The (0) aim of this report is to
describe and evaluate the four-week William Shakespeare course that I
(1)___________ at the community college in April, as well as assess
(2)___________ usefulness and give some recommendations.
Content
The
course approached the works of Shakespeare in a way (3)__________ I
found to be quite novel and thoroughly engaging. As a class, we did not
look at a play in its entirety, but parts of different works
(4)___________ connected themes such as love, ambition and conscience.
This enabled us to trace the development of Shakespeare's views. In
addition, the tutor drew wonderful parallels between Shakespeare and
present-day situations. This brought Shakespeare to (5)______________
and made the works very accessible.
Organisation
The
classes were very well-organised. The course objectives were clearly
explained at the start and the class discussion was directed towards
(6)_____________ achievements. Due to this, we were able to cover all of
the material. Our tutor was also very firm in steering us along the
way- while encouraging plenty of discussion, she ensured we never
strayed far from the topic (7)____________ hand. Clearly, the tutor is a
very experienced and competent teacher.
Atmosphere
The
course was conducted in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. There was
encouragement from the tutor, as well as a good rapport (8)___________
class members. The relaxed nature of this course put everyone
(9)___________ ease and this promoted a risk-free atmosphere in which
participants could express their views without fear or hesitation.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, I believe anyone attending this course would find it
stimulating. It is particularly useful to students of English literature
who will gain new insight into Shakespeare, but equally of value to
anyone who enjoys a lively discussion. In the (10)_____________ of this,
I would suggest each session be slightly longer in order to accommodate
further discussion.
KEY
1. attended
2. its
3. which
4. through
5. life
6. their
7. at/in
at hand
needing
to be dealt with now. Happening or present at this time. Sp. que nos
ocupa. E.g.The space shuttle crew must stay completely focused on the
task at hand. Peter turned his attention to the task at hand.
in hand:
the job, question, etc. in hand is the one that you are dealing with.
E.g. Please confine your comments to the topic in hand.
task in hand Sp. tarea en cuestión
matter in hand Sp. asunto en cuestión
8. between
9. at
10. light
in the light of sth/ in light of sth
in view of, after considering something. because of. E.g. In light of recent incidents, we are asking our customers to take particular care of their personal belongings. He rewrote the book in the light of further research. In light of recent developments, we're postponing our meeting. In the light of the weather forecast we've cancelled the picnic.
1. A street vendor thinks that the bond notes can be used for illegal purposes. _____
2. A software engineer claims that more people would use bitcoin if the system to use wasn't so difficult. _____
3. A retired teacher believes that people should be rewarded depending on the type of job they do. _____
4. A small business owner believes that the Bristol pound is not so useful for passing tourists. _____
5. An antiques trader thinks that the swap sites require a lot of patience. _____
KEY
1. F (he thinks that they will go the same way as the failed currency they had before)
2. T (The software needed to use it is pretty complicated, though, which probably puts a lot of people off using it)
3. F (you get rewarded for your time. It's a very fair system, because everyone's time is worth the same)
4. T (For people who don't live here that could be a disadvantage, as it's not legal tender (legal money))
5. F. (A stamp collector)
Script
Unit 6: Made of Money Track 6.1 N: Listening, Unit 6, Page 88, C ExN: You will hear five short extracts in which different people talk about different kinds of currencies.
Task 1. For questions 1 – 5, choose from the list (A – H), the person who is speaking. Task 2. For questions 6 – 10, choose from the list (A – H), the main disadvantage of the currency mentioned by each speaker. While you listen, you must complete both tasks.
ExN: Speaker One MAN: We used to have Zimbabwean dollars, but they abolished them back in 2009 because of the hyperinflation. Back then a trillion-dollar note wasn’t even enough for a bus fare! Now they are bringing in something called bond notes, and everyone thinks these will go the same way. I have a market stall, and if my customers pay me in bond notes, how can I pay my suppliers? They want dollars, not this money, so it’s no use to me. People here would rather use real money than this kind of note which we call ‘ghost money’.
