summary
2010, p.1). The HDI evaluates three human aspects: health (life expectancy at
birth), education (average years of schooling, expected years of schooling), and
living standards (gross national income per capita).

The HDI helps measure whether poor countries are closing the gap with rich
countries. A report in 2010 showed that from 1990 and within 20 years, the HDI
gap between developing and developed countries had decreased by about 20%. It
is clear that most people are now wealthier than before, and enjoy better health,
increased longevity (longer lives) and improved access to education. The latest
report shows, however, that conflict can reverse progress in human development.
For example, between 2012 and 2017, Yemen saw its HDI ranking fall by twenty
places from 158 to 178.

The report also indicates that there is unequal progress regarding women,
especially in developing countries. Worldwide, the average HDI value for women is
5.9% lower than that for men. Much of the gap is because of women’s lower income
and educational attainment in many countries. The gender gap is widest in
developing countries, where the average HDI value is 13.8% lower for women than
for men.

The countries that currently have the highest global HDI ranking are Norway,
Switzerland, Australia, Ireland and Germany. The bottom five are Burundi, Chad,
South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Niger. Note well: there are no
countries from sub-Saharan Africa in the top 100. Although HDI values have
generally been rising across all regions and human development groups, the rates
vary significantly. South Asia was the fastest growing region over 1990–2017, at
45.3 percent, followed by East Asia and the Pacific at 41.8 percent and Sub-
Saharan Africa at 34.9 percent.

The unequal rates of progress are partly due to different starting points, that is,
countries with lower starting points tend to improve more rapidly than those with
higher ones. However, there is evidence that other country-specific factors,
especially political stability, government policies and geography, influence the rate
of progress.

Word count: 371

Sources:
Human Development Report 2018: Summary (2018), UNDP [online]. Available from: https://tinyurl.com/y6m3f3pf
[Accessed 06 August 2019]
Human Development Report 2010: Summary (2010), UNDP [online]. Available from https://tinyurl.com/y25fu55r [Accessed 06
August 2019]

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Paragraph 1
• 1990 – new U.N. measure of human development: HDI
• people = what makes a nation rich
• 3 dimensions tracked:
Health: life exp @ birth
Educ: av & expected yrs schooling
Living stds: GNI per cap

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3

Paragraph 4

Paragraph 5

2. Compare your notes with a partner:

• Whose notes contain the most important information?
• Is there anything missing?
• Whose notes are easy to understand in spite of the abbreviations?
• Are there any note-making tips you could give each other?

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Unit 5: Human Progress

3. With your partner, brainstorm ideas for reducing the gap between high HDI
and low HDI countries. For example, thinking back to the 2018 HDI
report, gender inequality is a big concern, particularly in developing
countries. Can you think of any solutions to this problem? What other
problems are developing countries likely to encounter? How would you
solve these problems? Make notes in the space below. Use abbreviations.

Reduction in gap between low HDI and high HDI countries

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Common Symbols

The symbols most often used in note-making are listed below:

Symbol Meaning
→ leads to, produces,
causes, makes
 comes from, is the
result of
 increased, increasing,
goes up, rises
 decreased,
decreasing, lowering
& and
@ at
/ or
# number
x times
* important
? question
because

.·. therefore
+ plus, in addition, and,
also, more
- minus
+/- about, approximately
= equal to, is the same
as
≠ is not equal to, is not
the same as
~ about, approximately
> greater than
< less than
% percentage

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Task 5.5 Write the sentences below in note form. You may use the symbols
provided or invent symbols of your own. Compare with a partner.

1. The government is increasing taxes.

2. Overeating can lead to heart disease.

3. Paper comes from trees.

4. The unemployment rate is decreasing, that is, the number of people

with a job is increasing.

5. I think therefore I am.

6. Read section 4, paragraphs 1 to 10 and answer Questions 1-15.

7. The car was travelling 100 kilometres per hour when it crashed into
the tree.

8. Read the novel plus write a 500-word essay analysing the characters.

9. Mary Shelley was 19 years old when she wrote the novel
Frankenstein.

10. The amount of money some governments spend on arms is

significantly greater than that spent on social welfare.

11. Women are now considered equal to men.

12. Illegal migrants are often paid less than the minimum wage.

13. We realised we were minus two chairs.

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Task 5.6 Begin by working on your own. Think back to Task 5.4, question 3; the
discussion you had with your partner about how to narrow the gap between
high HDI and low HDI countries. In the space below, write two paragraphs
outlining possible solutions to this problem.
Next, exchange the paragraphs with a partner. Rewrite each other’s
paragraphs using abbreviations and symbols.

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Part C Writing: Further Practice in Paraphrasing

Discuss the following:
What is plagiarism?
What is paraphrasing?
What is the difference between them?

Remember, paraphrases:

keep the meaning of the original text

have different words and grammar

present the ideas in a different order

are a similar length to the original text

acknowledge the source

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Task 5.7 Plagiarism can happen unintentionally if you are unfamiliar with paraphrasing
conventions.
Read the paraphrases below.
Which paraphrase is acceptable, and which is unacceptable? Why?

