SIOWUILOT quapuadepul 10} SIS Ysi}buy(Units oe unit 4. Units... | Unite... Unit 10... Vocabulary ‘The most frequently occurring English words: Band 4 . . High-frequency phrases Appendix: Answer key and audioscripts..... .. Acknowledgements,INTRODUCTION Welcome to English Skills for Independent Learners (C1). This book has been specially written for students at the Universidad Nacional de Educacién a Distancia, but it is hoped that it will also prove useful to others who want to progress from level 62 to level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Is it better to study English in class or by yourself? Some people are surprised to learn that many adult students learn more vocabulary and grammar, and improve their reading, writing, listening and even speaking skills more quickly when they study by themselves. Let's look at each of these skills in turn and see why this is, and how this book can help you learn English on your own. Vocabulary In the case of vocabulary, research suggests that upper-intermediate leamers need a vocabulary of over 6,000 words. Clearly, continuous, ambitious vocabulary learning is an ‘essential part of language learning, Building a vocabulary of that size requires sustained personal effort and focused learning. It is possible to save a lot of time when you study by yourself because you can concentrate on the specific words which you need to study. The research also suggests that bilingual vocabulary ists like those provided at the back of this book are an excellent intial step. Once you have leamnt that, for example, realm means reino, you still have a lot to learn about realm: for example, how itis pronounced and what words characterstically precede and/or follow it, as well asthe different meanings it may have. But knowing the basic form-meaning links of these high-frequency words makes it much easier to read and listen to texts, and when you do that, you encounter the words in context and additional learning can take place naturally When you study vocabulary, remember that a lot of information may be forgotten soon after {a learning session. So, itis a good idea to review new material shortly after the first learning session and then after gradually increasing intervals. One schedule proposes a first review five to ten minutes after the end of a study period, then 24 hours later, a week later, a month later, and finally six months later. In general, if, when you test yourself, you can remember the words, you should increase the amount of time before the next review; if you can't, you should decrease it. INTRODUCTION“A itle but often’ is a good policy for learning vocabulary. If you can learn 15 words a day, ‘youll learn over 4,500 a year. It Is also a good idea to keep a record of the time you spend -swudying vocabulary so you know how much you have done. Finally, the words and phrases ‘yeu meet in your reading that you like or which express meanings that are important to you = also worth learning — even if they are not especially common vocabulary items. Grammar The autonomous study of grammar is much more time-efficient. There is a saying, ‘only the “wearer knows where the shoe pinches, which means only you know which areas you need ‘study most urgently, when you can progress quickly and when you need to spend longer ‘= specific points. A grammar book that explains how meanings in your own language are “@eressed in English is especially valuable because, as the Common European Framework ‘GEFR) emphasises, translation is a vital skill in today's world. Gramdtica inglesa para nohablantes, the companion volume to this book, contains detailed advice on how best )study grammar. Its contrastive approach takes into account both areas that are especially and areas that are especially difficult for students whose mother tongue is Spanish. ading jing is essentially an individual and private activity: people like to read and re-read at ‘own speed and in their own time. This book provides the independent learner with lant practice in tackling a wide variety of text types. Each unit begins with a text, We mend that you first try to tackle the text as if you were in an exam and did not have ss to a dictionary. Try to read the complete text and don’t worry unduly about unfamiliar is. Every text contains easy phrases which provide lots of clues about the text as a whole; ‘you can understand will help you with the more difficult parts, When you have done as ‘as you can without a dictionary, itis time to look up any words you are still unsure of. you fully understand the text, you will be asked to summarise it in a specific number of ‘and then to compare your summary with that given in the answer section. CEFR discusses at some length the vital role that reprocessing of texts in such ways has she day-to-day linguistic functioning of our societies. The ability to write succinct, accurate ries isa critically important skill In order to write a good summary, you should first sure you fully understand the text, Then you need to decide which points are most nt (avoid unnecessary details and don't include your own opinions). You should use ‘own words as far as possible rather than copying the text and be sure to stay within the limit. Above all, compare your summaries with those given in the answer section and if, le compare your work with that of other students. Remember the old adage:’practice perfect! iting the reading activity in each unit there is a writing section. Writing is another activity is best done on your own. Firstly, you will be asked to study and evaluate a sample ition, Usually, but not always, this composition will be of a very high standard. You 5 invited to compare your assessment of the composition with that given in the answer Next, you will be asked to write on a different, but related theme. We recommend that allow yourself no more than an hour to write the frst draft of an essay of 250-300 words. -you are writing your fist draft, you naturally think that what you are writing is probably — otherwise, of course, you wouldn't write it. However, once you have finished you irropucrion 9 Ineed to check what you have written with scrupulous care; now you should take the view that what you have written is probably incorrect. Unless you are absolutely certain that what you have written is accurate, use a dictionary to help you. It’s important to find and correct your mistakes because they may cause you to fail exams. And there is a good reason why examiners penalise bad spelling, bad grammar and the inappropriate use of words: reading work full of language errors is like trying to walk barefoot across a floor strewn with broken glass ~ possible, but not pleasant. So-called ‘small’ mistakes, for example, writing january instead of January, or consist on instead of consist of, are significant because they interrupt the process of communication. Mistakes cause the reader to stop and question what they are reading, They find themselves thinking about what has been written incorrectly and how it ought to have been written. In other words, the reader is no longer thinking about what you are saying, but how you are saying it and so communication is not as effective. Correcting your work We recommend that you spend up to two hours correcting each composition. Here is a self- correction procedure you may find useful: + Find all the verbs in your composition and check that they have a subject, that they are in the correct tense, and that they are correctly conjugated. + Find all the nouns in your composition, and