Introduction / balanced / conclusion / mistake / formal / styles / title / questionnaires

1 It is important to remember, that writing …….. should not be mixed.

2 A common …….. is to add a conclusion that does not follow logically from what has been written before.

3 …….. may be a part of the survey.

4 A …….. is needed to show that the writing is finished.

5 At the beginning we write the …….. of the book and the author.

6 The …….. to many pieces of academic writing contains historical background.

7 Written English, like spoken English, may be …….. or informal.

8 When we discuss or argue in academic writing, we need to present a …….. view.

3.16 Read the three models and answer the questions:

1 Which model is the most formal? Why?

2 Which model consists of short forms?

3 Which model is informal? Give reasons.

4 Which model is a mixture of styles? Why?

Model 1 I’ve never really been keen on going out in the snow – and I can’t understand why people get so excited about it. Your feet get soaking wet, your fingers nearly freeze off, and where’s the fun in having a snowball pushed down the back of your neck? I’d love to have enough money to be able to get away from here when it snows.

Model 2 Moreover, the combination of harsh winters and warm summers has an interesting effect on the personality of those who live in the more remote, rural parts of my country. Inhabitants of these areas tend to withdraw into themselves between December and March, becoming shy and reserved. In spring, however, they undergo a transformation – it’s really amazing! They’re just so incredibly different – you’d almost think you were in another country!

Model 3 Huge waves crashed onto the beach, sending sand and stones high into the air. Gale-force winds caused destruction to buildings along the seafront, and made walking in the street extremely hazardous. We spent the day sheltering in the lounge area of our hotel, wondering when, if ever, the storm would die down.

3.17 Study the information.

It is well known that project is a very popular kind of written work at British universities. Students usually do projects on a topic by their own choice or by the agreement of a lecturer. It is a piece of work that involves collecting detailed information about something.

Group projects can be a kind of mini-research. You can divide yourselves into small groups (perhaps 2-3) with each person responsible for one aspect or part of the activity: you will need to agree on who does what. Afterwards you will need to put all your information together and write a joint report.

Your project may contain a questionnaire that you need to construct for a specific purpose (perhaps to collect data or to obtain people’s opinions on issues or matters of concern by means of interviews). It may involve investigating various sources of information or references, perhaps in libraries. It may also involve personal observation of certain matters and comparing these observations with other people. Finally, some kind of conclusion will need to be agreed upon.

► In your group select one of the following projects and decide on a framework for collecting data etc, and who will be responsible for which part.

● The main subjects studied at different levels at your university.

● The history and development of the university / town, etc.

● Types of pollution and resulting problems in the town.

● Environmental Tourist Guide. Choose any piece of nature (river, lake, park, etc.).

Your steps: 1 Define the problem.

2 Find the solution.

3 Find out everything you can about it.

4 Use information from all sources (library, the Internet, surveys, etc.)

5 Use photos, drawings, slogans, etc. Anything!

Under the agreement with your lecturer you could modify the topics. You can propose other projects suitable for your locality.

UNIT 4 CLIMATE AND WEATHER

INTRODUCTION

● What is the weather like today?

● What was the weather like yesterday?

● What will the weather be like tomorrow?

These three questions are the most common among people round the world, don’t you think so? Speaking about weather we mean blue skies, puffy white clouds, torrential rains with hail force winds, flashes of lightning; or snow gently falling on the ground. But if we open an English dictionary we find out that “the weatheris the state of the atmosphere at any given time everywhere on Earth; it varies from place to place, day to day, season to season”. The long-term look at the weather in a place or region, the averaging of rainfall, the maximum and minimum temperatures is called climate.

4.1 The list of common weather words is very long and we start with some nouns and adjectives. Check your understanding.