Original

First and foremost, social media was seen as a vital way to connect with friends and
family, particularly across long distances, but also with friends who attended different
schools. Orlaith, one of the young people who gave oral evidence to us, explained how
she was friends with “quite a lot of people” who she did “not see face to face frequently”,
and that social media was “useful to keep in contact” with them.
Source:
House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (2019), ‘Impact of Social Media and Screen-Use on Young
People’s Health’ [online]. Available from: https://tinyurl.com/y4jxadjx [Accessed 07 August 2019]
Paraphrase 1 Paraphrase 2

Firstly, young people saw social media as Social media was mainly viewed as an
important for keeping in touch especially essential tool for keeping in touch with
with distant friends and family as well as friends from different schools as well as
people in different schools. Orlaith was friends and family who live far away. One of
one of the young people who spoke to us the young people we spoke to, Orlaith, said
and she described how she was friends that she was friends with “quite a lot of
with “quite a lot of people” who she did people” who she did “not see face to face
“not see face to face frequently”, and that frequently”, and that she found that social
she thought social media was “useful to media was “useful to keep in contact.”
keep in contact” with them.
Source: House of Commons Science and Technology
Committee (2019), “Impact of Social Media and Screen-Use
on Young People’s Health” [online]. Available from:
https://tinyurl.com/y4jxadjx [Accessed 30 July 2019]

When writing your research essay, what strategies should you use to make
sure that you do not plagiarise? Compare with a partner.

A good paraphrase combines a number of these strategies. It is important to

use more than one strategy. It is NOT enough to replace original words with
synonyms.
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Unit 5: Human Progress

Task 5.8 Pre-reading and Discussion

You are going to read a text on the need for technology in rural areas. Before
you read, discuss the statements in the anticipation guide below with your
partner. In the ‘Before reading’ column on the left, mark ‘agree’/‘disagree’. In
each case, justify your position.

Before reading Statements for consideration After reading

Young people in your nation prefer to live in the city rather
than in the country.

Rural areas have a better standard of living.

When people with no skills move to the city, their situations
improve.

It is better to be unemployed than doing a low-paying job that

is monotonous.
The unemployment rate in your country is a lot lower than in
other nations.
Most unemployed people are lazy - anyone who really wants
to work will find a job.
It’s the government’s job to resolve unemployment.

Task 5.9 Reading for Information

Read the following text on the need for technology in rural areas. Were any of
your ideas the same?

Solving the problem of unemployment in rural areas

In many locations in the world nowadays, the poor are getting poorer while the
wealthy are getting wealthier. This gap in income exists in industrialised countries
but its effects are most evident in poorer parts of the world, and particularly
among the rural population of such countries.

What is the usual state of the poor living in rural areas in developing countries?
Their chances of finding a job are so limited that they cannot work their way out
of their situation. There is no hope for them in country areas, so they move into
the big cities where their chances of finding some work appear to be greater than
in their villages. Unfortunately, in the city, there are often neither jobs nor
adequate housing for them and they end up far worse off than before. Rural
unemployment, then, causes mass-migration into the cities where rural
unemployment becomes urban unemployment.

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Unit 5: Human Progress

What can be done to stimulate economic growth in small towns and villages which
house the majority of the total population? The most important, basic first step
is to build factories to maximise work opportunities for the jobless. The greatest
need of any human being is meaningful, productive work to do. Even if such work is
poorly paid, it is better than no work at all. It is crucial that everyone should create
something, rather than a small number of people creating a huge amount. Bringing
technology to the country, rather than relocating people to the city is the only
logical long-term solution to this problem.

Now reconsider your position on the statements in the anticipation guide.

In the right-hand column, mark whether you ‘agree’/‘disagree’.
Have you changed your opinion about any of the statements?

Task 5.10 Using Synonyms when Paraphrasing

Now work with your partner. Use synonyms in the box to replace the words
in bold in the text.

places difference a few primary

rural unemployed relocate to

richer promote developed results in

contain today consequences very important

obvious especially work typical condition

opportunities
everybody great deal produce rich

Task 5.11 Paraphrasing Sentences

Work with your partner. Choose one word/phrase from each column in Task
5.10, i.e. four words/phrases. Paraphrase the sentences in which they are
used.

Independent Paraphrasing
Study
Paraphrase the text Solving the problem of unemployment in rural areas.
Remember to use a number of strategies to make your writing unique.
Go through the text again. Underline active sentences to turn them into
passive sentences. Consider how you can re-order sentences while
maintaining a logical flow. Remember to acknowledge the source.
Compare your paraphrase with a partner.

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Part D Writing: Developing Notes into a Summary

Before Summarising is an important skill to have when researching for essays. It

You demonstrates an understanding of an author's work, and you use it when
Begin answering essay questions on exams.

Summarising - Further Practice

What is a summary?
How is it different from a paraphrase?

