ENGLISH

6TH YEAR - 2023

TEACHER: PAOLA LUCERO

PROJECT 1

ECOTOURISM
Ecotourism
1. Look at the pictures your teacher shows you. And discuss:
a. What places are shown?
b. What can people do there?
c. What type of tourism is shown?
d. What impact does tourism have in the environment?
2. Look at the following picture:
a. Would you like to stay at hotels like these?
b. What could you do there?
c. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of hotels?
d. What are the advantages and disadvantages of conventional tourist resorts?

3. Ecotourism means different things to different people. In small groups, discuss these questions:
a. What do you understand by ecotourism?
b. What are the advantages of ecotourism for tourists?
c. And for the local people?
4. Watch the video and write the definition of ecotourism in the box.

5. There are many definitions for ecotourism. In her book “Ecotourism and Sustainable Development”, Marta
Honey lists seven defining points. Read the sentences and match them to the seven points. Ecotourism…
a. Involves travel to natural destinations
b. Minimizes impact
c. Builds environmental awareness
d. Provides direct financial benefits for conservation
e. Provides financial benefits and empowerment for local people
f. Respects local culture
g. Supports human rights and democratic movements
1) Conservation areas can only survive if the locals receive some benefits from their existence
2) Destinations are often remote areas, frequently national parks or nature reserves.
3) Education of both tourists and locals should be a major concern.

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 4) The cost of environmental protection can be offset by this form of tourism.
5) Tourists should not intrude on or exploit th local community. They should respect dress codes
and other social norms.
6) The use of local resources and control of the number of tourists help reduce the effect on the
environment.
7) Tourists should respect, learn about and benefit both the local environment and the local
community. They should be sensitive to the political environment and social climate.

6. Discuss:
a. How can each of the seven point be achieved?
b. Do you know of any ecotourism resorts in Argentina? What do they do to deserve this description?

7. Watch this video and jot down the benefits of ecotourism.

8. Now make a list of the problems or contradictions in implementing ecotourism.

9. Listen to a man talking about an ecotourism project and answer the questions.

a. Is he in favour or against the project?

b. Does he mention any problems from your list? Which problems does he mention?
c. What does he say about ecology and tourism?
d. Look at the definition of “to whitewash” in a dictionary. What do you think greenwashing means?
Explain it using your own words. The picture may help.

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Video time!
BEFORE YOU WATCH:

1. Match these words to the pictures: WALLABIES – LODGE – PRISTINE – BLEND IN – FOOTPRINTS –
LUXURIOUS

2. Use the previous words to complete these sentences.

a. The child left her small __________________ in the snow.
b. He was drinking __________________ water.
c. The fish settles on the sandy ocean bottom where it __________________ perfectly.
d. There is gas, food and water in our cozy __________________.
e. Australia is full of cute animals – wombats, bandicoots, potoroos and __________________ just to
name a few.
f. We spent a __________________ weekend at a five – star hotel.

TASK 1: Tick the principles of ecotourism that are present in the video: “Western Australia enjoys ecotourism”.
http://youtu.be/4SSyZcdAW7E

a. Involves travel to natural destinations

b. Minimizes impact
c. Builds environmental awareness
d. Provides direct financial benefits for conservation
e. Provides financial benefits and empowerment for local people
f. Respects local culture
g. Supports human rights and democratic movements

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TASK 2: Watch the video: and fill in the blanks with words from the box below.

One of the hardest things to _____________ (1) in tourism is the marriage between responsible, sustainable
tourism and high luxury.

I have come here to an ________________ (2) in Western Australia to see how a different kind of luxury is being
________________ (3).

We would like to prove to the world that we can offer and run a five star luxury ________________ (4) style
operation on a sustainable basis without destroying the earth.

As part of the theme we are trying to show that we can sort of _________________ (5).

The view from the luxury tents is of the breathtaking Indian Ocean. Guests make trips on kayaks or if they fancy
heading a bit further up there is a chance to see dolphins, whales or even swim with wild sharks. And there is
more typical wildlife behind the retreat at Cape Range National Park where wallabies can be watched.

This is one of many sustainable and eco-friendly tourist ____________________ (6) to all corners of Western
Australia. These retreats are a great way to enjoy peace on the 10,000 miles of__________________ (7)
coastline.

People who are looking for these destinations are trying to support the environment and the planet. That’s the
reason why people are looking for this style of holidays.

Eco-retreats offer people gentle pleasures far away from stress of modern life. In fact the only deadline you got to
hear to are the sunsets, sunrise and the high and the low tide. You also get the satisfaction of knowing that the
only footprint you _____________________ (8) is the sand.

blend in with nature lodge eco-retreat achieved leave behind

pull off pristine destinations

TASK 2:

Watch at least two more videos on eco-tourism.

http://youtu.be/c1VkNxZGCoQhttp://youtu.be/c1VkNxZGCoQ : Greenbox Eco Eye Video. Ecotourism in Ireland.

http://youtu.be/_zR2zWvfMNMhttp://youtu.be/_zR2zWvfMNM : Costa Rica Ecotourism - Rain Forest, Wildlife, Volcanos

http://youtu.be/OvDSTtp0ij4http://youtu.be/OvDSTtp0ij4 : Eco-tourism in Thailand | Global Ideas

Write down the passages that seem to illustrate best the idea of ecotourism, the activities, and the
reasons why people are drawn to ecotourism.

Reading time 2
Introduction You can listen to a recording of this article at: http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-
articles/ecotourism

• Before you read

Activity 1 At the top are 14 words from the article. Below are definitions of these words. Can you match the words to their
definitions?
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 Basic benefit fair price flexible footprints handicrafts natural resources nature reserve restaurant chain
souvenirs sustainable warden water sprinklers wildlife

1. [....................] are devices used to direct water in order to water plants, grass, etc.
2. A [....................] is a group of establishments which belong to a single company, have the same
appearance and sell similar food.
3. [....................] are skilled activities in which things are made in a traditional way with the hands rather than
being produced by machines in a factory, or the objects made by such activities.
4. [....................] is used to refer to a way of using natural products so that no damage is caused to the
environment.
5. [....................] means animals and plants that grow independently of people, usually in natural conditions.
6. To [....................] means to receive or give a helpful or good effect.
7. A [....................] is an area of land which is protected in order to keep safe the animals and plants that live
there, often because they are rare.
8. A [....................] is a person whose job is to take care of a wildlife park and make certain that members of
the public obey particular rules.
9. [....................] are materials such as coal and wood which exist or are produced in nature and can be used
by people.
10. [....................] means providing the base or starting point from which something can develop; it also means
simple or without complication.
11. [....................] are the marks made by a person's or animal's feet.
12. [....................] are things you buy, give or receive to help you remember a visit or an event.
13. [....................] means able to change or be changed easily according to the situation.
14. [....................] is one which is reasonable and is what you expect or deserve.

• Read the article

Ecotourism by Linda Baxter

Imagine the scene. You're sitting in the hot sunshine beside the swimming pool of your international luxury hotel, drinking
your imported gin and tonic. In front of you is the beach, reserved for hotel guests with motor boats for hire. Behind you is
an 18-hole golf course, which was cleared from the native forest and is kept green by hundreds of water sprinklers. Around
the hotel are familiar international restaurant chains and the same shops that you have at home. You've seen some local
people - some of them sell local handicrafts outside the hotel. You bought a small wooden statue and after arguing for half
an hour you only paid a quarter of what the man was asking. Really cheap!

Is this your idea of heaven or would you prefer something different?

Nowadays, many of us try to live in a way that will damage the environment as little as possible. We recycle our
newspapers and bottles, we take public transport to get to work, we try to buy locally produced fruit and vegetables and
we stopped using aerosol sprays years ago. And we want to take these attitudes on holiday with us. This is why alternative
forms of tourism are becoming more popular all over the world.

But what is ecotourism?

There are lots of names for these new forms of tourism: responsible tourism, alternative tourism, sustainable tourism,
nature tourism, adventure tourism, educational tourism and more. Ecotourism probably involves a little of all of them.
Everyone has a different definition but most people agree that ecotourism must:
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1 conserve the wildlife and culture of the area.

2 benefit the local people and involve the local community

3 be sustainable, that is make a profit without destroying natural resources

4 provide an experience that tourists want to pay for.

So for example, in a true ecotourism project, a nature reserve allows a small number of tourists to visit its rare animals and
uses the money that is generated to continue with important conservation work. The local people have jobs in the nature
reserve as guides and wardens, but also have a voice in how the project develops. Tourists stay in local houses with local
people, not in specially built hotels. So they experience the local culture and do not take precious energy and water away
from the local population. They travel on foot, by boat, bicycle or elephant so that there is no pollution. And they have a
special experience that they will remember all of their lives.

This type of tourism can only involve small numbers of people so it can be expensive. But you can apply the principles of
ecotourism wherever you go for your holiday. Just remember these basic rules.

• Be prepared. Learn about the place that you're going to visit. Find out about its culture and history. Learn a little of the
native language, at least basics like 'Please', 'Thank you', and 'Good Morning'. Think of your holiday as an opportunity to
learn something.

• Have respect for local culture. Wear clothes that will not offend people. Always ask permission before you take a
photograph. Remember that you are a visitor.

• Don't waste resources. If the area doesn't have much water, don't take two showers every day.

• Remember the phrase "Leave nothing behind you except footprints and take nothing away except photographs." Take as
much care of the places that you visit as you take of your own home. · Don't buy souvenirs made from endangered animals
or plants.

• Walk or use other non-polluting forms of transport whenever you can.

• Be flexible and keep a sense of humour when things go wrong.

Stay in local hotels and eat in local restaurants. Buy local products whenever possible and pay a fair price for what you buy.

Choose your holiday carefully. Don't be afraid to ask the holiday company about what they do that is 'eco'. Remember that
'eco' is very fashionable today and a lot of holidays that are advertised as ecotourism are not much better than traditional
tourism.