check that they are not in the singular form when they should be in the plural, or vice versa. + Find all the adjectives in your composition, and check that they are not after nouns when they should be in front of them. + Find all instances of the word thein your composition, and check that they are necessary. ‘There are times when the should not be used. It may be worth looking up the word that follows the In your dictionary to check whether or not it is used after the in the example sentences, You will find many more examples of the way a given word is used - with and/or without preceding the, for example ~ in the online British National Corpus at http://www.natcorp.ox.ac.uk/. It is also worth studying the section in Gramadtica Inglesa para Hispanohablantes devoted to uses of the definite article. Are you, for example, clear about the difference between / like the potatoes and I ike potatoes? «Find all the prepositions in your composition. Are you sure that they are correct? If you have any doubts, check in your dictionary. Rather than looking up the preposition itself, look up the word with which the preposition is associated — the big’ word that determines which preposition is required. For example, the student who wrote: Valladolid is 200 kilometres of Madrid ... should have looked up the word kilometre in his dictionary. The example sentences given in the entry for kilometre in the dictionary would have enabled him to correct his sentence to: Valladolid is 200 kilometres from Madrid. + Indeed, if you want to avoid mistakes and improve your language learning, you would be ell advised to lock up as many words as possible in your dictionary — not ‘little’ words like of, the, and, in and at, which don't have much independent meaning, but ‘big’ words like kilometres, interested, evidence, prevent, etc. The dictionary will show which little words are appropriate (for example, we say interested in not interested at). Also, check that ‘the word means what you think it means; this will help you avoid mistakes with false friends. Look, for example, at this sentence written by the same student: You can go everywhere by foot. If this student had looked up foot in the dictionary, he wouldn't have found an example Using by foot, which should be enough to raise suspicions. Remember, if your dictionary does not give an example of a word used in the way you have used it, that probably means you have Kg 10 wtroouctionthe word incorrectly or used an incorrect word with it. Moreover, in a good dictionary, the -would have found an example using on foot. look up words to check usage, dependent prepositions, etc. and there are no suitable ies in the dictionary, try another dictionary or search for concordances of the word 2 large corpus of contemporary English like the British National Corpus (see page 10). In seme way, your bilingual dictionary and a thesaurus will give you extra information and les which will help you to ensure you are using the right words in the right way. short, you should only include words, word combinations and sentences in your 1s which you know are correct. ook at this in even more detail. Imagine you have these phrases in your essay: (a)... healthy problems. (6) May be, they tried this product... (2... and in many occasions during the day. look up the word healthy in a good dictionary, you will find that itis inappropriate to that problems are healthy — it would be like saying problemas sanos. (The correct is health, If you check with the British National Corpus (see page 10), you will find there no instances of healthy problems and 291 instances of health problems. ,, with item (b), study of the conpus will show you that May be ... does not start any 50 randomly selected sentences that are provided. This evidence should be enough to that you need to look up quizds in your bilingual dictionary, where you will discover you should have written Maybe for item (©), if you look up the word occasions in a good dictionary or in the British | Corpus, you will ind that the preposition that usually goes with itis on not in. In the there are 159 instances of on many occasions, but none of in many occasions. ‘through your essay and try to make sure that what you have written is in fact correct. se, for example, you wrote it depends of the weather. Obviously you think that's right ~ you wouldn't have written it, But you have to take the line that it might be wrong. look up depend (not of) in the dictionary. Are there any examples of depend followed ® No. But there are two or three of depend followed by on. Doing that with every word “sske 2 ong time, but you'l learn a lot. ple, in the sentence the writer has an ironic way to tellus the story and he does it witha lot of humour. swould look up the word way. Is this word normally followed by to or by something else? all, remember that while this correction procedure Is very time-consuming, it also ‘that your work is much more likely to be correct and, most important of al, that you Je>m a great deal of English — which is, of course, the main objective. All the time you correcting lke this is time extremely well spent because you are evaluating your own ~ making sure that the phrases and expressions that you tend to use really are correct. Suture you will be able to use them with much more confidence. ‘to self-correct in this way, you need a couple of good monolingual dictionaries and dictionaries and thesauri, and Internet access: the tools of the serious language iwrnooucrion 11Listening and speaking After the writing activity, comes the listening/speaking section ofthe unit. Thelistening/speaking exercises which traditionally feature in language textbooks are in many ways a leftover from the days before the information technology (IT) revolution. Until the 1990s, English lessons were: often the only opportunity for many students to hear and use real English. However, satellite and cable TV, DVDs, the Internet, and new telephone services like Skype™, have changed all that. ‘The independent leamer can find plenty of ‘real world’ opportunities to engage in both extensive and intensive practice. Extensive practice means, for example, long conversations with your English-speaking friends and watching English-speaking television. In the confines ofa language course package, it is neither possible nor necessary to include hours of TV and radio programmes or telephone activities. However, they are all readily available elsewhere. Intensive practice means, for example, listening to five minutes of English four times (rather than to 20 minutes of English once). DVDs also make this sort of intensive practice possible and are an excellent way of improving both listening and speaking skills, especially. if you watch programmes you really like and the subtitles are a faithful transcription of what is said, Audio books are an excellent resource for the same reason. Since there are so many opportunities to use English in today’s world, the purpose of today's English textbook is clearly not to try to artificially reproduce these contexts, but rather to ‘equip you with the skills that will allow you to take advantage of these communicative opportunities - opportunities which earlier generations never had. This book aims to provide ‘you with exercises and activities which help you improve your listening and speaking in readiness for testing them in the real world, Here is an example from one of the units: BL1 Listen to the story “The Open Window’ by Saki (TRACK 3). Listen as many times as you like and try to understand as much of the story as possible. Then write the story including as much of the original as you can, Next read the transcript of the story in the appendix: did you miss anything significant? 