Showing posts with label Ready for C1 p 034. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ready for C1 p 034. Show all posts
Ready for C1 p 34. Fancy a Down-to-Earth Holiday? Writing an Article. Verb Form Gap Fill
Read the following text and fill in the gaps with the verb that best fits each space using the correct verb form of the verbs below. There are TWO extra verbs you will not need. The activity begins with an example (0).
Verbs: picture, stumble across, work, always/fascinate, kowtow, give, curb, find, nod, tell, swap, finally/allow, clearly/wait, dig.
Task instructions: You have been asked to write an article describing your experience of an unusual type of holiday for a students’ magazine.
Fancy a Down-to-Earth Holiday?
Are you tired of doing the same thing every summer? (0) Picture this: you're sprawled on a beach towel, bored out of your mind, watching other tourists do exactly what you're doing – absolutely nothing. Sound familiar? If you (1) your head right now, it might be time to trade that sun lounger for something more memorable.
I (2) by history, but let's be honest – reading about ancient civilisations in dusty textbooks isn't exactly thrilling. So when I (3) an advertisement for an archaeology training holiday, I was intrigued. A week of hands-on historical detective work? Sign me up! My friends thought I'd lost my mind. "You're paying to dig holes in the dirt?" one asked. "You could do that in your garden for free!"
Our group was wonderfully eclectic. Eight of us gathered that first morning: a retired school teacher who (4) for years for this adventure, two enthusiastic American college students armed with expensive cameras (naturally), an out-of-work actor who (5) us dramatic readings of historical texts at every opportunity – including at breakfast – and a few others who, like me, were simply curious. We stayed in a converted farmhouse where the accommodation was refreshingly simple but comfortable, and the home-cooked meals were absolutely delicious. Proper food, not the usual holiday fare that makes you wonder which century it's from (though given our location, that might have been appropriate).
After some basic training in archaeological techniques – learning the difference between a significant find and a rock was harder than you'd think, and I'm still not entirely convinced about some of my "discoveries" – we (6) to join a real dig at a nearby archaeological site. Imagine carefully brushing away centuries of soil with what looks like a toothbrush, never quite knowing what might emerge. The tension, the concentration, the sheer excitement of it all! Also, the backache. Nobody mentions the backache.
Then it happened. As I (7) methodically through my assigned section, convinced I (8) nothing but more dirt, my trowel struck something hard. My heart raced as I gently uncovered a tiny fragment of pottery, its surface surprisingly smooth despite the passage of time. When our instructor examined it later that day, she confirmed it was Roman. "Beginner's luck!" she announced with a grin. Meanwhile, the retired teacher who (9) for three days had found precisely one modern bottle cap. I tried not to look too smug.
Would I recommend an educational holiday? Absolutely. In fact, I'm already planning my next one – mediaeval castle restoration, anyone? Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with traditional beach holidays if that's your thing. But personally, I can't think of anything more rewarding than learning a new skill, meeting fascinating people, and coming home with stories that are actually worth (10) at dinner parties.
Oh, and I still got a sun tan – just with considerably more dirt under my fingernails and a newfound appreciation for professional archaeologists who do this every day without complaining. So, what would your life be like if you (11) predictable for unforgettable this summer?
KEY
1. 're nodding
2. 've always been fascinated
3. stumbled across
4. 'd clearly been waiting
5. gave
6. were finally allowed
7. was working
8. 'd find
9. 'd been digging
10. telling
11. swapped
Extra verbs:
To Curb: To check or keep in check; to restrain. Sp. frenar, restringir.
"The government introduced new laws to curb inflation."
To Kowtow: To act in an excessively subservient manner.
“I refuse to kowtow to the demands of a bully.”
Ready for C1 p 34. How to Write an Article
What Is an Article?
An article is a piece of writing designed to inform, entertain, or persuade readers. It typically uses one or more of the following approaches:
- Discussion – exploring different viewpoints on a topic
- Description – painting a vivid picture of a subject
- Narrative – telling a story or recounting events
The most successful articles combine accurate information with engaging content that captures and holds the reader's attention.
Key Principles
Know Your Audience
Consider who you're writing for. Think about:
- Their age group and likely knowledge level
- What would interest them about this topic
- How to make the subject accessible and engaging
Create a Strong Title
Your headline should accomplish two goals:
- Clearly indicate the article's focus
- Spark curiosity and interest
Effective headline techniques:
- Dramatic words or phrases: "Freezing!"
- Story summaries: "My Lone Walk to the North Pole" or "Rescue from the Rapids"
- Questions: "What's the Big Idea?" or "Just a Normal Day?"
- Surprising facts: "Seven Banks a Day Are Robbed in LA"
Structure Your Article
Opening Paragraph
Hook your reader immediately by:
- Posing a rhetorical question they'll want answered
- Sharing a compelling example
- Presenting an intriguing statement
Body Paragraphs
- Divide content into clear, focused paragraphs
- Each paragraph should develop one main idea
- Use transitions to guide readers through your argument
Conclusion
End with impact:
- An overall comment that ties everything together
- A thought-provoking concluding remark
- A call to action or reflection
Engaging Your Reader
Direct Address
Connect with readers by speaking to them directly:
- "Did you know…?"