But before you get too enthusiastic, think about how you are going to get to your dream 'eco' paradise. Flying is one of the
biggest man-made sources of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Friends of the Earth say that one return flight from London
to Miami puts as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as the average British car driver produces in a year. So don't
forget that you don't have to fly to exotic locations for your 'eco' holiday. There are probably places of natural beauty and
interest in your own country that you've never visited.

• After reading

Activity 2 Dirty Dan is a bad tourist. Match what he said to his friends when he returned from holidays to the seven golden
rules of ecotourism that he broke.

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Global concerns and tourism
1. How do global concerns affect tourism?
2. What current affair is preventing people from travelling these days?
3. What do you know about Coronavirus?
4. What is it that you don’t know, but you would like to find out?
5. Scan the QR code. Watch the video and write down as many words related to the topic as you can.

Coronavirus is causing concern across the world with

countries restricting travel to China and the World Health
Organization (WHO) warning “the whole world needs to be on
alert”. Now WHO has declared a global health emergency, as
more than 2247 people have died, and there are around 76 769
cases of coronavirus worldwide (as of Friday, February 21,

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2020). Since the virus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, outbreaks have been confirmed in more
than 25 countries (including USA, Japan, Germany, UAE…etc.)
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such
as MERS and SARS. Coronavirus gets its name from the word ‘corona’ which means crown in Latin. Coronaviruses are
zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS was
transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS from dromedary camels to humans. Unfortunately, the symptoms of COVID-
19 are similar to normal flu symptoms – including fever, a cough and shortness of breath – making them difficult to spot. In
more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Currently, there is a focus on prevention and controlling the spread of this novel coronavirus, as there are no specific
treatment options available for this particular strain of the virus. However, various researchers and companies are using the
genetic code of virus to support the development of vaccines. Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include
regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close
contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
Adapted from: www.who.int
Comprehension
1) Give a suitable title for the passage. …………………………………………………………………………
2) Are these statements true or false? Justify
a. There’s only one type of coronavirus. ………………………………………………………………………
b. Only china is affected by coronavirus. ………………………….……………………………………………
c. Currently, there’s no vaccine for coronavirus. ………………………………………………………………

3) Answer these questions

a. What does the word “corona” mean?
b. What is the source of the coronavirus?
c. How can people protect themselves from coronavirus?
4) Complete the following sentences with information from the text.
a. Coronavirus has killed ………………………….…………………………………………………………
b. The coronavirus started in ……………………………………………………………………………….
c. WHO stands for ………………………….…….……………………………………………………………

Discussion / Speaking

▪ Did you like reading this article? Why/not?

▪ Give 3 things you’ve learnt from this text (information, words, ideas …)
▪ How worried are you about the coronavirus?
▪ What would you do if your city was in lockdown?
▪ “Prevention is better than cure”, what does this saying mean to you?

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PROJECT 2

GENDER ISSUES
 Well, Well, Well, Kate Hall
Before Reading

A. Answer the following questions

1. Where do you see yourself in two or three years?
2. What could go differently? What would you do if something unexpected happened?

B. Look up the meaning of the following words and write sentences using them in context
1. college
2. pregnant
3. crèche
4. grant

C. Read the title. What intonation would you use? Does it affect meaning?

D. Read following words and think what the story could be about
college/ abortion/ alone/ girl/ neighbors}

E. Read the first two lines of the story. What does IT refer to?
-Well, you obviously can´t keep it.
-what do you mean, CAN´T keep it? Who says I can’t?

F. Continue reading
- It´s obvious, you´ll have to have an abortion.
- I don’t want an abortion. I want to …
- You can´t. just think about it for a minute.
- I have thought about it, I’ve thought a lot about it a lot.
- But you’ve started college!
- I know I’ve started college, but there’s a crèche there.
- Oh I see, you’re going to go in pregnant and have the baby in between lectures.
- It’s due in the holidays and anyway I can take some time off, other people have done it before, you know.
- That doesn´t mean you have to, though, does it? And what about money?
- I’ll manage.
- What, on a grant, with a baby and no father?
- Yes, on agrant, with a baby and no father. That’s what really worrying you isn´t it? Bloody hell, in this day and age!
- Well, it would help if you would say who the father is, or don’t you know?
- Of course I know, but I don’t want him to.
- Why not for Christ’s sake, he ought to pay for it – you could get maintenance you know or he could pay for an
abortion.
- I don´t want him to pay for anything and I´m NOT having an abortion.
- He´s not married, is he?
- No, he’s not married.
-Then I don’t see…

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- I just don’t want anyone interfering, that’s all.
- Well, you needn’t worry on my account, I´m not having anything to do with it and don´t expect me to baby sit either.
- No one asked you to.
- Not yet, but just you wait. Honestly, I thought YOU were old enough to know better. It’s embarrassing.
- You’ll be saying “What will the neighbours say?” next.
- I don’t give a damn about the neighbours, but they will think things if there’s no father.
- There is a father!
- Oh, yes, an anonymous one.
- I KNOW who he is.
- Well at least tell me.
- No. look, I made a decision, I got pregnant on purpose. I want to have this baby, okay?

While/ Post- Reading

A. Describe the attitude of the speakers. Go back to the text and underline utterances that reinforce these
attitudes.
B. Write a list of words that describe each character. Do they have any characteristic in common? Who
do you identify with?
C. There is one more sentence in the story. Imagine what it is and who says it. Write it down on a slip of
paper and give it to your teacher.
D. Answer the following questions
1. How did you imagine the ending? Were your predictions right?
2. Were you surprised when you read the ending?
3. Do you agree with the girl’s attitude?
4. Did you like the ending? Why (not)?
5. Complete the summary

This is the story of two ____________. One is the ___________ and the other is the
______________. The _____________ is pregnant. She’s about to start ______________and the
___________ is due in the ___________.
The girl thinks that her ___________ should have an _____________. She wants to know who
the ______________ is and she doesn’t want to _______________ the baby is her mother decides to
______________ it.
The mother wants to ________ the ______________. She doesn’t ___________to tell the
father and she doesn’t want his ______________. She got ___________ on purpose.

6. Think about the story from a different perspective. What if it was the girl who got pregnant?
Would your opinion differ? Why (not)?
7. Language: Reporting requests. Imagine the next day, the mothes is talking to a friend. Look at
what she says, and write her daughter’s actual words.
a. She asked me to have an abortion.
b. She asked me to think about it.
c. She asked me to tell her the name of the baby’s father.

8. Pair work. Re- write the short story (you may change some parts) and practise the dialogue
with a classmate. Be ready to act it out in front of the rest!

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 Exposing Gender Stereotypes

We are going to examine what acting like a man and being ladylike means in our society. What are the gender
stereotypes, and how do these stereotypes affect our relationships with others?

1. How would you define “stereotype”?

2. What are some typical examples? E.g. men don’t cry, dumb blondes

3. What does it mean to act like a man? What words or expectations come to your mind? What about being
ladylike? Think about different contexts like dating, doing business, sports, etc. Complete the boxes:

Act like a man:

Be ladylike:

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 4. Read the boxes as a class. They are stereotypes. Their walls of conformity are as just as restrictive. Men and
women learn to conform to very specific role expectations as they grow up being male or female in our
society.
a. Where do we learn these gender roles?

b. What people teach us these stereotypes?

c. Where in society do we find these messages? Write your ideas to the left of each box.

d. What names or put-downs are boys and girls called if they step out of the box? Write your ideas to

the right of each box.

e. How do these labels and names reinforce stereotypes?

5. Now, let’s analyze some songs. How are stereotypes present or not present here? Quote and explain.
Rude (Magic) Marry that girl

Marry her anyway

Saturday morning jumped out of bed
Marry that girl
And put on my best suit
Yeah, no matter what you say
Got in my car and raced like a jet
Marry that girl
All the way to you
And we'll be a family
Knocked on your door with heart in my hand
Why you gotta be so
To ask you a question
Rude
'Cause I know that you're an old-fashioned man, yeah

I hate to do this, you leave no choice

Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life?
Can't live without her
Say yes, say yes 'cause I need to know
Love me or hate me we will be boys
You say I'll never get your blessing 'til the day I die
Standing at that altar
Tough luck, my friend, but the answer is 'No'
Or we will run away

To another galaxy, you know

Why you gotta be so rude?
You know she's in love with me
Don't you know I'm human too?
She will go anywhere I go
Why you gotta be so rude?

I'm gonna marry her anyway

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Dear future husband My one and only all my life
Dear future husband
If you wanna get that special lovin'
Dear future husband Tell me I'm beautiful each and every night
Here's a few things
You'll need to know if you wanna be
My one and only all my life After every fight
Just apologize
Take me on a date
And maybe then I'll let you try and rock my body right
I deserve a break
And don't forget the flowers every anniversary
'Cause if you'll treat me right Even if I was wrong
I'll be the perfect wife You know I'm never wrong
Buying groceries Why disagree?
Buy-buying what you need Why, why disagree?

You got that 9 to 5 Dear future husband

But, baby, so do I Make time for me
So don't be thinking I'll be home and baking apple pies Don't leave me lonely
I never learned to cook And know we'll never see your family more than mine
But I can write a hook
I'll be sleeping on the left side of the bed
Sing along with me
Open doors for me and you might get some kisses
Sing-sing along with me (Hey)
Don't have a dirty mind
You gotta know how to treat me like a lady Just be a classy guy
Even when I'm acting crazy Buy me a ring
Tell me everything's alright Buy-buy me a ring, babe

Dear future husband

Here's a few things you'll need to know if you want to
be

6. What are the bride’s requests? Underline. Write some sentences.

Eg: she asks him to tell her she is beautiful

7. Now that we’ve looked at the gender role stereotypes, what is it about them that leads to violence in
relationships?

8. Consider the following scenario: Biff and Emma go out on a date. After going dancing, they decide to go
parking. They start necking and Biff wants to go “all the way”. Emma doesn’t feel comfortable going any
further.
a. If these two teens believe in stereotypes, what’s going to happen?

b. What if they don’t?

c. What’s the worst thing that can happen?

d. Think of any other situation in which trying to live up to the stereotypes would be unhealthy.