3S1__ Practise telling the story “The Open Window. Allow yourself half an hour fist to study the story with this view in mind. Then record yourself telling the story ‘After an interval, listen and compare your version with Sak's - what are the weaknesses of your version? f In almost all foreign language teaching, the ultimate aim is to get students to adopt and use the language items presented to them as input. The intertextua!listening/speaking exercise above is carefully designed to encourage you to adopt appropriate new words, phrases and structures; that is, to read them, learn them and use them by incorporating them, hopefully permanently, into your English repertoire. n short, to convert input into output. ‘The exercises in this book have been specially designed for students working alone. You can work through them and learn from them at your own pace. Good luck and best wishes, Jim Lawley and Inmaculada Senra GE 2 wrropucrionSAYING THINGS CAN DOs: express views and opinions with clarity and precision; relate to the listener flexibly and effectively; reprimand appropriately; change topic; spread important news LANGUAGE/CULTURAL POINTS: netiquette (politeness on the web}; brief, concise language; acronyms (ASAP, fyi btw, etc); mixed styles of language (formal/ informal, written/spoken}; symbols ($85, ©, etc); electronic, utterances; gender differences in e-mails READING Read the letter below and write a summary (20 words maximum) of what Edwin says (note you are only expected to summarise the letter — not the whole passage). Start your summary with the word Edwin ... ‘Then compare your summary with a) your partner's, and b) the summary found in the Appendix. O-) 101 “DEAR FATHER, - I dare say you will think it queer me writing you a letter like this, but it is the best thing I can do, and I hope you will excuse me. I dare say you will remember ‘told you that night when you came home late from Manchester here in the attic that I wanted to be an architect. You replied that what I wanted was business experience. ‘Ifyou say that I have not enough business experience yet, I agree to that, but I want it ‘to be understood that later on, when it is the proper time, Iam to be an architect. You know I am very fond of architecture, and I feel that I must be an architect. I feel I shall ‘not be happy in the printing business because I want to be an architect. lam now nearly seventeen. Perhaps itis too soon yet for me to be apprenticed to an architect, and so 1 ‘can go on learning business habits. But I just want it to be understood, I am quite sure ‘you wish me to be happy in life, and I shan'tbe happy if am always regretting that Ihave ‘not gone in for being an architect. I know I shall like architecture. -Your affectionate son, “EDWIN CLAYHANGER’ Unie sAVINGTHINGS 13 II‘Then, as an afterthought, he put the date and his address at the top. He meditated a postscript asking fora reply but decided that this was unnecessary. As he was addressing the envelope Mrs Nixon called out to him from below to come to tea. He was surprised to find that he had spent over an hour on the letter. He shivered and sneezed. Amold Bennett, Clayhanger Enoch Arnold Bennett (1 British novelist and dramatist, \) writing TWA Read the exam writing question below and the model answer, Imagine you are marking the answer, How good do you think itis? Write your own evaluation and then compare your work with the evaluation found in the Appendix. op 101 Question; 5 Write an e-mallto a friend telling them something important and personal (250-300 E words). (Remember -it doesn’t have to be true!) Answer; Sue, | have to say this and | have to say it today .. I love you, Sue .. love you. f | love you like a horse loves to run and a mother loves her son And | need | you I need you like materialists need things and butterflies need wings ~ E that's how much I need you, Oh, and I love you like a tree loves the rainy andl i the rain falls to earth and the earth grows tall . like flowers love the ss I like one and one are two... That's how much .. that's how much | love you E | want to make your breakfast and buy your ticket and drive your car E and lick your stamps, and | want to buy you flowers. Sue, | want to buy you the park.| want to sing you songs, and make you « fim and write you a book, and every word's going to be "you. you. you' That's how much .. that's hows much | love you. ‘And | see you and | hear you! watch and I learn and everything you do and everything you say is about being decent and honest and good and kind ‘and you And | love you. Oh, I love you. And when yeu come into the roar. it's lke the sun's coming out, and the musics playing and the holidays have begun and we're dancing one to one and I love you I love you love you... dear, dear Sue. I ove you John PSI love you. ME 34 units savincunes== your own answer to the exam question on page 14 (300-400 words). WRITING TIPS: + When writing to a friend, an informal style with colloquialisms and short forms (e.g.1'm, aren't, etc.) is more appropriate. + When friends write to each other there is often a lot of ‘shared knowledge (that is, things that both know and which it would be inappropriate to make explicit) Listen to the first part of a lecture entitled ‘The Most Frequent Words in English’ (TRACK 1). Listen as many times as you like and try to understand as much of the lecture as possible. Then write an account ofthe lecture, as complete and informative 25 possible, for someone who has never heard it. Next read the transcript of the lecture in the appendix: did you miss anything significant? Practise giving the lecture (you can use brief notes as an aide-mémoire) until you are 1no longer improving. Then record yourself and compare your version with the original. oD 102-108 SPEAKING - - Prepare to interview and be interviewed about the importance of letters and e-mails in your life. Think about the questions below and add some of your own, Be ready to give extended and informative answers. Then interview your partner. How often do you receive letters? What about e-mails? And text messages? Who writes you letters? Do you keep any letters? What is the most important letter you have ever received? Prepare similar questions about writing letters. Unies savin THINGS 15 IUhm BELIEFS : CAN DOs: intervene appropriately in discussion; initiate, maintain and end discourse appropriately; apply effective turm-taking; select a suitable phrase from a readily available range and preface remarks appropriately in order to get the floor or gain time: get in touch with people; express likes, dislikes and feelings in a detailed manner; give and receive advice; make friends; entertain/amuse; tll jokes LANGUAGE/CULTURAL POINTS: moderation of turn-taking; causative use of get; use of an Informal register; use of symbols and acronyms; use of netiquerte; use of sensational spellings (thru, nite, u2, etc. use of abbreviations/short forms; use of the pragmatic marker wow 6) READING 2R1 Read the computer-mediated chat below and summarise it (35 words maximum), ‘Then compare your summary with a) your partners, and b) the summary found in the Appendix. Of) 103 Alice: So? Ruth: So what? ‘Alice: So what makes you so sure there's a God? Ruth: Well .. | mean it’s not like | can just prove there's a God in the same way ... | don't know ... in the same