- "What would you do if…?"
- "Have you ever…?"
- "Are you one of those people who…?"
- "Isn't it amazing/extraordinary/incredible how/that…?"
Use Imperatives
Create immediacy and involvement:
- "Let me tell you about…"
- "Make an effort to…"
- "Imagine if/what…"
- "Reach out to…"
Personal Touch
Share your perspective to build connection:
- "Personally, I can't imagine anything worse!"
- Use first-person anecdotes when appropriate
Specific Examples and Quotations
Add credibility and interest:
- "As Mrs. X explained…"
- "According to recent research…"
Appropriate Tone
For light-hearted topics, don't be afraid to use humour. Match your tone to both your subject matter and your audience.
When are contractions appropriate?
The "Article" task in C1 exams usually asks you to write for a specific publication, such as a student magazine, a local newsletter, or an online blog.
1. Informal or Neutral Articles
If the prompt implies a personal, engaging, or conversational tone (e.g., "Write an article for a travel blog about your favorite city"), contractions are perfectly appropriate.
Why: They make your writing sound natural and help you "connect" with the reader.
Example: "You'll find that the locals are incredibly welcoming, even if you don't speak the language."
2. Formal or Academic Articles
If the article is for a serious publication, like a professional journal or a high-end newspaper (e.g., "Write an article for a national newspaper discussing the impacts of urban sprawl"), you should avoid contractions.
Why: Formal English requires full verb forms to maintain an objective, authoritative tone.
Example: "It is often argued that city planners do not take environmental factors into account."
Useful Language for Articles
Sequencing Events
- Beginning: At first / To start with / In the beginning
- Continuing: Then / Next / After that / The next thing that happened was
- Time passing: Seconds/Minutes later / Later on / Some time later / After some time
- Concluding: Finally / In the end / At last
Describing Simultaneous Events
- Meanwhile / In the meantime
- While all this was going on
- During all this time
Sudden or Unexpected Events
- Suddenly / All of a sudden / All at once
- Out of the blue / Without any warning
- Just when I was least expecting it
- The next thing I knew was
Rapid Events
- As quick as a flash
- In the wink of an eye
- In a matter of seconds/minutes
- In no time at all
Reflection
- In retrospect
- When I think back to what happened then
- It wasn't until much later that
Final Checklist
Before submitting your article, ensure you have:
- ✓ An attention-grabbing title
- ✓ A compelling opening paragraph
- ✓ Clear paragraph divisions
- ✓ Engaged your reader directly
- ✓ Used specific examples where appropriate
- ✓ Maintained an appropriate tone for your audience
- ✓ Ended with a memorable conclusion
Ready for C1 p 34. Technology and the Brain. Mediation. Word Formation
You have come across an infographic on the impact of multitasking. You decide to write a blog entry about it. For this task write only the introduction using approximately 100 words.
The Impact of Multitasking
1. Multitasking in Modern Life
Technology enables multitasking.
Smartphones fill every spare moment.
2. Neuroscientific Concerns
Reduces efficiency, increases stress hormones.
Notifications hijack focus.
3. Changing Communication Norms
Smartphones demand constant availability.
Unread messages lower cognitive performance.
4. Learning Impacts
Distractions misplace information in memory.
Harder to retrieve knowledge.
5. Decision Fatigue
Small choices drain mental resources.
Weakened impulse control affects decisions.
6. Information Overload
Mixed messages compel constant checking.
Overwhelmed by irrelevant and critical inputs.
Takeaways
Multitasking harms focus, learning, and decisions.
Reducing distractions is essential.
Sample answer
Technology and the Brain
In this era, when technology is developing at a (1)______________ (BREATHE) rate, we are constantly required to do several things at once. Besides, our smartphones have facilitated a 21st-century mania for cramming a lot into every spare moment of (2)_______________ (TIME); a habit we call multitasking.
Neuroscientists are (3)_____________ (INCREASE) voicing concern, however, that this practice actually makes us (4)_______________ (DEMONSTRATE) less efficient. Although people think they are expert (5)______________ (JUGGLE), they're actually just switching from one task to another very (6)______________ (RAPID). This has been found to increase the production of both adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol, which can (7)______________ (STIMULATION) your brain and cause (8)_________________ (CONFUSE), (9)_________________ (FORGET), and a lack of focus.
To make matters worse, the prefrontal cortex- an area which plays a significant part in directing focus and (10)_______________ (PURSUIT) goals- is also attracted to novelty. This means that its attention can easily be hijacked by the constant influx of notifications that flood our daily lives- most of which demand some sort of action.
This wasn't the case in the old days. When all phones were wired to a wall, there was no expectation of being able to reach people at all times and get an immediate response. But with smartphones, it is taken for granted that people can be contacted by text, instant messaging or email (11)_______________ (REGARD) of whether they're in a meeting or (12)_________________ (DESPERATION) trying to meet the (13)_____________ (LINE) for a project.
Certainly you can choose to ignore these attempts to get your attention. However, findings from a recent study have shown that simply having the opportunity to multitask is (14)______________ (DETRIMENT) to cognitive performance.