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 9. Let´s review key concepts and ideas. What have you learned about gender stereotypes, how they affect us
and how believing in them can lead to violence? Using the app in www.wordart.com prepare a word cloud
with key concepts for a healthy relationship.
10. Roleplay
Scene 1

Cathy and Mark have been dating for a few weeks. They aren’t very skillfull at creating a fair and supportive
relationship because they both have bought into the stereotype boxes. He acts controlling. She acts passive,
always putting his wishes first. Mark decides that the two of them will go to see a movie Friday night. Cathy
has already made plans with her friends to go out for pizza.

Roleplay their conversation when they meet at school.

Scene 2

Let’s see Cathy and Mark try again, this time they will make an effort to go on a relationship that is healthy
and safe. They may need to compromise.

11. Consider the following: "The Way You Look Tonight"is a song that many famous singers have
performed, and “Sonnet 130” is a well-known work of art written by William Shakespeare. How do
they describe the object of their love? Phisically and personality. What can you say about beauty
standards here? Are stereotypes present?
THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT

Some day, when I'm awfully low, Touches my foolish heart.

When the world is cold,

I will feel a glow just thinking of you Yes you're lovely, never, ever change

And the way you look tonight. Keep that breathless charm.

Won't you please arrange it?

You're lovely, with your smile so warm 'Cause I love you

And your cheeks so soft, Just the way you look tonight.

There is nothing for me but to love you,

And the way you look tonight. With each word …..

With each word your tenderness grows, Yes you're lovely, ….

Tearing my fears apart Darling

And that laugh that wrinkles your nose, Just the way you look tonight.

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 SONNET 130

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;

Glossary:
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
Glow: lunimosity, light
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
Tearing apart: cut, break
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
Breathless: unable to breathe
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
Wrinkle: arrugar
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
Dun: brownish
And in some perfumes is there more delight Wires: filament, cord, cable

Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. Reek: exude, give off an odor

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know Goddess : female deity

That music hath a far more pleasing sound; Treads: walk heavily, march, trot

I grant I never saw a goddess go; Cheeks: face, side of the face.

Breath: inspiration, suspiration

My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
Hook: catchy part of a song
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
9 to 5: job
As any she belied with false compare.
Classy: elegant

REMEMBER

WE ALL HAVE A CHOICE. WE CAN UNKNOWINGLY BEHAVE LIKE THE STEREOTYPES IN THE
BOXES, WHICH CAN LEAD TO UNHAPPINESS, VIOLENCE AND LONELINESS. OR, WE CAN SHOW
THE COURAGE TO BE OURSELVES AND FIND PEOPLE WHO ACCEPT US FOR WHAT WE REALLY
ARE. THAT MAY SEEM HARDER TO DO, BUT, AS TODAY’S ROLE PLAY HAS SHOWN, IT CAN BE
DONE. AS WE’VE SEEN, IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN WE LISTEN TO, AND RESPECT, THE
OTHER PERSON’S NEEDS AND WANTS. THAT’S A KEY ELEMENT IN HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS.

Get involved!
What did women in your country marched for last March
8th? Write their requests here:

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Look at the picture and discuss:

1. How do you feel when looking at this

picture?
2. What do you see?
3. What happened to this woman?
4. How does she look like?
5. Who did it to her?
6. Why would someone hit her?
7. Was it a man or a woman?
8. Does the term "domestic violence" mean
anything to you?
9. Who is usually the beaten one? Why?
10. Do the women talk about it?
11. Do they confess being a victim of domestic
violence?
12. What do they usually say when people ask
them about their bruises?
13. Why don´t they go to the police?
14. Why do they sometimes change their opinion and don´t accuse their partner of
domestic violence?
15. What should such a woman do?
16. Who can help her?
17. What can happen to her partner?
18. Do you think he´ll go to prison? For how long?
19. What will happen when he leaves the prison?
20. How would YOU feel if you knew that your partner had been released from
prison?
21. Do you know any victims of domestic violence? Tell their story
22. What about the children? Are they the victims as well?
23. How do they react to it?
24. Do you think the child would "beat" their partner in the future or be 100% against
it?
25. What are the laws concerning domestic violence in your country?
26. How would you punish those who do it?

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 Reading time.

Domestic violence and abuse can happen to anyone, yet the problem is often overlooked,
excused, or denied. This is especially true when the abuse is psychological, rather than physical.
Noticing and acknowledging the signs of an abusive relationship are the first step to ending it.
No one should live in fear of the person they love. There is help available. Domestic violence and
abuse are used for one purpose and one purpose only: to gain and maintain total control over
you. An abuser doesn’t “play fair.” Abusers use fear, guilt, shame, and intimidation to wear you
down and keep you under his or her thumb. Your abuser may also threaten you, hurt you, or
hurt those around you. Domestic violence and abuse does not discriminate. It happens among
heterosexual couples and in same-sex partnerships. It occurs within all age ranges, ethnic
backgrounds, and economic levels. And while women are more commonly victimized, men are
also abused—especially verbally and emotionally, although sometimes even physically as well.
The bottom line is that abusive behavior is never acceptable, whether it’s coming from a man,
a woman, a teenager, or an older adult. You deserve to feel valued, respected, and safe.
Domestic abuse often escalates from threats and verbal abuse to violence. And while physical
injury may be the most obvious danger, the emotional and psychological consequences of
domestic abuse are also severe. Emotionally abusive relationships can destroy your self-worth,
lead to anxiety and depression, and make you feel helpless and alone. No one should have to
endure this kind of pain—and your first step to breaking free is recognizing that your situation
is abusive. Once you acknowledge the reality of the abusive situation, then you can get the help
you need.

Melinda Smith, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D.

Helpguide.org

Match the definition with the appropriate word.

a. Overlooked ____ To make a victim of.

b. Acknowledging ____ To increase in intensity
c. Shame ____ To fail to notice, perceive, or consider
d. Victimized ____ the sense of one's own value or worth as a person;
e. Bottom line ____ To admit to be real or true
f. Escalates ____ Painful feeling arising from the consciousness of
something dishonorable
g. Self-worth ____ The deciding or crucial factor

Answer the questions according to the article.

1. What is the first step to end the domestic violence?

_____________________________________________________________________
2. How are men mainly abused?
_____________________________________________________________________

37
3. Why is abusive behavior never acceptable?
_____________________________________________________________________
4. What are the consequences of domestic abuse?
_____________________________________________________________________
5. What does an abused person have to do first before getting help?

__________________________________________________________________________

Story time:
Three Is a Lucky Number Margery Allingham
At five o’clock on a September afternoon Ronald Torbay was making preparations for
his third murder. He was being very careful. He realized that murdering people becomes
more dangerous if you do it often.
He was in the bathroom of the house that he had recently rented. For a moment he
paused to look in the mirror. The face that looked back at him was thin, middle-aged and
pale. Dark hair, a high forehead and well-shaped blue eyes. Only the mouth was unusual
– narrow and quite straight. Even Ronald Torbay did not like his own mouth.

A sound in the kitchen below worried him. Was Edyth coming up to have her bath
before he had prepared it for her? No, it was all right: she was going out of the back door.
From the window he saw her disappearing round the side of the house into the small
square garden. It was exactly like all the other gardens in the long street. He didn’t like
her to be alone there. She was a shy person, but now new people had moved into the
house next door, and there was a danger of some silly woman making friends with her.
He didn’t want that just now.
♦
Each of his three marriages had followed the same pattern. Using a false name, he had
gone on holiday to a place where no one knew him. There he had found a middle-aged,
unattractive woman, with some money of her own and no family. He had talked her into
marrying him, and she had then agreed to make a will which left him all her money.
Both his other wives had been shy too. He was very careful to choose the right type of
woman: someone who would not make friends quickly in a new place.

Mary, the first of them, had had her deadly ‘accident’ almost unnoticed, in the
bathroom of the house he had rented – a house very like this one, but in the north of
England instead of the south. The police had not found anything wrong. The only person
who was interested was a young reporter on the local newspaper. He had written
something about death in the middle of happiness, and had printed photographs of
Mary’s wedding and her funeral, which took place only three weeks after the wedding.
Dorothy had given him a little more trouble. It was not true that she was completely
alone in the world, as she had told him. Her brother had appeared at the funeral, and
asked difficult questions about her money. There had been a court case, but Ronald had
won it, and the insurance company had paid him the money.

All that was four years ago. Now, with a new name, a newly invented background, and
a different area to work in, he felt quite safe.
From the moment he saw Edyth, sitting alone at a little table in the restaurant of a
seaside hotel, he knew she was his next ‘subject’. He could see from her face that she was
not happy. And he could also see that she was wearing a valuable ring.

38
 After dinner he spoke to her. She did not want to talk at first, but in the end he
managed to start a conversation. After that, everything went as he expected. His methods
were old-fashioned and romantic, and by the end of a week she was in love with him.

Her background was very suitable for Ronald’s purpose. After teaching at a girls’
school for ten years, she had gone home to look after her sick father and had stayed with
him until he died. Now, aged forty-three, she was alone, with a lot of money, and she
didn’t know what to do with herself.
Five weeks after they met, Ronald married her, in the town where they were both
strangers. The same afternoon they both made a will leaving all their property to each
other. Then they moved into the house which he had rented cheaply because the holiday
season was at an end. It was the most pleasant of his marriages. He found Edyth a
cheerful person, and even quite sensible – except that it was stupid of her to believe that a
man would fall in love with her at first sight. Ronald knew he must not make the mistake
of feeling sorry for her. He began to make plans for ‘her future’, as he called it.

