INGLÉS 1 – ACELERADO

Trabajo Práctico Nº 1

1er. CUATRIMESTRE 2023

Dra. María Rosa Mucci

 UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE QUILMES
INGLÉS LECTOCOMPRENSIÓN
CUATRIMESTRAL 2023

TRABAJO PRÁCTICO Nº1

CONTENIDOS

● Content anticipation.
● Source, text type, purpose and audience.
● General and specific hipotheses.
● Definition of concepts.
● Key words.
● Academic vocabulary.
● Transparencies and false cogntes.
● Verbal functions.

ACTIVITIES

PART 1: Text types, transparencies and key words

1. Look at the texts below and determine the source (where this text
comes from) and the purpose (what is the intention of the writer?).
In order to determine the purpose you need to know about text types:
Text Types1:

1. Descriptive texts basically deal with factual phenomena, e.g. objects and

people. Therefore, you find many verbs of 'non-change' (e.g. to be, to stand,
lie, sit etc.) and adverbs of place. Technical description tends to be neutral,
exact and impersonal, while impressionistic description also gives
expressions to the writer's feelings or moods.

2. Narrative texts types deal mainly with changes in time, i.e. with actions
and events. Typical text type markers are verbs that denote 'change' as well
as expressions of time (time-sequence signals)); but adverbs of place are
not excluded. Narration is to be found in short stories, novels, biographies,
anecdotes, diaries, news, stories and reports.
1 http://englischlehrer.de/texts/texttypes.php Retrieved June, 2015.
 3. Expository texts tend to be explanatory: they explain objects and ideas
in their interrelations. Typical verbs for the identification and explanation of
objects and ideas are: to refer to, be defined, be called, consists of, contain
etc. If a relation to previously mentioned facts and ideas is to be established,
words like namely, incidentally, for example, in other words, etc. are used. A
similarity to preceding phenomena can be expressed by similarly, also, too;
additional information can be indicated by words like in addition, above all,
on top of it all, etc. Typical of this text type are the expository essay, the
definition, the summary and the interpretative piece.

4. Argumentative texts deal with problems and controversial ideas.

Reasons for or against some topic are put forward. The ultimate aim is
always to win the reader/audience round to the author's side. There is a
dominantly dialectical text structure, and words like but, by contrast,
however, yet, still, in any case, so, etc. are linguistic signals of a contrastive
text structure. But the basis of any argumentative text form has to be
provided by expository passages, by the explanation of facts, concepts,
developments or processes. While COMMENT tends to be subjective in
character, scientific argument seeks to be objective.

5. In instructive texts the writer tells the reader/audience what to do. The

instructive text type is based on the action-demanding sentence.
Commercial and political propaganda, directions, regulations, rules etc. are
typical examples because they aim at influencing behaviour.

2. Determine (if possible) which texts you can connect with careers at
this university. How do you call these careers in English?
Text 1:

Computer Vision: Algorithms and Applications explores the

variety of techniques used to analyze and interpret images.
It also describes challenging real-world applications where
vision is being successfully used, both in specialized
applications such as image search and autonomous
navigation, as well as for fun, consumer-level tasks that
students can apply to their own personal photos and videos.

More than just a source of “recipes,” this exceptionally

authoritative and comprehensive textbook/reference takes a
scientific approach to the formulation of computer vision
problems. These problems are then analyzed using the
latest classical and deep learning models and solved using
rigorous engineering principles.