Remember, good summaries:

have the same meaning as the original text

are complete

are logically organised

are about 1/3 of the original text in length

acknowledge the source

Before You will read a text on alternative energy sources to research the following
You question:
Read
Fossil fuels are becoming depleted, so more and more countries are
researching alternative energy sources. Describe how we generate
electricity from water and wind power.
Before you read, discuss the following questions with your partner.

1. What are the main sources of energy we use today? List at least three.

2. Where does the power your city/town uses for light, heat, etc. come from?

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3. What can we do to save energy in our everyday lives? List at least three
energy- conserving steps.

4. What are some alternative sources of energy? List at least three.

5. What is the difference between a renewable and a non-renewable source

of energy? Which do we use most in the world today?

6. Read the essay question which is in bold on the previous page. What type
of essay is it? What is the topic?

7. As you do your research, what kind of information will you want to take
notes on?

Task 5.12 Reading for Information

As you read, underline which information in the text will be useful in
researching the essay topic provided, i.e.,
Fossil fuels are becoming depleted, so more and more countries are
researching alternative energy sources. Describe how we generate
electricity from water and wind power.
Remember you are researching two specific energy sources and you need
information on how power is generated from these sources. You may also
want to include some interesting facts on the places where these sources are
used and how much energy they can produce.
The text provided is one of many you would use in researching your topic, so
you may not be able to find all the information you need.

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Alternative Sources of Energy

The world’s number one energy source is not man-made. It is much bigger than anything that
humans could ever dream of designing or manufacturing, and in fact produces all the energy needs
of everybody on Earth. That energy source is of course the Sun. Energy sources that we might
not directly associate with sunlight are produced by our daytime star. Think of it like this -
sunlight is needed to grow plants and other life forms which eventually become fossil fuels such
as coal, gas and oil. Now, with these sources of energy running out fast, more ‘natural’, renewable
energy forms including those from wind, water and direct sunlight itself are increasingly being
investigated.

The idea of designing a building to take advantage of sunlight for heating and lighting (called passive
design) has been practised all over the world. It is said to keep down the costs of maintenance
and energy.

Solar energy is a simple and already familiar source of more direct renewable energy production
that uses the sun's radiation to generate electrical energy.

Solar energy use is on the increase as technology improves. Photovoltaic (PV) cells have been
developed which are used to convert sunlight directly into electricity. Millions of houses and
buildings around the world have PV systems on their roofs. Many PV power plants have also been
built. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that electricity generated at
large-scale PV power plants increased from 76 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2008 to 63 billion
(kWh) in 2018.

One problem with extending the use of solar energy has been the cost of making PV cells.
However, in 2002 new technology became available which enabled the commercial production of
cheaper, more efficient PV cells. It was claimed that this kind of advance could help solar energy
to replace fossil fuels.

Water power is used in countries that have a lot of natural rivers and streams. Some
environmentalists claim that this type of power can be hazardous to local ecosystems, because in
order to generate hydroelectric power, engineers must first build a dam to block a river and
create a reservoir. Power is generated as the water flow from reservoirs is directed to turn
turbines and electric generators.

This type of energy provided 7% of the electricity needed in the U.S. in 2018. Worldwide,
hydroelectric power provides as much energy as nuclear power without the problem of having to
dispose of nuclear waste.

Another form of energy that has been with us for centuries is the use of wind power. Many
countries have also traditionally used wind as a source of power by building windmills, which were
used to grind wheat and other grains. The largest ones have huge blades, which resemble airplane
propellers. In fact, when such devices are used for large-scale electricity generation, they are
known as wind turbine generators and they are grouped together in ‘farms’. These have been used
for more than a century, but there has been a significant increase since the 1970s. In 2016,
approximately 952 billion kilowatt hours were generated with wind energy in 128 countries around
the world. Most wind power projects have traditionally been in Europe and in the United States,
where government programmes have supported wind power development. However, China and India
have increased wind electricity generation in recent years and were among the top five producers
of wind-generated electricity in 2016.

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Of course, there are many other alternative sources of energy (geothermal power, hydrogen
power and biomass to name a few), which are currently being researched and used in countries
around the world. These sources often create less pollution than traditional sources of power and
are becoming more economical to use as technology improves. They are the logical choice towards
a more environmentally conscious planet.

Word count: 628

Source:
Renewable Energy Sources (n.d.), U.S. Energy Information Administration [online]. Available from:
http://tinyurl.com/3ccajer [Accessed 31 July 2019]

Task Note-making
5.13
The notes below are from a student who is answering a similar essay question
on solar energy. Put a box around the information in the reading text in Task
5.12 which you think the student used to make the notes.

SOL ENERGY
n-primary simple energy source
Sol PV power plants:
2008: 76 million kw/h
2018: 63 billion kw/h

sol radiation → PV cells → electrical energy

PV cells

Past: Replace
Expensive fossil fuels
and less
efficient
2008-18
increasing as
technology
improves

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Unit 5: Human Progress

With a partner, look at the information you underlined in Task 5.12 on water
and wind power.
Use the information you have learned on note-making to write similar notes
below on each of these topics.