ExN: Speaker Two MAN:
I’m in IT and when I’m not writing software for banks and other
financial institutions, I love gaming. I use bitcoin quite a lot. It’s
the most famous digital currency and it’s accepted by a surprising
number of companies for payment. You can also pay people really easily, I
mean transactions are fast and safe when you know their bitcoin
address. Unlike conventional currencies, bitcoin isn’t issued by central
banks or controlled by governments and all transactions are completely
anonymous; a factor that appeals to a lot of users. The software
needed to use it is pretty complicated, though, which probably puts a
lot of people off using it.
ExN: Speaker Three WOMAN: After
retiring from teaching I was keen to do some kind of volunteering. I was
going to volunteer in a local school, helping children to read but then
I discovered the time bank. It’s not really volunteering as we know it,
because you get rewarded for your time. It’s a very fair system, because everyone’s time is worth the same. I can help a child with their homework for an hour say, and get an hour’s worth of gardening work or hairdressing in return. Of course, it’s the labour that is shared and it works for services, but not goods. You have to buy any materials that are needed, but the service is free, provided you have given your time, too.
ExN: Speaker Four MAN:
I accept the Bristol Pound, yes, of course I do. In my café, lots of
customers use it to pay. It’s a great idea, I think, because it keeps
the money flowing inside our local economy and helps our town, Bristol, to grow. A lot of money stays inside the town and goes back to support our local community in this way. It stops money literally leaking out of the area. For people who don’t live here that could be a disadvantage, as it’s not legal tender, obviously they’d have to spend all their local currency before leaving the area, the same way as tourists do when they leave a holiday resort abroad.
ExN: Speaker Five MAN: It’s a great thing now with the Internet; there are loads of good sites where you can swap your unwanted stuff. Antiques traders are all over these sites of course, looking for bargains that they can then sell on in their shops. For me, well I’m an amateur and I’ve been collecting stamps since I was a lad. I’ve got a pretty large collection, but I’m always on the lookout for the odd ones that are missing. On the swap site I can swap my unwanted stamps for some that I do want. Sometimes I swap other collectables like medals and coins, too. In this way it’s a hobby that doesn’t cost me money. The main problem is that you have to spend hours online searching for what you want and it’s often hard to find the exact swap you need.
When the if clause comes before the result clause, we usually separate
the two clauses with a comma. When the result clause comes first, we do
not use a comma:
E.g. If you share a car to work, you can save on energy You can save on energy if you share a car to work
Zero conditional
if/ when + present simple, present simple
We use the zero conditional to talk about situations which are always true.
E.g. If I eat too much spicy food, I start to feel ill. When I eat too much in the evening, I can't sleep at night.
if/ when/ whenever + past simple, past simple
The past simple can also be used in conditional sentences to describe real situations in the past. E.g. If I arrived late at the office, my boss used to get really angry.
First conditional
if + present simple, will/ going to/ may/ might/ can/ could/ shall/ should/ have to/ ought to + infinitive/ imperative
We use the first conditional to talk about possible future situations and their probable results.
E.g. If you don't water the plant soon, it'll die. If you don't water the plant soon, it could die. We might prevent disaster if we change the way we live now. If the people from Greenpeace call, tell them I'll call them back later.
if + should/happen to/ should happen to
We use this structure to make the event seem more unlikely or more of a chance possibility.
E.g.If you should see Davina, ask her whether she could look after the cats this weekend. If I happen to see Mr Smith, I'll ask him for you. If you should happen to miss the train, I could drive you there myself.
A more formal variation is to omit if and begin with should (inversion)
E.g. Should you wish to change your holiday arrangements, we will do all we can to help. Should you require more assistance, please telephone. Should the drought /draʊt/ continue, many people will be forced to leave their villages.
Note if can sometimes be followed by will, would or going to, for example when making polite requests or describing the result of a course of action.
E.g.If you would take a seat for a moment, I'll tell Mr Graydon you're here. If it is going to be more profitable for the company, then I think we should do it. I'll clean the house if you'll mow the lawn.
Second conditional
if + past simple/ past continuous, would/ might/ could + infinitive
We use the second conditional to talk about imaginary, unlikely or impossible situations in the present and future.
E.g. If I had an extra pair of hands, then I could help you! I might work harder if they paid me more.
