starlight_11_teacher_s_notes / starlight_11_teacher_s_notes

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MODULE 1

Unit 1.5

Exercise 3 (p. 14)

Speaker 1

I have to say that I wasn’t looking forward to the evening. I’ve never really seen the attraction. But my girlfriend is a huge fan, I think she had some lessons when she was younger, and because it was her birthday I promised to take her. It came as a total surprise, but by the end of the evening, I was completely hooked. The orchestra was fantastic and the music incredibly moving. And the way the performers were able to show their emotions and tell a story through movement was so impressive. I actually found it very exciting and I’ll certainly go again.

Speaker 2

Look, you just can’t beat the experience. I went to a festival last weekend. I know the tickets can be expensive these days, but you’d pay the same if you went to a good restaurant, wouldn’t you? My friends and I try to go every month, but it really depends on who’s touring and if they’re playing anywhere near. For me, the real joy is being in a crowd of people.The atmosphere is so important. That’s what makes it so different from playing the CD at home.

Speaker 3

One performer on an empty stage.That’s how it started and I remember wondering how he was going to fill the time on stage. But as the act progressed, I realised that he didn’t need any props, he didn’t even need any words. With just a few simple movements and a different facial expression he pulled the audience into his world. We believed in the situations he created, we saw things that weren’t there and shared his emotions. I laughed when it was funny and cried when it was sad. It was a great evening.

Unit 1.7

Exercise 1 (p. 18)

Interviewer: In the studio today, I’m pleased to say that we have Hannah Evans of Popular People Magazine. Welcome, Hannah. So, you’re going to tell us all about what it is that makes the perfect party, right?

Hannah: Indeed I am, and this certainly is the season for parties. I simply love parties, the decorations, the lights, and all that wonderful food!

Interviewer: Me too. Now. First things first. How do you decide who to invite?

Hannah: I always say be courageous with who you put on your guest list. Invite people from different backgrounds. Don’t invite people that all have the same jobs or family situations.You’d be surprised how exciting

things can get when people have to work a bit to find something that they have in common. It makes a nice change from a bunch of people standing around talking shop all night. Also, always invite more people than you really want because some people always back out at the last minute.

Interviewer: Great.What about the invitations? Hannah: Well, as a rule of thumb, you should send out the invitations about two to three weeks before the actual party. Stress on the invitation that you would appreciate a reply. Personally, I always give an e-mail or fax address so that people have no excuse to say they couldn’t get back to me. If you’re having your party in a place that is hard to find, it’s a good idea to include a map as well as the address and you might even want to supply details about where guests can find parking. Oh, and include the start and finish times of your party so that everybody can think about how they will get home. Interviewer: Some very good ideas, Hannah. So, let’s go on to the party!

Hannah: Right. Rule number one. It is essential that you answer the door yourself and greet your guests personally. When people come as couples, separate them and introduce them to other groups. Help them along with a little prompt like, ‘Martha, this is Sue. She likes gardening too.’

Interviewer: Just to break the ice?

Hannah: Exactly. Now, when the party really gets going you can expect that you’re not going to have a moment to yourself. If you and someone else are holding the party, you should get the other person to deal with the drinks and food. If you’re on your own, ask someone in advance if they’ll help out with the serving. I usually choose a shy person because I find it gets them more involved if they have something to do. Something else to remember. Don’t get stuck in the kitchen all night.While your guests might be interested in what they’re going to eat, they came to the party to see you. Don’t let the food preparation keep you away from all the fun. Stay relaxed, nobody wants a stressed-out host. Remember, you’re with friends.

Interviewer: Is there anything we should know about sit-down meals?

Hannah: Yes. As a matter of fact, I was just getting to that. I’ve always found that having a seating plan practically guarantees a great party. I don’t know, I just think that when you think out who’s going to sit next to who, you can arrange it in such a way that everyone will be more comfortable during the meal. It also seems just a little bit more glamorous. I can’t abide watching guests scrambling for a seat when you let them seat themselves. Reminds me of that children’s game, musical chairs, somehow.

