9. UNIT 9. Social issues
UNIT 9.
SOCIAL ISSUES
A. Pronunciation
• Intonation in choice questions
Pay attention to the rising intonation (🡭) or falling intonation (🡮) in the following choice questions. Then practise saying them in pairs.
1. Will you report the issue or keep it secret?
2. Has technology made cyberbullying more or less common?
3. Will the issue be discussed in today’s meeting or in the next meeting?
4. Do we invite all or most of the club members to take part in the campaign?
5. Do small children or teenagers suffer from cyberbullying more seriously?
6. Do they like to play video games or computer games?
7. Did she get a smartphone or a tablet for her birthday present?
8. Should we set up regulations about cyberbullying or only raise everyone’s awareness?
B. Vocabulary
• Words and phrases related to social issues
I. Complete the sentences with the words given.
1. The closure of the factory brought ___________________ to the town.
2. Children of different ages see ___________________ or teasing differently.
3. There are many risks attached to social media sites, and ___________________ is one of the largest risks.
4. Youth in the behavioural risk group were more likely to report negative ___________________ than were youth in the optimal group.
5. This is the latest act of terrorism in a long-standing and bloody ___________________ of violence.
6. Ageing is simultaneously an academic problem, a pressing ___________________ and anurgent personal concern.
7. ___________________ is criticizing yourself or others because of some aspect of physical appearance.
8. The programme makers reject the notion that seeing ___________________ on television has a harmful effect on children.
9. He is under doctor’s orders to cut down on fatty food and to drink no ___________________ for at least six months.
10. The campaign has certainly succeeded in raising public ___________________ of the issue.
II. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs given.
1. Do you think he ___________________ his hair?
2. She was ___________________ as a full member of the society.
3. I don’t know why he ___________________ with Phong because they’ve got nothing in common.
4. Our survey indicates that one in four children is ___________________ at school.
5. Some people believe your biorhythms can ___________________ your moods and behaviour.
6. I ___________________ his friendship more than I can ever say.
7. It was brave of her to ___________________ to those bullies.
8. Should you ever need anything, please don’t ___________________ to contact me.
9. Reducing speed limits has ___________________ to fewer deaths on the motorways.
10. Doctors have ___________________ a 13% increase in the number of people with heart disease.
III. Fill in each blank in the following sentences with the correct word / phrase from the box.
1. ___________________ without attraction is the kind of love we feel for best friends.
2. Have your brother and Mary in a(n) ___________________?
3. She met her husband through a(n) ___________________ agency.
4. My youngest uncle and I have never ___________________ before.
5. Ann is always the person to lend a(n) ___________________ ear if you have problems.
6. She has just ___________________ with her boyfriend.
7. When two people are ___________________, they become friendly again after they have argued.
8. He has asked her out on a(n) ___________________.
9. The counsellor gave us some helpful tips on ways we could talk to Nick without starting a big ___________________.
10. It is advisable for parents to start talking with their children as early as late teens regarding future ___________________.
• Prepositions
IV. Complete each sentence with the correct preposition.
1. We need to focus public attention ___________________ this social issue.
2. As the daughter of the president, she enjoys high status ___________________ her peers.
3. The main problem ___________________ the climbers was lack of sleep.
4. My grandfather had a strong influence ___________________ my early childhood.
5. You have to have such a lot of patience when you are dealing ___________________ kids.
6. For years she struggled ___________________ the establishment to get her theories accepted.
7. He challenged her right as director to decide ___________________ the matter.
8. You should keep a safe distance ___________________ the car in front.
9. The information led the police ___________________ a house near the harbour.
10. The purpose of the article was to draw attention ___________________ the problems faced by single parents.
C. Grammar
• Linking words and phrases
I. Complete the sentences with because, because of, or therefore.
1. ___________________ it rained, we stayed home.
2. It rained. ___________________, we stayed home.
3. We stayed home the rain ___________________.
4. The hurricane was moving directly toward a small coastal town. ___________________, all residents were advised to move inland until it passed.