Text 2:

Gerald Gutek’s Philosophical, Ideological, and

Theoretical Perspectives on Education uses a
systems approach to help readers examine the
major schools of philosophy of education;
consider the relationship of education to major
ideologies including Nationalism, Liberalism,
Conservatism, and Marxism; and analyze the
impact of philosophy and ideology on
educational theory and practice through the
theories of Essentialism, Perennialism, Social
Reconstruction, and Critical Theory. The
concepts are made clear through the book’s
helpful chapter organization, which includes
definitions of terms; historical contributors and
antecedents; a general discussion of the
particular philosophy, ideology, or theory; and
relationship and application to education,
especially to schools, curriculum, instruction,
and to teachers and students.
Text 3:
Innovations in music technology bring with them a new set
of challenges for describing and understanding the
electroacoustic repertoire. This edited collection presents
a state-of-the-art overview of analysis methods for
electroacoustic music in this rapidly developing field. The
first part of the book explains the needs of differing
electroacoustic genres and puts forward a template for the
analysis of electroacoustic music. Part II discusses the
latest ideas in the field and the challenges associated with
new technologies, while Part III explores how analyses
have harnessed the new forces of multimedia, and
includes an introduction to new software programme
EAnalysis, which was created by the editors as the result
of an Arts and Humanities Research Council grant. The
final part of the book demonstrates these new methods in
action, with analyses of key electroacoustic works from a
wide range of genres and sources.

Text 4:

International Trade: Theory and

Policy provides engaging, balanced
coverage of the key concepts and
practical applications of the discipline. An
intuitive introduction to trade theory is
followed by detailed coverage of policy
applications. With this new 11th Edition,
the author team of Nobel Prize-winning
economist Paul Krugman, renowned
researcher Maurice Obstfeld, and Marc
Melitz of Harvard University continues to
set the standard for International
Economics texts. 
Also available with MyLab Economics

MyLab Economics is an online homework, tutorial, and

assessment program designed to work with this text to
engage students and improve results. Within its
structured environment, students practice what they learn, test their understanding, and pursue
a personalized study plan that helps them better absorb course material and understand
difficult concepts.
 3- Check these questions based on the book descriptions and identify only one
key word in each of the questions. Connect these words to the texts and
there you will find the answers. Provide short answers in Spanish.
a- What´s the name of the new software programme?
b- What theories help to analyze educational practice?
c- What does the editing collection of this book present?
d- Where can I read about central ideologies?
e- Which book is divided into different parts?
f- What does the organization of the book include?
g- Which book helps to analyze images?
h- Why is Paul Krugman famous?
i- What approach does the book about computing take?
j- In what way does MyLab Economics help students?

READING STRATEGIES

There are two basic strategies that we use when we are reading in a
foreign language: transparent words and knowledge of the world.
In the first case we have to be careful when we come across a false
cognate. The second strategy is closely related to the previous
knowledge that we bring to the text.

For example:

According to Marx, there was one social element that would determine
where one fit in the social class hierarchy: that of who controls the means of
production, meaning who owned the resources necessary to produce what
people needed to survive.

In this text we can identify some transparencies, for example:

social element
determine
social class
controls
production - produce

But we can also use our knowledge of the world if we know the topic the text
is referring to, for example what we know about Karl Marx.

When we read we need to identify which word /s are central to understand

the idea the writer is conveying. We shall call these words key words. They
can be a word or a phrase but we never consider verbs within this category.

3- Find only one key word or phrase in each of the

paragraphs below:
Text 1:
Food engineers, also known as agricultural and food scientists, combine
engineering concepts with microbiology, chemistry and other sciences to create
the best ways to make processed foods tasty, healthy and safe. They're
responsible for every step of food production, from production to distribution. It's
also their job to figure out the safest and most environmentally friendly ways of
processing, packaging, preserving and storing foods for distribution.

Text 2:
It is considerably important to define the term hospitality as the relationship
between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some
amount of goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or
strangers. The industry covers several different services, it can generally be
defined through five different sectors. These sectors include food and beverages,
lodging, recreation, travel and tourism, and meetings and events.