Interviewer: Well, I think we’ve covered just about everything Hannah.

Hannah: One last thing I did want to mention. It’s about gifts. If someone brings you a present, try to open it in front of them and thank them on-the-spot. It’s just so much nicer. If they’ve brought you chocolates, I think it’s pleasant if you serve them with coffee at the end of the meal. Frankly, I think it’s horrid when hosts keep all the goodies …

Exercise 2 (p. 19)

Speaker 1

I’m what people call a white-collar professional. You know, the suits, the ties, the big office with a view. I must say it was quite tough getting to the top and now that I’m here it’s pretty stressful. A lot of my colleagues play golf or squash when they want to let off steam after a hard day. I was never interested in that kind of thing. My wife is from the country so she’s always had an avid interest in gardening. A few months ago, I was watching her plant some roses. She asked me for some help and for the first time in my life I actually got my hands dirty. It was amazing. I can honestly say I’m hooked. I’ve come to realise that there is nothing more soothing or satisfying than planting something and watching it grow.

Speaker 2

I’ve always been a perfectionist. If I can’t do something perfectly, then I don’t want to do it at all. I studied hard all through school and university and I always got top marks. On graduating, I got a fantastic job offer from a very reputable company. I worked my way up the ladder and anybody at the firm will tell you that I always got results.That is until management changed.The new boss is the type that likes to come in and shake things up. Well, he just has a different way of thinking than I do. I can’t work the way he wants me to.That’s why I decided to take up my brother-in-law’s offer. OK, so it’s a totally different kind of thing to what I have been used to, but I’m enjoying it and I’m doing things the way I want to.

Speaker 3

My husband and I got married very young and I worked in a supermarket so that he could finish his university degree. Our kids came along very quickly and by the time little Joey, our youngest, had started school I was still only twenty-five. I was bored being at home alone all day. I mean, there are only so many hours you can fill playing tennis or doing crafts. My husband, Bill, knew I wasn’t happy so when he heard about the Sociology courses being offered at the local college he thought it would be a good idea for me to look into them.Well, the people at the college were very enthusiastic about my secondary school grades and thought that I would do very well on their programme. They were right! Last week I got my diploma. I don’t know who was more proud, me or my husband Bill.

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Speaker 4

I was born and raised on a large farm. We had cows, a lot of cows, and it was my responsibility to feed them every morning. To me, these animals were just something you raised and then sold for their meat, and, of course, at my house we ate a lot of meat. After I had grown up and moved to the big city, I saw no reason to change the way I ate. At least three times a week I was still cooking and consuming steaks and roasts and so on. Then I began having health problems. My doctor put it down to lack of exercise and the way I ate. His diagnosis really frightened me and since then I’ve not touched a piece of beef. At first it was quite difficult, but now, two years later, I find I don’t miss it at all.

Speaker 5

After I had been married for five years, I got a great promotion at the bank and we decided we could now finally buy our first house. It wasn’t anything fancy, mind you. It was old and needed a lot of renovations. Now, I’ve always been good with my hands so I decided I would do most of the work myself. I built shelves and cupboards, put in a new kitchen and, of course, painted the house upstairs and down. Visitors always went on and on about what a beautiful home it was. It was after at least five people asked me who had done the work on the house that I started to think about renovating houses on the side. Of course, with my regular job at the bank and now the work I do at the weekends, I rarely have a moment to myself, but I love doing it, and the extra cash is nothing to complain about either!

Speaker 6

The city has many advantages. It was fun to begin with and there were lots of job opportunities and things to do. But we began to miss the simple things in life, like a walk on the beach and feeling more in tune with nature. We were both brought up in the country, so we took the plunge and moved here. Our city friends are amazed that we grow all our own fruit and vegetables and all the excess we trade with others for goods and services. Now, when I want my hair cut, my hairdresser accepts apples or potatoes instead of money.

