12

Unit Objectives
Grammar:
Science and nature
cohesion 2 (substitution); nominalisation
Vocabulary: geological terms; informal phrases; collective nouns
Scenario: referring to what other people have said; taking part in a panel discussion
Study skills: examination skills
Writing skills: a personal statement
WARM-UP
12.1 THE RED Direct students to the title of the unit and elicit the
PLANET link between science and nature. Write Geography and
Geology, Physics and Chemistry, Biology and Zoology and
Astronomy on the board and elicit their meanings. Ask
IN THIS LESSON
students if they would like to study in any of these
Lesson topic and staging departments. Why/Why not? Ask if they think it is
This lesson looks at space and the planets in our solar important to make scientific and nature-related topics
system. Students first discuss space exploration and compulsory at school. Why/Why not?
test their knowledge of the Earth and Mars. They
Direct students to the title of the lesson and ask what
learn new geological terms and then read an article
the Red Planet is (Mars). Then discuss the quote. Do
about the search for life on Mars, practising how to
they agree with it? Why/Why not? Find out what they
distinguish fact from opinion. After discussing if life
know about Marie Curie.
exists on other planets, they listen to some people
who want to set up a human colony on Mars. After Marie Curie, a physicist and chemist, won the
listening for gist and specific information, they decide Nobel Prize for Physics with her husband Pierre in
which person would be best suited to the task and the 1903 after discovering two new chemical elements,
training required for such an expedition. Finally, they polonium and radium. After Pierre’s death, Marie
write a paragraph summarising their opinions. won a second Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911.
Marie Curie quote: The second part of this quote
Objectives
reads Now is the time to understand more so that we may
By the end of the lesson, students will have: fear less. Her quote suggests we are afraid of what we
• discussed the importance of space exploration and don’t understand or know and should therefore turn
their own interest in planets of our solar system ignorance into knowledge so we can reduce our fear.
• compared differences between the Earth and Mars
• built up their knowledge of geological terminology SPEAKING
• read and listened for gist and specific information
• focused on distinguishing fact from opinion 1a Put students in pairs and give them three minutes
• selected the best candidate for the expedition and to discuss question 1 before doing a quick class
what training they would require feedback.
• considered their own view on joining an expedition • Give students about two minutes to do question 2
to set up a colony on Mars before eliciting examples from the class.
• written a paragraph summarising their viewpoint. • Question 3 could be discussed as a class. Make sure
students provide justifications for their choice.
Timings 1bGive students two minutes to answer the questions
If short of time, set Exercise 6b for homework. individually before comparing answers in pairs.
This should be completed in one lesson. If, however, 1c Elicit ideas before referring students to page 164 to
you wish to do this over two lessons, a possible break check them. Ask what surprised them most.
would be after Exercise 3e.

New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature 1

VOCABULARY: geological terms
2a Go through the instructions with the class before
giving them four minutes to do the activity in pairs.
 If useful, you could demonstrate the activity first
by giving a definition for one of the words and
then asking the class to guess the word.
• Tell students to leave out any words they don’t
know at this stage.
2bStudents will need their monolingual dictionaries
for this activity. Ask students to look up any words
that are new to them.
• Check they understand the meanings and then
elicit definitions for the other words in the box. You
could also ask if students can add any other words.
If useful, check on the pronunciation and word
stress patterns for all the words given as a class.
Students write their own sentences using the
words and phrases for homework.
canyon: a deep valley with very steep sides of
rock that usually has a river running through it
crater: a round hole in the ground made by
something that has fallen on it or by an
explosion erosion: the process by which rock
or soil is gradually destroyed by wind, rain or
the sea flash flood: a sudden flood, usually
caused by very heavy rainfall in a short period
of time geyser: a natural spring that sends hot
water and steam suddenly into the air from a
hole in the ground ice cap: an area of thick ice
that permanently covers the North and South
Poles meteor: a piece of rock or metal that
travels through space, and makes a bright line
in the night sky when it falls down towards the
Earth reservoir: a lake, especially an artificial
one, where water is stored before it is supplied
to people's houses subsurface: an area beneath
the surface of the ground, or the surface of a
body of water tsunami: a very large wave,
caused by extreme conditions such as an
earthquake, which can cause a lot of damage
when it reaches land
2c Discuss as a class which of the words have a strong
connection with water and why.
canyon, erosion, flash flood, geyser, ice cap,
reservoir, tsunami (subsurface possible)
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
READING
3a Direct students’ attention to the title of the text and
ask what information they expect to be included.
• Give students four minutes to read the article and
decide which headings fit which paragraphs.
• Let students compare answers in pairs before class
feedback. Make sure they justify their choices and
refer back to points made in each paragraph.
A5 B1 C 10 D2 E7 F3
3bCritical thinking: Distinguishing fact from
opinion. Go through the instructions and give
students four minutes to do the task individually.
• Students then discuss their ideas in pairs before
discussing them as a class. Make sure they give
justifications for their answers.
For classes in universities and university
preparation courses, recognising the difference
between facts and opinion in a text is a very useful
skill. Explain that honing this skill will help them to
decide which information to include and how to
use it when reading in preparation for an academic
task, such as an essay, dissertation or seminar.
Possible answers:
You’d think Mars would be easier to
understand (opinion)
conditions on Mars vary wildly from what we
know on our own planet (fact, although wildly
might be considered opinion)
today’s Martian wasteland hints at a formerly
volatile world (fact)
And Mars continues to throw out new
enticements (opinion) with each landing or
orbital pass made by our spacecraft. (fact OR
alternatively, the whole sentence could be
considered opinion, as the two parts are very
closely connected)
Among our discoveries about Mars (fact), one
stands out above all others. (opinion, but widely
agreed)
This science theme marks a transition in Mars
exploration. (opinion, but widely agreed)
Mars underwent dramatic changes (fact) to
become the forbidding, yet promising planet
(opinion) we observe today. (fact)
there’s still much excitement on the horizon
(opinion)
we still have a lot to learn about this amazing
planet (opinion, but widely agreed)
2
3c Give students two minutes to do this activity
individually before comparing ideas in pairs.
• Do a class check.
Possible answers:
Facts: 1 Like Earth, Mars has polar ice caps and
clouds in its atmosphere, seasonal weather
patterns, volcanoes, canyons and other
recognisable features. 2 NASA’s Mars
Exploration Programme is currently following
an exploration strategy known as ‘Seek Signs of
Life’.
