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SESSION FIVE

READING COMPREHENSION

Use your reading strategies of skimming and scanning to read the article below and find the right answers to the questions.

TRAVEL NARROWS THE MIND (excerpts)By John Rentoul

The modern fashion for long-distance travel is a snare and a delusion. Of course, there was once an evolutionary advantage to the restlessness of humanity, but now tourists are footloose without purpose. Following a redundant genetic impulse, they pack into large metal boxes which burn unimaginable quantities of fossil fuels to transport them thousands of miles. And then two weeks later they come back again. What for? A better way to get skin cancer? To see the sights and make a mess of them? To get to know other cultures? Not so. It is far preferable to stay home and visit the United Kingdom, preferably by train.

The instinct to explore has been played out. Humans have been everywhere, done that. They have been to the top of Everest so often the summit resembles the waste skip of a resuscitation ward. Driven by their genes to invent ever more absurd frontiers to reconnoitre, the sort of people who might once have trekked across the Rocky Mountains are now chartering jets so they can freefall parachute over Antarctica.

Then there is the green argument for people staying where they are. This restlessness and our ever increasing desire to travel long distances is disastrous for the environment. Air travel is the most energy-hungry thing that most people can do. It is a scandal that aviation fuel for international flights is not taxed. If the governments of the world could agree to do something about it, they would have a permanent source of income, as well as cutting down on the fastest-growing source of global warming gases.

As for the idea that travel broadens the mind, widens people’s horizons, and promotes international understanding, this is mere nonsense. It may have been a good idea for Marco Polo to have backpacked to Beijing, although it did not do the Chinese much good. It may even have been a good thing to send the educated elite of Britain on Grand Tours of the continent in the 18th and 19th centuries. But we have television and the Internet now. If it is learning you want, you can do it at home.

The only was to effectively learn anything about foreign countries is by living and working in them, which is an admirable feat. Living and working in foreign countries should be encouraged, within limits. But it is tourism that is objectionable, especially the desire to go to the remotest, wildest and often poorest places in the world, only to build four-star hotels there. This does not benefit the local people since the hotels are all owned by foreign companies and only an average of 30% of profits stay in the country. On the contrary, it encourages the demand for Coca-Cola and MacDonald’s, in addition to accelerating the homogenization of the world.

But it is not just travel to remote places which is unwise. Even in the UK, traveling long distances by car is fraught with risk. Statistics may report that motorways are not dangerous, but it is hard to believe that it is safe for people to be hurling sail along within feet of each other at more than 70 mph. The only really civilized way to travel is by train.

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1. What does the author say about the fashion for long-distance travel?a) It enables tourists to understand other cultures.b) There is no longer any point to it.c) It takes up a lot of time.

2. Why do people do things such as freefall parachuting in the Antarctica, according to the author?

a) They are trying to solve personal problems.b) They feel the need for greater challenges.c) They want to go trekking in isolated places.

3. Why, according to the author, should aviation fuel be taxed?a) It would ultimately help reduce pollution.b) It would enable governments to buy more fuel.c) It would help governments stay in power.d) Other types of fuel are taxed, so it would only be fair.

4. What does the author mean when he says that tourism “accelerates the homogenization of world culture”?

a) Everyone is eating fast food.b) People are rapidly becoming the same wherever you go.c) People in remote places are becoming poorer.d) The pace of life is speeding up.

5. What does the author feel about road travel?a) Distances are too long.b) Motorways are safe.c) Other countries are safer than the UK.d) Driving can be dangerous.

II. Editing and Error Correction

Editing and proof-reading are as important a part of writing as the drafting itself.

o Leave yourself time to read your essay at least twice. o First Reading: focus on content, organization and cohesiono Second reading: focus on language errors

I. Proof-reading:

At any level of language proficiency, certain types of mistakes are common, even if they are very basic errors. You can self-correct these and avoid losing unnecessary points.

A) Common Errors: Here are some common language mistakes to look for in your writing:

Type of error Examples of errors1. missing “s” on third person singular: A diplomat, when visiting another country, usually bring a

small gift.2. missing “s” on plural nouns It is one of the most important institution in the world.

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3. subject-verb agreement: “People in many parts of the world believes that poverty is an inevitable part of existence.

4. simple past vs present perfect Human rights became a fundamental principle. 5. articles: Internet can bring both positive and negative effects to

society.”6. Word order: The prime minister said that to fight the drought would be

necessary special financial aid. 7. missing subjects Is fundamental to learn from our mistakes.

B) Identifying your errors: in order to correct your mistakes, it is helpful to learn to recognize them.