Remember: only make notes on the information which is important for your
essay.

Wind

Water Power

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Task 5.14 Write Summaries

Read the student's summary below on solar energy.
Does it meet the requirements?

The sun is our planet's primary and most simple energy source. In
2008, solar power plants were generating 76 million-kilowatt hours
but by 2018 this had increased to 63 billion. These plants take solar
radiation and run it through solar cells to create electrical energy.
Since 2002, new technology has allowed the commercial production
of cheaper and more efficient PV cells than in the past. Such
technological advancements favour the replacement of fossil fuels
with solar energy.
Source:

Renewable Energy Sources (n.d.), U.S. Energy Information Administration [online]. Available from:
http://tinyurl.com/3ccajer [Accessed 31 July 2019]

Write two summaries - one on water power, the other on wind power. Use
the notes you took in Task 5.13 to help. Also refer to the above model
summary on solar energy. Your teacher will collect them for marking.

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Part E Writing: Editing, Proofing and Producing

the Final Version of the Academic
Research Essay

Before Previously you looked at how to:

You
Begin 1. Choose an essay topic
2. Research the essay topic
3. Plan your essay
4. Write your first draft
The next step is to edit and proof your first draft.
You will need to have all of the above for this section. You will also need a
folder with loose paper and plastic sleeves to put any work in.

Organising Your Essay

Your essay should be word processed and elements submitted in the following
order:
1. GAC Assessment Event Cover Sheet
2. essay cover page
3. final version of the essay
4. reference list
5. first draft
6. plan

Task 5.14 Edit your Essay

Exchange the first draft of your essay with a partner. Use the Peer Assessment
Rubric (Appendix A) to assess whether they have addressed all the important
points.
Meanwhile, your teacher will go around the room to discuss your essay
individually and provide you with additional feedback.

Task 5.15 Proofread your Essay

Focus on the essay organisation, sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary
choices, and spelling. Use the checklist on the following page to help you.

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Unit 5: Human Progress

Item ✓

Does the essay follow the specified format: Introduction, Body and Conclusion?

Is the thesis statement clearly stated somewhere in the Introduction?

Does the thesis statement show how you will answer the question?

Does each paragraph start on a new line?

Does each paragraph have a topic sentence?

Do the sentences in the paragraph support the topic sentence with facts, examples or
explanations?
Is the first word of every sentence capitalised?

Does every sentence end with the correct punctuation (full stop/question mark/exclamation
mark)?
Are pronouns clearly related to the noun that comes before them?

Could short, related sentences be combined into compound sentences?

Is the sentence structure varied?

Is there a subject and a verb in every sentence?

Do the subject and verb agree in every sentence?

Is the verb tense consistent in every sentence, i.e. do you keep the same tense throughout
each sentence?
Are there run-on sentences, i.e. sentences that are joined without using connectives or
sentences with jumbled ideas?
Are apostrophes used with possessive nouns (exception: its)?
Do all the proper nouns (names) begin with a capital letter?
Are the words you have used in the correct part of speech (noun, adjective etc.)?
Have you used formal words, rather than informal ones (lots of many)?
Is every word spelled correctly?

Assessment Assessment Event 4: Academic Research Essay

Event 4
This approximately1,000-word academic research essay is worth 30% of
your overall mark. It should be finished in Independent Study Time. It is due
at the end of Unit 6 on a date agreed with your teacher.

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Unit 6: Man-made Environmental Issues

Unit 6: Man-made Environmental Issues

Part A Unit Introduction

Part B Reading: Word Attack Strategies: Contextual Clues

Part C Reading: Word Attack Strategies: Word Parts

Assessment Event 3: Reading Skills Test
Assessment Event 4: Academic Research Essay

Part A Unit Introduction

Overview In this unit you will learn to:

• use contextual clues to help you understand vocabulary and idiom from
a reading passage
• use word formation (prefixes and suffixes) to help you decode unknown
vocabulary

Assessment Assessment Event 3: Reading Skills Test will be done at the end of this
Event 3 unit. It covers reading and note-making skills, vocabulary decoding and
summary writing skills. It is worth 30% of your overall mark.

Assessment Assessment Event 4: Written Assignment: Academic Essay is due at the

Event 4 end of this unit. It is worth 30% of your overall mark.

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Part B Reading: Word Attack Strategies: Contextual

Clues
Before University reading texts contain many difficult words. It is important that
You you use reading strategies to help you understand the words quickly.
Begin
With which word attack strategies are you familiar?

