Close-up p 103. The Natural World. Oral Mediation

A friend of yours from England has been asked to write a contribution to Nature magazine . His assignment is to write about the natural world in Spain. While doing his research, he came across these pictures on Google related to nature and wildlife in Spain. He sends them to you so that you can shed some light on them. Your friend also asks you some questions about this topic. You decide to send your friend a voice message with an explanation of 2 minutes.

 

1. Could you please comment on the pictures I have sent you? Could you discuss what different aspects of the natural world they are depicting?

2. Why are certain animal and plant species in danger of dying out in Spain? What is being done to prevent animals from becoming extinct in Spain? Are there any endangered species in your area?

3. Is your government concerned about the environment? What environmental policies has your government introduced?

4. What are some of the main dangers facing the Spanish coasts and the creatures that live on them? Have there been any developments in your area that have endangered wildlife? What are the consequences of deforestation on the Spanish coast?

5. What is the Spanish consumers' stand on factory farming? Do consumers tend to buy free range chickens and eggs?

6. What is the Spanish people's opinion of zoos?

7. What is the situation in your area as regards recycling?

8. Are Spanish pet owners responsible generally speaking? What complaints do they normally get? What responsibilities does having domestic pets entail in Spain? What is done about the problem of mistreated or abandoned animals in your region?

9. In what ways do oil and plastic in your seas threaten marine life? What is being done to cut down on the plastic debris that goes into your sea?

10. Do Spaniards feel very strongly about abolishing blood sports?

11. Is your area affected by environmental problems of any other sort?

Useful language to describe a chart:
 
This chart illustrates how...
This chart compares...
The results that are shown in the chart are...
As can be seen from these results, ...
According to this chart, 
From the data in the above chart, it is apparent that ...
We can see on this chart how... 
The chart indicates that...
The chart represents...
The information given in the chart...
The percentage of people who... is shown on the chart.  
The chart shows quite clearly the impact of..

Objective Proficiency p 103. The Search for What Killed the Dinosaurs. Extra Listening

What really wiped the dinosaurs off the face of the planet? What does the answer to this question tell us about our own future on Earth?
Mass-extinction theories began around 200 years ago with the work of French scientist Georges Cuvier, who developed the idea that catastrophic natural events were responsible for the extinction of early species of life on Earth—including dinosaurs.

Objective Proficiency p 103. Human Universe. Extra Listening

Objective Proficiency p 103. Vocabulary

Ex5

• Dinosaur: /ˈdaɪnəsɔː(r)/ 
• Asteroid: /ˈæstərɔɪd/ 
• Collision: /kəˈlɪʒn/ 
• Iridium: /ɪˈrɪdiəm/ (symb. Ir) a chemical element. Iridium is a very hard yellow-white metal. 
• Blot something out: to cover or hide something completely. Sp. ocultar, tapar. E.g. Clouds blotted out the sun.
• Plummet: / ˈplʌmɪt/ to fall suddenly and quickly from a high level or position. Sp. caer en picado. E.g. Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. The jet plummeted into a row of houses.
• Acid: /ˈæsɪd/ 

Ex 6

• Probe: /prəʊb/ (also space probe) a spacecraft without people on board which obtains information and sends it back to earth. Sp. sonda espacial.

 

• Comet: / ˈkɒmɪt/ a mass of ice and dust that moves around the sun and looks like a bright star with a tail.
• The naked eye: the normal power of your eyes without the help of an instrument. E.g. The planet should be visible with/to the naked eye. 
• Yield something: /jiːld/ to produce or provide something, for example a profit, result or crop. Sp. producir. E.g. Higher-rate deposit accounts yield good returns. The research has yielded useful information. Trees that no longer yield fruit. Advances in science should soon yield a cure for cancer.

Objective Proficiency p 63. Keys and Vocabulary

Style extra
Adjectives that carry disapproval:

• Slavish:/ˈsleɪvɪʃ/ following or copying somebody/something exactly without having any original thought at all. Sp. Falto de originalidad. E.g. a slavish adherence to the rules. Slavish obedience. A slavish imitation of Hitchcock's films. The slavish copying of images.
• Squat:  /skwɒt/  short, wide or fat and ugly. Small and ugly. E.g. a squat tower. A squat muscular man with a shaven head. A squat greetings card.
• Childish behaviour
• Florid: (usually disapproving) having too much decoration or detail. E.g. florid language. A florid style of painting. Florid poetry. Florid speeches.
• Fatuous /ˈfætʃuəs/ stupid. E.g. a fatuous comment/ grin/ remark.
• Glaring /ˈɡleərɪŋ/ (of something bad) very easily seen. E.g. a glaring error/ faults/ omission/ inconsistency/ injustice. The most glaring example of this problem.

Ex4
KEY

such as those

Take for instance 

Ex  4 (2002 edition)

• Ramble:  to talk about somebody/something in a confused way, especially for a long time. Sp. Divagar. E.g. He had lost track of what he was saying and began to ramble.
• Lift something (from something): to use somebody's ideas or words without asking permission or without saying where they come from. Plagiarize. E.g. She lifted most of the ideas from a book she had been reading .

Ex 5
KEY
clichéd /ˈkliːʃeɪd/ adjective. Repeated regularly without thought or originality. E.g. a clichéd view of upper-class life. Clichéd images.

 
1. Experimentation



2. landmark
landmark a major event or achievement that marks an important stage in a process and makes progress possible. Milestone. E.g. This book has become a landmark in art criticism. The ceasefire was seen as a major landmark in the fight against terrorism. The vaccine is a landmark in the history of preventive medicine.
(Only before noun) important and likely to influence future actions or decisions. E.g. a landmark ruling (=an important decision made in a court of law). A landmark decision/ ruling in the courts.