These symbols are commonly used to identify error types.

Symbol Type of error example Correct formVT verb tense Yesterday, the news has been terrible. VF Verb form The news are terrible. WW Wrong word Obama is the actual president.

These ideas are strictly linked.

WO Word order It has been also proposed ART Article The France is one of the founding

members.

Gr Grammar One of the most important issueSp Spelling It is they’re choice. P Punctuation The war ended, the peace treaty was

signed.

SS Structure It is necessary a reform. .Sty Style It’s really important I Italianism Extreme bads, extremes remedies Awk Awkward

expressionFor what concerns the advantages

¶ paragraphing e.g. gaps between sentences in the same paragraph, paragraphs which are too long or too sort, no topic sentences

Exercises: The underlined phrases are incorrect. Identify the type of error and then write the correct sentence.

ExampleThere was a different money system , gold was the basis of this money system Type of error: STRCorrected sentence: There was a different money system for which gold was the basis.

1. The world, according to public opinion, has grown smaller. ___________________________________________________________________.

2. Globalization is a phenomenon recently discovered.

___________________________________________________________________.

3. It is interesting the similarity between the two. ___________________________________________________________________.

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4. Globalisation isn’t an actual phenomenon.

___________________________________________________________________.

5. Is significant to note how it evolved.

___________________________________________________________________.

III. Fronting with Negative and Limiting Expressions: to emphasize a certain part of the sentence, we can change the word order. However, this requires certain structural changes too.

Neutral: Tourism will stimulate the country’s economy and create jobs. Emphasis: Not only will tourism stimulate the country’s economy, it will create jobs.

Note that when we begin a sentence with a negative or limiting expression, we must invert the subject and verb, using an auxiliary verb where necessary.

Normal syntax: Tourism will stimulate the economy (subject + verb)

inverted syntax: not only will tourism stimulate (negative expression + aux verb + subject + infinitive

Here are some common negative or limiting expressions:

Not only Under no circumstances Only if Only byRarely Seldom Never On no accountNot unless On no condition Only when Not until

Practice

Rewrite these sentences

1. Police must under no circumstances be given responsibility for protecting witnesses from other police.Under no circumstances_________________________________________________.

2. We will accept bribery on no condition. On no condition _______________________________________________________.

3. I will consider seeking re-election to the Secretary of State's position only if formally asked to do so. Only if __________________________________________________________.

4. Politicians seldom acknowledge the importance of international institutions.Seldom ____________________________________________________________.

5. Countries will become more responsible only if their leaders are taken to task for their crimes against humanity.Only if ______________________________________________________________.

6. Governments will begin to tackle the problem effectively only by adopting clear policies.Only by ____________________________________________________________.

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IV. The Passive Form: The passive form is often used in formal writing, which tends to be less personal and less direct. It is often used in the language of foreign affairs to avoid diplomatic incidents.

There are several ways of forming the Passive:

1. By making the object the subject: subj + to be + past participle

Active: Scientists invented computers for military purposes. Passive: Computers were invented for military purposes.

2. with the impersonal “it” with verbs like know, believe, maintain, claim, think. These are used to report opinions without naming the subject.

Active: Activists think that human rights are fundamental to democracyPassive: It is thought that human rights are fundamental to democracy.

3. with the object as subject followed by a passive infinitive

Active: Activists think that human rights are fundamental to democracy.Passive: Human rights are thought to be fundamental to democracy.

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I. Rewrite each sentence about ancient beliefs so that it does not contain the words underlined.

a. In Irish mythology, people said a meteor was a soul passing from purgatory to heaven.

b. In Greek mythology, people believed the beech tree was able to carry messages from a worshipper to

Zeus, the father of the gods.

c. In ancient Egypt people thought bats’ blood cured blindness.

d. In Aztec mythology, people believed the Sun was the home of lithe got Quetzalcoatl.

II. Rewrite each sentence so that it begins with the words underline.

a. Experts say the company’s European division is having good year.

b. In contrast, they say that the Far East division has been suffering from rising costs.

c. People believe that the company has been talking to a competitor about a possible merger.

d. People think the company is holding a top-level meeting about these matters next week.

III. Complete the sentence so that it means the same as the first.

a. Oak Island in Canada is one of many places in the world which people think is the site of buries treasure.

Oak Island in Canada is one of many places in the world which...

b. People say that the treasure is in a place called the “money pit”

The treasure …..

c. People think that pirates buries the treasure centuries ago.

Pirates ….

d. People now report that the pit is a natural phenomenon, or the remains of an old colonial fortification.

The pit….

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Language focus for ex pressing pros and cons

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