Opinions: 1 Imagine how exciting it would be
to answer, ‘Yes!’ 2 We ourselves might become
the ‘life on Mars’ should humans choose to
travel there one day.
3dFocus students’ attention on the first three
paragraphs of the text and give them two minutes
to do the activity in pairs.
• Then check answers as a class.
Possible answers:
spacecraft voyages to the Red Planet have
revealed a world strangely familiar (really an
opinion, but presented as fact)
new discoveries send us … spacecraft have
shown us … We’ve discovered that …
3e This question is best discussed as a class. Make sure
students provide justifications for their answers.
LISTENING
4a Go through the instructions as a class and allow
time for students to read the tasks before playing
the recording.
• Discuss any potentially new vocabulary, such as
debris and terrain.
• Remind students to complete both tasks and only
choose one option for each answer. Suggest they
tick the options used so they can see which ones are
left as they do the task.
• Play the recording only once.
4bPlay the recording a second time so students can
check their answers. It might be helpful to pause
the recording after each answer is given and to
check answers as a class as you go.
Task 1: Speaker 1: f Speaker 2: d Speaker 3: a
Task 2: Speaker 1: k Speaker 2: j Speaker 3: g
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
Audio script 12.1
1 I did my first degree in molecular biology and
now I’m doing a PhD in the same area. What’s
driven me in my research is the desire to break
new ground, to discover something new, and
the Mars project is quite similar. Getting public
support will be crucial as the costs are
astronomical. But if everyone donates
something, we can make it a success. To be
honest, er, space enthusiasts and scientists
may be the hardest people to convince because
of their knowledge of the difficulties. I know a
one-way ticket to Mars may not appeal to
everyone, but to me it sounds like the greatest
adventure of all time! I’m very fit as I do a lot
of outdoor activities, especially
mountaineering, so I think I’m ready in all
respects.
2 I was interested in applying to NASA to be an
astronaut, but Mars isn’t one of their
destinations at the moment – I mean, not for
humans, anyway. I think I’ve got both the
technical and the people skills. Once we’re
there, we’ll need to make better vehicles for
exploring the surface and my engineering
knowledge will come in handy. Also, I’ve
visited a lot of foreign countries and gained
good intercultural skills. That’ll be important
when you’re cooped up with relative strangers
for long periods of time. I’m convinced the
long-term solution to the survival of our
species lies in deep space – outside our solar
system – but to get there, you’ve got to have
stepping-stones. That’s where Mars comes in.
3 I think this project’s the most historic thing
ever to happen in our galaxy. Because of that,
it’s something I’m prepared to risk my life for.
My experience will obviously help. I currently
fly commercial jets, but before that I was in the
United States Air Force. In the early years on
Mars staying safe will be a priority and
everyone will need to have good medical
skills. We’ll need to reduce the risk of
radiation and make the base as self-sustaining
as possible. The scientific stuff will come later.
My husband really supports the project, but
he’s not so keen on the idea of me never
coming back!
3
5a Students work in pairs or small groups. Give them
four minutes to discuss and make their choice.
• During class feedback, discuss their choices and
make sure students justify them. If time allows, try
and get the class to reach a consensus over which
person should be selected.
Alternatively, divide the class into two or three
groups (or if a large group, into six groups). Allot
each group a different person from Exercise 4a and
ask them to think of reasons why that person
should be chosen. After four minutes, bring the
class together and ask a representative from each
group to put forward their ideas. At the end, the
whole class decides who should be selected.
5bGive students about five minutes to discuss this in
their pairs or small groups before opening the
discussion to the class. Encourage them to think of
as many aspects as possible and to use their
imaginations.
• Elicit ideas, noting them on the board. Discuss
which would be essential and which desirable. Add
in any others you feel they might have missed.
SPEAKING AND WRITING
6a Check students understand that this expedition
would mean they would not return to Earth before
giving them five minutes to discuss their ideas in
their pairs/groups.
• During class feedback, elicit students’ opinions and
justifications for their choices. On the board, build
up a list of the pros and cons of such an expedition,
using their arguments. This could provide support
for students when doing Exercise 6b.
6bStudents now write a paragraph to summarise their
ideas. Suggest a maximum word limit of 80 words.
• This task could be done in class or for homework.
HOMEWORK OPTIONS
Students do Exercise V1–5 on page 149 in the
Language reference.
Students do the vocabulary and reading exercises for
this lesson in MyEnglishLab.
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
12.2 FANTASTIC
PLASTIC
IN THIS LESSON
Lesson topic and staging
This lesson focuses on the importance of plastic.
Students begin by discussing how it is used and
attitudes towards it. They then listen to the views of
the writer of a podcast and read a text on people’s
mistaken opinions about plastic. The text links to the
focus of informal phrases, which students study and
also gives examples of substitution and ellipsis as
ways to provide cohesion in texts and utterances. The
lesson ends with a discussion on how society deals
with plastic and other materials, and practise in
writing in a formal register.
Meet the expert video
Watch the video where Professors Richard Kitney and
Paul Freemont from the Centre for Synthetic Biology
and Innovation at Imperial College, London, talk
about their work and how synthetic biology helps us.
Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will have:
• thought about the place of plastic in our lives
• listened and taken notes
• read for gist and specific information, evaluated
arguments presented and responded to the text
• focused on informal phrases and differences in
register
• studied substitution and ellipsis
• discussed social attitudes towards plastic and
other materials
• practised writing in a formal register.
Timings
If short of time, omit Exercise 5 or set Exercises 10
and/or 12 for homework.
Possible lesson break: after Exercise 5.
WARM-UP
Direct students to the title of the lesson: Fantastic
plastic. Ask what the lesson might be about and if they
agree that plastic is fantastic.
4
LISTENING
1 Pair students up and given them four minutes to
discuss the questions before eliciting ideas.
• During class feedback, ask the whole class to look
round the classroom to spot plastic items.
2a Tell students that they are going to hear a podcast
about plastic. Explain that in the first listening they
should just take notes on the main points.
• Before starting, ask how they will know when a
main point is about to be given (signalling words
like first, second, next, now I want to talk about …).
• After the first listening, give them time to check
answers in pairs before doing class feedback.
• Before the second listening, tell them to make
detailed notes about each point this time. Explain
that each main point has causes, effects and
examples, which they need to note down.
• After listening a second time, students compare
notes in pairs before doing a class check.
• If students find this difficult, refer them to Audio
script 12.2 on page 181 to add to their notes.
• Do class feedback.
