Reading an article from
The New York Times
BEFORE READING
1) Look at the definition of the following words, and answer the questions below:
a. According to your experience, what skills do people need the most when they enter the marketplace? b. Are all these skills taught in high school?
c. What is, in your opinion, the goal of education?
Section 1 (lines 1 to 11)
MAKING PREDICTIONS
2) You will read an article which tells us the opinion of Tony Wagner, an education specialist, about the worlds of education and business today. Which of the following assertions represent his view? Underline your guesses.
a. The education system is / isn’t preparing young people for the world of work. b. Nowadays, middle-class jobs require / don’trequire high-skilled people. c. Today, education should provide skills to be studious / innovative.
READING
3) Now read the first two paragraphs to check your predictions. Were your guesses correct? AFTER READING
4) Answer these questions:
a. According to Wagner, what is the current connection between education and work? b. Why does he say that education should make children “innovation ready”?
skill /skɪl/ n [C,U]: an ability to do something well, especially because you have learned and practised it.
LOOKING AT LANGUAGE
5) Find four compound adjectives, and complete these ideas from Section 1: a. ______________ jobs are losing value.
b. ______________ jobs (those that require more education and training than a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree) used to be enough for the middle class.
c. Nowadays, ______________ jobs (those in which you get a high salary) require ______________ people.
6) Find four defining relative clauses in lines 2, 4, and 6.
a. What words are they referring to? b. What job are they doing?
- They ask a question about a person, thing, or place.
- They explain what person, thing, or place they are talking about.
Section 2 (lines 12 to 26)
READING
7) Read Section 2 and answer these questions:
a. What is more important than academic knowledge today? b. Why does the new generation need to “invent” a job? c. Which are the three ‘education goals’?
d. What is the connection between motivation and new opportunites?
LOOKING AT LANGUAGE
8) Find examples of will for future. In which one(s) the speaker… …has recently decided to do something?
……….……… ……….……… ……….……… ……….………
… is making a prediction?
……….……… ……….……… ……….……… ……….………
Section 3 (lines 27 to 52)
MAKING PREDICTIONS
10) This section starts with the question, ‘what should be the focus of education reform today?’. Which of the following do you think are included in Wagner’s answer?
We need to teach students the things that they can find on the Internet. We need to increase the time students spend in school.
We need to create factory schools for the industrial economy. We need to create a new school for the 21st century.
We need to bring play, passion, and purpose into the classroom.
READING
11) Read lines 27 to 34 and check your predictions. Do you agree with what is said? Why (not)? Are there any other aspects that we should pay attention to?
12) Read lines 35 to 44 and answer: In this new education system,
- why should students have knowledge of entrepreneurship? - why should teachers have ‘residencies’ with master teachers?
- why should teachers be judged on evidence of students’ improvement through the year?
13) Read lines 45 to 52 and complete the following statements:
a. Finnish students leave high school ‘innovation-ready’ because ……… ……… ……… b. To teach 21st century skills, the U.S. is currently ………
……… ………
LOOKING AT LANGUAGE –
14) Look at the following sentences from the article. In each of them, find the action (verb/verb phrase) and the subject.
Every middle-class job today can be done by more people around the world Teachers should be judged on evidence of improvement in students’ work.
Now, try to answer these questions:
a. Do the subjects in these sentences perform the action (are they the ‘doers of the action’, or ‘agents’)? b. Who is the real doer of the action in each case?
EXTRA SECTION
CONNECTING IDEAS
“Another Brick in The Wall”. Part 2: “
Education
”
Pink Floyd’s 1979 rock opera "Another Brick in the Wall" consists of three songs. The second song, “Education”, is a protest song against rigid schooling in general and boarding schools in the UK in particular.
Listen to the song and read the lyrics
Since its release, many people around the world have adopted "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" as an anarchistic hymn, using it to protest against what they saw as years of educational oppression. However, the song was not written as an extremist view of total educational anarchy, but as an attack against a specific type of teaching.
According to what you have read in “Need a Job? Invent it”, what do you imagine were the characteristics of this type of schooling? What skills were the most important? Which ones were neglected? How is education different today? How do you see the future of students who learn entrepreneurial skills?
Use words and expressions from the text, comparatives / superlatives, and past, present, and future tenses to write your opinion in about 200 words.
