On Screen p 35. Towns and Villages. A Proposal Sample

 

Proposal to make our neighbourhood a better place to live in

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Firstly, I am writing on my own (1)_________ and that of the neighbours on Hartford Street , (2)__________ my family and I have lived for the past five years.

Secondly, the main (3)____________ of this proposal is to highlight an issue affecting the aforementioned street and to suggest ideas on how to generally improve the current situation.

CURRENT SITUATION

Ever (4)_____________ the opening of a popular twenty-four (5)__________ shop right opposite where we live, hardly a day goes (6)__________ without getting unsettled and distressed by the deafening sound of car horns. This unbearable situation, (7)__________ is especially aggravated during the weekends and bank holidays, typically unfolds as follows: the motorists (8)_________ get blocked in by other drivers who have double-parked start honking their (9)___________ incessantly in order to make them dash out of the store. In the (10)_____________, the double-parkers are merrily shopping to the tune of Muzak, basket in hand, blissfully oblivious  (11)__________the ‘chain of evil’ that has been generated outside.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Following a survey carried (12)___________ by the neighbours concerned, the situation has been described as totally unacceptable. Therefore, we suggest that some measures (13)____________ implemented as soon as possible.

First and (14)_____________, we recommend that the street lane closer to the above mentioned shop (15)_________ declared "preferential attention lane" thus restricting its use and making it impossible for vehicles to stop at any time of day and night.

Second of all, we also propose that CCTV cameras (16)______________ installed at both ends of the street as a powerful deterrent for anyone who may think that (17)____________ up in the middle of the road for just a moment to buy groceries is a good idea.

CONCLUSION

If these recommendations (18)___________ to be implemented, we strongly believe that this course of (19)____________ would be beneficial and  therefore the current undesirable situation would improve.  

We trust that you will give our proposal your (20)___________ consideration.

 

 

 

KEY

 

1. behalf

 

 

2. where

 

 

 

3. aim/purpose/objective 

 

 

 

4. since 

 

 

 

5. seven 

 

 

 

6. by 

 

 

 

7. which 

 

 

 

8. who 

 

 

 

9. horns

 

 

 

10. meanwhile/ meantime  

 

 

 

11. to/of 

 

 

 

12. out 

 

 

 

13. be 

 

 

 

14. foremost

 

 

 

15.  be 

 

 

 

16. be 

 

 

 

17. pulling

 

pull up: to stop the vehicle that you are driving. E.g. He pulled up in front of the gates.

 

pull over: to drive to the side of the road and stop your car, or to make someone else do this. E.g. He pulled over. He pulled the car over. The policeman signalled to him to pull over. A cop pulled him over and gave him a speeding ticket.

 

pull out: (of a vehicle or its driver) to move away from the side of the road, etc. E.g. A car suddenly pulled out in front of me.

 

 

 

18.  were

 

 

 

19. action

 

 

 

 

20.  full 

On Screen p 35. Towns and Villages. A Proposal

 You have just had a class discussion on how some aspects of your own neighbourhood could be improved (e.g. public transport, waste collection, traffic congestion, etc…). You are going to write a proposal to your local council and recommend actions or changes to make your neighbourhood a better place to live in.

How to write a proposal: HERE

Sample answer:

On Screen p 35. Towns and Villages. A Proposal Sample

 

Examples of discourse markers.

Topic: towns and villages.

Suggest some ways of improving life in your town or village.
To begin with I would like to say that I live in a small town in the ________ of Mallorca. It is called ________ and it has got a lot of historical background. However, nowadays and because of the recession many people go away looking for a better life.
At the beginning of the last century _________ became widely known because of its ________________. This is why during the 1960s ...
Moreover,...
In addition to this, ...
As a result,...
Similarly,
What’s more,...
...,so the improvement was not very great....
These are the main reasons why in the 1980s...
From this it can be learnt that a lot needs to be done. Firstly, ...
Secondly, ...
Next,...
Besides, ...
Likewise, ...
Lastly, They should be encouraged to................ in order to ........
In this way more jobs could be created...And therefore, ...
Consequently,...
Furthermore, ...
Thus, ...
...for instance...
...and the most important, the high rate of unemployment could be considerably reduced.
However, I must finally say that ___________, and because of its location in such a tourist attraction as Majorca is, has changed through the ages.
In conclusion, development is crucial. So unless new improvements and changes are made...

Close-up p 77. City Living. Extra Oral Mediation

A friend of yours from England is thinking about starting a business in your area. While doing his research, he came across these pictures on Google. He shares them with you and asks you some questions about them. You decide to send your friend a voice message with an explanation of 3 minutes.