If it wasn't/weren't for + noun E.g. I think I'd be quite lonely if it wasn't/ weren't for my dog, Buster. (= if I didn't have) If it weren't for my savings, I wouldn't be able to survive (= Thanks to my savings I can survive) Were it not for + noun E.g. Were it not for my dog, Buster, I think I'd be quite lonely.
if + were to + infinitive makes the event seem more unlikely.
E.g. If you were to walk in that direction for another thousand miles, you'd eventually arrive in Warsaw.
A more formal variation is to omit if and begin with were...to or were... (inversion)
E.g. Were they to break the contract, we would of course take legal action. Were you to go out in this weather, you'd be thoroughly soaked Were I not your father, I would not be concerned about what you wear If I weren't your father...
Third conditional
if + past perfect, would/ might/ could/ should + perfect infinitive
We use the third conditional to speculate about how things might have been different in the past.
E.g. If you had been paying attention, you might have understood what I was saying. (= You weren't paying attention, so you didn't understand.) A lot more people would have been trapped by the flood if there hadn't been a warning.
If it hadn't been for + noun E.g.If it hadn't been for your help, I wouldn't have been able to quit gambling. (= if I hadn't had) If it hadn't been for that traffic jam on the motorway, we would have got here on time. (= Because of the traffic jam we arrived late.) Had it not been for + noun E.g.Had it not been for your help, I wouldn't have been able to quit gambling.
But for/ without E.g.But for your help, I wouldn't have been able to quit gambling. He would have played but for a knee injury. Withouttheir help, Emma couldn't have overcome her problems. You shouldn't take these pills without consulting your doctor.
A more formal variation is to omit if and begin with had (inversion)
E.g. Had she known about his criminal past, she would never have employed him. Had I known there was going to be a storm, I would have stayed indoors. Had Charles Darwin not visited the Galapagos Islands, he might never have developed his theory of evolution. Had we not attended the meeting, we would have han no idea of the council's plans. (Note that not goes after the subject).
Mixed conditionals
if + past tense, might/ could/ should/ would + perfect infinitive
We use this structure for situations in the present which affect the past.
E.g. If I weren't so untidy, I wouldn't have lost your keys. If I weren't so broke at the moment, I could have bought you something decent for your birthday.
if + past perfect, would/ might/ could + infinitive
We use this structure to speculate about how a different situation in the past might have had different results in the present.
E.g. If I had moved to California, I would be much richer today. If you hadn't stayed up to watch the film last night, you wouldn't be so tired now
Other words and phrases that introduce conditionals Providing (that)/provided (that)/ as/so long as/ on condition (that) are similar to onlyif.They are all emphatic forms emphasising a condition.
E.g. Providing that you have the money in your account, you can withdraw up to £100 a day. You can have a pet provided that you promise to look after it properly. We'll buy everything you produce, provided of course the price is right. We'll go up to the mountains this weekend as long as the weather's okay. Applications for membership are accepted on condition that applicants are over 18.
Suppose / Supposing/ Imagine/ what if can be used instead of if, particularly in speech. They are used at the beginning of the sentence setting up the condition.
E.g. Suppose it rains tomorrow. What will we do? Suppose the price of oil tripled tomorrow. What do you think would happen? Supposing you ran out of money, what would you do? Supposing you had met the president, what would you have said? Imagine you lost your job. Do you think you'd be able to find another? Imagine you had missed the flight, what would you have done? What if the iceberg tipped over (fell), could the fishing boats have escaped? If so/ not E.g. Are you concerned about the environment? If so, you might be interested in joining Greenpeace. Do you have the potential to be a concert pianist? If not, give yourself a break and do something else. (= If you don't have the potential) Otherwise (= if...not) E.g. You should have your air conditioner serviced, otherwise you'll waste a lot of energy. Unless/ except when (= if...not) E.g.Unless governments act now, the environment is really going to suffer. I won't give a waiter a tip except when/ unless I get excellent service. In the event of (= if something happens)
E.g. In the event of the alarm sounding, visitors should leave the zoo by the nearest exit
In case of + noun E.g. In case of fire, leave the building by the nearest emergency exit. In case (= as a precaution) E.g. Take a coat with you in case the weather gets worse. Even if introduces an extreme condition (= whether or not). E.g. Well, it's true, even if you refuse to believe me.