GO TO THE APPENDIX TO SEE SOME GUIDELINES AND THE FORMAT REQUIRED. We don't need no education
We don’t need no thought control No dark sarcasm in the classroom Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone! All in all it's just another brick in the wall. All in all you're just another brick in the wall.
"Wrong, Do it again!"
"If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat?"
The Importance of Recycling
➢ Watch the following video and take down notes of the key ideas mentioned in it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBOzcP2FnDM
How much did you know about this? Have you learnt anything new?
Invent three questions that would find an answer in the video and then report them using different reporting verbs.
Recycling Basics
Benefits of Recycling
Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community and the environment.
● Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators
● Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals
● Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials
● Saves energy
● Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change
● Helps sustain the environment for future generations
Steps to Recycling Materials
Recycling includes the three steps below, which create a continuous loop, represented by the familiar recycling symbol.
Step 1: Collection and Processing
There are several methods for collecting recyclables, including curbside collection, drop-off centers, and deposit or refund programs.
After collection, recyclables are sent to a recovery facility to be sorted, cleaned and processed into materials that can be used in manufacturing. Recyclables are bought and sold just like raw materials would be, and prices go up and down depending on supply and demand in the United States and the world.
Step 2: Manufacturing
More and more of today's products are being manufactured with recycled content. Common household items that contain recycled materials include the following:
● Newspapers and paper towels
● Aluminum, plastic, and glass soft drink containers
● Steel cans
● Plastic laundry detergent bottles
Recycled materials are also used in new ways such as recovered glass in asphalt to pave roads or recovered plastic in carpeting and park benches.
Step 3: Purchasing New Products Made from Recycled Materials You help close the recycling loop by buying new products made from recycled materials. There are thousands of products that contain recycled content. When you go shopping, look for the following:
Products that can be easily recycled
Products that contain recycled content
Below are some of the terms used:
Post-consumer content - Very similar to recycled content, but the material comes only from recyclables collected from consumers or businesses through a recycling program.
Recyclable product - Products that can be collected, processed and manufactured into new products after they have been used. These products do not necessarily contain recycled materials. Remember not all kinds of recyclables may be collected in your community so be sure to check with your local recycling program before you buy.
Some of the common products you can find that can be made with recycled content include the following:
Aluminum cans Car bumpers Carpeting Cereal boxes Comic books
Egg cartons Glass containers Laundry detergent bottles
Motor oil
Nails
Newspapers Paper towels Steel products Trash bags
Reduce
,
Reuse
,
Recycle
The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy - raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated then transported to wherever it will be sold. As a result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways you can save natural resources, protect the environment and save money.
Benefits of Reducing and Reusing
PREVENTS pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials
SAVES energy
REDUCES greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to
global climate change
HELPS sustain the environment for future generations
SAVES money
REDUCES the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators Activity:
ALLOWS products to be used to their fullest extent
Ideas on How to Reduce and Reuse
Buy used. You can find everything from clothes to building materials at specialized reuse centers and consignment shops. Often, used items are less expensive and just as good as new.
Look for products that use less packaging. When manufacturers make their products with less packaging, they use less raw material. This reduces waste and costs. These extra savings can be passed along to the consumer. Buying in bulk, for example, can reduce packaging and save money.
Buy reusable over disposable items. Look for items that can be reused; the little things can add up. For example, you can bring your own silverware and cup to work, rather than using disposable items.
Maintain and repair products, like clothing, tires and appliances, so that they won't have to be thrown out and replaced as frequently.
Borrow, rent or share items that are used infrequently, like party decorations, tools or furniture.
Write a summary of the previous section including different connectors and at last 2 instances of passive voice in about 150 words.
Donation
One person's trash is another person's treasure. Instead of discarding unwanted appliances, tools or clothes, try selling or donating them.
Not only will you be reducing waste, you'll be helping others. Local churches, community centers, thrift stores, schools and nonprofit organizations may accept a variety of donated items, including used
books, working electronics and unneeded furniture.
Activity:
11
Climate Change
➢ Watch the following video and take down notes of the key ideas mentioned in it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PWtaackIJU
Do you agree with what is said in the previous video? Is it diminishing the problem?
Use the verbs warn, advise, offer and promise to report some of the ideas in the above video.
Climate Change Science Overview
What do you know about the current situation regarding climate change?
Is it really changing or is it a myth? If so, what are the main factors contributing to this change?
Now read the following overview:
Earth's climate is changing. Multiple lines of evidence show changes in our weather, oceans, ecosystems, and more.