1. Are there cycle lanes in your area?  Would you like to have a cycle hub where you live? How could it promote and facilitate cycling?   
2. Is public transport working well in your area? Do you think that the idea of having a tram in your area is feasible? What are the merits and demerits of your public transport? Do commuters use it? 
3. Do you think that the science and technology parks where you live are a haven for start-ups. Are they essential in order to promote innovation? Are they prosperous in your area? What about industrial estates? Is the central business district in your area thriving? 
4. Has the high street been hit hard by the recession? What is being done to make it more affluent? 
5. Does your town offer a great variety of local amenities? Do they enhance the citizens' quality of life? What leisure facilities does your town boast?  
6. Have the eras of boom and bust produced any white elephants in your area? Have any of these buildings experienced abandonment? Can you think of a building that you would regard as a blot on the landscape?
7. Is your city able to host major international events? Does it have the infrastructure?
8. What areas of your town are currently undergoing urban regeneration? What are the benefits and problems of gentrification where you live? 
9. Do you have the problem of traffic congestion in your town? Have tolls been introduced?
10. Do you think your towns is fast becoming a concrete jungle and a highly congested place? Do you think there should be more green spaces? What else do you think should be done? Do you think building more ring roads could solve the problem?
11. Is the A&E department in your area overstretched? Are there other overstretched services in your region as a consequence of cutbacks in public spending?
12. In the 1970s we did our shopping at family-run retailers like the butcher's, the baker's, the greengrocer's or the newsagent's. Nowadays when a big-box store opens, smaller retailers often go out of business. What are the benefits and drawbacks of such a sweeping change? Would people in your area welcome a boutique shop?

Close-up p 68. Housing: How did we get there? Extra Spoken Mediation

A friend of yours from England has just come across these pictures of Spain on Instagram. He shares them with you and asks you some questions about them. You decide to send your friend a recorded message with an explanation of 3 minutes.

 

• What are some of the housing problems that exist in your country?
• What is the government doing to try to solve these problems?
• In cities in your country, are there many people who do not have a place to live? (homeless people)
• Where do they sleep?
• Do you think the prices of homes in your country are too expensive for the average person?
• What are some of the reasons why the prices are so high?
• What is the government doing about this problem?
• What can the government do about this problem?
• Do you think the government should help low-income people buy a home? [Why? How?/Why not?]
• Do you think the government should supply low-cost housing for those people who have low incomes?

Objective Proficiency p 146. Graham Hill: Less Stuff, More Happiness. Extra Listening

Writer and designer Graham Hill asks: Can having less stuff, in less room, lead to more happiness? He makes the case for taking up less space, and lays out three rules for editing your life.

Objective Proficiency p 128. Meltdown: The Secret History of the Global Financial Collapse. Extra Listening

Meltdown is a four part investigation into the great financial debacle of 2008. Along the way, the CBC’s Terence McKenna takes viewers “behind the headlines and into the backrooms at the highest levels of world governments and banking institutions, revealing the astonishing level of backstabbing and tension behind the scenes as the world came dangerously close to another Great Depression.”

Objective Proficiency p 89. Keys and Vocabulary

Ex 4
Noun+noun usually has the stress on the first word.
Adjective+noun usually has the stress on the second word.

red carpet 


horse race

racehorse

sheep dog

tea bag

boathouse

• Boathouse: /ˈbəʊthaʊs/ a building beside a river or lake for keeping a boat in.

houseboat

• houseboat: /ˈhaʊsbəʊt/ a boat that people can live in, usually kept at a particular place on a river or canal.

road sign

back seat

seat back 
the part of a chair or seat that you rest your back against 

old woman




red wine




wine glass

 glasshouse

• Glasshouse: /ˈɡlɑːshaʊs/ a building with glass sides and a glass roof, for growing plants in; a type of large greenhouse.

Ex 5 
KEY

• Contemporary: /kənˈtemprəri/ belonging to the present time. Modern. E.g. life in contemporary Britain. Contemporary fiction/music/dance. 

0. likely

• Dmitri Shostakovich: 1906 – 1975) was a Soviet Russian composer and pianist and was one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century.

1. meaningful

• A marker (of/for something): a sign that something exists or that shows what it is like. E.g. Price is not always an accurate marker of quality.
• The great and the good: people who are important and respected.
• Singular: /ˈsɪŋɡjələ(r)/ very great or obvious. Outstanding. E.g. landscape of singular beauty. He shows a singular lack of concern for other people's feelings.

2. scholarly

• Scholarly: / ˈskɒləli/ connected with academic study. Academic. E.g. a scholarly journal. There was an explosion of scholarly interest in her poetry.
• Displace: /dɪsˈpleɪs/ to take the place of somebody/something. Replace. Gradually factory workers have been displaced by machines.

3. literary

• Crack: to no longer be able to function normally because of pressure. E.g. Things are terrible at work and people are cracking under the strain. They questioned him for days before he cracked. The old institutions are cracking. 

 4. obsession 




5. response 



6. conception



7. unsatisfactory 

unsatisfactory /ˌʌnˌsætɪsˈfæktəri/ not good enough. E.g. Their performance was unsatisfactory in a number of areas.

unsatisfying

unsatisfying /ˌʌnˈsætɪsfaɪɪŋ/
not giving you any satisfaction. Not happening in the way that you would like. E.g. an extremely unsatisfying game/result/afternoon.



8. spectacle

• spectacle: an unusual or surprising sight or situation that attracts a lot of attention. E.g. I remember the sad spectacle of her standing in her wedding dress, covered in mud. 
• scrutiny: /ˈskruːtəni/ careful and thorough examination. Inspection. E.g. Her argument doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. Foreign policy has come under close scrutiny recently. The documents should be available for public scrutiny. The situation is bound to come under the scrutiny of the public health authorities.