way I can prove that the three angles of triangle add up 10 180 degrees ... ‘Alice: No, |accept that we're talking about belief not certain knowledge ... but what makes you believe? Ruth: Well... everything ... Alice: Everything? Ruth: Yes, | mean everything that there ‘Alice: Im not sure tm following this... Ruth:| mean, why else ... why else should there be anything? Anything? Why should ‘there be things around us ... ?Orspace forthe things to be in? mean, you lookup at rr‘esters... universe after universe ... galaxy after galaxy ... stars as far as the most ‘powerful telescopes can see ... and what happens after that? ‘Bice: | don't know... ‘Ruth: Nobody does. I mean, it either ends or it doesn't. And ifit doesn't iFitjust goes ‘ex and on ... that's just incredible ... knee-buckling. And if it doesn't ~ if it stops well, that makes you ask why should there be anything? Why should there be -semething before the nothing? And not just why, but when? When did there start "Being something ... and ... and how? | mean ... HOW? ‘Alice: And you say that was God? uth: | say i's nexpressibly mysterious ... and| feel... somehow Ifeel it’s good. And ‘eeename for something good and inexpressibly mysterious is God. ‘Alice: You think the world is good? Most people hungry? Disease? Cruelty? Torture? Gad prostitution? ‘Ruth: There’ free will. We could get those problems sorted if we wanted. If we shared we cared. Medicine's already ‘Alice: OK ... OK we could do better ... we could be better ... but. ‘Bath: And by being good we move towards God. “Ace: You think there's an afterlife? Beth: Sure, why not? ‘Bice: Why should there be? uth: Why should there be this life? Don't you see the miracle’s all around you - now. Her Were init. We'eit... ‘Aibce: Well. ‘Ruth: Well what? “Alice: Well... don't know ... someone once asked Bertrand Russell what he'd say... ‘sehathedd say when he died and met his Maker. uth: And? ‘Alice: He said that he'd ask him why... held ask him why he made the evidence for Be Ssistence so insufficient! |Buth: And do you think.... that conversation’s now taken place ... ? Unita Severs 17LANGUAGE/CULTURAL POINT: Notice how effectively lice and Ruth manage ‘turn-taking (the way Alice'sYm pot Surelin following this...signals the need for elaboration ands explanation, for example) Notice, too, how Ruth buys time with hey don't know ... ! She reais her views and feelings clearty and in detall Both Alice and uth are [reeptive to the views of the other and are aware, as Ruth’ ina comment Shows, that humours important in showing goodwl and friendship, {clssometimes suggested that sensational spelling (thru, nite, U2, etc.) and the Use of pragmatic markers such as wow are the defining characteristics of this ‘ype of discourse. They may appearin the writing of some teenagers, butadults {and to use the new technologies in different ways for thelr ow, Purposes. Although appropriately informal, the quality oft high, making a considerable intellectual impact. Note the use of false starts, {rPetition, back-channelling, hesitation and interruption which characterise the conversation \ wertine 2wi E E F solvation, Luther declared that the only valid authority was the Bible. The [ recent invention of printing meant that it was easier for people to get access [ to the Scriptures and see for themselves what they said especially when the I Bible was translated from Latin into the languages which ordinary people i poke. (Frinting also of course, made it easier for Luthor Zwinglt. Calvin and | F F | 18 unie2 settsthe Virgin Mary and the Saints. and Papal Infalibility. The rejection of the Pope's infallibility. or authority. meant that there were political as well os religious advantages in accepting the Reformation. In England, for example. Henry VIll, in dispute with the Pope who was refusing to grant him a divorce, repudiated Papal authority and declared himself Head of the Church In England, or, as it was to become known, the Anglican Church The Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Calvinist creeds all tend to emphasise the individual's direct responsibility to God rather than to the Church And what matters to God is the individual's internal spirituality. So while good Protestants will go to Church and say prayers and so on. they are clear that these external manifestations and rituals of religious belief are not in themselves sufficient. Rather. they believe that people show whether they are truly good or not by the kind of life they lead: external shows of piety (or buying indulgences) de not compensate for bad actions Protestants tended, therefore, fo emphasise the importance of contributing to society by hard work and thrift; and Calvinism in particular suggested that fhancial success was an indication of God's favour. Indeed. it has been suggested that Calvinism in particular, and Protestantism in general, may well be related to the rise of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution (qv) 2W2__ Write an encyclopaedia entry about a non-Christian religion or about Marxism (300-400 words). Then compare your entry with your partner's entry. WRITING TIP: ‘Aim to be clear, concise, accurate, informative and objective, giving the most important facts in an appropriate order rather than your personal opinions. Q))) LISTENING 2L1 Listen toa sermon (TRACK 2), Listen as many times as you like and try to understand ‘as much of the sermon as possible, Then write a version of the sermon, as complete and informative as possible, for someone who has never heard it. Next read the transcript of the sermon in the appendix: did you miss anything significant? Practise giving the sermon (you can use brief notes as an aide-mémoire) until you ‘re no longer improving, Then record yourself and compare your version with the original. oA 104 ©) SPEAKING 281 Prepare questions and answers about superstitions. Then interview your partner. unita scuers 19- UNIT 3 Baiters CAN DOs: Understand in detalla wide range of lengthy texts; understand and produce elaborate descriptions and narratives; develop a Point and end with an appropriate conclusion; give accurate and objective information; gain credibility from an audience: show authority; ceate an atmosphere of connection and familiarity with an audience; warn an audience of possible dangers LANGUAGE/CULTURAL POINTS; neutral/balanced language; clirect and reported speech; passive Sentences; ‘objective facts; narrative structure; understand the tse of small takin both British and American TV interview shows 63) READING ART Read the scientific article below and summarise it (90 words maximum). Don't give up Fit seems dtficultat fist keep reading and try tounderstand as much as possible, op 105 Mossing around in Eden GEE 2 nies serinequite base-rich places along this particular stretch of the Eden enable ceria pubescens, Ctenidium molluscum, Fissidens limbatus, Trichostomum and T. crispulum to thrive. But these mosses and liverworts grow “the flood-zone, and | was keen to take advantage of the low level of water on ‘of my visit in order to search for mosses by the riverside. rivulare and ©. sprucei both grew on one or two alder trees, Didymodon = appeared (new to Cumberland) in its natural habitat on soil in several == end Scleropodium cespitans on a boulder in the river had not been confirmed ind for more than 50 years. ‘Sxeresting still, an odd-looking moss creeping over rock in the flood-zone ‘attention because its branch-leaves were held almost at right angles to Gench-stems, and on examination later under the microscope proved to be angustifolium. 