Natural causes alone cannot explain all of these changes. Human activities are contributing to climate change, primarily by releasing billions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other heat-trapping gases, known as greenhouse gases, into the atmosphere every year.
Human activities, like driving, manufacturing, electricity generation, and the clearing of forests contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and warm the planet.
Changes in the climate system affect our health, environment, and economy. We can prepare for some of the impacts of climate change to reduce their effects on our well-being.
After reading the above overview, can you mention three of the most worrying activities and/or reasons affecting Climate change using the passive voice?
Earth's climate is changing
The global average temperature has increased by more than 1.5°F since the late 1800s.Some regions of the world have warmed by more than twice this amount. The buildup of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and the warming of the planet are responsible for other changes, such as:
● Changing temperature and precipitation patterns
● Increases in ocean temperatures, sea level, and acidity
● Melting of glaciers and sea ice
● Changes in the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme weather events
● Shifts in ecosystem characteristics, like the length of the growing season, timing of flower blooms, and migration of birds
● Increasing threats to human health
Human causes can explain these changes
Most of the warming of the past half century has been caused by human emissions of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases come from a variety of human activities, including: burning fossil fuels for heat and energy, clearing forests, fertilizing crops, storing waste in landfills, raising livestock, and producing some kinds of industrial products.
Greenhouse gas emissions are not the only way that people can change the climate. Activities such as agriculture or road construction can change the reflectivity of Earth's surface, leading to local warming or cooling. This effect is observed in urban centers, which are often warmer than surrounding, less populated areas. Emissions of small particles, known as aerosols, into the air can also lead to reflection or absorption of the sun's energy.
Climate will continue to change, but the extent of the change will depend on how much, and how quickly, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
and how the climate responds, average global temperatures are projected to increase worldwide by 0.5°F to 8.6°F by 2100, with a likely increase of at least 2.0°F for all scenarios except the one representing the most aggressive mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate change impacts our health, environment, and economy
Climate change affects our environment and natural resources, and impacts our way of life in many ways. For example:
● Warmer temperatures increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of heat waves, which can pose health risks, particularly for young children and the elderly.
● Climate change can also impact human health by worsening air and water quality, increasing the spread of certain diseases, and altering the frequency or intensity of extreme weather events.
● Rising sea levels threaten coastal communities and ecosystems.
● Changes in the patterns and amount of rainfall, as well as changes in the timing and amount of stream flow, can affect water supplies and water quality and the production of hydroelectricity.
● Changing ecosystems influence geographic ranges of many plant and animal species and the timing of their lifecycle events, such as migration and reproduction.
● Increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, and floods, can increase losses to property, cause costly disruptions to society, and reduce the availability and affordability of insurance.
We can prepare for some of the likely climate change impacts to reduce their effect on ecosystems and human well-being. Making such preparations is known as adaptation. Examples of adaptation include strengthening water conservation programs, upgrading stormwater systems, developing early warning systems for extreme heat events, and preparing for stronger storms through better emergency preparation and response strategies.
Summarize the reading Earth's climate is changing in one or two paragraphs making sure you include the most important concepts.
Future Climate Change
According to what you have studied, which are the most unsettling consequences that climate change will bring about?
Increasing greenhouse gas concentrations will have many effects:
Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere will continue to increase unless the billions of tons of our annual emissions decrease substantially. Increased concentrations are expected to:
● Increase Earth's average temperature
● Reduce ice and snow cover, as well as permafrost
● Raise sea level
● Increase the acidity of the oceans
● Increase the frequency, intensity, and/or duration of extreme events
● Shift ecosystem characteristics
● Increase threats to human health
These changes will impact our food supply, water resources, infrastructure, ecosystems, and even our own health.
Future changes will depend on many factors
The magnitude and rate of future climate change will primarily depend on the following factors:
● The rate at which levels of greenhouse gas concentrations in our atmosphere continue to increase
● How strongly features of the climate (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and sea level) respond to the expected increase in greenhouse gas concentrations
● Natural influences on climate (e.g., from volcanic activity and changes in the sun's intensity) and natural processes within the climate system (e.g., changes in ocean circulation patterns)
Activity: Considering the previous section, write down a short paragraph stating which, in your
view, will be the most serious changes to take place in the future.