Today’s a sad day, the birthday of the discovery
of polythene, the basic constituent of plastic
bags. Plastic is made from oil. It is part of our
dependence on this raw material, a dependence
which leads to pollution and the destruction of
the natural environment. It takes at least 1,000
years for plastic to decompose. As a result, it
takes up space in landfill sites, and is harmful to
wildlife, who mistake it for food or get caught in
it. There is a floating island of plastic trash in
the Pacific and it also ends up as micro-particles
in the food chain and as rubbish on beaches.
To limit the use of plastic, we must stop using
plastic bags or coffee cups, or buying over-
packaged food.
So, why shouldn’t we celebrate its birthday? Allow
me to explain. Erm, well, first of all, polythene, and
most other plastic, is made from oil, and it’s all part
of our dependence on this raw material, and that’s
a dependence which leads to pollution and the
destruction of the natural environment. The oil
industry’s one of the most polluting industries that
we have, and our excessive use of plastic only
encourages that industry. We should aim for an
oil-free society.
Secondly, plastic simply doesn’t go away or, at
least, it takes an incredibly long time to do so, with
some estimates that it takes 1,000 years for a plastic
bag to decompose. This causes untold numbers of
problems. Plastic waste takes up valuable space in
our landfill rubbish disposal sites, but more
importantly, it has a direct effect on wildlife.
Animals and birds eat plastic by mistake or get
caught up in plastic cables and bags and suffocate
to death. There are so many depressing images of
dead birds that have been cut open to reveal guts
that are filled with plastic. What right do we have
to inflict this harm on animals? We share this
world and we need to share it responsibly.
This problem, though, is no better exemplified than
in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where there is a
floating island of plastic trash, but this island is
twice the size of the state of Texas. That’s right,
twice the size of Texas. This is only the most
extreme example as all of our oceans are teeming
with plastic waste. And furthermore, some of this
stuff slowly breaks down into tiny micro-particles,
which either are ingested by marine animals,
animals that we then later eat, or gather on our
beaches as plastic sand. So, we’re actually eating
plastic and we’ll soon be sunbathing on plastic
beaches. We have done this to our lovely planet
and we need to stop.

Audio script 12.2 So, stop using plastic bags, stop using coffee cups
with plastic lids, stop buying over-packaged food.
Today is something’s birthday, something which
If we all do so, perhaps we’ll no longer see the
we probably all use every day, but, er, I’m afraid
depressing and heartbreaking images of birds
that this isn’t a happy day of celebration. This is a
building nests for their young out of plastic, or, or
sad birthday, a birthday which would be better if it
turtles mistaking plastic bags for food as they look
wasn’t, because today’s the birthday of the plastic
like jellyfish. This is all too sad and it needs to stop.
bag. Erm, to be exact, it’s seventy-five years since
polyethylene was discovered, by cruel chance, by 2bDo this question quickly as a class discussion.
two scientists in the UK. Polyethylene, more
commonly known as polythene, is the basic
constituent of plastic bags.

New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature 5

READING
3 Refer students to the text and give them about one
and a half minutes to read it and answer the
questions individually before doing class feedback.
1 Plastic. The writer thinks it is a wonderful
discovery and material.
2 assertive and confident; disparaging/critical of
those who speak against plastic
3 a comments page on an internet science site
4a Critical thinking: Evaluating arguments. Tell
students that each paragraph has a key point and
give them five minutes to do this task individually.
• Allow them time to check in pairs and decide on
the answers, making sure they rewrite the main
point in their own words rather than just lifting it
from the text.
• Check answers as a class then ask students, in
pairs, to compare these notes with those from the
listening. How do the points relate to each other?
• Allow about three minutes then do class feedback.
A Plastic is unfairly disparaged; it is a valuable
material. Runs contrary to everything in the
podcast.
B Plastic is a miracle material and it would be
impossible to live without it. The podcast
writer says we can and should live with less
plastic.
C The materials plastic replaces, e.g. glass and
metals, are at least as bad for the
environment. Not addressed in the podcast.
D Plastic is made from the by-products of oil
refining, which would otherwise go to waste.
According to the podcast writer, plastic
contributes a lot to our dependence on oil.
E All plastic can be recycled. Some of it is now
biodegradable. In any case, plastic only
makes up five percent of rubbish. According to
the podcast writer, there is a huge amount of
plastic trash in the world. It takes a very long time
to decompose and even when it does, it ends up
poisoning the food chain.
F Plastic gets a bad press because it is
unsightly, but visual pollution is one of the
least serious threats to us. The podcast writer
finds it sad to see birds building nests out of plastic,
or beaches covered in plastic.
G The writer is a well-informed scientist, and
wishes a happy birthday to polythene. The
podcast writer thinks this birthday is a sad day.
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
4b Read the four points and check for understanding.
• Students then discuss in pairs and decide if these
facts undermine the reading text. Give them no
more than four or five minutes to do this.
• Then do class feedback.
If you are short on time, do the whole exercise as a
class discussion.
1, 2 and 4
4c Refer students to Audio script 12.2 on page 181 and
give them four minutes to evaluate the strengths
and weaknesses of the argument.
• They compare ideas in pairs before a class check.
Evaluation comments:
• strong rhetorical style, with persuasive and
emotive language at times
• clear presentation of arguments against
plastic
• Many claims are made and often they appear
credible and checkable, e.g. decomposition
rates, the island of trash.
• Strong points of argument might include the
visible effect on nature and the way the food
cycle could bring the plastic back to our tables.
• Weak points may be not considering current
efforts to limit plastic use, not recognising that
replacement materials might have (greater)
disadvantages, perhaps being over-reliant on
emotive language, which might undermine
credibility.
5 Do this as a quick class discussion. Make sure
students justify their opinions.
VOCABULARY: informal phrases
Make sure students have monolingual dictionaries
available to them for this activity.
6 Refer students back to the reading text. How is it
written? Does it use formal or informal language?
Why does it use informal language? (to make
scientific information easier to understand, to make
the writer sound less a specialist and more like an
ordinary person)
• Students do the task individually, then check in
pairs before class feedback.
1 I’ve had it up to here 2 tree-huggers
3 spout 4 to bother 5 bonkers 6 wheeled out
7 anti-plastic brigade 8 (a bit of a) rant
6
7 Read through the instructions and make sure
students understand that they may have to adapt
the words and the sentences to make them correct.
• Give the students two minutes to do the activity
individually before doing a class check.