7. angustifolium has much narrower branch-leaves "= common T. alopecurum, with nearly parallel sides for most of theit length, seg only near the tip, where fearsome fangs distinguish it from the very “and equally rate T. cataractarum, [Biockee! kindly examined the Thamnobryum from the Eden, and concluded ‘= should indeed be recorded as T. angustifollum, although apparently not a + for that species. The plants in the voucher from the Eden are small for T. with the stem-leaves having shorter cells (ellipsoid-thomboidal rather | the nerve in the branch- leaves less diffuse atthe base (in T-angustifollum ‘usually il-defined at the extreme base of the branch-leaves, with patches <. linear cells occupying much of the width of the branch-leaf), the teeth Exench-leaves being less coarse, and the branch-leaves not widening above The Thamnobryum from the Eden differs from T. cataractarum in its stem- shaving a clearly differentiated nerve, the branch-leaves having a well-defined songly toothed apex, and more distinctly angular cells in the upper part of > commented that the differences noticed in the moss from the Eden may be less marked if more material is examined. Derbyshire plants, for example, Rene 2 few branch-leaves that do not widen above the base, and their stem- Scan also vary according to where they occur on the frond. units serTincs 21T.angustifolium is otherwise known only from one site in the world ~ a single rock in the Derbyshire Dales, where George Alfred Holt (1852-1921, a pharmacist from Manchester) discovered it in 1883. So its discovery by the Eden in Cumberland doubles the number of sites where it is Known to occur, Classified as Critically Endangered, Tangustifoliumis the subject ofa Biodiversity Action Plan, and receives {ull protection under domestic legislation, as well as being one of only three British bryophytes on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (UCN) World Red List. Early indications suggest that considerably more T. angustifollum grows in the Eden than at its site in the Derbyshire Dales, making the Eden the world’s premier known site for this species. It certainly occurs on numerous rocks along the course of the Eden, although detailed investigation ofits local distribution remains a task for the future. Fred Rumsey and colleagues are currently comparing the DNA of Thamnobryum species, and intend to analyse the plant from the River Eden, which will shed more light on its affinities with Derbyshire’s T. angustifolium, as well as other species of Thamnobryum. To find one rare moss in a day might be regarded as careless, but discovering two is suspicious. About a kilometre upstream from where the Thamnobryum grew, | came across a small moss that at first glance superficially resembled the nearby Leskea polycarpa in its small size and imbricate leaves when dry. But the strange ‘moss had a branched habit and was growing on a boulder, whereas Leskea prefers bark. On wetting, the leaves quickly became patent, just ike Anomodon viticulosus, ‘which was growing nearby, but were well under 2 mm. in length, 30 the moss on the boulder had to be A. attenuatus. This is the first record of A. attenuatus in England, being otherwise currentiy known in Britain only from one site in Angus, Scotland, ‘where the Reverend John Fergusson (1834-1907) discovered it in 1868 and Gordon Rothero rediscovered it in 1996, Robert Hunt Meldrum (1858-1933) also found A. attenuatus neat Elcho in Perthshire at the beginning of the 20 century, but the ‘moss is no longer known from there. A. attenuatus is classified as Endangered in the Red Data Book, ‘A-attenuatus grows on rocks in at least two locations beside this stretch of river, about 300 metres apart. However, as with the Thamnobryum angustifolium, more detailed investigation remains to be made of the size and extent of its population along the Eden. Notonlydowenotyetknow thesizesand extents ofthe populations of Thamnobryum ‘angustifolium and Anomodon attenuatus in the Eden valley, but one also wonders ‘what other species wait to be found along ths stretch of riverside. !m willing to bet that the Eden has yet more secrets to reveal, for other botanists who explore the river will assuredly notice what | missed. Every naturalist has his or her own unique search-pattemn and blind spots, finding but overlooking species that othernaturalists do not. During their Summer Meeting of 1982, members of the British Bryological Society explored the Eden about a mile upstream of where | was recording, but the report in the Bulletin suggests they found a surprisingly different suite of species. ‘Why did they find different species to me, and why did | find different species to ‘them? Are the differences between ourlists attributable to habitat and substrates, or ‘toppersonnel, or (more likely) both? And ifboth, is personnel a more influential factor than environment? ‘A naturalist who is reasonably familiar with common species will find more when searching alone rather than in company, for chatting with companions always WARNE 22 onit2 sermncsfrom work in hand. Even without distractions, | regard concentrating on ‘identifying species (rather than merely gazing passively at them) as jolly hard work ‘that demands a good deal of mental exertion, and invariably find my eyes glazing ‘over after a couple of hours in the field. Moreover, human nature being what itis, a ‘naturalist in 2 large group inevitably wonders what others are finding, and whether ‘they are on more rewarding ground, so his attention strays to what they are doing ‘2nd might be finding, rather than concentrating on what lies in front of him. ‘And how do individuals’ predispositions for making fresh discoveries arise? Why do ‘these abilities vary so much from one naturalist to another? The mysteries of how culturally inculcated search-patterns and images develop — or fail to develop - are fundamentalto understanding ourabilitiesas ield-naturalists, and worthy of far more _attention than they receive. Yet the psychology of discovering and distinguishing “species remains taboo, and naturalists rarely if ever discuss this matter. However all this may be, you can't beat.a pleasant day in your own company, quietly ‘=xploring a beautiful stretch of river, proceeding at your own preferred pace, pausing _2twiland moving on again without distraction or hindrance. "Heard the news?" said ‘the Rat tothe Mole. There's nothing else being talked about, all along the riverbank” ‘Acknowledgements J thank Sam Bosanquet for examining the Anomodon and the Thamnobryum, and ‘Tom Blockeel for commenting further on the Thamnobryum. LANGUAGE/CULTURAL POINTS: Notice how this atticle: contains elaborate descriptions and narratives; develops a point and rounds it off with an appropriate conclusion; gives accurate and objective information; obtains credibility from the audience; shows authority; creates an atmosphere of connection and familiarity with the audience; warns the audience of possible dangers. Note the use of neutral/balanced and scientifically cautious language: ‘It certainly occurs on numerous rocks along the course of the Eden, although detailed investigation of its local Fi tution remains a task for the future ...; for example, distinguishes clearly between what is known and what remains tobe discovered. Note, too, the appropriate use of both direct and indirect reported speech: “Tom also commented that the differences noticed in the moss from the Eden may prove to be less marked if more material