5. The residents moved inland ___________________ the hurricane.
6. ___________________ the hurricane was moving directly toward a small coastal town, all residents were advised to move inland.
7. Lan is afraid of heights. ___________________, she will not walk across the glass-bottomed bridge.
8. Diamond can be used to cut grass ___________________ it is extremely hard.
9. A camel is an ideal animal for desert areas ___________________ it can go completely without water for eight to ten days.
10. Phong has poor eyesight. ___________________, he has to sit in the front row.
II. Complete the sentences with although or because.
1. I put on my sunglasses ___________________ it was a dark, cloudy day.
2. I put on my sunglasses ___________________ the sun was bright.
3. ___________________ she has a job, she doesn’t make enough money to support her four children.
4. ___________________ she has a job, she is able to pay her rent and provide food for her family.
5. Jack is going horseback riding with his friends this afternoon ___________________ he’s afraid of horses.
6. Jack is going horseback riding with his friends this afternoon ___________________ he enjoys it.
7. I knew that I should get some sleep, but I just couldn't put my book down ___________________ I was really enjoying it.
8. I’m glad that my mother made me take piano lessons when I was a child ___________________ I hated it at the time. Now, I play the piano every day.
9. Nam jumped into the river to rescue the little girl who was drowning ___________________ he wasn’t a good swimmer.
10. ___________________ the flood damaged the bridge across the river, his family were able to cross the river ___________________ they had a boat.
III. Complete the sentences with although or however.
1. Jack ate a large dinner. ___________________, he is still hungry.
2. Jack is still hungry ___________________ he ate a large dinner.
3. I had a lot of studying to do. ___________________, I went to the cinema.
4. I finished all of my work ___________________ I was very sleepy.
5. I had washed my hands. ___________________, they still looked dirty.
6. ___________________ I had washed my hands, they still looked dirty.
7. Diana didn’t know how to swim; ___________________, she jumped into the swimming pool.
8. ___________________ Diana didn’t know how to swim, she jumped into the swimming pool.
9. Ann’s father gave her some good advice. ___________________, she didn’t follow it.
10. ___________________ Ann’s father gave her some good advice, she didn’t follow it.
IV. Complete the sentences. Use although and a sentence given below.
A. I didn’t speak the language
B. I had never seen her before
C. it was quite cold
D. I had met her twice before
E. he has a very important job
F. we don’t like them very much
G. the heating was on
H. we have known each other for a long time
1. _________________________________, he isn’t particularly well-paid.
2. _________________________________, I recognised her from a photo.
3. She wasn’t wearing a coat _________________________________.
4. We thought we’d better invite them to the party _________________________________.
5. _________________________________, I managed to make myself understood.
6. _________________________________, the room wasn’t warm.
7. I didn’t recognise her _________________________________.
8. We’re not very good friends _________________________________.
V. Choose the best answer A, B, C or D to complete the sentences.
1. __________ we got lost driving into the city, we were late for the meeting.
A. Since B. Because of C. However D. For
2. Two of the factories in our small town have closed. __________, unemployment is high.
A. However B. Because C. So that D. Furthermore
3. John’s favourite show was on. He reach to turned on the TV __________ he could watch it.
A. because of B. therefore C. so that D. for
4. She bought the book __________ she had heard it was good.
A. due to B. because C. because of D. so
5. __________ I heard the telephone ring, I didn’t answer it.
A. Because B. Only if C. Even though D. If
6. __________ the post office was closed, I couldn’t mail my package.
A. Therefore B. Because of C. However D. Since
7. __________ I was dead tired, I walked all the way home.
A. Despite B. Although C. In spite of D. Because
8. Some English words have the same pronunciation __________ they are spelled differently, for example, dear and deer.
A. unless B. even though C. since D. only if
9. Ms. Moore, the school counselor, had years of experience dealing with student problems. __________, she is sometimes confronted by a problem that she cannot handle by herself.
