Additional resources Activities
Activities 1C
18/04/2020
Smart buildings: Why the Pearl River Tower has been described as ‘the most energy-efficient skyscraper in the world’
‘Smart tower’ very efficient How? – Wind
– Sun – Double skin
Uses natural forces to maximize energy efficiency 58% less energy than trad. build. of same size Clever, careful design
Walls diff. shape – redirect wind through building 4 wind-power turbines – electr.: heat., vent., air-con. systems
Solar panels – mechanical blinds Double skin traps heat – hot water
These activities are an opportunity for you to practise your speaking. Don’t worry about making mistakes. Just think about your message and how to interact with your activity partner.
1C
Student A a Tell your partner anything you know about each project.
b What do you imagine the benefits and drawbacks of each project are/were?
c Research the projects with your partner and write notes giving details of each project. Include details about the benefits and drawbacks.
d Present the projects to the class. Discuss the merits of each project and decide which was the most worthwhile investment.
Beijing Olympics 170 English for the 21st Century • Activities International Space Station
Transcripts
Reading the transcript is another good way to review the language and skills you study. You can make photocopies and write notes on the pages to help you remember the meaning.
Transcripts Unit 1
1.1 Graph 1 There are different ways to measure income inequality. We can base it on the richest 10% of the population, the richest 5%, or, as is shown in this graph, on the richest 1% of the population.
We can see from this graph that income inequality rose in many countries around the world between 1980 and 2012. As the graph indicates, the most dramatic rise was in the United States, where income inequality more than doubled between 1980 and 2012. In Australia, the figure also went up significantly during the same period. As can be seen, there was also a sharp rise in income inequality in Sweden and Norway. Income inequality rose only slightly in Denmark, and the smallest rise overall was in France.
So why is any of this important, you might ask? Well, high levels of income inequality seem to go hand in hand with a number of social problems. For example, children in countries with high income inequality score lower in maths, reading and science than in more equal societies. There is also less social mobility in unequal societies and higher crime rates. And interestingly, although there may be some very rich people in an unequal country, this inequality is linked with financial instability, and high levels of debt and inflation.
Graph 2 I should start by giving you a brief explanation of MPI as it is shown in the graph. MPI stands for Multidimensional Poverty Index and it is one way of measuring poverty. Traditionally, poverty was measured simply in economic terms, but more recently there have been efforts to give a more holistic, three- dimensional picture. So, in addition to economic factors, MPI also takes into account a person’s education, health and living standards. So, it is clear from graph 2 that poverty levels in many countries fell in the last 20 years or so. And, as you can see, that decrease was very marked in some countries. In Nepal, for example, there was a dramatic decrease in poverty levels between 2006 and 2016. As the graph illustrates, poverty levels fell by around 60%. The biggest decrease was in Bangladesh, where poverty levels went down by about 70% between 2004 and 2019 – though it should be noted that this is the longest period shown for any country. There was also a significant fall in Ghana, of about 60% over a slightly shorter period. In Tanzania, there was also a slighter, but still significant, fall in poverty levels.
So why are these figures important? Well, the implications of poverty are huge. Most important are the effects on the people actually in poverty, which include malnutrition, poor education, or even no education at all, inadequate housing, etc. And for society as a whole, there are strong connections between poverty and crime, and more generally between poverty and social tensions. Which is why these MPI figures have been a cause for celebration in the countries involved.
1.2 1 A So Kay, how have you been since I last saw you? B I’ve been really well. I’ve lost 9 kgs! A Well, that’s wonderful news. Because your target is to lose 12 kgs. You’re nearly there! And how have you achieved such good results, do you think?
B Well, last time I saw you, you told me to do more exercise.
A That’s right. B Well, I’ve been swimming a lot lately and I feel much better.
A Well done, that’s exactly the sort of thing I was talking about.
2 A Hi, Alana. I haven’t seen you for quite a long time. B No, I’m sorry about that. A That’s OK. But I remember your target was to save money for a new car. Is that right?
B Yes, exactly. A And has that been going well? B Yeah, it’s been going very well, thanks. I’ve saved nearly £800!
A Amazing! How have you saved so much? B Well, I’ve been staying at home more. You told me last time that I needed to be conscious of my behaviour … to think about why I do things.
A Exactly! B And I realized I was spending so much money on going out because I got bored at home just watching TV.
A Right … B So, I’ve been doing different things at home instead. Reading, drawing … that sort of thing.
A And so you haven’t been going out so much because you’re happier at home …
B Exactly!
3 A So Ali, could you remind me of your target, please? B Well, erm, it was just to meet people and make friends, really.
A OK. And what have you been doing to make that happen? B I’ve been going to parties and talking to people. A Well, that’s great, Ali. Because I know you’re quite shy. B Yeah, but you told me last time that I should be open to new experiences.
A Yes, I did. And how were the parties? B Yeah, OK. I’ve met a couple of nice people. A Excellent!
4 A So Sonia, what have you been up to? B I’ve been looking at job vacancies. A Very good. Because last time I saw you, you said your aim was to get a new job.
B Yes, but I had to decide what sort of job I wanted. A Of course. B And you told me it’s important to find out who you are, what’s important to you …
A Yes, I did. B And I’ve decided that education is very important to me … and I want to become a teacher.
A OK. English for the 21st Century • Transcripts 189
Word list
Use the word list to revise. You can translate the words into your own language and add example sentences. You can write your own examples or find examples from the unit.
Word list Word
Unit 3 autonomous
collaboration contact create
creativity critical thinking digital literacy
digital technology direct speech
distance learning
education educational
educationalist environment experiment
flip guidance illiterate improvement knowledge
material mediator mentor
methodology obsolete pace problem-solving
radical rapidly
reference remote
repetition reported speech slum success Section Word type Word
technology terminology
B
A B C A A
A A C C
A A B B B
C A
A C
B
C B A A
B
A A
B C B B A C
B C
adjective
noun verb verb
noun noun
noun noun noun noun
noun
adjective noun noun noun
verb noun
adjective noun
noun
noun noun noun noun
adjective
noun/verb noun
adjective adverb
noun/verb adjective noun noun
noun noun
time-consuming traditional
video
Unit 4 abbreviation
apology appropriately
body language business card
collaborate
collaboration contact
conversation
emoticon employer event
excuse formal
impression informal
lack mingle networking outfit politely
potential project
rapport register
relationship seminar team leader Section Word type
A A C A
C
noun noun
adjective adjective
noun
B B A
A A
A A A A
B A A A
B
A B
B A A A
A A B
A B A
A B English for the 21st
noun noun
adverb
noun noun
verb
noun noun noun
noun noun noun
noun/verb adjective noun adjective noun verb noun noun adverb
adjective noun
noun noun noun
noun noun Century • Word list 213
104 English for the 21st
Century • Additional resources
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