is examined ... "in contrast to the vivid ‘Heard the news?'said the Rat to the Mole.’Theres nothing else being talked about, all along the river bank’ which signs off so elegantly. Note also that passive sentences are said to abound in scientific articles: find ‘three examples. n each case, why do you think the author preferred the passive toan active structure? Finally, note the use of narrative structure:‘About a kilometre upstream from ‘where the Thamnobryum grew, | came across a small moss..." Unies sernnes 23YQ) writing 3W1 Read the exam question below: Imagine you are going to write a work of fiction. Apart from deciding on the characters and on what will happen, you need to decide on the main setting for your story ~ that is, the place where much of the story will happen. Now read the answer. How good do you think itis? Make a careful assessment, evaluating each paragraph, and then compare your work with the evaluation found in the Appendix. O-> 105-107 Answer: The setting for my story will be @ large, country house which | will call Featherkrow! Mansion. Built over 300 years ago. it stands alone just off an unmarked farm track about 100 yards from the main road. With its distinctive lilac-coloured window frames and matching gutters, the house is clearly visible from the road, arousing the curiosity of passing motorists. Despite the proximity of traffc. the setting is entirely rural. The house has @ one-acre garden. a feld and an orchard. The orchard boasts some 30 apple trees, a dozen pear trees and a 200-year-old damson tree. Another. unexpected crop is mistletoe which fetches a good price In the local market every December. A rare moss, whose Latin name Is Syntrichia papillosa, grows on the trunk of one of the apple trees. Even more unusual is the mistletoe sprouting from a branch of the ancient oak in the garden ~ one of only 11 instances of this parasite growing on an oak in the whole of England The garden also has tall conifers. beech. elm and birch. The extensive lawn, once used for croquet, and subsequently as o tennis court is row abandoned to the moles. (In one scene of my story the main character will actually see @ mole pop its velvety head out of one little hill) The fold. meanwhile. is home to six rather forlorn sheep. The house itself has an air of decaying splendour. The main room downstairs is the kitchen with its splendid Rayburn heater. used for cooking. heating and, curiously, ironing. and never switched off even in summer. The lounge and the dining room are far colder, with high ceilings and peeling wallpeper. Upstairs the four stately triple-aspect bedrooms enjoy splendid views over the surrounding countryside. Above the bedrooms. and under the roof, is the attic. The strange, nocturnal pattering and scuffing noises emanating from this attic have traditionally been attributed to the presence of o squirrel’s drey, but the truth will turn out to be much stranger screener nS 3W2_ Decide on a setting for your own work of fiction, and describe it in as much detail as possible (250-300 words) PME 2+ nits serrincsFirst make a list of as many different possible settings as you ‘can before choosing one. + Include details which will help your readers to visualise the scene, ) LISTENING 5 = : Listen to the story ‘The Open Window by Saki (TRACK 3). Listen as many times as you like and try to understand as much ofthe story as possible. Then write the story including as much of the original as you can. Next read the transcript of the story in the appendix: did you miss anything significant? O-{> 107-109 ) SPEAKING - oon Practise telling the story ‘The Open Window: Allow yourself half an hour first to study the story with this view in mind, Then record yourself telling the story. After an interval, listen and compare your version with Sakis: what are the weaknesses of your version? ‘Allow yourself a further half an hour of study, then record yourself telling the story again. Repeat until you notice no significant improvement. Units seTTincs 25 (alFe Uta =GLORY DAYS CAN DOs: express oneself fluently and spontaneously; open, maintain and close a radio talk show; introduce a topic; conclude a topic; introduce in a radio show; invite an audience to participate; give the floor to the different participants; entertain others LANGUAGE/CULTURAL POINTS: comparisons (for topic introduction); narratives of personal experience; imperatives; use of the pragmatic marker welh understanding and use of temporal connectors/discourse markers; use of hedges to express an opinion and save face; analysis of the discourse strategies and functions, as well as the cultural features in a typical American radio show $3) READING 4R1 Read the story below and summarise It (30 words maximum). Then compare your summary with a) your partner’, and b) the summary found in the Appendix. op 109 (One morning the postman came just as he was washing in the scullery. Suddenly he heard a wild noise from his mother. Rushing into the kitchen, he found her standing oon the hearth rug wildly waving letter and crying ‘Hurrah!’ asif'she had gone mad, He ‘was shocked and frightened. “Why, mother!” he exclaimed. She flew to him, flung her arms round him for a moment, then waved the letter crying: “Hurrah, my boy! [knew we should do it?” He was afraid of her ~ the small, severe woman with greying hair suddenly bursting ‘out in such frenzy. The postman came running back, afraid something had happened. ‘They saw his tipped cap over the short curtain, Mrs Morel rushed to the door. “His picture’ got first prize, Fred; she cried, ‘and is sold for twenty guineas? “My word, that’s something like!” said the young postman, whom they had known allhis ie 26 Unita GLORY DAYS‘And Major Moreton has bought it’ she cried. “It looks ike meanin’ something, that does, Mrs Morel; said the postman, his blue exes bright. He was glad to have brought such a lucky letter. Mrs Morel went indoors znd sat down, trembling. Paul was afraid lest she might have misread the Teter, and might be disappointed afier all. He scrutinised it once, twice. Yes, he became convinced, i was true. Then he sat down, his heart beating with joy. "Mother! he exclaimed. ‘Didnt I say we should do it’ she said, pretending she was not crying He took the kettle off the fire and mashed the tea "You didnt think, mother ~" he began tentatively. ‘No, my son ~ not so much — but I expected a good deal “But not so much; he sai. "No - no — but I knew we should do it? And then she recovered her composure, apparently at least. He sat with his shirt ened back, showing his young throat almost ike @ gif, and the towel in his hand, his air sticking up wet. DAH, Lawrence, Sons and Lovers d the exam writing question on page 28 and the model answers. How good hink the answers are? Make a careful assessment, briefly evaluating each raph, and then compare your work with the evaluation found in the Appendix. Se 1 op 109 > Unies cioryoars 27Question: Choose three of the following proverbs and write a very short story to illustrate the ‘meaning of each. Pennywise, pound foolish. Least said, soonest mended, Don't spoil the ship for the sake of a ha'porth of tar. Itnever rains, butit pours. From the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step, Garbage in, garbage out, Answer: 1__From the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step. |t was @ really moving speech . he spoke of noble Ideals, of brave people who have lain down their lives to make this a better world .. he spoke of tenate altruism. of that unselfsh kindness which lies within us all .. there were tears in his eyes (and mine) as he spoke of the need .. the need to let that kindness flow .. He told us that obstacles are what you see when you take your eye off the goal .. We were rapt, spellbound .. He paused ... He looked across the sea of faces ..