UNIT 3

STATISTICS

STRATEGIES FOR
IN THIS UNIT YOU
LANGUAGE LANGUAGE FOCUS
WILL
LEARNING

• Describe trends. • Guessing meaning • Adjectives and adverbs.

• Give reasons for from context.
changes in • Filling in blanks. • Sequencing language.
performance. • Brainstorming.
• Word associations.
• Discriminating
information.
•WORD
Describing graphs. COMMUNICATIVE
SKILLS TO DEVELOP POWER
TASKS

• Listening for • Statistics • Information – gap

specific/general vocabulary. activities.
information. • Expressions. • Discussions.

• Speaking: describing Work:

a graph, discussing • Individual.
product sales and • Pair work.
giving reasons for • Small group work.
decrease/increase,
giving a short
presentation.

• Reading: skimming,
scanning, main and
supporting ideas.

• Writing: to
consolidate previous
knowledge.

1
 Statistics
Warm-up: look at the following graphs and match them to the statements.

A 1. There was a peak in customer

numbers

B 2. Customer numbers were irregular

3. Numbers fell steadily

C

D 4. There was a steep rise in customer

numbers

5. There was a slight dip in customer

E numbers

6. Customer numbers fluctuated wildly

F

G 7. Customer numbers plunged

H 8. Customer numbers fluctuated slightly

2
Read the above statements again and underline all the vocabulary which
describes an upward ( ↑ ) or downward ( ↓ ) movement.

Now look at the statements of this graph and do the same.

My work graph
6
4
2
0
Mon Tues Wed Thurs Frid Sat Sun
Work

1. My work increased sharply on Monday because I had two classes.

2. My work decreased sharply on Wednesday because I had no classes.
3. It stayed the same on Thursday because I had no classes.
4. It increased sharply again on Friday because I had two classes again.
5. It decreased slightly on Saturday because I had one class.

Order the following time phrases into chronological order for a year (more
than one answer can be possible):

By the end of the year

At the beginning of the year
Halfway through the year
In February
At the end of April
In the last two months of 2020
In the first quarter
After June
Before August

3
A. These verbs describe trends. Put them under the correct heading like
this:

soar - drop - remain unchanged - decline - rise - increase

- decrease - jump - remain stable - climb - plunge - fall -
plummet - peak - rocket - level out

/
Soar level out plummet

B. These adverbs describe the degree of change. Group them like this:

gradually - suddenly - slowly - steadily - slightly -

n dramatically - sharply - fast

+ ++ +++
____gradually____ ______________________ ____________________
_______________ __________________ _________________
_______________ __________________ _________________

To describe trends we can combine just the verbs under the columns (↓) or (↑)
with the adverbs above. It is not applied to the verbs under these columns: (↑↑),
(↓↓), or (↑/↓) because they are emphatic by themselves.

4
Now, look at these graphs showing the Online Book Sales.

Online Book Sales / 2020

140000
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0

November
October
May

July

December
February
March

August
June
January

September
April

Online Book Sales

140000
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

5
Use verbs and adverbs to write sentences related to the Online Book Sales
graphs, follow the examples:

1) In the year 2014, book sales increased dramatically.

2) In June sales peaked to 120.000 units.

3) From 2016 to 2017, sales of the book remained stable.

4) Sales fluctuated between January and July 2020.

5) __________________________________________________________

6) __________________________________________________________

7) __________________________________________________________

8) __________________________________________________________

9) __________________________________________________________

10) __________________________________________________________

Write these expressions under the graphs below.

a slight increase a sudden collapse a dramatic rise

a steady decline a gradual rise

200 150 150

150 100
100
100
50 50
50
0 0 0
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

__________________ _________________ _____________________

40 100 60
30 80
40
60
20
40 20
10
20
0 0 0
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

__________________ __________________ __________________

6
Circle the correct word in italics.

Demand for Copper declined gradual / gradually for five years. At the same
time, there was a sharp / sharply increase in competition among producers.
This caused a slight / slightly fall in prices throughout the world market. The
market grew sharp / sharply during the years that followed. Competition,
however, increased strong / strongly and kept prices very low.

LANGUAGE

Look at this statement from page 6.

Sales increased dramatically, where increased is the
_________________and dramatically is the __________________.
Can you guess the grammar rule?
_________________________________________________________

Look at this statement from page 6.

A sudden collapse, where collapse is the ___________ and sudden is the
_______________. Can you guess the grammar rule?
_________________________________________________________
 The verbs can be changed into nouns like these:
jump - rise - increase - decline - decrease - fall – drop - plunge
 The adverbs can be changed into adjectives like these:
gradual - slow - slight - steady - sudden - dramatic – sharp

Look back at the example “My work graph”. Choose a topic (or think of
your own topic) about your life from the “Possible topics” and draw your
graph. Then write five sentences about your graph.
Possible topics:

laziness / happiness / problems / weight / work / money / free time / sleep

7
 Listen to five managers describing the sales of Fizzo.
Complete the chart like this: (Track 05)

Area Profits Sales Reasons

United Kingdom ↑ ↑

Europe

America

Australia

Africa

Now listen again. Why did sales go up or down?

NEW TENDENCIES

Both employers and employees are essential components of every working

organization. Responding to changing circumstances, working conditions have
continued to develop.

Nowadays, it is not easy to find an employee who will remain at his/her

post, whether a factory, business, or bank for his/her working life. People
often move on, attracted by better opportunities. On the other hand, many
others lose their jobs because nowadays a machine can do the work of six
people. The advance of technology is astounding but knowledge has become
increasingly vast and it is not always accessible to everybody. Teamwork has
turned out to be the most efficient and intelligent solution; this technique
enables a group to improve its performance.

People learn to work together effectively and they combine efforts to

achieve a common goal. In business, as in other activities, the convergence
of opinions from different fields terms; helps to solve different problems,
facilitating greater understanding.

Isolation is no longer part of the business world. Partnership,

communication, and sharing are necessary elements.

8
Read the passage above and answer these questions in SPANISH:

1. Is it easy to find someone who works at the same post for his/her working life?

_____________________________________________________________

2. Why do people move on?

_____________________________________________________________

3. Why do people lose their jobs?

_____________________________________________________________

4. What technique enables a group to improve its performance?

_____________________________________________________________

5. What is no longer part of the business world?

_____________________________________________________________