Two things made him do this earlier than he intended. One was the way she refused to
talk about her money. She kept all her business papers locked in a desk drawer, and
refused to discuss them. His other worry was her unnecessary interest in his job. Ronald
had told Edyth that he was a partner in an engineering company, which was giving him a
long period of absence. Edyth accepted the story, but she asked a lot of questions and
wanted to visit his office and the factory.

So Ronald had decided that it was time to act.

He turned from the window; and began to run water into the bath. His heart was
beating loudly he noticed. He didn't like that. He needed to keep very calm.

The bathroom was the only room they had painted. He had done it himself soon after
they arrived. He had also put up the little shelf over the bath which held their bottles and
creams and a small electric heater. It was a cheap one, with two bars, and it was white,
like the walls, and not too noticeable. There was no electric point in the bathroom, but he
was able to connect the heater to a point just outside the door.

He turned on the heater now, and watched the bars become red and hot. Then he went
out of the room. The controls for all the electricity in the house were inside a cupboard at
the top of the stairs. Ronald opened the door carefully and pulled up the handle which
turned off the electricity. (He had a cloth over his hand, so that he would not leave
fingerprints.)Back in the bathroom the bars of the heater were turning black again. Still
using the cloth, he lifted the heater from the shelf and put it into the bath water, at the
bottom end of the bath. Of course, you could still see it. It looked as if it had fallen off the
shelf by accident.

Edyth was coming back from the garden: he could hear her moving something outside
the kitchen door. He pulled a small plastic bottle out of his pocket and began to read
again the directions on the back.
A small sound behind him made him turn suddenly. There was Edyth’s head, only two
metres away, appearing above the flat roof of the kitchen which was below the bathroom
window. She was clearing the dead leaves from the edge of the roof She must be standing
on the ladder which was kept outside the kitchen door.
He stayed calm. ‘What are you doing there, dear?’
Edyth was so surprised that she nearly fell off the ladder. ‘Oh, you frightened me! I
thought I’d just do this little job before I came to get ready.’
‘But I’m preparing your beauty bath for you.’
‘It’s kind of you to take all this trouble, Ronald.’

39
 ‘Not at all. I’m taking you out tonight and I want you to look as nice as – er – possible.
Hurry up, dear. The bubbles don’t last very long, and like all these beauty treatments,
this one’s expensive. Go and undress now, and come straight here.’
‘Very well, dear.’ She began to climb down the ladder.
Ronald opened the little bottle, and poured the liquid into the bath. He turned on the
water again, and in a moment the bath was full of bubbles, smelling strongly of roses.
They covered the little heater completely; they even covered the sides of the bath.
Edyth was at; the door. ‘Oh Ronald! It’s all over everything – even on the floor!’
That doesn’t matter. You get in quickly before it loses its strength. I’ll go and change
now. Get straight in and lie down. It will give your skin a bit of colour!’
He went out and paused, listening. She locked the door, as he expected. He walked
slowly to the electricity box, and forced himself to wait another minute.
‘How is it?’ he shouted.
‘I don’t know yet. I’ve only just got into the bath. It smells nice.’
His hand, covered with the cloth, was on the controls.
‘One, two . . . three,’ he said, and pulled the handle down. A small explosion from the
electric point behind him told him that the electricity had gone off. Then everything was
silent.
After a time he went and knocked on the bathroom door.
‘Edyth?’
There was no answer, no sound, nothing.
Now he had to prepare the second stage. As he knew well, this was the difficult bit. The
discovery of the body must be made, but not too soon. He had made that mistake with
Dorothy’s ‘accident’, and the police had asked him why he had got worried so soon. This
time he decided to wait half an hour before he began to knock loudly on the bathroom
door, then to shout for a neighbour and finally to force the lock.
There was something he wanted to do now. Edyth’s leather writing-case, which
contained all her private papers, was in the drawer where she kept her blouses. He had
discovered it some time ago, but he had not forced the lock open because that would
frighten her. Now there was nothing to stop him.
He went softly into the bedroom and opened the drawer. The case was there. The lock
was more difficult than he expected, but he finally managed to open the case. Inside
there were some financial documents, one or two thick envelopes and, on top of these,
her Post Office Savings book.
He opened it with shaking fingers, and began reading the figures – £17,000 . . . £18,600
th
. . . £21,940 . . . He turned over a page, and his heart jumped wildly. On 4 September
she had taken almost all the money out of her savings account!
Perhaps it was here, in these thick envelopes? He opened one of them; papers, letters,
documents fell on the floor. Suddenly he saw an envelope with his own name on it, in
Edyth’s writing. He pulled it open, and saw in surprise that the date on the letter was
only two days ago.

Dear Ronald,
If you ever read this, I am afraid it will be a terrible shock to you. I hoped it would not be
necessary to write it, but now your behaviour has forced me to face some very unpleasant
possibilities.
Did you not realize, Ronald, that any middle-aged woman who has been rushed into marriage to
a stranger will ask herself about her husband’s reason for marrying her?
At first I thought I was in love with you, but when you asked me to make my will on our wedding
day, I began to worry. And then, when you started making changes to the bathroom in this house, I
decided to act quickly. So I went to the police.
Have you noticed that the people who have moved into the house next door have never spoken to
you? Well, they are not a husband and wife, but a police inspector and a policewoman. The
policewoman showed me two pieces from old newspapers, both about women who had died from

40
 accidents in their baths soon after their marriages. Both pieces included a photograph of the husband
at the funeral. They were not very clear, but I was able to recognize you. So I realized that it was my
duty to agree to do what the Inspector asked me to do. (The police have been looking for the man
since the photographs were given to them by your second wife’s brother.) The Inspector said the
police needed to be sure that you were guilty: you must be given the opportunity to try the crime
again. That’s why I am forcing myself to be brave, and to play my part.
I want to tell you something, Ronald. If one day you lose me, out of the bathroom, I mean, you
will find that I have gone but over the kitchen roof, and am sitting in the kitchen next door. I was
stupid to marry you, but not quite as stupid as you thought,
Yours,
EDYTH.

Ronald’s mouth was uglier than ever when he finished reading the letter. The house
was still quiet. But in the silence he heard the back door open suddenly, and heavy
footsteps rushed up the stairs towards him.

Activities:

Before you read

1. Why is it important to be careful about the use of electricity in the bathroom?

2. Consider these words: bubble -- funeral -- inspector – will. Which word

describes:
a an event after someone's death?
b something you can find in a soapy bath?
c a police officer?
d a document that people write to prepare for their death?

3. Discuss: Talk about crime and punishment.

(a) Do you like murder stories where the killer is caught at the end? Or do you
prefer it when the criminal gets away with his or her crime?
(b) Talk about a crime story you have read, or a film you have seen, that you
particularly enjoyed, and say why you liked it.

As you read

4. Read paragraph 1and say what you think will happen in the story.
5. Read paragraph 2 and sketch Ronald’s ID card:

……………………………………..

……………………………………..

……………………………………..

……………………………………..

……………………………………..

41
 6. Answer these questions:
(a) What was Ronald's reason for marrying Mary, Dorothy and Edyth?
(b) Why does Ronald fill the bath with bubbles?
(c) What does he expect to happen when he turns on the electricity again?
(d) Why does it not happen?
(e) What makes Edyth go to the police?
(f) What do the police ask Edyth to do?
(g) How does she escape from the bathroom?
(h) Whose footsteps does Ronald hear at the end of the story?
(i) What do you think happens next?

After you read

7. Work in pairs. Act out: (choose one)

(a) the first conversation between Ronald and Edyth in the hotel.
(b) Edyth's conversation with a police officer after she escapes from the bathroom.
(c) The conversation between Ronald and his (2nd wife) brother in – law.

8. Which of these statements are true, which are false? Correct those that are false.
(a) Ronald is planning to murder his third wife in the same way as the other two.
(b) His first two wives were both rich, with no relations.
(c) His first wife died soon after the wedding.
(d) He murdered his second wife the year before.
(e) Edyth seemed to Ronald a suitable person to murder because she was a teacher.
(f) He married her in her home town.
(g) He waits for a time after the explosion because he doesn’t want to seem worried
too soon.
(h) In Edyth’s drawer he finds all her money in an envelope.

9. What does Ronald really mean when he says:

(a) An accident
(b) His next subject
(c) Her future

10. Why do you think the story is called ‘Three is a Lucky Number’? Who is lucky,
in this case?

11. Talk about the similarities and differences between Ronald’s three marriages.
How were Ronald’s three marriages similar? And how were they different?

12. Writing. Choose one of the following items and develop it in about 200 words.
(a) Write a summary of the story from Edyth’s point of view.
(b) Write a newspaper article for the local paper after Mary´s death (see paragraph
5)
(c) Write about Ronald after he does his time in prison. Describe his life after he is
released

42
 TED - IDEAS WORTH SPREADING
My flight from arranged marriage (Sabatina James)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS39daeNLo0

Questions about the video

1-) Who is the girl from the story she is telling in the beginning? What happened to her when
she was 17?
2-) Where is Sabatina James from?
3-) Where did she move to when she was 10 years old? Why does she say the experience was
fascinating and shocking?
4-) Why does she say her problems started when she was 15?
5-) What did her mother do when she found out she had a boyfriend?
6-) “In traditional Islamic families we’re not seen as daughters, but as a source of honor”. Who
does she blame for this and why?
7-) What did she do that was so embarrassing for her family? What do they do after?
8-) What did she do in 2004? What was her father’s reaction?
9-) What kind of work does she do now?
10-) What is her conclusion in the end?

Questions for discussion – Marriage

1. At what age do most people in your country get married?

2. Do you know anyone who has had an arranged marriage?
3. Do you think arranged marriages are a good idea? Why or why not?
4. Do you think arranged marriages are a good idea? Why or why not?