Word Attack
Strategies

Using English-
English Using contextual Using word
clues parts
dictionaries

In GAC002, you covered using English-English dictionaries. In this unit, you

will study using:
1. contextual clues: looking around the unfamiliar word
2. word parts: breaking up the unfamiliar word into different parts

Using Contextual Clues

Contextual clues are information enclosed in the text which can help you
figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. The clues may appear in the
same sentence as the word, or in surrounding sentences.
There are different types of context clues, including:
• Definition context clues
• Example/Illustration context clues
• Synonym/Restatement context clues
• Antonym/Contrast context clues
• Logic/Inference context clues
• Grammar context clues

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Unit 6: Man-made Environmental Issues

Task 6.1 Using Contextual Clues

The table below lists the six types of contextual clues. First, match them with
their description. Next, match each to the correct sample sentence.

Type of Context Clue Description Sample Sentence

1. Definition A. No direct clues. Readers use
common sense and reading between
the lines to figure out the implied
meaning of the unknown word.

2. Example B. The word’s role in the sentence (its

part of speech) is identified to figure
out the unknown word.

3. Synonym C. Other, simpler words with a similar

meaning to the unknown word are
used.

4. Antonym D. The unknown word is directly

defined or explained after its use.

5. Logic/Inference E. Words that show the opposite of the

unknown word are used.

6. Grammar F. The unknown word is near

examples in the same category.

Sample Sentences
c. The bits of junk floating
b. Scientists are around in space are known
a. Increasing space increasingly concerned as orbital debris.
activity has brought a about the amount of debris
sharp rise in orbital orbiting the earth.
debris, or space
pollution.

f. In most cases
e. At top velocity, about 8m
collisions are averted,
d. In an effort to prevent a second, even a small piece
but sometimes satellites
collisions, every satellite is now of space junk could destroy
do crash into each other.
screened, and operators are a satellite.
informed if orbital paths meet.

The types of contextual clues do not occur one-by-one. Often two or three
types of contextual clues are used in the same sentence.

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Unit 6: Man-made Environmental Issues

Before With your partner, complete the table. Match each sentence below to one of the
You environmental issues. The first one is done for you.
Read

Environmental Issues
1. Tropical rainforests are being cut down at a rate of 8 million hectares
a year.
2. The Sahara Desert has grown by about 10% since 1920.
3. Scientists estimate that the world’s temperature will rise by several
degrees in the next century.
4. The layer in the atmosphere which protects the world from strong
ultraviolet rays from the sun has a hole in it. The size of this hole is
starting to decrease but is still being monitored.
5. As the number of genes, species and ecosystems decreases, essential
natural processes are lost to future generations.
6. The world’s oceans and waterways are being polluted by the dumping
of chemicals, sewage, plastics and industrial waste.
7. World population is rising too fast for the world’s resources to meet
its needs.
8. Emissions from vehicles have reached dangerous levels in some countries.
9. Wildlife and ecological balance are under threat from human activity.

Environmental Issues Matching Sentence #

Global warming 3

Air pollution

Population explosion

Deforestation

Water pollution

Ozone destruction

Wildlife extinction

Desertification

Decreasing biodiversity

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Unit 6: Man-made Environmental Issues

Task 6.2 Reading for Gist

The loss of biodiversity is one problem that affects our planet.
• Do you know what biodiversity is?
• What causes biodiversity to decrease?
• What are the effects of a decrease in biodiversity?

Complete a K-W-L chart for this problem. Then share your chart in groups
in groups of three.

Know Want to know Learned

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Unit 6: Man-made Environmental Issues

Now read the following text about decreasing biodiversity. See if you can answer
the questions from your ‘want to know’ column. If so, complete the ‘learned’
column.

Diminishing Biodiversity - Cause for Concern

At least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent of the needs
of the poor are derived from biological resources. In addition, the richer
the diversity of life, the greater the opportunity for medical
discoveries, economic development, and adaptive responses to such new
challenges as climate change.
(Sustaining Life on Earth 2000)

The term ‘biological diversity’, more frequently known as ‘biodiversity’,

refers to the variety of life on Earth. Most people think of biodiversity
as the total number of existing different species of plants, animals and
microorganisms – of which it is estimated there are several million
altogether.

However, biodiversity actually also includes variations in genes and

ecosystems. Within species, differences in DNA codes result in unique
genes. Cultivated rice, for instance, belongs to only two species, yet it
includes over 120,000 genetically-distinct varieties. Likewise, each
ecosystem consists of living creatures interacting with one another and
the elements in that habitat, whether it is in deserts, forests,
grasslands, or other microcosms.

Biodiversity ensures that the basic necessities to sustain life – that is,
food, clean water and air - are available, as well as helping to maintain a
stable climate. The loss of even one species can cause an entire
ecosystem to collapse. If one species becomes extinct, all other living
things in the ecosystem go out of balance. Certain animals lose their food
source, while others experience a sharp increase in population which
overwhelms their prey. Some species even vanish before it is possible to
assess their potential contributions.

Biodiversity provides a myriad of chemical compounds which are used in

medicines. Their number is immeasurable. At least half of the most
prescribed medicines in the United States, and an even larger proportion
of medicines in developing countries, are derived from natural
compounds. These compounds are not only used for promoting human
health. They are also found in insecticides and fungicides which protect
farmers’ crops, and thus our food sources.