Exercise 3 (p. 19)

My name is Scott Ogilvy and I am a psychiatrist who works primarily with withdrawn children. Because of their incredible shyness, these children have problems socialising and communicating with others. I have been involved in my profession for over a decade now, and I can say with all confidence that animals have a key role to play when it comes to therapy, but I’m not the first person to have realised this. Back in the 1960’s, the renowned American child psychiatrist, Boris Levinson, began using animals in his therapy sessions with young disturbed patients.It all came about when he noticed

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that having his pet dog in his office during sessions seemed to make patients more comfortable, and as a result, more willing to open up and talk about their problems.

Since the days Levinson first wrote about what he had discovered,‘pet therapy’ has been used widely by health professionals around the globe and not only in situations involving children. Many experts in the mental health field now regularly use animals to aid them in their work with patients. They have seen time and time again that animals can boost a troubled person’s self-esteem and confidence, as well as improve their quality of life.

In 1977, two psychiatrists, Sam and Elizabeth Corson set up a programme at a psychiatric hospital in Ohio. Fifty patients took part in the programme which allowed each of the patients to choose a dog from a local kennel. At certain times of every day, the patients could play with their new pet. The psychiatrists were amazed, and very pleased, with the results. After only a very short period of time, the vast majority of patients reported that they felt more independent and happier than they had before taking part in the pet therapy programme and that their relationship with the members of staff had improved as well.

Another study, which took place in Melbourne,Australia in 1981, aimed to measure the effect that pets had on the self-esteem and happiness of elderly people living in nursing homes. The main participant in the study was a former guide dog named Honey. Honey, a golden retriever, spent six months at the nursing home, interacting with the people who lived there. At the end of the study, it was found that all of the sixty residents of another nursing home who did not have an animal living with them were shown to be much more anxious and less interested in others than the nursing home residents who had been involved with Honey.

Similar results were produced over and over again. Patients in hospitals who were depressed and anxious became much less so. Indeed, they said that the animals not only decreased their sense of hopelessness but brought great happiness into their daily lives. They also reported that there changes in their outlook on life were long lasting and most of the patients were able to reduce the medication they were using.

Of course, as all pet-lovers know, you certainly don’t have to be ill, elderly or confined to a place to benefit from having a dog, cat or other animal as part of your life. Most professionals agree that simply having an animal in the home can be incredibly calming for the pet-owner. Generally speaking, it seems that people who are fond of animals and care for their pets are, perhaps unsurprisingly, more likely to be more caring and sociable in their relationships with other human beings too.

Unit 1.8 Speaking Task 1 (p. 20) Model Answer – Student A

Obviously, there are many benefits to public transport. Firstly, without public transport most people would not be able to get to work and the roads would be very congested with private cars. So public transport is a much more efficient way to travel than a private vehicle. But one of the drawbacks of using public transport is that it is often very crowded and not as comfortable to travel with as your own car. It can be very uncomfortable especially during the morning and evening rush hours when buses are packed and this is made worse if there is a lot of congestion on the roads as well.

Although travelling in your own vehicle is more comfortable, private transport causes a lot of problems on the roads in towns and cities. Sometimes you see a car with only one person in it. This is very selfish as it contributes to traffic congestion. It is much better to use public transport where you have one vehicle carrying lots of people.Another problem is that there is not enough parking space for all the cars and roads can become blocked when there are too many cars parked along them.

Public transport works out much cheaper than having your own vehicle. Having a car is very expensive because you pay a lot of money to buy it and then you also have to pay a lot for things like maintenance, insurance, tax and petrol. If you use public transport regularly, you can buy a travel card each month and this is cheaper than buying a ticket every day.

I don’t have a car because they cause a lot of pollution. My personal opinion is that people should use public transport for travel or ride a bike or even walk. People would be healthier and have more money if they stopped using their cars.

Speaking Task 2 (p. 20)

Model Answer – Student A

A:Let’s talk about the first option, the silver watch.

B:It seems like a really good idea to me because it’s something our teacher will be able to keep forever as a souvenir of the school and also it’s a traditional gift to give someone when they are retiring.