A. Therefore B. However C. Otherwise D. On the other hand
10. __________ excellent art museums, Moscow has a world-famous ballet company.
A. Because of B. In spite of C. Moreover D. In addition to
D. Reading
I. Read the magazine article and choose the correct words to complete the sentences.
School Hacker Faces Prison!
One morning, Kevin Lehman, a teacher at Greenwood High School in Texas, was grading his students’ math homework. He had started to enter the grades on the school database when he noticed something mysterious. He was by nature a careful person, so he checked all the grades again. According to the computer, one of his students, 18-year-old Dan Sinclair, had got the top grade in the last six maths tests. The problem was Lehman knew that he hadn’t. The boy’s grades had always been dreadful. So, who had changed the scores on the computer?
Lehman went to see Principal Sarah Lowe and explained the situation. Miss Lowe immediately called Dan to her office. Dan was unhelpful and said that he hadn’t done anything to the database. So, the Principal called the police. The police found copies of some final exams with all the answers in Dan’s desk. When they questioned Dan, he realised he was in a dangerous position and it was better to be truthful. He admitted that he had hacked into the school computer because he wanted to study law and he needed good maths grades. The police charged Dan with hacking and theft. If they find him guilty, Dan could go to prison for 40 years.
1. Kevin Lehman teaches / studies maths at Greenwood High School.
2. Lehman noticed that Dan had good / bad grades, according to the computer.
3. The Principal called the police before / after she had spoken to Dan.
4. Dan told the police he had / hadn’t changed the grades.
5. Dan wants to study maths / law in college.
II. Read the text, and mark the sentences true (T) or false (F).
A Good Job
In the past when married couples had problems they usually split up or continued to live together in an unhappy relationship. These days couples, married or not, can get advice on their problems from many sources. A lot of them come to me.
I’m a counsellor and I’m trained to listen to couples with problems. Then I try to advise them on the best way forward. One of my main tasks is to get people to talk - to each other and to me. Often a relationship has problems because people keep all their feelings inside. If we talk about things, we can often find an answer.
It’s also important to realise that we’re not all perfect. We all make mistakes. But we need to say sorry and talk about how we can prevent these mistakes from happening again. This can make a relationship stronger.
I don’t always succeed in helping people to stay together. Sometimes it’s better for the couple to split up and start new lives apart. But it helps everyone if the break-up can be friendly, especially for any children involved.
I love my job. I meet all sorts of people and it’s generally very rewarding.
1. In the old times, couples chose to live together in an unhappy relationship instead of divorce.
____
2. Only married couples come to a counsellor. ____
3. One important thing in a good relationship is sharing our feelings. ____
4. Couples break up because they are not perfect. ____
5. Sometimes the break-up can help couples lead a better life. ____
III. Read the text, and mark the sentences true (T) or false (F). Correct the false sentences.
Learning to Love
How would you feel if your parents chose your partner?
In some cultures, parents choose a future husband or wife for their children and then organize a wedding. The reasons for these arranged marriages are complicated, but they’re usually connected with status, traditions and money. This affects some young people in Britain, but they don’t all agree with the practice.
‘I want to wait until the time is right.’
‘There’s a girl I like. I’ve known her since August, when we met on holiday. I’m not thinking of telling my parents yet because it’s nothing serious, but I’m not sure that they will understand if I bring a girlfriend home. I think that there may be a problem in the future. My parents come from a country where families choose a partner for their sons and daughters. They introduced me a girl “from a good family” recently. I hadn’t met her before, so she came to our house with her mother and father. It was a very formal occasion because they all think that this girl will be my future wife, but we didn’t have anything in common. I’m sixteen and I don’t want to get married to anyone at the moment. I want to wait until the time is right and choose my future partner myself. It’s difficult because I respect my parents and I don’t want to upset them.’
Harry, aged 16
‘All relationships require commitment.’