5. Do you think it is better to be single or to be married?

6. Do you think it is okay to marry someone of a different race?
7. Do you think it is okay to marry someone of a different religion?
8. Do you think love is necessary to have a good marriage?
9. Do you think marriages based on love are more successful than arranged
marriages?
10. How long do you think couples should know each other before they get married?
11. If your parents did not approve of a person you loved and wanted to marry,
would that be a difficult situation for you? Why/Why not?
12. What are some dating and marriage customs in your country?
13. What makes a good husband/wife?
14. What makes a happy marriage?

43
How to Create Your TED Talk:
An 8-Step Process
First, A Little Background on TED

The TED conference (which stands for technology, entertainment, design) began life in
1984 as a yearly and very expensive conference where industry leaders and creative
types gathered to exchange “Ideas Worth Spreading.”

Back then, it was all about the live experience, and speakers were expected to bring
some quirky spontaneity to the stage.

But fast forward more than 30 years, and TED has become an institution, spawning
countless local “TEDx” events, putting hundreds of speeches online each year, getting
millions upon millions of views, and changing the way we all think about public
speaking!

So, What IS a TED Talk?

According to Chris Anderson, the owner and global curator of TED, every TED talk
starts with an idea:

“You have something meaningful to say, and your goal is to re-create your
core idea inside your audience’s minds.”

Anderson calls this idea “the gift in every great talk.” Your idea may:

• Be common-sense (“Every kid needs a champion”) or counter-intuitive

(“The way we think about charity is wrong”)

• Describe a scientific breakthrough (“How bacteria talk”) or your own

experience (“I am the son of a terrorist, here’s how I chose peace”)

• Motivate people to action (“We need to talk about an injustice”) or greater

self-awareness (“Your elusive creative genius”)

But in every case, your TED talk will begin with an idea.

And whether or not your talk actually builds a model of your idea in your listeners’ brain
— Anderson takes that literally, and research on “neural coupling” backs him up —
your TED talk exists to communicate this idea to your listeners.

That is your talk’s one and only goal.

Other Qualities of Successful TED Talks

• Focus on one major idea

Ideas are complex things; you need to slash back your content so that you
can focus on the single idea you’re most passionate about, and give
yourself a chance to explain that one thing properly… Everything you say
[should link] back to it in some way.

• Give people a reason to care

44
 Stir your audience’s curiosity. Use intriguing, provocative questions to
identify why something doesn’t make sense and needs explaining. If you
can reveal a disconnection in someone’s worldview, they’ll feel the
need to bridge that knowledge gap.

• Build your idea with familiar concepts

Build your idea, piece by piece, out of concepts that your audience
already understands… A vivid explanation… delivers a satisfying ah-hah!
moment as it snaps into place in our minds.

8-Step Process for Creating Your TED Talk

Step 1. Find an idea you want to share

To hone in on your idea worth sharing, it can be useful to ask yourself things like:

• What’s one assumption I’d like to challenge?

• What’s a belief of mine that has changed, and why?

• What does everyone miss when they think about my area of interest or
expertise?

And remember, you’re looking for an idea. As Jeremey Donovan says in How to
Deliver a TED Talk,

…an idea is not a theme, a general truth, a platitude or a big goal.

“Everyone wants to feel included” is not an idea, it’s a general truth.
“Empowering women” is not an idea, it’s a topic.

Step 2. Develop an unexpected and/or catchy way to state your idea

If your idea can be stated in a catchy way, listeners will pay more attention and
remember it more easily. Here are some examples (with more conventional versions of
the same idea in parentheses):

• We can solve malnutrition now (vs. Malnutrition is a problem that is

finally, in our day and age, able to be resolved by advances in science.)

• Almost dying saved my life (vs. A near death experience created the
motivation for me to face and overcome problems that otherwise would
have slowly killed me.)

• Never, ever give up (vs. Cultivate the ability to commit without wavering;
it’s an essential component of your lifelong success.)

Step 3. Collect anything and everything that relates to your idea

To re-create your idea in the minds of your listeners, you’ll need vivid examples,
illustrations, stories, facts, questions, comments, etc.

So take a few days to notice anything and everything that relates to your idea, and
collect these materials by writing them down, taking photos, recording your thoughts as
sound files, etc.

Examples of things you might collect include:

• a snippet of conversation

45
 • a quote you heard in high school

• a story that relates to your idea

• a fact, or cluster of data that supports it

• a metaphor or analogy that helps explain it

• a personal moment in your relationship with the idea

• a physical object that will help your audience understand it (here, my

client Erika Frenkel presents an anesthesia machine)

Basically, anything that comes to your mind at this stage should be collected.

And don’t worry yet about which materials will end up in your talk.

You can’t collect things and evaluate them at the same time, so just collect for now;
you’ll have a chance to evaluate later.

Step 4. Start imagining how you might open and end your talk

While it’s too soon to choose your opening and close, it’s not too soon to start playing
with ideas for these important parts of your talk.

An effective way to begin any speech (not just a TED talk) is to grab your audience’s
attention — often with a human interest story, a surprising statistic, an unexpected
observation, or a thought-provoking question.

There are probably some great attention-grabbers in the material you collected for Step
3. Pick one that you particularly like, and flag it as a possible opening for your talk.

As for the close, you’ll probably want to end your talk in a positive, forward-looking
way. This is often done by:

• calling the audience to action;

• painting a hopeful picture of the future; and/or

• “paying off” (finishing, resolving) a story or discussion that has run

through your talk, so that listeners get a sense of closure.

With your provisional opening and close in mind, you’re now ready to…

Step 5. Put the rest of your materials in a reasonable order

The middle of any speech is tricky, and a TED talk is particularly so, because TED talks
can take just about any form you’d like.

So to tackle this part of your TED talk, take the materials you’ve collected and shuffle
them until you find a good arrangement. To do this, you can:

• Create a high-level outline (leave out most of the detail, just arrange the
big points or elements)

• Write each element (story, comment, observation, fact) on a 3 x 5 card

and physically shuffle them to see different possible orders. (You can do

46
 this on a table, or digitally, by creating one slide per element and shuffling
them with PowerPoint’s “slide sorter” feature)

• Use sound (speaking out loud) instead of writing to put your talk
elements into different sequences (Ask: Does it sound right if I tell that
story first, then give the fact? How about if I give the fact first, then tell the
story?)

• Try any other method that works for you.

How will you know when the order is good?

Keep in mind that your goal is to create an understanding of your idea in the
minds of your audience members, and try to arrange your explanations, comments,
and stories in a way that leads to that goal. (You’ll get to test this on real people in Step
7.)

Trust your instincts: If something seems out of place to you, it probably is. Try moving it
to a different part of your talk or even skipping it, and see if that works better.

And don’t expect to find the best organization for your talk the first time you try,
because that almost never happens!

Step 6. Talk your way to a rough draft of your script

This is where your “speaking plan” becomes a “speech.”

Take your outline or list of ordered elements and talk about each item in turn.

When I’m writing a speech, I like to literally talk it out loud and type up what I’m saying
as I’m saying it — but you can also use your computer’s voice recognition software to
capture your words, or talk into the voice memo feature on your phone (this used to be
called “dictating”) and type up the sound file later.

Why record yourself talking instead of just writing out the speech?

Because most of us get all formal and stiff when we write, and the ideal for a talk is that
it sounds like you’re… talking!

And here’s a hint:

As you do this step, pay particular attention to the way different elements (materials)
that you’ve used in your talk are connected.

If, for example, you tell me that:

1. The river flooded, and

2. Some people moved out of the neighborhood…

I’ll want to know: Did people move because the river flooded? Did most people stay
even though the river flooded? Did the river flood after people had already moved?

When you spell things out clearly, people will form a clear picture of your point.

Step 7. Try out your Ted talk draft on a volunteer listener

The point of this step is to get feedback on how to improve the structure and clarity of
your draft.

47
Ask someone you trust — a smart 10-year-old is perfect — to listen to your talk.

Read it to them (because you haven’t finalized, let alone memorized, it yet), and then
ask them:

• Did I explain my idea clearly?

• Was there anything in my talk that you didn’t follow?

• Was there anything you didn’t understand?

• Did anything seem out of place?

• Did I lose your interest anywhere?

If your listener wants to discuss the 6,000 facts you left out, or how your talk should
really be about X instead of Y, gently lead them back to these questions.

The point is not to change your talk. The point is to improve it’s effectiveness.

Step 8. Repeat the following steps as needed

1. Based on your listener’s feedback, make changes that will improve your
draft. But don’t get carried away editing; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! (And
keep your old drafts in case you want to go back to something you did
earlier; I number mine v1, v2, v3, etc.)

2. Practice delivering your new draft out loud.

3. Try out your new draft on a volunteer listener, get their feedback, and repeat these
steps as often as needed until your talk has taken a satisfying shape.

And finally…

There’s no better time to start working on your talk than now. Even if your schedule is
crammed, you’re better off working for a few minutes each day than leaving everything
to the last minute!

And as you work this process, remember that perfection isn’t possible.

So instead of striving for perfection, prepare carefully, take your best shot, and try to
relax.

Your audience is going to love this talk — and you deserve to enjoy it, too!

Final task:
Prepare a TED talk about gender issues. Use the notes in this booklet and follow the 8 step
process. Make sure your script has a clear introduction, middle and end.

Include a primary source (in English) to support your argument. It can be a first hand
testimony or direct evidence concerning the topic. You will draft your speech in class.

The day of your presentation, you may bring visual support (a testimony on video, etc.)

48
49
TED talk assessment rubric
Student’s name: TED talk title

Comments:
PROJECT 3

THE WORKING
WORLD
 Job Hunt Process

Brainstorm the Job Hunt Process

1. Search Things to consider: gender,

age, salary, type of job, city,
a. Jobs Ads (the news/bulletin boards)
requirements
b. Job Boards (linkdn – buscojobs – bumeran)
c. Recruiters & Headhunters (Manpower, Advice, Pwc)

2. Application Include:
a. Resume Personal information.
Skills and qualifications: degrees,
b. CV (curriculum vitae)
Experience, work history, etc.
c. Application letter or cover letter Personality traits
d. Online application Reasons for choosing you

3. Interview Think about possible questions. Research the company. Consider appearances. Focus.
Control your nerves. Make notes. Ask questions.