1 bonkers 2 had it up to here 3 rant
4 be bothered
8 Put students in pairs to do this task.
• Make sure they have their monolingual dictionaries
to help them make the vocabulary more formal.
• Give them five minutes before doing a class check.
rubbish: unfounded attacks
green: environmentally acceptable
point of fact: as a matter of fact
stuff: material
every last bit of it: the totality of it
GRAMMAR: cohesion 2
(substitution)
9a Write the following sentence on the board: If I had a
car, I would use a car to drive to work. Ask students if
it sounds right.
• Explain that we need to change something in the
text to make it sound more natural. Elicit what
needs to be changed (the second a car to it).
• Explain that this is an example of substitution, a
device used to make what we say more natural.
For classes in universities and university
preparation courses, highlight the importance of
using substitution in their writing. Explain that a
good writer often replaces words or phrases to
avoid repetition and to improve the cohesive
quality of a text.
• Explain the different forms of substitution before
giving students three minutes to do the activity.
• Allow time for them to check in pairs before doing
a class check.
Students may have some difficulty with the
concept of substitution. If so, do the first and maybe
the second types as a class, i.e. check students
understand the form of substitution and then as a
class choose the right example. When students
understand this, they can do the rest of the exercise.
1b 2d 3e 4c 5a
Students can look at the Language reference on page
148 and do Exercise G1–1 on page 149 either in class
or for homework.
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
9bGive students three or four minutes to do this
activity in pairs, then do a class check.
A this one: this site; it doesn’t: it doesn’t mark
the lowest point in human civilisation; the
plastic one: the plastic age B substance:
material; did before: made advances before; too
many: too many advances; doing so: living
without it C Mining: Extracting; making:
producing; chemicals: substances; others: other
materials; I reckon not: I reckon they don’t pose
any more problems E can be: can be recycled;
the stuff: plastic; we could: we could recycle it;
Will we: Will we recycle it; I hope so: I hope we
will recycle it; the same: the same percentage
F the visual sort: the visual sort of pollution;
don’t: but that we don’t worry about; I think
not: I think it doesn’t matter G one: rant
10 Students rewrite the sentences individually.
• Give them time to compare ideas in pairs before
doing a class check. Discuss all alternatives.
1 Is plastic a wonder material? I thought it was/I
thought so until I listened to the podcast.
2 Poor heat resistance is a weakness of
biodegradable plastic, and its lack of strength is
another. 3 It is important to re-use plastic bags.
If you do (so), you are actively reducing waste.
4 Chemical leaching may be a problem caused
by plastic, but I’m not sure it is a serious one.
5 We manufacture so many things out of plastic.
We make carpets and clothes. We produce
components for cars and computers. How could
we live without it?
SPEAKING
11 Divide students into groups of three or four.
• Give them six minutes to discuss the points before
class feedback. Note useful language on the board.
WRITING
12 Refer back to the three questions in Exercise 11 and
ask students to select one of them.
• Then suggest students brainstorm and note down
further ideas. Tell them to make a brief plan of
what they are going to write, the number of
paragraphs and the main contents of each. Remind
them to use substitution and informal language.
• The writing itself can be done in class or, ideally,
for homework. Set a word limit of 180–200 words.
7
MEET THE EXPERT
1 Students match the words with their meanings
individually, check in pairs and then as a class.
• Then ask them to write their own sentences using
the words, either in class or for homework.
1 arterial disease 2 microbe 3 feedstock
4 biomass 5 landfill 6 biodegradable
2 Give students one minute to read the questions and
predict answers before playing the video.
• Students compare answers before class feedback.
1b 2 b, c, e
3 Give students two or three minutes to complete the
notes individually. Remind them to consider the
parts of speech around each gap to help them
complete it.
• After playing the video a second time, let students
compare answers. Elicit the first answer and then
play the video until the next answer, and so on.
1 engineering, molecular 2 apps/applications,
mobile phone 3 abnormality 4 Arterial
disease 5 liver cancer 6 oil 7 sustainable
8 biological device 9 real 10 live off
4 Put students in groups to discuss the questions.
For classes preparing for IELTs/PTE-A, set the
second question as a homework essay question.
Set a time limit of 40 minutes and a word limit of
250–280 words (IELTS) or 200–300 words (PTE-A).
Meet the expert video
Professors Richard Kitney and Paul Freemont of
the Imperial College, London
R: I’m Professor Richard Kitney. I work at Imperial
College. Uh, I’m the co-director of the centre for
Synthetic Biology and Innovation and I’m a
biological engineer.
P: I’m Paul Freemont and I’m a professor at
Imperial College. I’m also a co-director of the
Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation.
My background is molecular and structural
biology.
R: In simple terms, synthetic biology is the
engineering of biology. Uh, at the moment what
happens is that we work with bacterial DNA
and bacterial cells. Uh, we modify the bacterial
DNA so that when you put the DNA into the
cell, the cell responds. In normal cells, what
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
happens is that they respond to natural DNA,
but in synthetic biology, you design the DNA so
that the cell responds in a particular way to
produce, for example, a device.
P: Um, synthetic biology is bringing together the
engineering design principles with molecular
biology – it’s very unique in that sense. And so
what, uh, it allows us to do is to think about
designing, um, new cells that have new
functions, but based on designing the actual
genetic material that goes in those cells. If you
could imagine your mobile phone and you have
the operating system that runs your mobile
phone, what synthetic biologists are doing is
that they’re putting in sort of apps, if you like,
small applications which also run on your
phone, but those, those run on the same
principles, so, so there’s a sort of interesting
analogy there.
R: In terms of benefits that synthetic biology will
deliver, I think an interesting area is healthcare.
And one example that, uh, we are actually
working on is the combination of what we call a
bio-sensor – this is something that detects some
sort of an abnormality – and a device which
delivers a drug to a specific point in the body.
So to give an example of this, uh, two areas, one
is arterial disease, which kills thirty percent of
the population. Uh, at the moment, what
happens is that, um, uh, drugs are injected into
the system, its circulation, it circulates around
the body. And then if they find some arterial
disease, then they have a fairly muted effect.
With synthetic biology, it’s possible to build a
device which is specifically designed to seek
out, uh, the arterial plaque. Once it seeks out the
arterial plaque, it locks onto it – this is the
diseased tissue – and then it instructs a, what’s
called a, a nano-cage – this is a small ball which
holds the drug – and, and the nano-cage opens
and releases the drug at the sight of the, uh,
arterial disease. And this is a much more
effective way of delivering drugs, um, and that’s
an example of what is being developed in terms
of synthetic biology. Another example, which is
directly equivalent is, uh, doing the same thing
but for, say, liver cancer, where, um, you can
actually target the individual, uh, cells which
are cancerous and latch onto those and then
release a cytotoxic drug.