Indeed, it turns out that the knowledge of an (15)______________ (READING) email sitting in your inbox while you're trying to concentrate on a task can reduce your effective IQ by 10 points. In other words, the sense of a (16)________________ (LOG) building up contributes to a state of information (17)__________________ (LOAD).
Yet another problem with multitasking is its impact on acquiring new knowledge. If students, for example, study and watch TV (18)_________________ (SIMULTANEITY), the information from their (19)__________________ (SCHOOL) goes into the region of the brain specialised in storing new procedures and skills, not facts and ideas. Without distraction, it heads to the hippocampus, where it is organised in a way that makes (20)_________________ (RETRIEVE) easier.
And this isn't the end of the negative impact that multitasking can have on your brain. It also requires you to make (21)_________________ (END) series of choices: Do I answer this text message or ignore it? How do I file this email? Do I continue what I'm working on now or take a break?
While this may appear trivial, it turns out that they are just as demanding on our neural resources as bigger ones, And one of the first things we lose when our brains lack energy is impulse control; something essential when it comes to making (22)_______________ (INFORMATION) and logical decisions. This (23)_________________(INEVITABLE) leads to poorer (24)______________ (COME) when we must determine the right course of action for something that has real importance.
Part of the problem is that nowadays the medium for any kind of interaction is the same. Until recently, each of the many different modes of communication we used signalled its (25)_________________ (RELEVANT), importance and intent. Now emails and texts are used for all life's messages. We (26)_________________ (COMPULSIVE) check them in part because we don't know whether the next one will be for leisure or (27)______________ (AMUSING), an (28)__________________ (DUE) bill, a 'to do', a query... something you can do now, later, or something life-changing, something (29)_________________ (RELEVANCE). No wonder we are suffering from information overload!
KEY
1. breathtaking
2. downtime
downtime: the time when somebody stops working and is able to relax.
E.g.
Everyone needs a little downtime.
3. increasingly
4. demonstrably
demonstrably: in a way that can be shown or proved.
E.g.
demonstrably unfair
5. jugglers
6. rapidly
7. overstimulate
8. confusion
9. forgetfulness
10. pursuing
11. regardless
12. desperately
13. deadline
14. detrimental
15. unread
16. backlog
backlog: a quantity of work that should have been done already, but has not yet been done
E.g.
When she eventually returned to work, there was a tremendous backlog of paperwork to catch up on. We are faced with a backlog of orders we can’t deal with.
17. overload
18. simultaneously
19. schoolwork
20. retrieval
21. endless
22. informed
23. inevitably
24. outcomes
25. relevance
26. compulsively
27. amusement
28. overdue
overdue: not paid, done, returned, etc. by the required or expected time
E.g.
an overdue payment/library book
The rent is now overdue.
Her baby is two weeks overdue.
This car is overdue for a service
29. irrelevant
Ready for C1 p 34. It’s a dog’s life. Writing an article. Cloze
Task description:
A monthly magazine about social issues has asked readers to send in articles on worthy causes. You decide to write an article in which you describe a charity you support, explain how and why you support it, and assess its importance for the community.
What does it (1)__________ to make a huge difference in
someone’s life? Would you be (2)__________________ to learn that
all you need is a friendly pet and few hours a week?
But let me back (3)_______________ a bit. When my elderly neighbour
moved (4)_____________ aged care, I decided to visit her one
Sunday. I wasn’t sure (5)_____________ to expect: Would she feel
depressed at having to leave her own home?
I needn’t have (6)_____________. An amazing charity called Pet
Set had taken care of that. Sitting by her (7)___________ was a
big white English Bulldog, Winston. It was Winston’s
job to offer companionship to the elderly residents,
and this he (8)______________with great success. Apparently, Winston
visited three times a week and (9)__________ everyone’s
spirits. Speaking with his owner, I learned that Pet Set
volunteers take their good-natured dogs to places like
aged care facilities and hospitals to (10)__________ improve the
wellbeing of residents and patients.
‘What a great idea!’ I thought. Wanting to take
part, but not (11)___________ a pet, I offered my time (12)_______________ an
administration officer. Twice a week, I work the phones
and organise the volunteers. Knowing that I’m doing
something (13)______________ with my time is important to me.
Getting to know the dogs and seeing the joy they bring
is an (14)_____________ bonus.
I constantly hear heart-warming stories resulting (15)__________ these visits. For the elderly residents who have
experienced the trauma of giving (16)______________ their own beloved
pets, a regular visit from a friendly dog does (17)_____________
for their morale and gives them something to look
forward to. (18)_____________ for the dogs, they love the attention and
the treats they get!
Don’t think twice about it. I encourage anyone who has
spare time and a placid pooch to enquire about getting
involved. (19)__________ if, like me, you don’t have a pet, there
are ways you can help. Look (20)______________ it – you won’t regret it
KEY
1. take
2. surprised
3. up
4. into
5. what
6. worried
7. side
8. did
9. raised/ lifted
10. help
11. having
12. as
13. worthwhile
14. added
15. from
16. up
17. wonders
18. As
19. Even
20. into
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