PART 2: Content anticipation, topic and subtopics

1- Read the headlines and anticipate the content. What information do these
articles have? You can invent since you are not going to read the articles so think
what the articles may be about.

a- Daughter of Putin ally Alexander Dugin killed by car bomb in

Moscow
b- Five of the best sustainable holidays across Europe
c- FIFA Seeks Last-Minute Change to World Cup Schedule

2- Scan the text below Social Media and Higher Education: A

Literature Review and complete the chart:

TITLE

SOURCE

AUDIENCE

PURPOSE

Social Media and Higher Education: A Literature

Review
The popularity of social media sites has been steadily increasing over the last few
years, and over 70 % of online adults are now using a social networking site of
some kind. Many users of social networking sites have more than one account,
and check these accounts several times daily [Duggan, M., Smith, A., 2013]. But
even as social media has been widely adopted by many users, its use for higher
education has also been questioned by educators. Although faculty in higher
education often utilizes social networking sites in a professional context, many are
reluctant to use social networking sites for teaching and learning. Moreover, even
though computing faculty members may have more experience with the
technology, their adoption of social media for teaching purpose has been at a lower
rate comparing to faculty in other fields such as Humanities and Arts, Professions
and Applied Sciences, and Social Sciences [Seaman, J., Tinti-Kane, H, 2013].
Web 2.0 (often referred to as the “social web”), with its many benefits such as
social networking and user-generated content, has drawn much attention for
teaching and learning [Brown, S, 2012]. Learning paradigms have shifted over the
last decades from a traditional classroom setting to include online learning, e-
learning, collaborative learning, and many hybrid forms. This shift indicates a move
from instructor-led and instructor-centered learning environments to learner-
centered environments, which focus on knowledge creation and building rather
than knowledge transmission [Brownson, S., 2014]. At first glance, Web 2.0
applications such as social networks, wikis, blogging, and micro blogging seem to
be well suited for learner-centered environments, but a closer look reveals that the
adoption of Web 2.0 technologies and applications in higher education learning is
lagging behind the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies overall. Although roughly
90 % of young adults (18-29 years old) use some social network site, many faculty
members also see limitations and potential problems with the use of online and
interactive technologies in higher education [Seaman, J., Tinti-Kane, H, 2013]. In a
survey, 56 % of faculty members stated that they see online and mobile
technologies as more distracting than helpful to students for academic work.

Several studies have investigated the use of social media in higher education,
many concentrating on the use of Facebook in their courses. Facebook still
dominates the social media landscape, and is popular across a diverse mix of
demographic profiles, but other sites have gained popularity and many users now
participate in multiple networks [Seaman, J., Tinti-Kane, H, 2013]. However, the
popularity of Facebook has prompted many educators to integrate some elements
into their learning environments.

Some studies point out that it is an obligation to prepare students for what they will
encounter once they graduate from college and enter the workplace [Alexander, B.,
2006]. Other studies examine the connection between social networking and
informal and formal learning. Learning in a constructivist environment focuses on
the individual learner and the situational context in which learning occurs, and the
variety of options and tools that are available through social networking could
support this type of situational learning. Students with different backgrounds,
learning styles, and preferences can choose which tools they prefer for their
individual learning process [Rodriguez, J., 2011]. In addition, these technologies
may create a higher level of student engagement that will build and support a
community of scholars [Maleko M. et. al., 2013].

The majority of studies are experimental studies investigating specific social

networking tools (e.g. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter) in specific settings (Business
education, communication, medical school), and several studies focusing on
pedagogy, learning outcomes, or teaching styles are emerging [Li, X., Ganeshan,
K., Xu, G., 2012]. There is little discussion to date about some practical concerns
for educators when integrating this technology into the higher education learning
process. The fast pace in which technology changes, privacy and security
concerns, intellectual property, accessibility for students with disabilities, or the
increased workload for instructors have not received much attention [Rodriguez, J.,
2011]. Many educators are concerned about the short lifespan of certain
applications. MySpace, for example, once the top site for young adults, is
practically non-existent in the list of social networks used by this age group
[Duggan, M., Smith, A., 2013]. Moreover, it recently resorted to mass-mailing its
former users to convince them to reactivate their still existing accounts
[Washington Post, 2014]. Many young adults also have moved on from Facebook
to other social networking sites, are participating in several sites, and check only
their preferred site frequently [Duggan, M., Smith, A., 2013]

3- Read the first and last paragraph of the text and write a general hypothesis
(always consider the title and your anticipations). A general hypothesis is an idea
of what the text is about. Use your own words to demonstrate that you understand
the content.
4- Read the complete text. Identify key words (no more than ten words) in the
text. Do not repeat words or synonyms. Include the words that you consider
relevant.