P: Other examples of synthetic biology, in terms of
having societal, uh, impact, if you like, is
8
 actually trying to think about ways of
sustainability about how we live in a modern
planet, where we have, natural resources are
very limiting. And so what synthetic biology is
trying to do is develop, um, solutions to how
you manufacture things like chemicals,
commodity chemicals, fragrances,
pharmaceutics. At the moment, all of that’s
done through chemistry, synthetic chemistry. So
using petroleum and oil as a sort of, if you like,
food stock, to create all of the chemical diversity
that we take for granted, all the plastics,
everything in this room, for example, has come
from chemistry. So what, but that’s not
sustainable, uh, because there isn’t, you know,
we need to think about some more
environmental ways that we can make
everything we take for granted. So synthetic
biology will, uh, create sort of, sort of some
microbes, if you like, which will act like cell
factories, and they will start producing these
chemicals that we require. And the feedstock,
will not necessarily be oil – well, it won’t be oil –
but it could be all sorts of things, like waste, it
could be sunlight, it could be other types of
biomass that we burn – could actually then feed
these factories to produce these chemicals. So
it’s trying to move away from synthetic
chemistry into a completely different world.
R: iGEM is an international student competition,
which is typically run every summer, uh, from
the beginning of July through to October, with,
uh, what is called the World Jamboree, at MIT,
in the first, during the first weekend of
November. Various teams around the world –
there were actually, last year there were two
hundred and thirty-seven teams from
universities all round the world – uh, take part
in the competition. Some teams, like ours,
comprise maybe eight or ten undergraduates,
other teams may have twenty-five. But what the
competition is about is, uh, designing some kind
of biological device or machine or something
like that which does something. So, for example,
in our team last year our student team came up
with the idea of breaking down landfill plastic
to make, uh, bi-, bio-, biodegradable plastic.
P: Last year’s team was particularly, uh, great.
They’re all great, but last year’s was very good.
Uh, because what they decided to do was to
take a real problem, a real life problem, which
is: what do we do with non- recyclable plastic?
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
It’s actually a very huge problem on the planet.
When they delved into this, and I didn’t know
this either actually, it was really interesting, but
it turns out that we ship a lot of this, called SRF,
which is a sort of solid, um, non-recyclable,
plastic waste, across to Holland and they burn
it to create energy, um, and they incinerate it –
also all round Europe. So – or it goes into
landfill, but it’s a non-recyclable waste product.
So when they looked into it, well, wouldn’t it be
great if we could take that, take some
engineered organisms that could live off that
and then convert whatever energy that gives
them into a product like a bio-plastic or a
renewable plastic. And, and so they created
that, they did that. So natural organisms do
produce polymers, which are equivalent to
plastics. And there’s a huge area of interest
about bio-plastics and, and how we can, you
know, start using them in a more sustainable
way. But then the students took it another level;
they also worked out how to degrade and
recycle that plastic. So when you’re finished
with your recyclable plastic object and you
want to make another one, take the object, feed
it into this sort of, you know, process and get
the bugs to break it down, and then you can
produce another plastic, which you could create
into another object. So it was a beautiful project.
Anyway, it came third in the whole world, so
we’re very excited by that.
HOMEWORK OPTIONS
Students do Exercises G1–2 and V2–6 on page 149 in
the Language reference.
Students do the reading, grammar, listening and
pronunciation exercises for this lesson in
MyEnglishLab. They can also do the MyEnglishLab
video activities after this point.
9
12.3 BUSY BEES
IN THIS LESSON
Lesson topic and staging
This lesson looks at bees and their importance to
human beings. Students begin by talking about insects
in general and bees in particular. They then read the
blurb and extracts from a book about bees. This leads
to a vocabulary task about collective nouns. The book
extracts provide examples for the grammar focus,
which is on nominalisation. Finally students discuss a 2b Students will need monolingual dictionaries.
variety of issues related to insect symbolism, farming, • Give students three minutes to find out the
organic food, and animal and insect life.
Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will have:
• discussed insects and then a quote on bees
• read for gist and specific information
• focused on persuasive techniques
• revised and practised collective nouns
• studied and practised nominalisation
• discussed a variety of nature-related issues.
Timings
If short of time, omit Exercise 3c or set Exercises 4b,
5c or 5d for homework.
Possible lesson break: after Exercise 3c or 4b.
SPEAKING
1a Start by giving students two minutes to list all the
insects they know (in English), then put them in
pairs and give them a minute to combine their lists. 3bIn this exercise students locate where different
• Give the class three minutes to fill the board with as
many names of insects as they can think of. Check
they understand them all before giving them three
minutes to discuss the questions in pairs.
• Do class feedback.
1bGive students a few seconds to read the quote.
• Check understanding, then have a quick class
discussion.
The quote suggests that human life is dependent
on bees (for pollination).
READING
2a Before doing this activity, elicit what a blurb is.
• At this stage, do not correct what students say or
give extra information.
A blurb is a short description of a book, film or
other item, which is written in order to promote it.
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
• Give students two minutes to read and do the task
individually before analysing the text as a class.
It paints a dramatic picture of the situation of
bees (a situation that holds across the globe and
so is relevant to everyone) and the consequences
of their disappearance on humans, using
striking figures and emotional words and
mentioning controversial issues. It finishes with
a question, enticing the reader to want to know
more.
meaning of the words in their dictionaries.
• Then do the activity as a class discussion. Check
that they have understood all the words and make
sure they give justifications for their answer.
Apocalyptic: it presents the disappearance of bees
as a catastrophe that threatens the very
existence of our world.
3a Tell students they are now going to read extracts
from the book itself and read the instructions
together. Explain that extracts B–E come from
different parts of the book.
• Give students three minutes to do the task
individually and then time to check in pairs.
• Do class feedback, ensuring they give justifications.
B3 C1 D2 E1
aspects are mentioned. Give them five minutes to
complete the task individually.
• During class feedback, check answers and get
students to justify their choices.
1 D 2 B 3 A 4 C 5 E 6 A 7 E (Also A,
although we don’t know from the text whether
this is a recent phenomenon.) 8 A 9 C and E
10 E (possibly D)
3c Ask students what they think the central argument
of the book is then give them up to four minutes to
write their opinion in a one-sentence statement.