Past and present-day greenhouse gas emissions will affect climate far into the future
any greenhouse gases stay in the atmosphere for long periods of time. As a result, even if emissions stopped increasing, atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations would continue to increase and remain elevated for hundreds of years. Moreover, if we stabilized concentrations and the composition of today's atmosphere remained steady (which would require a dramatic reduction in current greenhouse gas emissions), surface air temperatures would continue to warm. This is because the oceans, which store heat, take many decades to fully respond to higher greenhouse gas concentrations. The ocean's
response to higher greenhouse gas concentrations and higher temperatures will continue to impact climate over the next several decades to hundreds of years.
To learn more about greenhouse gases, please visit the Greenhouse Gas Emissions page and the Greenhouse Effect section of the Causes of Climate Change page. Because it is difficult to project far-off future emissions and other human factors that influence climate, scientists use a range of scenarios using various assumptions about future economic, social, technological, and environmental conditions. The slideshow above provides
more information on these scenarios in the "Estimating the Future" section.
Future Temperature Changes
We have already observed global warming over the last several decades. Future temperatures are expected to change further. Climate models project the following key temperature-related changes.
Key Global Projections
● Increases in average global temperatures are expected to be within the range of 0.5°F to 8.6°F by 2100, with a likely increase of at least 2.7°F for all scenarios except the one representing the most aggressive mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
● Except under the most aggressive mitigation scenario studied, global average temperature is expected to warm at least twice as much in the next 100 years as it has during the last 100 years.
● Ground-level air temperatures are expected to continue to warm more rapidly over land than oceans.
Future Precipitation and Storm Events
Patterns of precipitation and storm events,
including both rain and snowfall are also likely to
change. However, some of these changes are less
certain than the changes associated with
temperature. Projections show that future
precipitation and storm changes will vary by
season and region. Some regions may have less precipitation, some may have more precipitation, and some may
have little or no change. The amount of rain falling in heavy precipitation events is likely to increase in most
regions, while storm tracks are projected to shift poleward. Climate models project the following precipitation
and storm changes.
Key Global Projections
Global average annual precipitation through the end of the century is expected to increase, although changes in the amount and
intensity of precipitation will vary significantly by region.
The intensity of precipitation events will likely increase on average. This will be particularly pronounced in tropical and high-latitude
regions, which are also expected to experience overall increases in
precipitation.
The strength of the winds associated with tropical storms is likely to increase. The amount of precipitation falling in tropical storms is
also likely to increase.
Annual average precipitation is projected to increase in some areas and decrease in others. The figure to the
right shows projected regional differences in precipitation under two emission scenarios.
Future Ice, Snowpack, and Permafrost
Arctic sea ice is already declining. The area of snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has decreased since
about 1970. Permafrost temperatures in Alaska and much of the Arctic have increased over the last century. To
learn more about recent changes in snow and ice, visit the Snow and Ice page of the Indicators section.
Over the next century, it is expected that sea ice will continue to decline, glaciers will continue to shrink, snow
cover will continue to decrease, and permafrost will continue to thaw. Potential changes to ice, snow, and
permafrost are described below.
Key Global Projections
● For every 2°F of warming, models project about a 15% decrease in the extent of annually
averaged Arctic sea ice and a 25% decrease in the area covered by Arctic sea ice at the end of
summer (September). Note that this decrease does not contribute to sea level rise.
● The coastal sections of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are expected to continue to melt
or slide into the ocean. If the rate of this ice melting increases in the 21st century, the ice sheets
could add significantly to global sea level rise.
● Glaciers are expected to continue to decrease in size. The rate of melting is expected to
continue to increase, which will contribute to sea level rise.
Meltwater flowing from the Greenland ice sheet Source: NASA
Warming temperatures contribute to sea level rise by: expanding ocean water; melting mountain glaciers and
ice caps; and causing portions of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to melt or flow into the ocean.
Since 1870, global sea level has risen by about 7.5 inches. Estimates of future sea level rise vary for different
regions, but global sea level for the next century is expected to rise at a greater rate than during the past 50
years. Studies project global sea level to rise by another 1 to 4 feet by 2100, with an uncertainty range of 0.66 to
6.6 feet.
The contribution of thermal expansion, ice caps, and small glaciers to sea level rise is relatively well studied,
but the impacts of climate change on ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are less understood and represent
an active area of research. Changes in ice sheets are currently expected to account for 1.2 to 8 inches of sea
level rise by the end of this century.
Regional and local factors will influence future relative sea level rise for specific coastlines around the world.