T used to think that “love” marriages were better than arranged marriages, but I’ve changed my mind recently. I’ve met people who are happy in arranged marriages. Maybe they weren’t in love when they got married, but with time they’ve learned to love and respect their partners. On the other hand, some people who are in “love” marriages split up. They’ve been with their partners for years, but they fall out and their marriages end in failure. I think a relationship needs commitment. Love isn’t enough on its own. The couple must be understanding and patient and build up their relationship over time. People can’t just fall in love, get married and hope that everything will perfect forever. That only happens in films.’
Samina, aged 17
1. In an arranged marriage, the parents of the future couple organize the wedding.
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. Harry hasn’t told his parents about the girl he met on holiday.
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. Harry got on well with the girl his parents introduced him to.
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. Harry wants to get married when the time is right.
___________________________________________________________________________________
5. Samina thinks that arranged marriages don’t work as well as love marriages.
___________________________________________________________________________________
6. Samina thinks that a relationship needs more than love for it to last.
___________________________________________________________________________________
7. Samina says that perfect relationships only exist in films.
___________________________________________________________________________________
IV. Read the web page and do the tasks that follow.
Any Answers?
Popular Topics
Reese341
‘My little brother is a pain! He’s 8 years old, and he copies everything I do. When I watch TV, he watches it. When I listen to music, so does he. I think that if I spend a whole day cleaning, he’s probably join in. The worst part is when my friends come over. He won’t leave US alone for a minute. My friends say they won’t mind, but I don’t believe them. What should I do? I really need my space.’
Favourite Answer
WiseOwl
‘Hi, Reese. You shouldn’t be angry with your brother. It’s cool that he admires you so much! You should tell him that you need your own space, but promise to spend some time with him. Why don’t you ask him what he’d like to do? I bet he’d be delighted. If you did a few things together sometimes, he’d probably leave you alone at other times. You should talk with your parents about the problem, too. I’m sure they can help.’
HollyG
‘My mum got a great job in a different town, so I’m starting a new school next week. If it was the start of the school year, it wouldn’t be so bad, but I’m changing school halfway through a term! I’m going to be ‘the new girl’, and I’m scared. How can I make new friends? Please tell me what I should do. I’m so worried that no one will like me. Every time I think about it, I get a headache.’
Favourite Answer
BlueRose
‘I understand how you feel. When I started college, I was so nervous that I had a stomachache. But I’m sure you’ll be fine. On your first day, you shouldn’t try too hard to impress people. Just relax, and be yourself. Smile and ask a lot of questions (everyone loves talking about themselves!). You should also join some after-school clubs that interest you. They’re a great way to make friends because you already like similar things.’
Task 1. Choose the correct answer.
What kind of website is it?
a. an online newsletter b. an official medical website c. an advice site
Task 2. Match the new words 1-5 from the webpage with their definitions a-e.
1. copy (v) _____ a. to like somebody very much
2. admire (v) _____ b. a period of time of a school year
3. halfway (adv) _____ c. to do the same as somebody else
4. term (n) _____ d. to make someone have good opinion about you
5. impress (v) _____ e. in the middle of something
Task 3. Answer the questions.
1. What is Reese’s problem?
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the worst part of Reese’s problem?
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. According to WiseOwl, what should Reese promise to do?
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. Who else can help Reese?