• Let them compare in pairs before doing feedback.
• Ask students if they know of similar problems of
animals/insects dying out or multiplying and so
causing problems in our lives (e.g. the increase in
mosquitoes and mosquito habitats is creating a
higher malaria risk).
10
VOCABULARY: collective nouns
Students may need monolingual dictionaries.
4aFocus students’ attention on the box of phrases and
look at the example together.
• Students then complete the phrases individually
before checking in pairs without using dictionaries.
• During class feedback, students can check in their
dictionaries if necessary.
2 bunch 3 pack 4 herd 5 shoal 6 flock
7 set 8 group
4bGive students a minute to complete the sentences
individually before doing class feedback.
• Encourage students to create more sentences orally,
using the remaining collective nouns.
1 a herd of elephants 2 shoals of fish
3 bunches of flowers/grapes
GRAMMAR: nominalisation
5a Focus students’ attention on the rule and then give
them two minutes to complete the activity.
5dStudents complete the sentences individually.
• Go through the answers as a whole class. Explain
• Students check in pairs before class feedback. Make
the process being focused on is called nominalisation
and elicit how the two sentences have been
modified to allow the change from verb to noun.
nouns, verbs
5bGive students three minutes to do the activity
individually, then three minutes to check ideas in
pairs before doing class feedback.
• Elicit the reasons for using nominalisation.
For classes in universities and university
preparation courses, explain that nominalisation
helps keep writing formal and impersonal.
• Refer students to the Language reference on page
148 and give them one minute to check their ideas.
Possible answers:
A pollination: relies on honeybees pollinating
plants B sight: to something we rarely see;
inspection: if we inspect more closely, we realise
that C ability: because she is able to; record:
humans’ earliest use of honey is recorded in a
cave painting D demands: with its
monocultures and pesticides has become
unreasonably demanding of the honeybees
themselves; resistance: as they find it difficult to
resist poisons and pollutants
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
E need: meant households in the land didn’t all
need to have; industrialisation: But as the
country became increasingly industrialised;
symbol of/work/acceptance: which symbolised
the importance of both working hard and
accepting the social order; decoration: many
buildings were decorated with bees
Students look at the Language reference on page
148 and do Exercise G2–3 on page 149.
5c Read the instructions with the students and direct
them to the Grammar tip. Check they understand
everything before doing the task individually.
• Give them three minutes and then do a class check.
1 The attempt by America to keep out many life-
threatening diseases failed. 2 The Trans-
Siberian railway could be responsible for the
disappearance of many honeybees.
3 Argentina is the world’s major exporter of
honey. 4 The loss of flowers and nesting sites
is the result of excessive mowing of
embankments, roadsides and public areas.
sure they have the full list of possible answers.
Possible answers:
1 was an improvement in 2 a quick/rapid/swift
recovery from 3 a full account/explanation of
4 were explosions
SPEAKING
6 Divide students into five groups (or three if you
have less than 15 students). Arrange the groups in
circles of chairs and allocate one issue per group.
• Appoint one person to be the monitor in each
group. Tell them they must record all the points
made and ask questions to stimulate discussion.
• Give the groups three minutes. Then each group
relocates clockwise (except the monitors) and
discusses the next issue for three minutes.
• At the end, monitors give feedback to the class.
HOMEWORK OPTIONS
Students do Exercise V3–7 on page 149 in the
Language reference.
Students do the vocabulary, reading and grammar
exercises for this lesson in MyEnglishLab.
11
12.4 SCENARIO:
ASK THE PANEL
IN THIS LESSON
Lesson topic and staging
This lesson provides practise in referring to what
other people said. Students take part in a panel
discussion on issues relating to science and society
and begin by discussing their knowledge of the
subjects to be discussed. They then read the profiles of
panel members and listen to the panel discussion on
the first question. This provides examples of the Key
language for referring to what other people said
which students analyse and practise. Finally, the
students’ task is to play a role in a panel discussion.
Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will have:
• pooled what they know on issues relating to
science and society
• listened for gist and taken notes
• listened to and practised using language for
referring to what other people have said
• taken part in a role-play panel discussion.
Timings
Possible lesson break: after Exercise 3 or 5.
SITUATION
1 Direct students to the title of the lesson and ask
what a panel is and where they might see a panel
discussion. Then refer to the pictures and ask: What
do you think the panel discussion will be about?
• After students have read the situation, ask
questions to check understanding, e.g. What sort of
people take part? What is this week’s topic?
• They then work in small groups and look at the
topics, noting down what they know about each
one and possible sub-topics that might be covered.
• Do a class discussion and pool ideas.
2a Ask students to read the profiles in pairs and check
they understand who is who as a class.
2bGo through the instructions and ask students to
predict each panel member’s view on genetic
engineering, matching the statements and speakers.
• Play the recording once only for them to check.
• Play the recording again before doing a class check.
During the second listening, students take notes on
any examples or supporting ideas that are given.
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
1 Bill Patterson 2 Indira Patel 3 Indira Patel
4 David Perez 5 Molly Chang 6 Molly Chang
Audio script 12.3
Chair, Indira, David, Bill, Molly
C: So, the first question is, do the panel agree that
genetic engineering, in particular the genetic
modification of plants and animals that we eat,
should be halted due to the potential for
unforeseen future dangers that it might cause
for us and the planet? Well, certainly, this
matter still raises a lot of controversy. GM
foods are banned in many countries and the
science is probably still relatively young.
Indira Patel, what are your thoughts?
I: Well, you won’t be surprised to hear that I
disagree with the basic tenet of the question
that is this research should be halted. Genetic
engineering may mean we can actually feed
everyone on this planet, something we are
significantly failing to do at the moment. Rice
that requires less water; cows that produce
higher yields of milk; potatoes that are
resistant to disease. That’s what genetic
modification means and I believe that is
something we should strive for. How many
more children do we want to see on our TV
screens dying of starvation?
C: David, what do you have to say?
D: Well, as Indira said, this, er, research certainly
shouldn’t be halted, although, although, I
mean, that’s not to say that it shouldn’t be
heavily controlled and carefully managed.
Which is, which is really the situation we have
now and I think that if those safeguards
continue, well, er, we, erm, we have little to,
er, worry about, really.
C: OK, I imagine you might have a different
view, Bill. Am I right?