A:Yes, you’re right. It’s a really special gift to give someone and I’m sure our teacher would be very pleased with it.The only disadvantage I can think of is that it’s quite an expensive gift to buy so we would need a lot of money to buy a good watch. Well what about the framed photograph? It’s a nice idea because our teacher would have something in his home that would always remind him of us, but it’s not the best gift idea, is it?

B:No, I’m not keen on it at all. It doesn’t seem very personal and I’m sure he must have lots of photographs of the school anyway. I think we

should rule this idea out.

A:OK.Would it be better if we got the set of books? I rather like this because it’s a special present that he can keep and he’ll have plenty of time to enjoy reading now that he’s retiring. I think books always make a lovely present.

B:I’m not sure I agree with that completely because although books are a nice present to get someone, I think you need to be sure that you get them the right kind of books that they will really enjoy reading.

A:But everyone loves reading the classics, don’t they?

B:Not necessarily. Perhaps he prefers to read science books or history books. We’d have to be sure he likes reading literature or it would just be a waste if he never read them.

A:I suppose you have a point there. So, what about the camera, then? This would be a very good gift because not only is it a special gift, it’s also a useful one, too.

B:Yes, it definitely is. I think this would make a great gift because it’s fun to take pictures and it’s also a really good hobby if you’re interested in photography. These days, cameras are very hi-tech but they are also very easy to use and take great photographs.

A:That’s true. The only thing is that it might be a bit expensive but I think it would be worth spending money on something useful. So, are we agreed that the camera is the best gift?

B:Yes, that’s the one we’ll choose.

Speaking Task 1 (p. 21) Model Answer – Student B

Many people say that travel broadens the mind because you can learn about the people and cultures of other parts of the world. But I would say that this depends on the person who is travelling. Some people just go to another country to lie on a beach and don’t even want to try the local food. If the person who travels abroad is interested in learning about the place they are visiting, then foreign travel can be educational.

It’s fair to say that in the past it was very difficult for ordinary people to travel abroad and that nowadays there are many more opportunities for foreign travel. Mass tourism and package holidays are quite cheap these days so travelling abroad is no longer something that only wealthy people can do. I think it’s great that most people can have the chance to visit other countries if they want to.

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One thing that should be mentioned, though, is that mass tourism can cause many environmental problems. Many beautiful places in the world have been ruined because lots of hotels and restaurants have been built in them.This is the real disadvantage of foreign travel these days.

Many people forget that it can be enjoyable to travel in your own country. Every country has beautiful countryside and interesting historical sites. Even your own! When you travel in your own country you learn more about your own culture and history. Also, it is good for the local economy because you are spending your money in your own country. I believe more people should consider taking holidays in their own country.

Speaking Task 2 (p. 21)

Model Answer – Student B

B:Well, I’d just like to say that the first option sounds like a brilliant Idea. It would be very interesting to find out about the school’s history. I believe it

would make pupils even prouder of the school. Do you agree with me that it would be popular?

A:Possibly, but I’m not sure that everyone would enjoy a lecture. They might find it boring just listening to somebody talking for a long time. It’s not a very lively way to celebrate the anniversary, is it?

B:Yes, I see what you mean. How about the photography exhibition then? That would be a bit livelier because people can look at the pictures and talk about them. It’s also a good way to learn more about the history of the school and what life was like here in the past.

A:I’m not too sure about this either. It’s more interesting than the lecture, but many of the old photographs might be very delicate and it would be a shame if any of them got damaged in the exhibition. We’d need someone professional to organise the exhibition and it could be expensive.

B:I suppose you’re right. I hadn’t thought about that. OK, then. What about having a reunion party because the pupils today would get to meet people who had been at the school in the past and former pupils and teachers would get to meet old friends again.

A:Mmm. That sounds good. It would be popular because it’ll be fun to have a party and lots of people will be able to tell each other all their stories about the past at the school.The only thing is that it will need to be well organised because we would have to get in contact with lots of people.

B:So what about the last option then? Some people might not be too keen on that because we often have concerts at the school so it wouldn’t be anything special for many people. Do you agree with me?