___________________________________________________________________________________
5. Why is HollyG starting a new school?
___________________________________________________________________________________
6. Why is HollyG worried?
___________________________________________________________________________________
7. According to BlueRose, why should HollyG ask questions?
___________________________________________________________________________________
8. Why is it a good idea to join an after-school club?
___________________________________________________________________________________
V. Read Phong’s story and the counsellor’s answer and do the tasks that follow.
Phong: In my school, everyone has a few different groups of friends, such as in our own class. I used to be rather popular in my class, if being popular meant that most of the girls in my class were my friends and generally liked me. Then I fell out of this friendship with my “best friend” because there were stuff about each other we didn’t like, I guess, and we just stopped hanging out together. After this, I started hanging out with this other clique in class I was quite close with. However, this clique was not really popular in our class. The clique was more on the "losers” side, although individually I guess most people were okay with them. As time went by, I found myself feeling more and more embarrassed to be in the same clique permanently as them. I was not the most popular student in my school, but I think I was more on the popular side because I knew quite a lot of people in our level and I was on the football team at school, where I think being in a sport made us more on the popular side. Furthermore, I felt more and more unappreciated in my clique. I didn't think they really appreciated my presence, and it feels like my being there or not made only a little difference to them, although I'm not sure if this is true. They also always left me out in conversations, which I really hate, and this makes me feel really sad.
Counsellor: I think you should be around people you like or want to be. The group being unpopular is not a reason to leave them. If you are good enough then, you can make the group popular. Choose friends who make you feel comfortable. Don't move in groups based on popularity or you may never have people who truly appreciate you. Make good friends even if they are a few. Don't compare your group with others or people may not trust you.
Task 1. Decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. Phong broke up with his best friend because they had different tastes. _____
2. Being popular in his school meant most of the girls in his school were his friends and liked him.
_____
3. Phong felt unhappy because the group he was in was not popular in his class. _____
4. Being in a school sport team may make a student become popular. _____
5. Being present with other members of the group or not didn’t make any difference to Phong. _____
6. The counsellor thought that a member could make the group popular with his own talents. _____
7. You shouldn’t join a group only due to its popularity. _____
8. The counsellor advised Phong to join in the group which truly appreciated him. _____
Task 2: Match the underlined words in the text with the definition.
1. stuff (n) _____ A. a small group of people with the same interests
2. hang out (phr v) _____ B. not include someone
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3. clique (n) _____ C. a thing or group of things that one is talking about
4. leave someone out (phr v) _____ D. to recognize the good values of someone
5. appreciate (v) _____ E. to spend a lot of time in a place
VI. Read the text, and then do the tasks that follow.
Peer Pressure
Mary is walking to her maths lesson. She has got a test, but she feels all right. Suddenly, Dan, the coolest boy in the class, speaks to her, “Come on!” he says. “Forget maths. Let’s go into town!” Now Mary feels bad. She has to make a difficult decision. Should she go to maths because that is the right thing to do, or should she take the chance to be friends with the most popular person in the class?
If you have had an experience like this, don’t worry. It is called peer pressure and it happens to everybody. However, people have different reactions. Confident people refuse to do things they
don’t want to do, but shy and anxious people often give in. It may be because they want to be liked. It may be because they worry that their friends will make fun of them, or perhaps they are just curious
about trying something new. Whatever the reason, some people end up doing things they really don’t want to do.
It is hard being the only one who says ‘no’, and the question is - how do you do it? Firstly, you must decide what you believe in. If you think that missing maths, or smoking, or going somewhere you know your parents wouldn’t like is a bad idea then the answer is simple. Don’t do it. It is your decision, not anybody else’s. You don’t need to shout and scream, but you must be confident and you must be firm. You need to say, “No, thanks. I don’t want to do that.”
Of course, being on your own against everybody else is very hard, so it can really help to have at least one other peer, or friend, who will say ‘no’ too. Choose your friends carefully. You want friends to support you when you are in trouble. You don’t want people who will always agree with the majority. Remember, the most popular people aren’t always the most trustworthy.
However, peer pressure is not completely negative. You can learn a lot from people of your own age. They can teach you great football skills or the best way to do your maths homework. And don’t forget you can tell them things too and that always feels great. So, find friends who have similar interests. And remember, friendship isn’t about feeling depressed. It is about sharing experiences and having fun.
Task 1. Decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. Peer pressure means feeling you have to do something because your friends do it. _____
2. Peer pressure is very common. _____
3. Peer pressure is always a bad thing. _____
Task 2. Choose the best answer.
