UNIT 1 GETTING HIGHER QUALIFICATIONS

Personal qualities to get a job

an eye for details, doing things like read documents very carefully and focus on the small points,
checking their accuracy.
creativity, being able to think about something and come up with an original or unusual approach
to it.
an enquiring mind, being eager to learn or find out about something new, when coming across it.
the ability to work in team, being able and willing to work with other people as part of a group in
order, for example, to solve problems or develop new ideas.
vision, being able to look ahead and plan how an organization or company might best meet the
needs of the future
an outgoing personality, being friendly and energetic, finding it easy and enjoyable to be with
others.
good communication skills, finding it easy to exchange ideas with others, listening well an being
able to put across a personal idea.
management skills, being able to look after and organise groups of employees so that they are
performing in the best interests of the company.

The MIT factor: celebrating 150 years of maverick genius
Mens et manus is the MIT motto.
Muchovers passion for pushing at the boundaries of the existing world to extend and
unleash human potential. What MIT delights in is taking brilliant minds from around the
world in vastly and diverse disciplines and putting them together, letting them bump into
people who are working in other fields that are fascinating, keeping them intellectually
alive.

UNIT 2 COLOUR MY WORLD
Learning colour words: Young children struggle with colour concepts, and the reason for this may have
something to do with how we use the words that describe them.
1
st
SUMMARY (long)
a. A curious state of affairs. Children who have brought up in English-speaking homes successfully
master the use of hundreds of words, but when it comes to learning colour words, the same
children perform very badly. Actually, their mapping of objects to individual colours is haphazard
and interchangeable: children as old as four may still end up being unable to accurately sort objects
by colour.
b. A possible explanation. In an effort to work out why this is, cognitive scientist at Stanford
University in California hypothesized that childrens incompetence at colour-word learning may be
directly linked to the way these words are used in English. While the word order for colour
adjectives varies, they are used overwhelmingly in pre-nominal position (e. g. blue cup), in contrast
to the post-nominal position (e.g. the cup is blue). The difficulty may simply come down to the
challenge of having to make predictions from colour words to the object they refer to, instead of
being able to make prediction from the world of objects to the colour words.
c. Checking out the theory. To explore the idea further, the research team recruited 41 English
children aged between 23 and 29 months and carried out a three-phase experiment consisting in a
pre-test, followed by training in the use of colour words, and finally a post-test identical to the pre-
test. The objects were presented and the children had to response either a prenominal (Which is
the red one?) or a post-nominal (Which one is red?).
d. Some unsurprising data. Only children who had been trained with post-nominal colour word
presentation and then tested with post-nominal question types where significantly more accurate
than all the others. The children trained and tested with the pre-nominal method revealed a
significant decline in performances.
e. Conclusion. As predicted, when children are exposed to colour adjectives in post-nominal
position, they learn them rapidly (after just five training trails per colour); when they are presented
with them pre-nominally, as English overwhelmingly tends to, children shows no signs of learning.

2
nd
SUMMARY
Children learn many words quite quickly, but their ability to learn colour words takes longer than
expected. In fact, despite training trials, many four-year-old still struggle to arrange objects into
colour categories. Scientist have hypothesised that is due to the position of the adjectives in a
phrase or sentence and the challenges this presents.
While objects consist of a number of features that can be used to recognise other similar objects,
the concept of a colour cannot be developed using the same approach. As a consequence, the way
colour words tend to be used in English may be unhelpful to children.



SUMMARISING A CHART TASK 1
1. UNDERGRADUATES AVERAGE PASS RATES.
The chart compares how well students from a range of disciplines did in their Year 1 assessments in
2008 and 2012.
AT JUST OVER 80% in 2012 and 70% in 2008, average pass rates among Computer Science students were BY
FAR the highest, WHILE the second highest scores in 2012 were in Maths and Engineering. On the other
hand, student studying Humanities had the lowest pass rates in both years. (a. best and worst)
LOOKING MORE CLOSELY at the percentage change between two years, this was CLEARLY more marked for
those studying Business. 2008 pass rates in Business, Science and Maths and Engineering were
CONSIDERABLY lower in 2008 than in 2012, WHICH MEANS THAT the greatest level of IMPROVEMENT came
from/took place in these disciplines. MEANWHILE, the Health Sciences experienced the most stable pass
rates.
OVERALL, student in 2008 did CONSISTENTLY better than their COUNTERPARTS in 2012, ALTHOUGH there
were significant differences among the subject areas in both years.