Economic and infrastructure development have often speeded up changes

in biodiversity for the worse. For example, less than 20 years ago, the
islands of eastern Melanesia were still largely covered in forests.
Uncontrolled logging and the creation of palm oil plantations have

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devastated these islands, so that today less than a third of their forests
remain. As demographic pressures and consumption levels increase,
biodiversity decreases, reducing the ability of the natural world to
continue delivering the goods on which Man depends.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, completed in 2005 by more than

1,300 scientists in 95 countries, found that changes in biodiversity due
to human activities were occurring more rapidly in the past 50 years than
at any other time in human history. Extinction is considered to be the
most serious loss in biodiversity because it is irreversible. Man is
responsible for the sixth major extinction event in the history of the
Earth. The previous one was the disappearance of the dinosaurs 65
million years ago.

Since it is impossible to protect all threatened species, it is crucial to

identify conservation priorities. British ecologist Norman Myers has
played an important role in setting priorities. In 1988, he invented the
term ‘biodiversity hotspots’ for those areas most in need of
conservation. Since then, 31 hotspots have been identified. A region must
meet two criteria to be identified as a hotspot. First of all, it must
contain at least 1,500 species of endemic plants, that is, plants which can
be found nowhere else. Secondly, at least 70% of the hotspot’s original
natural vegetation must have been lost.

While it is unclear how ecosystems will respond to the rapid decline in

biodiversity due to climate change, habitat destruction and other
factors; the economic implications are also cause for concern. Loss in
biodiversity hits economies hard since they have to deal with food
shortages and pay for clean-up expenses for more frequent natural
disasters. In recognition of the need for urgent action, in 1992, 150
countries at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, adopted the Convention on
Biological Diversity, which is dedicated to promoting sustainable
development.

Word count: 673

Source:
Biodiversity Hotspots (2019 ), Conservation International [online]. Available from:
https://www.conservation.org/priorities/biodiversity-hotspots [Accessed 27 June 2019]
Sustaining Life on Earth (2000), The Convention of Biological Diversity [online]. Available from:
http://tinyurl.com/3n4b6jo [Accessed 27 June 2019]

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Task 6.3 Answer the following questions about the text.

1. The passage is mainly about:
a. Providing a definition for biodiversity in order to educate the reader.
b. The underlying causes and effects of biodiversity.
c. The importance of biodiversity and its worrisome decline.
d. Describing biodiversity and motivating its conservation.

2. For the following 6 questions, answer True/False/Not Given.

a. Biodiversity is the number of plants, animals and microorganisms on
Earth.
b. The living things in ecosystems are intricately interconnected and
interdependent.
c. The chemical compounds provided by biodiversity are innumerable.
d. The deforestation of the islands of eastern Melanesia has caused an
increase in natural disasters.
e. Man is causing the most significant mass extinction since dinosaurs
ceased to exist.
f. Economies are largely unaffected by a decline in biodiversity.

3. Complete the summary of the passage using no more than three words for
each answer. Write your answers in the spaces.
Biodiversity is nature’s way of sustaining a. by providing for
both essential needs and contributing to Man’s well-being. Biodiversity
covers not only different species of plants, animals and microorganisms, but
also different b. . All living things are c. , so that if
one disappears, the whole system is at risk. Biodiversity also provides the d.
to produce medicines, insecticides and fungicides. Human and
economic progress is threatening biodiversity, causing the biggest e.
event since the disappearance of dinosaurs. It is impossible to
protect all threatened species, so biodiversity f. have been
identified. An additional concern due to the loss in biodiversity is the g.
impact.

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Task 6.4 Using Contextual Clues

Find these words in the text. Read before and after the words, using the context
in the whole text or surrounding sentences to try to guess their meaning.
Do not use a dictionary! The purpose of this activity is to practise using
contextual clues.
Write the meaning of each one in the second column. Then tick the boxes which
names the type of context clue provided. Check with a partner.

Word Paraphrased meaning Type of context clue

microcosms  Definition
 Example/Illustration
 Synonym
 Antonym
 Logic/Inference
 Grammar
collapse  Definition
 Example/Illustration
 Synonym
 Antonym
 Logic/Inference
 Grammar
myriad  Definition
 Example/Illustration
 Synonym
 Antonym
 Logic/Inference
 Grammar
irreversible  Definition
 Example/Illustration
 Synonym
 Antonym
 Logic/Inference
 Grammar
endemic  Definition
 Example/Illustration
 Synonym
 Antonym
 Logic/Inference
 Grammar

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Task 6.5 Which definition best matches the word hotspot as used in this text?
 A nightclub with musical shows
 A glowing fire
 A battle zone
 A disaster area

Task 6.6 Guessing the Meaning of Idioms Using Contextual Clues

Look at this sentence:
Governments have often not honoured their word to pay for solutions to
ecological disasters.
To honour one’s word is an idiom and it means to do or say what one
promised.
Idioms occur frequently in every language, so it is important to use the context
of a reading passage to help you to understand the meanings of idioms.