1. What does Dan suggest doing?
A. cheating in the maths test B. going in town after school
C. missing a lesson D. making some new friends
2. The text describes people who give in to peer pressure as _____.
A. quiet B. nervous C. popular D. funny
3. What does the word “it” in paragraph 3 refer to?
A. saying ‘no’ B. asking questions
C. going out with friends D. doing things you don’t really like
4. What quality does the writer recommend in a friend?
A. generosity B. popularity C. strength D. loyalty
5. The writer suggests it is a good idea to find friends _____.
A. do a variety of activities B. have things in common with you
C. are very clever D. are good at sport
Task 3. Some words are explained in the text Try to find the meanings of the following words.
1. give in (v) = ___________________________________________________
2. peer(n) = ___________________________________________________
VII. Read the text, and match the headings A-F with the paragraphs 1-5. There is one heading that you do not need.
A. Go to other people’s homes
B. Rediscover books and the art of reading
C. Take a walk around a supermarket
D. Get out your writing paper
E. Go back to traditional fun
F. Match a voice to a name
Life without the Internet
Recently, an earthquake in Taiwan destroyed Internet lines in Asia, upsetting the lives of millions of people dependent on the web for their work and social relationships. Here are some hints on how to cope if a similar situation occurs.
① ____________________________________
With no chatrooms or games sites, you’ll have to find your own entertainment. Take out the games boards you put away when you were given your first PC or laptop and play Monopoly or Cluedo with your friends and family. You’ll be surprised at how much fun it is.
② ____________________________________
Instead of emailing your friends, you’ll have to talk to them on the phone. And perhaps you can get to know some of the many friends you made in the chatroom and find out if they’re actually anything like they said they were in their profiles.
③ ____________________________________
As an alternative to picking up the phone, you could visit your friends in their own houses. Instead of chatting to them every night from your room. That way you could find things to do together and maybe even meet an interesting older brother or sister. You will also be burning off calories, which will help keep you fit and healthy.
④ ____________________________________
The art of letter-writing died with the advent of the Internet and with it, the joy of receiving letters from others. Write some letters to your friends in foreign regions, and experience the pleasure of getting a letter back.
⑤ ____________________________________
Discover where your local library is and remind yourself what research was like before the age of the online research. Remember, many others will be doing the same as you, so it will be an ideal meeting place for people of your age.
VIII. Read the article, and do the tasks that follow.
LOVE - Celebrated Around The World
Everyone had heard Valentine’s Day. Americans traditionally send cards, chocolates, and flowers to the people they love on February 14th, but it isn’t the only way people celebrate love around the world. Our reporter, Kelly Wilson, interviewed people about festival traditions in different countries.
St. George’s Day - Catalonia, Spain
Kelly: In Catalonia, you celebrate love on April 23rd. Is that right?
Laia: Yes, we do. It’s St. George’s Day. St. George is the patron saint of Catalonia, as well as other countries, like England and Greece.
Kelly: The festival also has different names, doesn’t it?
Laia: Yes, it does. In Catalonia we sometimes also call it ‘The Day of the Rose’, or ‘The Day of the Book’. That’s because people give each other roses and books on this day.
Kelly: Should men should give women roses?
Laia: Yes, they should. And women should give men books.
Kelly: Is it a very popular tradition in Catalonia?
Laia: Yes, it is, particularly in Barcelona. On April 23rd, the downtown area is packed with street performers and musicians, and many of the bookstores and cafes join in the celebrations. It’s a great day.
Friendship Day - Argentina
Kelly: Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day in Argentina, Mateo?
Mateo: Yes, we do! But we also celebrate Friendship Day on July 20th.
Kelly: Is that a festival of love and friendship?
Mateo: Yes, it is. Because love is for everyone, not just couples!
Kelly: Have Argentinians celebrated this festival since the 1970s?