2. JAPAN POPULATION: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE TRENDS.
The chart gives information about population figures in Japan.
The table and chart PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING population GROWTH and the PROPORTION of the
population over 65 over a 100-YEAR PERIOD in Japan. (introduction: topic and time period)
ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION, Japans general population figures in 1950 were very different from
those in 2005, and FUTURE PREDICTIONS SHOW even greater differences.
In 1950, the number of people was just over 84 million, an only 4,9% (4,1 million) of those people were
above the age of 65. BY 2005, the PERCENTAGE of older people had risen considerably to 20%, while the
overall population had shown a parallel increase to NEARLY 128 million. (positive analysis)
HOWEVER, total population figures PEACKED in 2005, and IT IS EXPECTED THAT the number of people living
in Japan will fall SUBSTANTIALLY over the next 50 years to A LITTLE BELOW 90 million. IN SPITE OF this fall,
the rise of ageing population will continue, and at FASTER RATE, SO THAT BY 2055, 41% (36,5 million) of
Japanese people will be over 65. (negative part analysis)
THESE STATISTICS SHOW TWO CONTRASTING TRENDS in Japans demographics that will result in fewer
citizens, but greater number of elderly people. (overview).

3. PIE CHART OF DIET AND GENERAL HEALTH AMONG STUDENTS
The pie chart provide A BREAKDOWN OF the types of food eaten by two groups of students, while
the table HIGHLIGHTS some aspects of their health. THE DATA SUGGETS THAT diet may have an impact on
the amount of absenteeism and on students ability to stay healthy.
The pie chart SHOW THAT there are similarities and differences WITH REGARD TO the two groups diets. In
both groups, about a third of the food students eat CONSISTS OF cereals. SIMILARLY, they eat an equal
proportion of fish. HOWEVER, the level of high-fat food eaten by Group B is CONSIDERABLY higher than in
Group A, at 50 percent, while students in Group B eat FAR FEWER vegetables than Group A and a SLIGHTLY
SMALLER quantity of fresh fruit.
The table indicates that there are TWICE AS MANY overweight people in Group B than in Group A. What is
more, Group B HAS EXPERIENCED A MUCH HIGHER RATE of illness rate over the year, with over double the
incidence of students being absent from classes.

4. CLIFF EROSION AND FOSSIL EXPOSURE.
The diagram below illustrates how fossils were exposed beneath a cliff as a result of coastal erosion.
The diagram shows THE CHANGES THAT TOOK PLACE in a cliff face as a result of coastal erosion, and how
THIS LED TO the discovery of fossils. AT ONE TIME, the cliff stud much further out and, at low tide, the sea
water did not touch the base of the rock. CONVERSELY, at high tide, the waves sometimes reached half-way
up the cliff wall, beating on it with some force. EVENTUALLY, the power of these waves loosened and wore
away the rock. MEANWHILE, the overhanging cliff at the top cracked, creating a dangerous area beneath it.
As the waves hit the part of the cliff more frequently, this area eroded more quickly and became a hollow in
the cliff wall where fossils could be found. THIS MEANT THAT stones and boulders fell into the sea, and the
cliff slowly retreated, exposing previously buried rock at low tide. CLEARLY, the fossils would have remained
buried and the coastline unchanged if it had not been for the action of the sea.
5. ENDARENGED PLANT SPECIES
The chart below give information about endangered plants around the world.
The chart provide information on the proportion of plant and species that are at risk, on the level of that
risk, and on the different environments in which these plants grow.
ALTHOUGH a lot of plants are safe, about a third of all plant species around the world are under some kind
of threat. FOR JUST OVER 10 percent of these species, the threat is severe, with 3.95 percent of plants likely
to become extinct and over 25 percent being vulnerable to extinction.
When you look at plant habitats, the area with the greatest population of threatened species is tropical
rainforest, where 63 percent of species are threatened. IN CONTRAST, desert areas have the lowest
proportion of vulnerable plants at 0.5 percent. Forest grassland and wetland areas are also home to
threatened species. HOWEVER, the danger is on much smaller scale than in the tropics, with figures ranging
between 12 and one percent.
TO CONCLUDE, tropical areas of the world have more endangered plant species than others, and certain
plants need immediate protection.

UNIT 4 ARTS AND ARTISTS
WRITE ABOUT A TOPIC TASK 2
Some educationalist argue that non-exam, arts-based subjects, such as music, drama, art and
craft, should be compulsory in the secondary school curriculum. They believe that activities as
these can improve overall academic performance.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Write about the following topic. Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant
examples from your own knowledge or experience.
SAMPLES:
People have different views about the role of arts subjects in secondary-schools timetables.
Some people believe that they have a beneficial impact on students learning, while others feel
they are simply a form of creative relaxation. I agree with the former statement because I believe
that they play a vital part in educational development.