Worksheets included:

1. Job Advertisements
2. Cover letter (w/homework worksheets)
3. Curriculum Vitae (w/group work: critical thinking activity)
4. Job Interview (w/group work: critical thinking activity)
5. Job Search Final Project (w/roleplay rubric)

You can access to all the audio recordings and videos using the QR codes included in the
worksheets.
Prof. Ana Laura López – Piriápolis, Uruguay
51
 Job advertisements
1 2

Complete the chart with

data from the ads above.

skills & method of

position employer experience personality
qualifications application

Source: http://esol.britishcouncil.org/content/teachers/lessons-and-activities/work Prof. Ana Laura López

52
 A cover letter 6 Freeland St.
Greenwich
London
Look at this job advertisement and read Jenny’s letter of application.
9th April, 2010
Blue Line Cruises
24 Cavendish Grove
London

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have seen your advertisement

for photographers in ‘The Evening
News’ (1) ____.
My name is Jenny Curtis, and I
am 20 years old. At school, I (2)___,
and two B passes (Spanish and French)
at Advanced level. Since I finished
school two years ago I have been
working as a photographer’s assistant
Choose the appropriate phrase below to complete the gaps in the for a local newspaper.
letter. (3) ____and I really like to
- and I thought that’s the job for me! travel; I would welcome the
- and I am writing to apply for the post. opportunity to work on a cruise
- obtained A-B grades in 7 final exams. ship.(4)____ and I enjoy working with
- ended up with 7 A’s and C’s. people very much.
- I have always been interested in photography. I would be available for an
- I’ve always enjoyed taking photos of my family and cats. interview at any time and(5)____. I
look forward to hearing from you.
- My friends think I’m really funny, I’ve always been popular.
- I think I am a very self-motivated and hardworking person. Yours faithfully,
- I can supply you with the names of two references.
- If you want, you can phone two of my friends – they said Jenny Curtis
they’d be references.
Jenny Curtis
Justify your choices. Think about the following :
• Contractions  Informal punctuation
• Irrelevant information  Words/expressions used in everyday speech
Read the letter again. Match the descriptions below with each paragraph of the letter (write the number of the paragraph)
a. ………… Availability, references. c. ………… Reasons for writing.
b. ………… Relevant qualifications and experience. d. ………… Reasons for wanting the job.
Now that you have completed the letter, answer the following questions:
a. What’s the name of the company and where is it located? Did Jenny study photography?
b. What sort of person is needed for the job? Do you think Jenny is suitable for the job? Why?

My qualifications include… I read your advertisement… I am writing in connection to…

I am writing because I am interested in… I would welcome the opportunity to… I would be happy to attend an interview…
Beginning and ending
▪ If you don’t know the name of the person, start with Dear Sir or Dear Madam and end Yours faithfully.
▪ If you are given a name, use it in full, for example Dear Mr. Banks, and end Yours sincerely.
▪ Finish it with your signature and full name written under it.
Linking Words
▪ Opinion: I think, I believe, I insist
▪ Listing points: First of all, Secondly, Also, Next, Then, After this/that, Last(ly), All in all
▪ Cause/effect: Because (of this), So, As a result
▪ Examples: For example, such as, especially
▪ Contrast: But, However, Although, Despite
▪ Time: when, before, until, while, after

53Source: Wavelength Pre-intermediate Prof. Ana Laura López

 A cover letter – layout
Address of the person writing 6 Freeland St.
the letter Greenwich
London
Date
9th April, 2010
Name and Address of the person
or business receiving the letter Blue Line Cruises
(+ name and position if you know it) 24 Cavendish Grove
London
Greeting
Dear Sir or Madam,

Reason why you are writing the I have seen your advertisement for
letter. photographers in ‘The Evening Mail’ and I am
writing to apply for the post.
My name is Jenny Curtis, and I am 20
More details and information. years old. At school, I obtained A-B grades
▪ Name in 7 final exams, and two B passes (Spanish
▪ Age and French) at Advanced level. Since I
▪ Academic information finished school two years ago I have been
▪ Previous experience working as a photographer’s assistant for a
local newspaper.
I have always been interested in
▪ Personality photography and I really like to travel; I
▪ Reasons for wanting the job would welcome the opportunity to work on a
cruise ship. I believe I am a very self-
motivated and hardworking person and I enjoy
working with people very much.
▪ Availability
I would be available for interview at
▪ References any time and I can, if necessary, supply you
with the names of two references.
It signals the end of the letter.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Complimentary closing:
▪ Yours faithfully Yours faithfully,
▪ Yours sincerely
Jenny Curtis
Signature with full name written Jenny Curtis
under it.

Read the following job advertisement which appeared in yesterday Daily

Newspaper, and fill in the blanks using the following words:
dynamic candidate graduate salary
requires experience resumé cover

In pairs, write one of the following letters of application:

a. Jean Grey, 18. Hard-working, good at Math.
Good grades at school. Wants a job as a
cashier in a supermarket. Experienced. Job
advertised in the ‘Oxford Times’.
b. Scott Summers, 25. Administration and Accounting
degrees from London University. Hardworking. 2 years experience
working as a manager assistant. Wants a work as a secretary in a big company. Job
advertised in the ‘London’s Herald’.
c. Gwen Stacy, 20. Three B’s and one A in her final exams. Loves children. Wants a job
as a teacher’s assistant in a kindergarten. 4 years experience working as a baby
sitter. Job advertised in the ‘The Evening Mail’.

Source: Wavelength Pre-intermediate Prof. Ana Laura López54

 imagine you are applying for this job →

organize your ideas, complete the chart with the

information you are going to include. You’ll need to create a fictional
background for this task. /8

create an appropriate CV (PRINTED) /10

Write the cover letter to apply (PRINTED) /12

Prof. Ana Laura López

imagine you are applying

for this job →
organize your ideas, complete the
chart with the information you are going to include.
You’ll need to create a fictional background for this
task. /8

create an appropriate CV (PRINTED) /10

Write the cover letter to apply (PRINTED) /12

55 Prof. Ana Laura López

 Curriculum Vitae P ia, Diana and Laura want a job, and
they use different ways to apply.

Name: Pia Marcotti A traditional CV

Age: _________1
Place of Birth: __________2, Italy
235 Rose St. - Boston, USA
 (+1)134-220-4200
 pmarcotti@gmail.com
• Marketing & Finance Degrees: University of Boston – June 2001
• Bachelor Degree: St. Peter’s High School – June 1996
A) Read the different parts of Pia’s CV
and write the CORRECT SUBTITLES.
B) Listen to the 1st part of the interview
and tell me if these are TRUE or FALSE:
1. John showed Pia around the Company.
2. The Company is very big.
3. About 15 people work at Roscoe Int.
4. Pia didn’t have her CV.

C) Listen to the 2nd part of the interview

• June 2001 - July 2002: Meals on Wheels ( ______3 year)
Caterers ______________4. Main responsibilities: advertising,
and complete Pia’s CV
leaflets, ______________ __________5 and ____________6. (information is not in order).
• January 2003 - May 2005: Bradford Footwear ( ______7 years)
___________8 company. Worked in ____________9 department.

• Languages: English (native), _________10 (fluent), __________11

(good - ______12 years of study).
• Computing: MS Office (advanced), Photoshop (good).

• Mr. Mark Hanson – Manager at Bradford Footwear

mhanson@gmail.com

• July 2002 - December 2003: Travelled to ______________13,

and _____________14 ( ______15 months).

A Video CV Pia

D) Watch these Video CVs and answer these questions:

1. Do you think Diana and Laura’s CVs are good? Why/why not?
2. What are their similarities and differences?
3. What are the benefits of a video CV?
Diana Laura
E) HOMEWORK: Watch again and complete the chart (some information is missing):
skills &
residences personality experience contact
qualifications

Diana

Laura

Source: adapted from http://esl-lounge.com/ 56

Prof. Ana Laura López Cazarré
 A Job Interview
1) Look at the list below. Do you think they are good or bad things
to say in an interview? Put G (Good) or B (Bad) in each sentence.

a. I'm looking for new challenges.

b. I'm really nervous.
c. How much will I earn?
d. My weakness is that I work too hard.
e. In the short-term, I want to develop my sales skills
and gain more experience.
f. I really need this job!
g. My current boss is horrible.
h. Can you tell me more about the day-to-day
obligations of this job?
i. No, I don't have any questions.
j. I work well under pressure. I find it very motivating.

2) Now, complete the article with statements from activity 1.

Do you agree with the article?

3) Here are some tips for a successful job interview,

complete the infographic and add two more tips.

a. Be punctual.
b. Be yourself and show your personality.
c. Bring copies of your CV.
d. Bring pen and paper.
e. Dress appropriately.
f. Know the company/business you’re
applying for.
g. Know your strengths/weaknesses.
h. Prepare your answers to common job
interview questions.
i. Silence your phone.
j. Take care with your body language.

4) There are four types of interview questions. Match the type of question with the explanation below.

a b c d
Personal Out-of-the-box Situational Behavioral
• Professional goals. • Creativity • Decision-making • Past behavior
• Qualifications • Critical • Confidence • Attitude &
• Work style thinking • Hypothetical motivation
• Interest in the • World view situations • Work ethics
company

These questions present the These questions invite the These questions give insight These questions give an idea
candidate with an imaginary candidate to recall a past in the candidate’s personality, about a candidate's creativity
situation and ask them what experience and describe motivations and interest in and thought processes.
they would do. how they handled it. the position.