For example, relative sea level rise depends on land elevation changes that occur as a result of subsidence
(sinking) or uplift (rising). Assuming that these historical geological forces continue, a 2-foot rise in global sea
level by 2100 would result in the following relative sea level rise:
● 2.3 feet at New York City
● 2.9 feet at Hampton Roads, Virginia
● 3.5 feet at Galveston, Texas
● 1 foot at Neah Bay in Washington state
Relative sea level rise also depends on local changes in currents, winds, salinity, and water temperatures, as
well as proximity to thinning ice sheets.
Future Ocean Acidification
Ocean acidification adversely affects many marine species, including plankton, mollusks, shellfish, and corals.
As ocean acidification increases, the availability of calcium carbonate will decline. Calcium carbonate is a key
building block for the shells and skeletons of many marine organisms. If atmospheric CO2 concentrations
double, coral calcification rates are projected to decline by more than 30%. If CO2 concentrations continue to
rise at their current rate, the combination of climate warming and ocean acidification could slow coral growth
by nearly 50% by 2050.
Activity: Write a short informal e-mail to one of your university mates telling them about the
environmental problems concerning sea-level rise. Include some conditional sentences, passive voice
Need a Job? Invent it - Guidelines
OUTLINE (optional) FINAL WORK (compulsory)
IN T R O D U C T IO N
State of education today
- Main problem(s) and/or cause(s) of education today.
Offer a brief overview of the state of education today, taking into account what is said in the article (‘Need a Job? Invent It’). Make a connection with the world of work.
Language: Use present tenses (simple/perfect) P A R A G R A P H 1
- Main characteristic(s) of education in the past.
(1) What the system expected from students (most important skills)
(2) What the system wanted to avoid (most neglected skills)
Make a connection to the previous paragraph by explaining how education used to be, so that the reader understands one of the sources of the problems (use the ideas discussed after watching ‘Another
brick in the wall: Education’)
Language: Use past tenses (simple/perfect)
P A R A G R A P H 2
- Comparison education in the past / education today
(1) What characteristics of the old education system we can still see today (similarities) (2) What is different today (differences)
Make a connection to the previous
paragraph by explaining what has changed and what hasn’t, so that you prepare the reader for the next paragraph.
Language: Use comparatives / superlatives P A R A G R A P H 3 / C O N C L U S IO N
- The future of students who learn entrepreneurial skills
(1) How the development of entrepreneurial skills will help to the prepare students for the world of work today
(2) Your own opinion/recommendation of other factors which will benefits students
Make a connection to the previous
paragraph by explaining how the
development of entrepreneurial skills in students will help them overcome the difficulties still present and prepare them to face the world of work today.
Include any other idea(s) about other factor(s) that could contribute to this improvement.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
Techniques to begin or end your paper
To attract the reader's interest and make the beginning or ending of your work more effective, you can use some of the following writing techniques:
a) address the reader directly e.g. If you teach your children the importance of using ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, life will be easier for them.
b) include a quotation (a sentence or phrase taken from a book, article, etc.). When we use a quotation, it is necessary to mention the name of the person who said/wrote it. e.g. As Paulo Freire wrote, “Looking at the past must only be a means of understanding more clearly what and who they are so that they can more wisely build the future.”
c) include a rhetorical question e.g. Are you concerned about good-manners today?
Useful expressions and linking words/phrases
• To list and add points:
In the first place,… / To start/begin with,… / Secondly,… / Thirdly,… / Finally,… / In addition (to this),… / Furthermore,… / Moreover,… / Besides,… / Also, /etc.
• To introduce or list advantages:
The main/first/most important advantage of... is… / One/Another/An additional advantage of... is … /
• To introduce examples/reasons/results:
For example,… / in particular,… / therefore,… / for this reason,… / because… / as a result,… / etc.
• To show contrast:
On the other hand,… / However,… / but… / Nonetheless,… / Although …., / Even though… / etc.
• To introduce a conclusion:
In conclusion,… / To conclude/sum up,… / All things considered,… / Taking everything into account/consideration, … / etc.
• To give opinions
I believe/think/feel that… / I strongly believe that… / In my opinion/view,… / The way I see it,… / It seems to me that… / My opinion is that…
• To make suggestions:
A useful suggestion would be to… / Another solution would be to… / Another way to ... is/would be to ... / The situation could be improved if … / It would be a good idea to ... / It would help if we…