| don't suppose there was a dry eye in the house .. He reached out for his glass of water “And? “And still gazing out at us he took a sip .. from .. from .. the flower vase! “What happened?” Well what do you think? We nearly died laughing | mean. afterall those high ideals lofty sentiments, grandiloquent words, after all that ... something so absurd. so hilarious 2 Don't spoil the ship for the sake of a haporth of tar Anxious to impress Shirley. his new girlfriend, Nick took her to the most epensive restaurant in town He spent a fortune on cavier, oysters and champagne, but ruined the whole effect by suggesting that he could save @ little if the taxi took them only to the end of the road instead of right to her door. A false economy since it meant his whole outlay hed been in vain 3._It never rains, but it pours The day John Smith asked for a pay rise. he got... the sack Wondering how. to break the news to his wife, he found he didrit need to ~ she'd left him. |I bet she's taken all the savings, he thought. She had Il get the police: he thought. but rushing to the phone he tripped. slipped and got a broken ankle instead. Crawling to the table. he discovered a letter from the Building Society informing him that he no longer had a mortgage or @ house Abandoned, broke, fred, homeless and in very considerable physical pain, he managed, nevertheless, to call to mind that old proverb which reminds us that when things go wrong... they go badly wrang with a vengeance BE 26 unit cuonvonvs‘Goose three different English proverbs (the three not illustrated in the exercise on ‘e232 28, or others) and write a short story (200 words maximum) to illustrate the ‘meaning of each, WRITING TIPS: = Think hard about what each proverb means and try to imagine very specific situations perhaps based on your daily life (at home or college or work, for example) in which it would be appropriate to use the proverb. Invent any details which would make use of the proverb more apt. Remove any details which are not relevant. UISTENING Escry week on his chat show Birthday Special, Bob Abbot interviews someone ‘mous who's about to have a birthday. Tonight he’s asking Anthony Kirk, the -Seliywood film star, about his plans for his birthday. Listen carefully to the interview (TRACK 4) and try to answer the questions below. O-) 109-112 ‘When exactly is Anthony's birthday? How old will he be? How she going to spend his day? Abbot is a very popular interviewer and Anthony Kirk is a famous film star and pessonality, Listen again and read the transcript in the Appendix. In what ways ‘wo men good at interviewing and being interviewed? Do you agree with the ents in brackets? Of) 109-112 KING interview on Birthday Special may sound spontaneous, but in fact its carefully d and rehearsed, Imagine you are someone famous and you are going to be ed by Bob Abbot on Birthday Special. Think carefully about what you plan to your birthday and prepare what you are going to say. A interviews Student B, the interview. How could it be improved? ‘the interview again. ‘the interview with reversed roles. units tory oays 29The CHANGING MINDS CANDO: write clear, well structured texts about complex subjects, underlining the relevant salient issues: provide information in a formal register; write a formal letter; make the recipients of a formal letter aware of some hazards/problems and present possible solutions; encourage the recipients ofa formal letter to take specific action; convey a warning about something, extremely serious; allay possible feats felt by the recipients of a formal letter LANGUAGE/CULTURAL POINTS: ‘modals; adjectival phrase modifiers; use of formal greetings, ‘addresses and farewells; nominalisation of verbs; use of understatement, especially n the British culture; analysis ofa literary work containing formal language 6) READING SRI The letter below to Marjorie Smith, Managing Director of Patterson Publishers, was written by Henrietta Stump, the author of a novel Last Chance Express published by Patterson. Read the letter carefully and summarise why Henrietta wrote it (30 words maximum).Then compare your surnmary with a) your partner’ and b) the summary found in the Appendix. Of) 112 ‘Dear Marjorie, ‘Thank you for your letter of 17 October suggesting that you may decide not to put Last Chance Express forward for the Reward Prize. ‘You are clearly unaware of earlier correspondence between myself and David Libberly, your predecessor. I therefore enclose a copy of a letter David wrote to me in February of this year. As you will seo, this letter contains an unequivocal - and doubtless legally binding - promise to enter Last Chance Express for this prize. Tam sure that your company’s commitment to entering Last Chance Express will be amply rewarded. As you doubtless know, the last EE 30 units cuancinc minosthree days have seen tiro of the judges withdraw from the panel to be replaced by Stevie Windross and Elsie Parker. Ineed hardly remind you of the former's frequently expressed convietion that ‘sex and violence are to the novel what flour and eggs are to a cake’, nor of the latter’s recent assertion that ‘bad morals make good books’. I think we can feel confident that the presence of Elsie and Stevie together with David Botham as Chairman is very good news for our book. Please give me a ring sf you would like to disouss this aspect further. Indeed, given the novel's qualities, the composition of the panel, and, of course, Patterson's formidable reputation, I think we must regard the inclusion of Last Chance Express in the Reward shortlist as a near certainty. Being on the shortlist, of course, brings weloome publicity in the form of TV and press discussion of a book’s qualities. Last Chance Express with its pacey action, explicit sex scenes and unexpected plot twists is clearly ideally placed to benefit from that public exposure. ‘Will it go on to win? Marjorie, I am prepared to forego the entire sum due to me as royalties next March if you enter Last Chance Express for the Reward Prize and tt does not-win. ‘Youre sincerely, Henrietta Stump \ writing Swi Consider this alternative draft of the letter. How good do you think it is? Which version do you prefer? Make a careful assessment of both letters, evaluating each sentence, and then compare your work with the evaluation found in the Appendix, opis Units CHANGINGMINDS 31 IIsw2 Dear Managing Director, | have received your communication about your decision not to present my novel Last Chance Express for the Reward Prize. (im very disappointed that is your decision. 