Classify these 1- Can you sell me this pen? ____ 3- Tell me about a time when you had to solve a difficult problem. ____
examples: 2- Can you list your strengths? ____ 4- What would you do if there was a blackout in your shop? ____

57
Source: Attending a job interview - https://www.linguahouse.com Prof. Ana Laura López Cazarré
5) Work in groups, read the questions and answers cards and:
a. match the questions to their answers.
b. classify the questions into the four types of questions, write P, O, S or B
c. decide which Q/A corresponds to j o b 1, j o b 2 or b o t h .

answer type job answer type job

1. 11.
2. 12.
3. 13.
4. 14.
5. 15.
6. 16.
7. 17.
8. 18.
9. 19.
10. 20.
2
a
6) Now, listen again and correct the mistakes. Which of the jobs
is Ms. Badura applying for?

Interviewer: Good morning Ms. Badura, please have a seat.

Kate: Good morning, it's nice to meet you.
Interviewer: Could you tell me who you work for currently?
Kate: Yes. I'm working for KP Lewis.
Interviewer: How long have you been working for them?
Kate: I've been working for KP Lewis for the past eight years.
Interviewer: And how long have you been working in the marketing department?
Kate: I've been working in marketing for the past eight months.
Interviewer: And why are you leaving your position?
Kate: Well, to be frank, I feel that I cannot use all my experience in my current
job, and the position that you offer looked like an excellent match for me.
Interviewer: You know this position requires a lot of travel. Is that a problem for you?
Kate: No, no, that's not a problem. In fact, I really enjoy travelling and I don't have a husband to look
after, so it's fine.
Interviewer: Have you had any experience in marketing?
Kate: Yes. As you can see from my CV, I worked part-time as a representative for a language
academy. They were offering summer Italian courses and I had to visit different agencies.
Interviewer: That's interesting. How successful were you?
Kate: Well, the academy I worked for managed to increase registrations as a result of my collaboration.
Interviewer: Very interesting...so what are your goals for the future?
Kate: Well, in the long-term I want to develop my marketing skills and gain more experience in selling.
In the short-term, I would like to obtain a high position in a growing company... like yours.
Interviewer: And tell me...what is your greatest strength?
Kate: Well, I admit, I tend to wait until the last minute to make arrangements. But I'm getting better
at this and I've just realized that scheduling in advance makes more sense.
Interviewer: How do you cope with stress?
Kate: Actually, I work quite well under stress. I find it very motivating and it helps my focus on what
I have to do.

Source: Attending a job interview - https://www.linguahouse.com 58

Prof. Ana Laura López Cazarré
 1. What can you tell us about a- I love to learn new things. I’m very organized, and I
follow directions exactly, but I can be creative when I
yourself? need to.

2. What salary are you b- I want this job because it emphasizes sales and
seeking? marketing, two of my greatest skill sets.

c- I would definitely choose jeans. They are very

3. Why do you want this job? versatile, and go with any kind of top, formal or casual.
Also, they look good even if you rip them!

4. How would you manage a

customer who isn’t happy d- I would talk to my boss about it, but only if I thought
with your service, even if the error would be bad for the company.
he is wrong?
5. If you know your boss is e- Last New Year our restaurant was full and there
100% wrong about were a lot of people waiting for a table. I asked the boss
something, what would if we could serve free soda to the people waiting, so
you do? everybody was happy.

6. Tell me of a time you had

f- Try 888 + 88 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 1,000.
to leave a job.

g- Two years ago, I worked in a small clothing store in

7. Give me an example of Michigan. The work environment was nice, but I felt
your biggest achievement. that I couldn’t use all my skills. I needed a bigger
challenge, so I looked for another position.

8. Tell me about a difficult h- Well, in my last job I changed the store arrangement
challenge you faced. How to show some products better. Our sales went up 20%
did you solve it? in the next quarter, it was a great achievement!

9. How can you add eight i- Well, no matter if the client is right or wrong, I
would listen to their concerns and try to solve the
eights to reach 1000? problem.

10. What piece of clothing do j- What I’m really looking for is something around
$35,000. I believe that’s the average salary in Sales, and
you identify with? it’s one I’m comfortable with.

59
Source: Attending a job interview - https://www.linguahouse.com Prof. Ana Laura López Cazarré
 11. Do you have any k- Actually, I Googled you. I wanted to find out
questions for me? more about your company before I applied.

12. What are your goals for l- I see myself as a top-performing employee in a
the future? well-established restaurant like this one.

13. What are your greatest m- I would be an egg. They are perfect; they contain
everything you need to be healthy. They are very
weaknesses? versatile and easily adaptable for different dishes.

14. How would you deal with

n- I would note the mistake and learn from it. All
pressure on the
dishes must be perfect.
workplace?

15. What would you do if the o- If I had a cook who is not working right, I would
work of one of your cooks first try to investigate why he or she is having a
wasn’t good? problem, and if I can do something to help.

16. Suppose a dish that you p- Well, I can’t sit still for extended periods of
prepared got sent back. time. That’s why I’m looking for a job where I can
What would you do? be on movement. A kitchen job is perfect for me.

q- Well, in a kitchen you must work as a team, but

17. Tell me of a time you sometimes it can be difficult. In my last job one of
worked in sales. the cooks was having problems, so I helped him to
improve his work.

18. Give an example of how r- I would focus on my job and my daily

you worked on a team. obligations. I wouldn’t let the pressure to affect me.

19. If you were food, what s- Yes. As you can see from my CV, I worked part-
time as a sales assistant for a big department store.
food would you be? I really enjoyed that position.

20. What was the last thing t- Yes. Can you tell me more about the day-to-day
you Googled? responsibilities of this job?

Source: Attending a job interview - https://www.linguahouse.com 60

Prof. Ana Laura López Cazarré
 Group work: CREATE THOMAS’ CV

T homas is applying to a new job as Manager at

documents to complete his CV.
THE TABLE restaurant. Use Thomas’

Curriculum Vitae
PERSONAL DETAILS
Name: Age:
Place of Birth: Date of Birth: / /
Nationality: Marital Status:

CONTACT INFORMATION




QUALIFICATIONS
• Marketing & Finance Degrees: University of Boston – June 2001
•
•
•
• 1996

SKILLS
• Languages:
• IT:

EXPERIENCE
• June
• June
•

REFERENCES
• June
• June
• June
•

OTHER EXPERIENCES
• June

61
THOMAS QUALIFICATIONS

62
63
 PERSONAL
INFORMATION

64
 EXPERIENCE

65
REFERENCES

SKILLS

66
67
 OTHER EXPERIENCES

21 May
Dear Amelia,
I love Mexico!! And I miss you!
The Mexican Gastronomy course is excellent, and I'm
learning a lot! My teachers are genius! Mrs. Amelia Sanford
I've been studying hard and we have the final exam in two 44 Preston Road
days, so I'm very nervous! Now I have to go back to the Brighton
institute, we have to cook enchiladas and tacos.
England
I'll be home in ten days!
Thomas
P.D: After four months in Mexico City, my Spanish is
getting better and better !! TE AMO!!!

68
 PHOTOGRAPHS

69
Final activity: Job Hunt Project
Prof. Ana Laura López

PARTICIPANTS: 2 students (3 at the most) DATE:

TOPIC: Students must recreate the complete Job Hunt process
Job Search Job Interview
1- Create a job advertisement. It must include: position, 4- Roleplay the Job Interview
employer, requirements (personality, qualifications, skills), it must include at least:
method of application (include employer’s address)
• 4 personal questions,
Make a copy in A4 size
• 1 situational question,
Job Application • 1 behavioral question,
• 1 out-of-the-box question.
2- Create a Curriculum Vitae. It must include: personal info,
contact, qualification (studies), skills, experience You must hand in the Script
3- Write a Letter of application. It must follow the format we
studied. Try to include what you listed in the CV.

ASSESSMENT
• Job Advertisement (10 p.) Curriculum Vitae (20 p.) Letter of Application (20 p.)
• Job Interview (44 p.) - includes SCRIPT
▪ Presentation → up to 12 pts. ▪ Grammar/Vocabulary → up to 12 pts.
▪ Content → up to 12 pts. ▪ Extras → up to 8 pts. (important: Costumes/Props/Set design)

Assessment Rubric for the Roleplay

Poor Fair Good Excellent
Presentation 1-2 pts 3-6 pts 6-9 pts 9-12 pts
Clarity/ St. was unable to speak St. showed great difficulty Sts. were able to perform Sts. were able to perform
Fluency during the role play. in performing the role play the role play with little the role play clearly with
St. reads from the script. but was able to complete difficulty. no difficulty.
(12 points)
the task. St. has the script at hand St. doesn’t have a script.
St. sometimes uses the but doesn’t read.
script as a guide but
doesn’t read.

Grammar 1-2 pts 3-6 pts 6-9 pts 9-12 pts

Vocabulary Numerous grammar Average grammar control Good use of language, Effective grammar use of
mistakes. but with some incorrect only a few grammar the language patterns
(12 points)
Totally Inadequate and use of expressions studied mistakes. Sts. use taught in class.
inaccurate use of in class. grammar forms taught in Rich use of vocabulary and
vocabulary according to Somewhat adequate and class. Adequate and appropriate use of
the St.’s level. accurate use of vocabulary accurate use of idiomatic expressions.
vocabulary. Some voc. Uses language taught in
taught in class is included. class.

Content 1-2 pts 3-6 pts 6-9 pts 9-12 pts

The role play lacks a The role play was Information is connected role play has a good
(12 points)
central theme, clear point disjointed in content; to a theme. Details are narrative flow. Events are
of view, and logical however, the narrative can logical and actions and presented in a logical
sequence of information. be followed by the viewer. dialogue is relevant order, with relevant
throughout most of the action/dialogues that
role play. support the ideas.
Extras 0 pts. 1-3 4-6 7-8
No extras whatsoever A few minor props, no Sts. bring props and Sts. create a set, bring
(8 points)
costumes. costumes. props and costumes.

70
 G question formation I'm not thrilled about answering questions like 'If you
V working out meaning from context were being mugged, and you had a light sabre in one
P friendly intonation, showing interest pocket and a whip in the other, which would you use?'