It is generally thought that activities in arts can help students learn how to work in a team. A
student who takes part in a theatrical production has to cooperate with other members of the cast,
with the aim of producing a successful final show. The same is true of musicians who play in an
orchestra. They also have to work together to produce the best sound.
I would suggest that experiences like these can enhance a students ability to work with different
types of people and participate successfully in a group project.

Another way in which the arts can help student is that they can improve self-confidence. Reaching
the goal of a fruitful piece of art, that can be exposed to all other students, is something that can
stimulate proudness also in a deep introvert student that recognize him only as an outsider. This
sense of achievement may then stimulate someone to achieve more in other subjects and set in a
virtual circle of self-improvement.
A work of art might be something concrete like a painting or object, or it might be something
abstract like a piece of music, but, above all, art is often about making a product. Working on
everyday-life inputs and injecting creativity can, as a result, make someone feel very proud of the
outcome.

Obviously, success at school does not depend on study alone; its true that arts subjects may
develop qualities in students that will further their education achievement.
However, non-exam subjects should never override the importance of academic subjects, such as
maths and English.

People who value art lesson claim that it is important to exercise the imagination. This, they say, is
likely to have a beneficial impact, due to the fact that students get a break from intellectual
pursuits.
On the other hand, others would argue that students have a lot of schoolwork to complete and
they need to feel they have time to do this, otherwise they will get stressed. Art, it seems, can have
a positive influence on students, but it could also undermine their sense of well-being.

UNIT 6 IT SOCIETY
WRITE ABOUT A TOPIC TASK 2
Information technology is changing many aspects of our lives and now dominates our home,
leisure and work activities.
To what extent do the benefits of information technology outweigh the disadvantages?
(Present a balanced view.)

Information Technology has become an integral part of human life, and were becoming
INCREASINGLY dependent on it. But WHILE IT ENHANCES certain aspect of our lives, I also think it
may be having a detrimental effect on others.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST DRAWBACKS of IT is that it can be incredibly time-consuming. People who
work in international business have to read hundreds of e-mails every day, and children can spend
hours chatting online. SOME PEOPLE WOULD ARGUE THAT this time could be better spent.
A RELATED CRITICISM IS THAT IT LEADS TO unhealthy lifestyles. RATHER THAN going out and taking
regular exercise, for example, some people spend a lot of time sitting at their computers or with
their smart phones. IN THE LONG TERM, this lack of activity does not do our bodies any good.
DESPITE THESE DRAWBACKS, WE CANNOT DENY THAT technology has made many aspects of life
more pleasurable. We all have instant access to entertainment and social connections are just a
click away. LIKE MANY PEOPLE, I use a networking site which apparently has more than 800 million
active users. THIS TYPE OF STATISTICS ILLUSTRATES JUST how popular the website is.
There are also huge benefits to using technology for study and work. The Internet is an invaluable
source for students of all age, provided that it is used sensibly. Also, some areas of work have
moved forward in leaps and bounds due to the huge amount of data that computers can store.
Clearly, there are some negative aspects to technology.
HAVING SAID THAT, it is the way we use it that causes these. If it is used sensibly and people take
regular breaks from their computers, there are only benefits that remain.


UNIT 8 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
WRITE ABOUT A TOPIC TASK 2
A new generation of entrepreneurs believe that privately founded space tourism will be the next
exciting development in space exploration.
How do you think it is true? How would space tourism affect space exploration as we know it
today?

I THINK IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT space travel will become a popular activity in the private sector.
There are plenty of wealthy people in the world who could want to go into space, and there is the
desire to take them there. All these people need is the means to achieve their aims.
TO A CERTAIN EXTAINT, that means is already available, and some wealthy business people have
already paid millions of dollars to travel into space. If they have done it, others will follow. Human
being have the natural tendency to go beyond their limits; it is this desire to push the boundaries
that has motivated explorers in the past.
IN THE SAME WAY, space is definitely where business people in the travel industry are setting their
sights. IN FACT, newspapers say that millionaires like Richard Branson are in the process of doing
test flights to the edge of space. SO IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE space tourism becomes
a reality for the population as a whole.
How that will change space exploration is an interesting question. As businesses will be
concentrating on making profits and satisfying a general desire for adventure, IT SEEMS UNLIKELY
THAT they will any influence on the work of space explorers. ESSENTIALLY, the two activities are
quite different, only by doing both you wold make any link between them.
HAVING SAID THAT, if the space tourism were to become popular, it is possible that it would raise
extra money that could be channelled back into space exploration in the form of enhanced
technology and communication system. This, in turn, might speed up the process of space
exploration