Mateo: Yes, they have. On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, and people around the world celebrated together. The Argentinian professor Enrique Febbraro started ‘Friendship Day’ on the same date because he thought that this was a very special moment. It symbolizes unity and togetherness.
Kelly: Can you celebrate this festival in many different ways?
Mateo: Of course! But typically, we send messages, we make phone calls, and we go out at night. It’s a very busy night for restaurants. On this night, everyone wants to eat out.
Task 1. Match the festivals 1-3 with the dates a-c.
1. Valentine’s Day _____ a. July 20th
2. St. George’s Day _____ b. February 14th
3. Friendship Day in Argentina _____ c. April 23rd
Task 2. Answer the questions.
1. How do people traditionally celebrate Valentine’s Day in the US?
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Who is St. George?
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. What other names does St. George’s Day have in Catalonia?
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. What happens in Barcelona on the day of the festival?
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. What is Friendship Day?
__________________________________________________________________________________
6. What happened on this day in 1969?
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. Who is Enrique Febbraro, and what did he do?
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. How do people celebrate Friendship Day?
__________________________________________________________________________________
IX. Do the quiz and then look at the key. What sort of friend are you?
1. If my friend has a problem, I _________.
A. listen to him/her and try to understand
B. go out with him/her and have some fun
C. tell him/her what to do
2. If my friend thinks his/her homework is difficult, I _________.
A. try to help him/her to understand it
B. say “Don’t worry – it’s only homework”
C. tell him/her to ask the teacher for help
3. If my friend is ill, I usually
A. visit him/her
B. send him/her a “get well soon” text
C. tell him/her how to get better
4. If I don’t like my friend’s clothes, I _________.
A. don’t tell him/her – it’s not important
B. say “your clothes are interesting”
C. say “I don’t like your clothes”
5. If my friend is a bit late, I _________.
A. wait for him/her
B. don’t get angry because I’m always late
C. text him/her and say “Hurry up!”
6. If it’s my friend’s birthday, I usually _________.
A. make something for him/her
B. choose a fun present for him/her
C. choose a useful present for him/her
E. Speaking
• Everyday English
I. Choose the correct response. Then practise the short exchanges in pairs.
• Experiencing peer pressure
II. Complete the dialogue with the sentences below. There is one extra that you do not need.
A. They will succeed in making their targets and goals achieved.
B. They often give me advice on how to make friends with good students.
C. The truth is that peer pressure gives both benefits and drawbacks to the person.
D. Teens may also be foolish or develop bad attitudes.
E. As a result, the child will be affected by such kind of behaviour.
F. Peer pressure leads them to come up with the right choices or decisions in life.
Mai: The topic for the presentation of our group is peer pressure. Peers, together with their lifestyles, can lead a person into another world that may provide positive and negative impacts on their behaviour and personality.1 ____________________________________________________________________.
Phong: You’re right. We come to the benefits first. To be a part of a bigger group can help teens to have behaviour diversity. 2 _________________________________________________________________. Good friends can influence shaping one’s personality in positive ways.
Nick: I can see that there is a tendency to behave like the other members of the group. For instance, the members of the group focus on performing well in their class while completing lessons carefully.
3 _________________________________________________________________________________.
Lan: So with peer pressure, teens can get matured and acquire the ability of making good decisions.
4. ________________________________________________________________________________.
Mai: I agree with all your ideas. However, peers can also have a negative impact on your behaviour and personality. Staying with your bad company forces you to be influenced by bad habits like smoking or drinking, 5 __________________________________________________________________________.
Phong: You have to know the people to deal with or check whether they are a good influence on you or not.
• Expressing disappointment and sympathy
III. Put the following expressions into the correct categories.
- I know how you feel.
- I’m so sorry to have heard the news.
- What a disaster!
- I want you to know that I’ve been thinking of you.
- To be honest, I was a bit disappointed.
- What an experience! I wish someone had warned me in advance.
- You have my heartfelt sympathies.
- I wish I had worked harder.