Read the letter overleaf. It is written by an elderly man who lives in a small
town near a power station.
1. Read the letter quickly.
Who is he writing to? Why?
2. Read the letter again.
Consider the idioms he includes in the letter.
3. Work with a partner. Read around, before and after each idiomatic phrase
carefully.
Try to guess the meaning of the phrase from the context.

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Dear Sir,

I am writing to you on behalf of everybody who lives in this community. Three years
ago, your power station got off to a flying start in this little town in the middle
of nowhere, and we all thought it was a great solution to the unemployment problem.

However, now we are noticing other problems. You burn fossil fuels. The emissions
from your chimneys are seriously damaging the area around here and are
detrimental to the health of the people of this town.

Now, I may be an old man hard of hearing and past my prime, but I know when I’m
being short-changed. I am not going to take a back seat while you bigwigs up there
at the station sit pretty raking in huge profit and don’t put any of that profit back
into the community.

The kids can’t swim in the river anymore; it’s too dirty, and they can’t go fishing
because the fish have died off. We never see the sun because it’s always covered
by a thick cloud of smog. And we can’t breathe. Why do we need two doctors in town
now? Because everyone and his dog is ill!

We pay through the nose for electricity, so some of that profit should be put into
researching alternative energy that doesn’t pollute the environment. Have a heart
for the community, pull the plug on fossil fuels, and think about wind power - it’s
windy enough around here, isn’t it?

I would be happy to meet with you to discuss this further.

Yours sincerely,

Joe Smith
Concerned citizen

Although idioms are commonly used in everyday language, avoid using them
in academic writing because their tone is informal.

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Task 6.7 Below are some of the idioms from the letter.
Do not use a dictionary. Use the context in the reading passage to match the
idiom to its meaning. Put the correct letter in the space provided.

Idiom Meaning
1. to get off to a flying a. to be old
start
2. to be in the middle b. to remain passive or
of nowhere accepting
3. to be hard of hearing c. to be in a good position -
implies that other are not
in such a good position
4. to be past one’s d. to have poor hearing
prime
5. short-changed e. to spend more on
something than what it is
worth
6. to take a back seat f. to start fast and well
7. bigwigs g. to feel compassion
8. to sit pretty h. to be isolated and
remote, far away
9. to rake in (money) i. a lot of people
10. kids j. not get value for money
11. everyone and his dog k. children
12. to pay through the l. to bring to a halt/cause
nose to stop
13. to have a heart m. to receive very large
amounts of money
14. to pull the plug n. important, influential
people

Task 6.8 Work with a partner. Rewrite the letter in Task 6.6, replacing the idioms
with more formal language.

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Part C Reading: Word Attack Strategies: Word Parts

One of the best ways to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words is to learn
affixes.

Affixes Affixes are short parts of words that can be added to a word to change its
meaning or its grammatical function. Affixes consist of prefixes and suffixes:
• prefixes are added at the beginning of a word (e.g. pre-, un-, dis-) and affect
meaning
• suffixes are added at the end (e.g. -able, -proof, -ly) and affect grammatical
function
Look at this example:
irreversible

ir - reverse - ible

prefix base/root suffix

word

The base/root word: reverse.

The prefix ‘ir-’ means ‘not’.
The suffix ‘ -ible’ means ‘able to be done’.
What does ‘irreversible’ mean?
Provide an example sentence using ‘irreversible’.

Try this word: deforestation.

The prefix ‘de-’ means ‘remove’ or ‘take
away’.

The suffix ‘-ion’ changes a word to a noun.

What is the base/root word?
What does ‘deforestation’ mean?
Provide an example sentence using ‘deforestation’.

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List of Common Prefixes and Suffixes

Prefix Meaning Example

anti- against antidepressant
de- remove, take away deforestation
dis- opposite of, not disagree
in-, im-, il-, ir- not injustice, impossible, illegal, irreversible
mis- wrongly, badly misunderstand
re- again rearrange
un- not unhappy
micro- minute, small microclimate
over- excessively overconfident

Suffix Meaning Example

-able, -ible able to be done - adjective understandable, accessible
-ed past tense verbs doubted
-ate, -en, -fy, -ise to cause to be, to make - verb alienate, lengthen, modify, realise
-ing present participle running
-ion, -tion, -ation, -ition act, process of - noun erosion, destruction, demonstration,
recognition
-ive, -ative, -itive, has the quality of - adjective aggressive, collaborative, combative
-ing in the process of - adjective developing
-ly adverb foolishly
-s, -es forms the plural scientists, excesses, expenses
-less without - adjective harmless
-ment act, process of - noun development
-ance, -ence state, quality - noun appearance, conference
-er, -or, -ist people or professions - noun writer, editor, dentist

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Task 6.9 Base/Root Words

Look at the ten words below. Work with a partner. Identify the base word
and write it next to the word. Sometimes the spelling has changed slightly.
1. explosion (n)

2. recognition (n)

3. disappearance (n)

4. unsatisfactorily (adv)

5. assessed (v)

6. contribution (n)

7. largely (adv)

8. unsustainably (adv)

9. threatened (v)

10. inaccurate (adj)

11. mishandle (v)

12. possessive (adj)

13. listener (n)

Look at the words again with your teacher. Underline the prefixes and
suffixes. With your teacher's help, try to describe the meaning of each word
by analysing their prefixes and suffixes.