B: What David said about current safeguards
might sound reasonable, however, he seems to
be forgetting that not all countries engaged in
GM food production have exactly the same
standards as us. And don’t forget, genetic
engineering of food is really about business,
not science and not academia. This means that
profit is the driving force and we all know that
profit causes a blindness when it comes to
potential dangers. Can we really trust
scientists who are working for profit-driven
multinationals?
12
 I: Hold on, hold on a minute. If I understand you
correctly, you’re saying that science-based
businesses can’t be trusted. That is patently
absurd. You trust pharmaceutical companies,
don’t you? They’re just as driven by profit as
an agrochemical company. It would hardly be
good for profit if they did produce something
that was a danger to society, would it?
C: Before you respond to Indira, Bill, could I just
bring Molly in here?
B: Well, I’d like to give an immediate answer,
actually.
C: I understand, but I think we should hear from
Molly first. Molly?
M: Thank you. First of all, could I just pick up on
something that Indira said about feeding the
world’s population? She claimed that genetic
engineering will enable us to feed the world,
suggesting that that wasn’t currently possible.
Well, while it may be true that many millions
of people are suffering from starvation or poor
diets, that isn’t because there isn’t enough
food. It’s because the world’s food is divided
unequally. We could feed everyone now if
there was the political and commercial will to
do so. And I would predict that the current
inequality would continue even if we had GM
food. The whole thing is merely another
attempt by big business to make bigger profits
And another thing regarding Indira’s
argument that we trust pharmaceutical
companies, so therefore we can trust
agrochemical or bio-engineering firms. I’m not
sure that that is a fair argument and perhaps
we should return to what the original question
said, which was that there are unforeseen
dangers. The problem is that we don’t know
what will happen once genetically engineered
organisms co-exist with natural ones. Will they
inter-breed to produce defective species,
making the food situation even worse? Will
one cause the extinction of the other? These
kind of issues can’t be answered in the lab, but
they are real, fair and important questions.
And so, can we really go on with this research?
3 Do this as a class discussion. Make sure students
give reasons for their opinions.
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
KEY LANGUAGE: referring to what
other people have said
4 Give students three minutes to complete the
activity individually then play the recording once
only for checking.
• During class feedback elicit the purpose of the
missing phrases.
• Play the extracts again, pausing after each one, so
students can practise saying them. Remind them to
take a breath when there is a comma.
For classes preparing for PTE-A, this is good
practice for the Speaking text where students are
required to listen to and repeat a sentence as they
hear it using the correct pronunciation.
1 b, as, said 2 c, What, said 3 e, understand,
correctly 4 d, pick up 5 f, claimed, suggesting
6 a, return, what
5 Give students four minutes to complete this activity
individually or in pairs.
• Do class feedback and in each case, ask students to
try and reword the wrong example.
1a 2b 3b 4a 5a 6a
TASK: taking part in a panel
discussion
6a Tell students that they are now going to have a
panel discussion and divide them into groups of
five (if you need a group of four, remove Student
C’s role card) and label the students A–E.
• Direct them to their role cards and give them a few
seconds to read them before directing them to the
producer’s notes.
• Give them seven minutes to read the questions,
check understanding and brainstorm what they
want to say, taking notes in preparation for their
panel discussion. Monitor and help as needed.
6bReform the groups so that each group has one of
each A–E students. Remind students to take turns
at being the chair and focus on the special language
needed for that role.
• Refer them to the Useful phrases box, check
understanding and perhaps practise pronunciation.
• Students now debate question 1, on nuclear energy.
Check they know who the chair is for that question
and give them four minutes for their discussion.
Monitor, taking notes for later feedback.
13
• After four minutes, tell groups to move on to the
next question and check which student is the chair.
• Repeat until they have finished the questions.
• Then do a class feedback. Comment on any aspects
observed during monitoring.
Give groups two points for using Key language
correctly and one for Useful phrases.
Students write an argumentative essay (with a
refutation paragraph) on one of the debate
questions. Ask them to provide evidence from
research on the Internet and remind them to
reference and paraphrase as needed. For students
preparing for the IELTS/PTE-A, set a time limit of
40 minutes and a word limit of 250–280 words
(IELTS) or 200–300 words (PTE-A). Remind them
to check their words and include substitution as
covered in lesson 12.2.
HOMEWORK OPTIONS
Students do Exercise KL–4 on page 149 in the
Language reference.
Students do the reading, useful phrases, listening and
Key language exercises for this lesson in
MyEnglishLab.
12.5 STUDY AND
WRITING SKILLS
IN THIS LESSON
Lesson topic and staging
This lesson is in two parts. In the first part, the focus is • Then discuss as a class, writing ideas on the board.
examination skills. Students begin by revising
examination-related vocabulary and discussing their
own experience. They next consider exam culture and • Play the recording once, then take class feedback.
how to prepare for an English exam. They listen to a
discussion between a student and a teacher and then
write some exam tips. In the second part, the focus is
on how to write a personal statement. Students
discuss what information is needed then analyse
someone else’s personal statement. They look at how
to conclude a statement and finally write their own.
Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will have:
• studied and practised examination skills
• discussed exams and how they deal with stress
• compared general exam culture with their own
• listened for gist and specific information
• written exam tips
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
• considered what to include in a personal statement
and how to end one
• analysed and then written a personal statement.
Timings
If short of time, set Exercises 5c and 10 for homework.
Possible lesson break: after Exercise 5c.
STUDY SKILLS: examination skills
1 Tell students that they will start the lesson by
checking basic vocabulary about exams.
• Give them two minutes to do the task individually,
then time to check in pairs before class feedback.
• Then ask them to reread the first two statements
and decide if they agree or disagree, and why.
1 revision 2 legibly, cross out 3 compulsory
4 invigilator, candidates, cheat
2 Put students in pairs and give them three or four
minutes to discuss the questions.
• Then do a quick class check and discuss any exam
techniques or things students do for good luck.
3 Look at the five points and explain that these are
rules for international English language exams.
For classes preparing for IELTS/PTE-A, elicit other
general points they should be aware of, e.g.
writing the answer only in the format stated.
• Ask them to think in pairs/threes about whether
these rules apply to exams in their own country.
• Do a class discussion and elicit ideas.
4 Discuss the questions as a class.
• Give pairs two minutes to think of other questions.
5a Explain the scenario and give students time to read
the questions before doing the activity individually.
An English language exam, like IELTS. It will
involve essay writing, gap-filling, a listening
test, a speaking test, a reading test.
Audio script 12.4 and answer key to Exercise 5b
(underlined)
Don, Thérèse
D: Right, I don’t think we’ve got time for any
more today, so that’s it – and see you
Thursday. Have a nice afternoon! Enjoy the
sunshine while it lasts.