GRAMMAR
FOCUS

1 READING & SPEAKING Every week the British newspaper, The

a Look at the photos of Benedict Cumberbatch Guardian, chooses people who have been
and Elisabeth Moss and read their biographical in the news recently, and publishes a short
info. Have you seen any of the TV series or films interview with them called Q&A.
that they have been in? What did you think of
them?
The actor Benedict Cumberbatch was born in
b Now read the interviews and match questions London in 1976. He has starred in many successful TV series
A-G with their answers. and films , including Sherlocli, War Horse, Star Trek , and
A How do you relax? The Hobbit.
B What don't you like about your
appearance? 1 What's one of your happiest memories?
C What's your earliest memory? Sitting with the sun on my face and a beer in my hand, the
morning after I had been in a car-jacking in South Africa.
D What makes you unhappy?
E If you could edit your past, what do you
When I was six, I got stung by a wasp in a Greek market.
think you would change?
A woman pulled down my pants and rubbed an onion on my
F What was your most embarrassing bottom.
moment?
3 What don't you like about your personality?
G Who would you most like to say sorry to? I'm impatient, but also indecisive.
c Read the interviews again using the glossary 4 What is your greatest fear?
to help you. Answer the questions with BC Forgetting people's names.
(Benedict Cumberbatch) or EM (Elisabeth
Moss). The size and shape of my head. People say I look like Sid from
Who ... ? Ice Age.
1 D had an embarrassing experience as a child 6 What costume wouJd
2 D finds it hard to make decisions you wear to a fancy
dress party?
3 D avoids answering one of the questions
I rather enjoyed wearing
4 D had a dangerous experience when they bandages round my face
were travelling abroad as the Invisible Man at
5 D had a dangerous experience when they the last one I went to.
were young People got to know me
6 D often hesitates when they're speaking without recognizing me.
7 D was fond of a kind of flower when they 7 Which words or phrases
were a child do you most overuse?
8 D has a favourite decade I say "Erm... " t oo much .
8 What one thing would
d Which of the questions in the interviews do
. k'is ....? improve the quality of
you th m
your life?
• the most interesting Better time management.
• the most boring
• too personal to ask a person who you don't I might not have called
know well Trevor Nunn, the famous
director, 'Adrian' at my
e Choose six questions from Q&A to ask your
first audition for him.
partner.
 2 GRAMMAR question formation
a Now read the questions in lb again and answer
the questions below with a partner.
1 Which questions are examples of... ?
• a subject question, where there is no auxiliary
verb
• a question which ends with a preposition
• a question which uses a negative auxiliary verb
2 W hat happens to the word order in the question
What would you chanBe? when you add do you
think after what?
b )ii-- p.132 Grammar Bank lA. Learn more about
question formation , and practise it.

3 PRONUNCIATION
friendly intonation, showing interest
a 1 4 l)) Listen to some people asking questions
The actress Elisabeth Moss was born in California in 1- 5. Who sounds friendlier and more interested
1982. She has been in several very successful US TV dramas, each time, a orb?
including The West Wing and Mad Men for which she won an
Emmy award. 1 Do you havet_p big family?
2 What don't you liket_pbout the place
where you live?
Going out into the backyard of my home in LA and 3 What sport~r game~re you
pretending to build a vegetable garden with sticks and gooc:Lat?
rocks. I must h ave been five .
4 Do you think you havet_p healthy diet?
2 Which living person do you most admire? s What makes you feel happy?
This is kind of cheesy, but my mum.
3 Which living person do you most despise, and why? b 5 l)) Listen and repeat the questions with
I won't say his name. friendly intonation. Focus on sentence stress and
linking.
Not getting enough sleep.
5 What is your favourite smell?
p Reacting to what someone says
When you ask someone a question and they
Jasmine. I grew up in Los Angeles, in the hills, and there answer, it is normal to show interest by saying, e.g.
was always jasmine growing. Really? or Oh yes? with a friendly intonation, or by
asking a question.
To a really good girlfriend with whom I lost touch when I
was little. I would love to see her again. c 1 6 >)) Now listen to the questions in a
7 If you could go back in time, where would you go? conversation. Complete the expressions or
To a 1930s jazz club in New York City. I love the art deco questions that the man or woman use to react to
period - the jewellery, the clothes, the music. the answers.
1 Wow ! That's a huge family.
I am big fan of getting a box set and watching the entire show 2 ____? What's wrong with them?
in two or three weeks. I'm watching The Sopranos at the 3 _ ___! We could have a game one day.
moment, because I missed it when it first came out. 4 ! How long have you been a vegan?
9 What has been your most Glossary 5 ? I can't think of anything worse!
frightening experience? car-jacking the crime of fo rcing the
When I was little, I was driver of a car to take you somewhere d 1 7 >)) Listen and repeat the responses. Copy the
or give you their ca r intonation.
on a lake in the US and Emmy a US awa rd s imilar to the
got caught underneath Oscars, but for TV
backyard Amf back ga rden e Ask and answer the questions with a partner.
a rowing boat. That was
pretty scary.
cheesy informal too ernotional Use friendly intonation, and react to your
o r romantic in a way that is
partner's answers.

m
embarrassing, e.g. a cheesy love song
Adapted from The Guardian
 4 READING & VOCABULARY
a Look at the photo with the article. What do
you think is happening? Do you think the
question is one which someone might really
ask in this situation? Why (not)?
b Read the article once and find out. How
would you answer the question?
p Guessing the meaning of new words and phrases
When you are reading and find a word or phrase you don't know:
1 Try to guess the meaning from the context (i.e. the other words
around it). Think also about what part of speech the unknown word
is (e.g. a verb, an adjective, etc.), whether it is similar to another
English word you know, or whether it is similar to a word in your
language.
2 If you still can't work out what the word or phrase means, either
ignore it and carry on reading or use a dictionary (or glossary if
there is one) to help you.

HOME I NEWS I UK NEWS I SOCIETY

Extreme interview-s
WHAT sort of dinosaur are you? If you answered Tyrannosaurus rex, then the bad news is that
you probably won't get the job you're applying for.

~ Comment ~ Print

i Welcome to the strange world of 'extreme

interviewing', the latest trend from America in
which interviewers throw bizarre questions at
candidates to see how they react. So, what sort of
dinosaur would
5 It may seem like a game, but extreme you be?
interviewing is deadly serious. The idea is to
see how quickly job-seekers think on their feet
and, at a time when 25% of recent graduates
are unemployed, it offers employers a new way
A Tyrannosaurus rex!
10 of separating the brilliant candidates from the
merely very good.
This new app roac to selecting candidates
comes from Silicon Valley in California -
where else? Google, famous for its aem ana ing
15 interview process, asked a recent candidate:
'You are stranded on a desert island. You have
60 seconds to choose people of 10 professions
to come with you. Who do you choose? Go!'
One of the early pioneers of extreme interviewing was Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, who could Glossary
20 be famously cruel with j ob seekers. Faced once with a candidate he considered boring,Jobs suddenly Silicon Valley the
pretended to be a chicken, flapping his a rms and making clucking noises round the unfortunate applicant, informal name for the
region in northern
waiting to see what he would do. In fact, the secret to extreme interviewing is neither in the question nor California where many
the answer. It is in the candidate's reaction. of the world's largest
technology corporations
David Moyle, a headhunter with the recruitment agency Eximius Group in London, who admits to using are based
25 the dinosaur question when selecting candidates, said: 'Essentially, that kind of interviewing is used by us to headhunter a person
give someone an opportunity to show they are smart and not easily flustered.' whose job it is to
find people with the
'Most candidates actually get something out of it, it's not about trying to crush them. We are trying to give necessary skills to work
for a company (often in
them an opportunity to show their personality, rather than.just showing how they perform in an interview.' executive posts), and to
persuade them to join
Of course, getting the job is just the start. In the modern business world, survival will depend on what sort that company
30 of dinosaur you really are.

m Adapted from The Sunday Times

c Read the article again carefully. With
a partner, cry to work out what the
highlighted words and phrases might mean,
and how you think they are pronounced.

d Now match the words and phrases with 1-10.

1 adj needing a lot of effort and

skill
2 adj nervous and confused,
especially because you have been given a
lot to do or are in a hurry
3 adj very strange or unusual
4 mm to be able to think and
react to things very quickly without any
preparation a Have you ever been for a job interview? What kind of questions
5 noun a way of doing or did they ask you? Did you get the job?
thinking about something
6 phrase instead of b 9 l)) Listen to five people talking about a strange question they
7 verb to destroy somebody's were asked in job interviews. Complete the questions in the first
confidence column.
8 noun a specialist company
What strange question How did they answer? What happened in
which finds and interviews candidates to
were they asked? the end?
fill job vacancies in other companies
1 Do you still
9 noun people who are looking ?
for a job
10 verb moving sch quickly up 2 What would make you
and down, e.g. wings a ?

e 1 8 l)) Listen and check. Underline the

3 are
stressed syllables. you? How much _ _
you ?
f Using your own words, answer the
questions with a partner. 4 would
you like to be
1 What are extreme interviews? reincarnated as?
2 What kind of companies first started using 5 Are you planning
them? to ?
3 Why do some people think that they are
better than normal interviews?
c Listen again and make notes in the rest of the chart.
g Do you think extreme interviews are a good
way of choosing candidates? Which of the d Which of the questions did you think were good or bad to ask at
questions below (used in real interviews) do an interview?
you think would work well? Why?

Room, 6 SPEAKING
On a scale of desk,orcar-
1-10, how weird which do you a >Communication Extreme interviews A p.104 B p.108. Ask your
Which TV
are you? clean first? partner 'extreme interview' questions.
character are
you most like?
b Write three extreme interview questions of your own, which you

Does life
fascinate
- Can you
name three
Lady Gaga
think might tell you something interesting about another person.

c Ask your questions to as many other students as possible and

If you were a
you? songs? answer theirs.
car, what car
would you be? d Which questions did you think were the most interesting? Why?