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Task 6.10 Modifying Verbs Using Prefixes

Modify these verbs by using the prefixes previously provided. Sometimes
more than one answer is possible.

Base/Root Modified verb

1. continue discontinue
2. appear
3. use
4. inform
5. assess
6. populate
7. structure
8. state
9. stabilise

Task 6.11 Modifying Adjectives Using Prefixes

Change these adjectives to their opposites by using the prefixes previously
provided.

Base/Root Opposite adjective form

1. happy unhappy
2. available
3. legal
4. distinct
5. rational
6. adequate
7. humane
8. measurable
9. bacterial

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Task 6.12 Forming Nouns Using Suffixes

Look at the words in the table below. Work with a partner and use your
dictionaries to decide which suffixes in the box can be used at the end of each
word to make it into a noun form. There may be two noun forms.

Base/Root Noun form

1. develop development, developer
2. conserve
3. imply
4. establish
5. govern
6. vary
7. prescribe
8. consume
9. perform
10. persuade
11. decide
12. calculate
13. adapt
14. interact
15. achieve
16. occur

-sion, -tion, -ation

-ment
-ance, -ence
-er, -or, -ist

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Task 6.13 Forming Adjectives Using Suffixes

Form adjectives by using the common suffixes previously provided.

Base/Root Adjective form

1. comfort comfortable
2. interact
3. distinct
4. exist
5. compare
6. conserve
7. response
8. sustain
9. devastate
10. identify
11. reverse
12. pain

Task 6.14 Forming Verbs Using Suffixes

Look at the words below and change them to verbs by using the common
suffixes previously provided.

Base/Root Verb form

1. real realise
2. origin
3. soft
4. visual
5. liquid
6. emphasis
7. strong
8. liberty
9. hyphen
10. simple
11 harmony

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Task 6.15 Forming Adverbs Using Suffixes

Change the words to an adverb.

Base/Root Adverb form

1. happy happily
2. quick
3. large
4. logical
5. adverse
6. negative
7. rapid
8. natural
9. genetic
10. ultimate

Task 6.16 Understanding Vocabulary Using Prefixes and Suffixes

Work in groups of three. Refer back to the text on the loss in biodiversity
from Unit 6 Part B. Use words from the text, to which you add prefixes or
suffixes to form different parts of speech. The first one is done for you. The
group with the most combinations wins!

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

distinction distinguish distinct distinctly

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Task 6.17 Dominoes Game

This is a game designed to help you become more familiar with different prefixes
and suffixes. Form a group with three other students and wait for your teacher to
give you the instructions for this game.

Assessment Assessment Event 3: Reading Skills Test

Event 3
Assessment Event 3: Reading Skills Test will be done now. It covers reading
and note-making skills, vocabulary decoding and summary writing skills. It
is worth 30% of your overall mark.

Assessment Assessment Event 4: Written Assignment: Academic Essay

Event 4
This Assessment Event is worth 30% of your overall mark and is now due.

Remember Your essay should be word processed and elements submitted in the following
order:
1. GAC Assessment Event Cover Sheet
2. essay cover sheet
3. final version of the essay
4. reference list
5. first draft
6. plan

CONGRATULATIONS - YOU HAVE COMPLETED GAC008!

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Appendix A: Assessment Event 4: Academic Research Essay

Peer Assessment Rubric

Student Name:

Teacher:

Rate the accomplishment of the criteria on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 is the lowest rating, when the criterion
is not addressed at all. 5 is the top rating, when the criterion is very clearly addressed. Circle the
relevant level. You may add helpful comments next to each criterion.

1. The thesis statement is easy to identify and clear.

1 2 3 4 5

2. The structure of the essay is appropriate for the thesis statement.

1 2 3 4 5

3. The overall content of the essay is relevant to the thesis statement.

1 2 3 4 5

4. The ideas in the paper flow logically.

1 2 3 4 5

5. There is a variety of linking devices between paragraphs.

1 2 3 4 5

6. Each paragraph has a topic sentence.

1 2 3 4 5

7. Main ideas are supported with ample, specific and logical supporting details.

1 2 3 4 5

8. There is a mix of sentence structures.

1 2 3 4 5

9. The vocabulary is varied and rich.

1 2 3 4 5

10. The in-text referencing and reference list conform to the GAC guidelines.

1 2 3 4 5

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Reference List

Reference List
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Reference List

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Steyn, N.P., Myburgh, N.G., and Nel, J.H. (2003), “Evidence to support a food-based dietary guideline on sugar
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Sugar Monthly Price (2019), Index Mundi [online]. Available from:

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