5- From your list, choose the word that you consider that summarizes the
content of the text. This is the TOPIC.

6- Now look at the rest of the words and try to relate them so as to minimize
your list. These are the SUBTOPICS.

PART 3: Academic vocabulary, secondary ideas, main idea.

These words are usually recurrent in academic texts. Identify them in the texts that
we are working with. In our next Meet that we are going to have, we will discuss
the meaning of these words.

ISSUE RESOURCE FIELDWORK

FRAMEWORK PERSPECTIVE SKILL
KNOWLEDGE APPROACH SETTING
CONTEXT ARENA FIELD
ENVIRONMENT
LANDSCAPE
AIM GOAL OBJECTIVE PURPOSE
 SCOPE CHALLENGE RESEARCH
UNDERPINNING PHENOMENON/A HYPOTHESIS/ES
FINDINGS ENVIRONMENT TOPIC
SOURCE UNDERSTANDING VIEWPOINT
THEORY DEVELOPMENT FACTOR
ASSIGNMENT ABSTRACT FOOTNOTE QUOTATION
IMPLICATIONS GAP PROCEDURE SURVEY

When we read a text we use different strategies: transparencies, knowledge of the

world or the identification of specific vocabulary: academic and technical. The
difference lies in the purpose of these types of vocabulary. The academic one is
common to any field of studies but the technical vocabulary is particular of each
discipline.

1- Secondary ideas: Considering the subtopics that you have chosen last
class write secondary ideas. Remember that in the first part of the TP, you have
listed the subtopics; now, use them to explain what ideas they refer to. To develop
an idea is to enlarge and explain the use of the subtopic in a particular text. You
will find the explanation and the example in the campus.

2- Main idea: The main idea is the central idea of the text. It includes the
general hypothesis and the secondary ideas. It represents the unity of the text in
your own words. This is the last task you have to do. Once you have analyzed the
complete text you can explain what it is about.
PART 4: microstructure of the academic text
In this part of the assignment we are going to revise strategies that are considered
local for the comprehension of the text: definitions, paraphrasing, meaning from
context and verbal functions.

1- Definitions: In order to define a concept it is important to know that you

should never include the word you are defining into your definition. I have chosen a
concept from the text that you have already discussed in the first part of the
assignment and that you will find at the end of this one. You have to write your
definition, but it is not the definition that you can find in a dictionary. You have to
write a definition that connects the meaning of the concept to the context of the text
that you are reading. Once you have defined “landscape” in the context of the text,
choose one more concept that you consider central and write a definition using
your own words and relating the word to the content of the text.

Concept Definition

environment

2- Paraphrasing: you paraphrase when you explain an idea in a simple way

using your own words
Paraphrase this excerpt from the text. What does the writer mean?

…a closer look reveals that the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies

and applications in higher education learning is lagging behind the
 adoption of Web 2.0 technologies overall

3- Contextual meaning: Guess the meaning of the word landscape from

context. Do not go to the dictionary to look up the meaning. Work it out considering
the context. Give two different meanings to this word. Do not look the meaning up
in the dictionary. Just try to possible translations for this word.

4- Verbal functions: Identify the use of these tenses. Remember that “verbal
functions” refers to the use of the different tenses not to the name of the tense. You
should answer this question in each case: Why did the writer choose to use this
tense and not any other? What was the intention?

a- Only two years later the amount of YouTube users who were American
had dwindled down to 30%, which demonstrates the global popularity of
the site.
b- This indicates the current trend will continue to be this way in the near
future.
c- These two statistics have generally been views and subscribers.