- These are difficult times, and I want you to know how sorry I am for your loss.
- It wasn’t as good as I thought it would be.
- The whole thing bored me to tears!
- One door closes, another door opens.
- I’ve never been so disappointed in my whole life!
- I was deeply sad to learn the news.
Expressing disappointment
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Sympathy
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F. Writing
• A proposal against cyberbullying
I. Read the text and do the tasks that follow.
CYBERBULLYING
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘bully’? For a lot of children, this means someone who tries to hurt you. For example, they might hit or push you. It also means someone who does unkind things such as calling your names. These days there’s a new kind of bully who uses devices like mobile phones, tablets or computers to make other people unhappy.
There are many different kinds of cyberbullying. For example, telling lies about someone on a social network, posting photos of someone without their permission, or making cruel comments about someone on a forum. Sadly, cyberbullying is becoming more and more common.
If you have a problem with cyberbullying, there are a lot of things you can do. For example, you should talk to a friend, parent or teacher. There are also books, websites and forums on cyberbullying where you can find advice. If the cyberbullying is very serious, you should contact the police.
Task 1. What is cyberbullying?
a. bullying someone at school
b. bullying someone on the street
c. using electronic devices to bully someone
Task 2. Find example of the following in the text.
1. two ways someone might hurt you: _________________________________________
2. one way someone might be unkind to you: _________________________________________
3. three electronic devices: _________________________________________
4. three kinds of cyberbullying: _________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
5. three things you can do if you have a problem with cyberbullying:
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
II. Complete the proposal to light against cyberbullying with the supporting ideas below.
A. The best people to confide in are usually family members or close friends.
B. You can use this to file a report against the perpetrator.
C. With feeling of anger and even upset, it can also have physical effects where the victim experiences a lack of sleep, headaches, and stomachaches.
D. Cyberbullying can take many different forms: repeatedly making fun of a person online or picking on them via email or text message, saying some bad about a person in a post or making online threats.
E. You should take the time to explain slowly and carefully to them what is going on.
Introduction
Cyberbullying is harmful using computers, cellphones, and other electronic devices.
1 __________________________________________________________________________________
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Body
Possible effects of cyberbullying
Cyberbullying can make you feel as though you have no safe space, and it can affect you mentally.
2 __________________________________________________________________________________
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In the most extreme cases, bullying can result in victims committing suicide.
Measures to deal with cyberbullying
If you think that you are experiencing cyberbullying, it is best to confide in someone you can trust.
3 __________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
You can start by explaining to them the situation, how it bothers you, and how serious it is to you.
4 __________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
They can help you to collect evidence, like taking screenshots and saving text messages.
5 __________________________________________________________________________________
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III. Complete the essay about a proposal against cyberbullying with the clauses / phrases given. There is one extra that you do not need.
A. consider blocking the bully and formally report their behaviour on the platform
B. want to report the incident
C. the entire school community in creating a culture of respect
D. find a counsellor, the sports coach, or your favourite teacher
E. to collect evidence, such as text messages
F. to seek help from someone you trust, such as your parents, relatives, or other trusted adults
G. to review the reports 24/7 around the world in over 50 languages to remove bullying
H. contact the police or emergency services in your neighbourhood
If you think you are being bullied, the first step is 1 _________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________.
In your school, you can 2 ______________________________________________________________.
If bullying happens on social media sites, 3 _________________________________________________
___________________________________________. Social media companies have a duty to keep their users safe. It can be helpful 4 ___________________________________________________________, and screen shots of social media posts, to show what has been going on. If you are in immediate danger, you should 5 ________________________________________________________________________. You can send Facebook or Instagram team a report. They have a team 6 _________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________.
Anyone can become a victim of cyberbullying. If you see this happening to someone you know, try to offer support.
It is important to listen to your friend. You should be kind to them and help them think what they might say and to whom. If your friend does not 7 _________________________________________________
_________________________________, support them in finding a trusted adult to help them deal with the situation.