Even though (= despite the fact that)
E.g. I like her, even though she can be annoying at times. Given that is used when some fact is already known (= Since/Because). E.g. Given that this area is liable to flood, it would be unwise in the extreme to consider buying a house here. Whether...or not E.g.Whether you agree with Paul McKenna or not, you'll enjoy reading his book. Assuming that (= in the possible situation that) E.g. Assuming that the company paid for you, would you take the course? If + -ing E.g. If talking helps, you can call a friend. If + past participle E.g.If taken too seriously, self-help books can be depressing. If in doubt (= if you are in doubt/ if you are not sure) E.g. If in doubt, consult a specialist.
If necessary (if you need to) E.g. If necessary, you can take a pill to help you calm down.
It would be a pity if E.g.It would be a pity if you couldn't express your emotions.
2. Speaking
1. Talk about the pictures using conditionals.
2. What happened if you did something wrong when you were a kid?
3. What do you do if you don't feel comfortable with a topic that is being discussed or with inquisitive questions targeted at you?
4. What will you do if you should happen to pass all your exams at the end of this academic year?
5. Should you happen to meet an old flame at a party, what may you do ?
6. Should you oversleep the next time you have something important to do first thing in the morning, what might you do ?
7. What will you do if you happen to be caught in a traffic jam and not be able to come to class?
8. What may happen unless governments act now?
9. In the event of another economic downturn, what should be done differently?
10. What would happen if scientists were to develop a vaccine for cancer?
11. If all students were to go to university, what could happen?
12. Were you to find out your friend's partner is cheating on him/her, what would you do?
13. Were you to get an awful Christmas present from your mother-in-law, would you tell her how you felt about it?
14. Were you to be called names in front of a large number of people, what might you do?
15. Think of an important person in your life. Were it not for this person, what couldn't you have done?
16. What would you have done if you hadn’t come here today?
17. Had you not decided to learn English, how might your life be different?
18. Had it not been for a lack of time, what could you have done this week?
19. Suppose you had been born a member of the opposite sex, in what ways would your life be different now?
20. What if you had always followed your parents’ advice, might you have been more successful?
21. Imagine you had won the lottery recently, what changes would have taken place in your life?
22. Assuming that you had found 500 Euros on your way here today, what would you have done?
23. If you had been given a return ticket to travel back in time, what historical period would you have chosen? Why?
3. A Story
POGO & THE MYSTERY OBJECT
Part one: Pogo
Pogo is an interesting character I would use three adjectives to describe him:
The first adjective:
You might use this word to describe a child that asks a lot questions Someone who wants to know things
(The answer =
curious)
The second adjective means that you don’t want to do anything that requires an effort
You love lying on the sofa doing nothing
You hate work
(The answer =
lazy)
The third adjective means that you like eating – too much!
It can also be about money No matter how much money you have, you want more
(The answer =
greedy)
Pogo doesn’t care about money But he loves eating and he loves sleeping And he’s a curious creature
Pogo is also a creature of ....
habit Every day at the same time, he likes to take
an afternoon siesta in the sun
And that’s exactly what he is doing today when suddenly …
THUD!
That was the sound of the mystery object
Part two: A parachute jump
Have you ever jumped out of a plane?
I mean, have you ever done a parachute jump?
If not, would you do it if you had the opportunity? *Would you do a parachute jump if it meant a week off school to prepare?
*Would you do it for a million euros?
*Would you do it if you were on a plane that was going down (about to crash) and it was the only way to survive?
Imagine this: You are going to do a parachute jump You are already on the plane You are at an altitude of about 1,000 metres And the door of the plane is already open Can you hear the sound of the wind scraping across the door?
scrape: /skreɪp/ (=make sound) chirriar; (=rub) to scrape (against) pasar rozando to scrape past pasar rozando we just managed to scrape through the gap nos costó pasar por la abertura sin tocar las paredes
How would you feel? If I....
If I were about to do a parachute jump, I would feel...