'm very sorry and if you don't reconsider, | reckon Patterson Publishers will be, Last Chance Express is a winner and | think it ie a novel that: deserves this prize. tt has a lot of elements in common with previous winners, The novel has got action, plot and a very new and interesting theme. In my opinion the novel is very good. The public likes It and the reports received show us they like It, too. I's true it contains some pages with sex, violence and strong language, but | don't think that counts against it, They are not excessive even for ‘rather prudish judges’. To me, they seem very natural and essential to the plot. You can ‘think as well that life is changing and maybe the judges are different now than ‘they were, They can't find Last Chance Express offensive. Ive heard rumours that you have in mind another book instead. | don't want to ‘think even for a moment that is the reason for not presenting my book. As we discussed a few monthe ago, this Is my opportunity and | deserve it, This novel has very good points and | want; you to reconsider your decision, If that doesn't happen, and if you don't trust: Last Chance Express, tm going to start to think maybe Patterson Publishers are nat the best: publisher for my books including Last Chance Express. Yours sincerely, Maria Smith Imagine you have just returned from a very unsatisfactory stay in an expensive hotel. Write a letter of complaint to the manager (300-400 words). Invent whatever details you wish WRITING TIPS: + tis often a good idea to say what you want (an apology, financial compensation, to ensure that something is improved in the future, etc) at the very beginning of your, letter. Explain clearly what went wrong (but avoid unnecessary or imrelevant details) and why it was serious. Because the matter is serious, an informal style with colloquialisms and short forms is not appropriate. 32 Units CHANGING MINDS( sui LISTENING 7 Listen to part of a lecture (TRACK 5). Listen as many times as you like and try to understand as much of the lecture as possible. Then write an account of the lecture, as complete and informative as possible, for someone who has never heard it, Next read the transcript of the lecture in the appendix: did you miss anything significant? Practise giving the lecture (you can use brief notes as an aide-mémoire) until you are no longer improving. Then record yourself and compare your version with the origina. oA 116 SPEAKING Find a passage in a book you enjoy, which contains some formal language. Prepare a lecture about the passage. Set the passage in the story, explain what we learn about the characters and how the passage moves the story forward. Comment on any themes that are developed in the passage, on any patterning devices that link it with other parts of the story, and discuss the significance of the use of formal language. Prepare your lecture and then ‘teach’ your partner. Unis CHANGING MINDS 33, Iieee LEARNING LANGUAGES CAN DOs: write clear, well-structured texts for product labels; describe industrial products; warn about possible misuses of a product; be persuasive; make a product sound attractive using few words LANGUAGE/CULTURAL POINTS: clauses without verbs; the zero article; use of both objective and subjective language; simplified registers; use of tables or pictures to make a product attractive; the interaction of pictures and text in American product labels 63) READING 6R1_—_The English as a Foreign Language (EFL) publishing industry is an enormously important sector of the economy and a major employer. It is a fiercely competitive industry where product description and placement are of paramount importance. Study the back-cover blurb below: it describes a new EFL course. Learning is revolutionary. Exercises in courses for 12- to 16-year-olds usually test, but do not teach. For example: + Read the text and answer the questions. + Write 50-60 words about your school «Tell your partner about your weekend, This testing uses upa lot of time which would be better spent learning. Learning shows students how to: + understand texts that appear dificult + increase thelr vocabulary + identify and eliminate errors + construct sentences they know are correct + analyse and learn from good compositions + use limited English to write good compositions 34 Unite LEARNING LANGUAGES~leamn from transcripts what natural speech is like ~enderstand fluent spoken English produce fluent spoken English ‘A&hough always useful, testing has its time and place - and that time and place is. -sher students have had time to learn Students only progress when learning has priority over testing, ‘Teenage years are critical, Learning first! LANGUAGE/CULTURAL POINT: Note how clear and well-structured this text is and how it makes the product sttractive in a limited amount of space and using relatively few words. Note ‘the use of indentation and bold font: characteristic features of the genre. You can study more examples of blurbs and product labels for this industry on the major publishers’ websites. How do they persuade and make a product =ttractive in a limited amount of space? Do they use tables and pictures? How does the interaction of pictures and text work? ead the passage below and summarise it (35 words maximum). Then compare your semmary with a) your partner’, and b) the summary found in the Appendix. "7 “And do you really ask us to believe} Sir Wilfrid was saying, ‘that you have discovered a ‘=scans for instructing animals in the art of human speech, and that dear old Tobermory ‘Bas proved your first sucessful pupil?” “Itisa problem at which I have worked forthe last seventeen years} said Mr. Appin, “Set only during the las eight or nine months have I been rewarded with glimmerings of seccess. Of course I have experimented with thousands of animals, but latterly only with. <=, those wonderful creatures which have assimilated themselves so marvellously with ‘our civilisation while retaining all their highly developed feral instincts, Here and there ‘mong cats one comes across an outstanding superior intellect, just as one does among ‘he ruck of human beings, and when I made the acquaintance of Tobermory a week ago 4 saw at once that I was in contact with a ‘Beyond-cat of extraordinary intelligence. I Bad gone far along the road to success in recent experiments; with Tobermory, as you call him, Ihave reached the go Mr. Appin concluded his remarkable statement in a voice which he strove to ‘divest ofa triumphant inflection, No one said ‘Rats, though Clovis’ lips moved in a ‘monosyllabic contortion which probably invoked those rodents of disbelief ‘And do you mean to say} asked Miss Resker, after a slight pause, ‘that you have ‘aught Tobermory to say and understand easy sentences of one syllable?” Unité LEARNINGLANGUAGES 35 NNN“My dear Miss Resker’ said the wonder-worker patiently, ‘one teaches litle children and savages and backward adults in that piecemeal fashion; when one has once solved the problem of making a beginning with an animal of highly developed intelligence one hhas no need for those halting methods. Tobermory can speak our language with perfect correctness? ‘This time Clovis very distinctly said, Beyond-rats! Sir Wilfrid was more polite but ‘equally sceptical. “Hadnit we better have the cat in and judge for ourselves?” suggested Lady Blemley. Saki, Tobermory Hector Hugh Monto (Saki) 1870-1916 \) writine owt Read this letter to the editor of a newspaper disagreeing with a correspondent who ctiticised studying abroad, Write your own evaluation of the letter. Then compare your work with the evaluation found in the Appendix. O-> 117 Dear Sir, In reply to the anonymous correspondent who eritleised studying abroad, | would like to make the following points It is often professionally advantageous to have studied abroad, to have learnt another language and to have experienced ab first-hand another culture: "Who knows English who only English knows?” So many habits of mind turn aut to be little mone than local prejudices as travelling abroad and above sll living abroad help us to ‘see again’ through different eyes. Being abroad helps us to aoquire new ideas, and having ideas, of couree, is like having money in the bank. BIN 26 Unite LeaTwnGLancunces