T: Er, Don?
D: Yes, Thérèse?
14

T: Well, I was wondering if, er … could you give
me some advice?
D: Some advice?
T: Yeah, about exams. What’s the best way of
doing them? Could you tell me what I should
and shouldn’t do?
D: Er, well, it’s pretty difficult just to give general
advice like that. Erm, I suppose, I mean,
you’ve looked at some past exam papers?
T: Yes, but I don’t feel very confident.
D: Don’t worry if you feel a bit nervous. It’s a good
thing and will actually sharpen you up a bit –
as long as it’s kept under control. Oh, and,
erm, check out the exam centre in advance.
You’re doing it at Westminster, aren’t you?
T: Yes.
D: Well, do you know the best way to go, how
long it takes?
T: I went to register there.
D: OK, well, basically, just allow plenty of time.
You know what the Tube’s like. Erm, oh, this
is an important one. Don’t just start writing. If
you’re doing an essay, that is. I don’t know
how many times I’ve seen that. You have to
make a plan. If you’ve got forty minutes to
write the essay, spend at least ten minutes on
the plan. If you do that, it’s much easier to
write quickly afterwards. I always say this to
my classes, but it’s amazing how many
students just start writing. It’s the pressure, I
guess. What else? Oh, don’t watch other
students. Just focus on your own work. And,
read the whole text before you try to answer a
question. You know, if you’re doing an
exercise filling the blanks, always read the
whole text quickly first before you do
anything. Then you can see the context. Again,
lots of students just start filling in the gaps
without having any idea what the text is really
about. Yeah, this is another important one.
Take a long-term view. You may need to do
the exam more than once. I know it’s
expensive, but basically, the first time is often
just about getting the experience, so you know
what it’s like. Then the second time you can
really go and get the grade that reflects your
level. Erm, and don’t expect everything to be
perfect. A few years ago, we had a student
who complained that she couldn’t concentrate
during the listening test because the
invigilator, who was wearing high heels, kept
pacing up and down and making a load of
New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature
noise. You have to be ready for stuff like that
and not let it faze you. The oral examiners are
usually friendly, but you may get one who
isn’t or who’s tired. So, don’t be afraid to ask
them to repeat the question or to clarify it if
you don’t understand. Students sometimes
complain about traffic noise from the street.
Ah, you just have to focus, concentrate.
T: Thank you very much, Don.
D: I’m not sure what else I can say. Oh yeah,
make sure you attempt all the questions.
Especially in the reading test. One of the
problems many students have is that they
can’t finish all the reading passages – they run
out of time. They spend too long on one or two
passages and don’t have time for the rest. But
you need to keep going. If you meet a tricky
question, think about it for a minute. If you
can’t find the answer, move on. Come back to
it later if you have time. You have to try to get
through all the passages. If there are three
passages and you only do two, you
automatically lose a third of the marks. Er, I
can’t think of anything else at the moment.
T: Thank you so much.
D: Does that all make sense?
5bTell students to note the advice Thérèse is given.
• Play the recording once only and then give
students time to check their notes in pairs.
• Elicit answers from the class and ask if they have
any additional advice they would offer.
See Audio script 12.4 for underlined answers.
5c This can be done in class or for homework.
• Students can work individually or in pairs.
WRITING SKILLS: a personal
statement
6 Students may not be familiar with personal
statements, so spend a bit of time on this as a class.
• Ask students what they do when they see an advert
for a job they are interested in. Most will talk about
sending a CV and a covering letter.
• Explain that nowadays employers and admission
tutors often prefer a personal statement.
• Elicit what a personal statement is and what sort of
information it might include.
A personal statement can be defined as a
student’s opportunity to tell universities and
15
 colleges about their suitability for the course
1 successful, seize, variety
they hope to study. In their statement,
2 play, few, gain, fight
applicants describe their background, relevant
experience and skills, demonstrate their 10 Go through the instructions with the class and
enthusiasm and commitment and, above all, try check understanding.
to ensure that they stand out from the crowd. • The writing can be done in class or for homework.
• Next, divide students into groups of three and
7a Check students understand the instructions, then
collect in the personal statements.
give them five minutes to make notes.
• Give the statements of one group to another to read
7bPut students in pairs to compare notes.
and choose which they think is the best and why.
• Students take turns to ask and answer questions on
Remind them they will need to give feedback.
what they have written. Tell them to make notes of
• Round up by discussing the strengths and
their partner’s answers as they will need them later.
weaknesses of the different personal statements
7c Direct students to the text. Give them five minutes
and how they could be improved.
to identify (individually) where the writer gives the
If students are preparing for academic studies in an
information required from Exercise 7a.
English-speaking country, obtain copies of the
• Students check in pairs before class feedback.
personal statement documents they need to use for
their applications, e.g. a UCAS application for a UK
para 1: 1 para 2: 4 para 3: 2 para 4: 2, 7 university. For homework, students could complete
para 5: 5 para 6: 6 para 7: 1 a photocopied version of the relevant document,
8 First read through the eight features in the exercise. which could then be checked and improved on in
• Check understanding, then put students into pairs time for their university application.
to analyse the text. Give them about ten minutes to
do this, as it is quite difficult.
HOMEWORK OPTIONS
• Next, put pairs into groups of four to check and Students do the vocabulary, study skills, writing and
finally, discuss as a class. academic collocations exercises for this lesson in
MyEnglishLab. This is also a good time to do the
1 Yes. She demonstrates a lot of enthusiasm MyEnglishLab video activities.
when writing about her university course, her
love of travelling and her interest in the English
language. 2 Yes. She mentions her
environmental concerns and her commitment to
disadvantaged children, as well as her intention
to actively participate in the English course she
is applying for. 3 Yes. 4 Yes, although she
doesn’t clearly say what she is currently doing.
5 Yes, especially when she describes the
importance she attaches to the sea. 6 Yes. It is
well written throughout. 7 Yes, although for
some people, soak up the rich cultural life of a great
city may sound a little over the top.
8 Yes. She goes back to her interest in English
and makes a convincing case for being accepted
on the course.

9 Elicit what should be included in the conclusion of

a personal statement. Then ask students to read the
two conclusions and check their answers.
• Give students two minutes to complete the activity
individually before checking answers as a class.
• Ask why the other options are not suitable.
Students may need monolingual dictionaries.

New Language Leader Advanced Science and nature

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