What would you be thinking? If I .....
If I were on the point of doing a parachute jump, I would be thinking that/about/of....
As you prepare to jump, in your hand, you are holding an object It can be anything you like: Something personal; something practical Anything you like, as long as it can fit in your hand.
Show me one hand
Now search your bag and get an object that can fit in your hand
Raise your objects so that we can see them
Can you tell us why you have chosen this object. Show, tell and explain.
Now, some bad news:....
The plane hits a little bit of turbulence As a result, ....
you drop your object It escapes out the door of the plane
And it starts to fall towards this planet that ....
we call Earth
How would you feel about that? Disappointed? You would have lost your object forever Worried? It might land on someone’s head.
If I were to drop my object, I would feel...
Part three: Back to Pogo
Don’t worry Your object didn’t land on anyone’s head You know exactly where it has landed:
Any predictions?
Right beside Pogo This curious creature Who was taking ...
(remember he is lazy)
an afternoon siesta in the sun
Pogo wakes up And what do you think he does?
(remember he is curious) He comes to investigate What could this mystery object be? He sniffs it And then he tries to
(remember he is greedy) eat it What a greedy pig!
And the interesting thing: This is a true story And the question is: What was the mystery object?
It could have been an apple but it wasn’t
If it had been an apple, we would know nothing about this story
And this is a true story
It could have been a tennis ball but it wasn’t
If it had been a tennis ball, we would know nothing about this story
And this is a true story
It could have been a hamster but it wasn’t
If it had been a hamster, we would know nothing about this story
And this is a true story
So what was it?
I. C. H. B. A. __________ B. I. W. I. I. H. B. A. __________, W. W. K. N. A. T. S. And this is a true story!
A
friend of yours from California is working for an international tour operator which is interested in starting working with Spanish customers. Your friend's boss has
asked him to write a report about
the travel interests of Spanish people. While doing his
research, he
came across these pictures of Spanish travellers on
Google.
He sends them to you so that you can shed some light on travelling interests in your country. Your friend also asks you some questions
about
this topic. You
decide to
send your friend a voice message with an explanation of 2 minutes.
1. Could you please comment on the pictures I have sent you?
2. Could you discuss the travel preferences of Spanish people?
3. Do people in your country or region travel more or less than in the
past? Why? Has the way Spanish people travel changed a lot over the last
20 years?
4. Do Spanish people enjoy travelling to see famous sights and museums? Are there many culture vultures in Spain? Do Spanish travellers look for sublime views of flawless landscapes in idyllic surroundings? Do they tend to visit bustling cities or unspoilt secluded beaches and covesin the back of beyond? Do many of them travel to unwind andto take their minds off work or study?
5. What problems do Spaniards have while travelling? How do they go about solving them?
6. What’s the opinion of Spanish travellers regarding low-cost airline companies? and as regards all inclusive package holidays?
7. Do Spanish people usually travel in the lap of luxury, or on a shoestring budget? Do they spend a fortunesplashing out hundreds of euros on holidays? Or do they relishroughing it?
8. When Spanish people are asked about their best life memories. Do they normally talk about their trips? What makes these trips such truly memorable experiences?
9. Is there anything that people do that really irritates Spaniards when they travel? What gets on their nerves? Do they have a beef about anything in particular? Is there anything that personally gets your goat?
10. What ‘real wonders of the world’ would you recommend to Spanish people?
11. Do Spanish travellers become rather weary easily? 12. Are there many seasoned travellers in the area where you live? 13. What do Spaniards prefer, short-haul or long-haul destinations? 14. Are there many intrepid travellers in Spain? Do people enjoy visitingfar-flung locations and wanderingoff the beaten track? Do many people travel single-handedly?
15. Are Spanish people discerning travellers? Do they look for bargains that are really good value for money?
Useful language to describe a chart: This chart illustrates how... This chartcompares... The results that are shown in the chart are... As can be seen from these results, ... According tothis chart, From the data in the above chart, it is apparent that ... We can see on this chart how... The chart indicates that... The chart represents... The information given in the chart... The percentage of people who... is shown on the chart. The chart shows quite clearly the impact of...