Irving Penn

Diane Arbus

3. inspirational
trigger (for something) something that is the cause of a particular reaction or development, especially a bad one. E.g. The trigger for the strike was the closure of yet another factory. Intense sunlight may be a trigger to skin cancer. Food, music, and looking at creative workspaces are some of my inspirational triggers.

replicate something (formal) to copy something exactly. E.g. it might be impractical to replicate Eastern culture in the west. Other scientists have been unable to replicate his results.

Slavish:/ˈsleɪvɪʃ/ following or copying somebody/something exactly without having any original thought at all. Sp. Falto de originalidad. E.g. a slavish adherence to the rules. Slavish obedience. A slavish imitation of Hitchcock's films. Slavish copying. 



4. dismissively
dismissively: feeling or showing that something is unworthy of consideration. Showing that you do not believe a person or thing to be important or worth considering. E.g. ‘I don't know where this stuff comes from, it's nonsense, nonsense,’ he says dismissively.


outline:  to give the main ideas of a plan or a piece of writing without giving all the details. E.g. The document outlines our company's recycling policy.  In his speech, the Prime Minister will outline his new proposals.

pivotal: /ˈpɪvətl/ of great importance because other things depend on it. E.g. a pivotal role in European affairs. Accountancy, law and economics are pivotal to a successful career in any financial services area.

imagery /ˈɪmɪdʒəri/ pictures, photographs, etc. E.g. Advertising agencies use imagery to sell products.

A cliché-ridden style (contains a lot of clichés). E.g. His speeches tend to be boring and cliché-ridden.
Cliché /ˈkliːʃeɪ/ a phrase or an idea that has been used so often that it no longer has much meaning and is not interesting. E.g. She trotted out the old cliché that ‘a trouble shared is a trouble halved.’ It has become a cliché to say that Prague is the most beautiful city in Europe. Tired clichés like ‘the information revolution.
trot something out (informal, disapproving) to give the same excuses, facts, explanations, etc. for something that have often been used before. Sp. echar mano de. E.g. They trotted out the same old excuses for the lack of jobs in the area.



5. countless

Given that considering that. E.g. It was surprising the government was re-elected, given that they had raised taxes so much.

ubiquitous /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/ seeming to be everywhere or in several places at the same time; very common. E.g. the ubiquitous bicycles of university towns. The ubiquitous movie star, Tom Hanks.



6. persuasive
familiarity breeds contempt (saying) knowing somebody/something very well may cause you to lose admiration and respect for them/it.
breed something to be the cause of something. E.g. Nothing breeds success like success.
contempt /kənˈtempt/ the feeling that somebody/something is without value and deserves no respect at all. Sp. desprecio. E.g. She looked at him with contempt. 


overuse something to use something too much or too often. E.g. ‘Nice’ is a very overused word. 



7. devalues 
devalue: /ˌdiːˈvæljuː/ to give a lower value to something, making it seem less important than it really is. E.g. Work in the home is often ignored and devalued.

banal: /bəˈnɑːl/ very ordinary and containing nothing that is interesting or important. E.g. a banal conversation about the weather.



8. commonplace
commonplace done very often, or existing in many places, and therefore not unusual. Not interesting or original; trite. E.g. the usual commonplace remarks. Computers are now commonplace in primary classrooms.  It is now commonplace for people to use the Internet at home. 

trite: /traɪt/ dull and boring because it has been expressed so many times before; not original. E.g.
this point may now seem obvious and trite.



Ex 5 (2002 edition)

• Stock: standard. Sp. De serie, estandard, típico. E.g. stock portrait. 

Ex 6 
KEY
1 b



2 d
in your own right because of your personal qualifications or efforts, not because of your connection with somebody else. E.g. She sings with a rock band, but she's also a jazz musician in her own right. 


3 a



4 c 
second best
second best 1. not as good as the best. E.g. The two teams seemed evenly matched but Arsenal came off second best (= lost). My second-best suit. 2. not exactly what you want; not perfect. E.g. a second-best solution.

Ex 6 (2002 edition)

• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: (saying) people all have different ideas about what is beautiful.
• Half-truth: a statement that gives only part of the truth, especially when it is intended to cheat somebody. E.g. The newspaper reports are a mixture of gossip, lies and half-truths.
• Fairly: to some extent but not very. E.g. I go jogging fairly regularly.
• Remote: distant.
• Kinship: affinity.
• Continuance: /kənˈtɪnjuəns / the state of continuing to exist or function. E.g. We can no longer support the President's continuance in office.
• Swaddle:/ˈswɒdl/ swaddle somebody/something (old-fashioned): to wrap somebody/something, especially a baby, tightly in clothes or a piece of cloth. Envolver. 
• Unchallengingly:In an unchallenging way; without challenge or difficulty.
• Squat:  /skwɒt/  short, wide or fat and ugly. E.g. a squat tower. A squat muscular man with a shaven head.
• Hue: a colour; a particular shade of a colour. Hued: coloured.
• Florid: red. E.g. a florid complexion.
• Render: render somebody/something + adjective (formal) to cause somebody/something to be in a particular state or condition. Make. E.g. to render something harmless/useless/ineffective.
• Commonplace: done very often, or existing in many places, and therefore not unusual. E.g. Computers are now commonplace in primary classrooms. 
• Transient: /ˈtrænziənt/ continuing for only a short time. Ephemeral.  Efímero, fugaz, pasajero, transitorio.
• Height: the point when something is at its best or strongest. E.g. He is at the height of his career.    

Ex 7 (2002 edition)

• Conjure sth up: /ˈkʌndʒə/ to make something appear as a picture in your mind. Evoke. E.g. That smell always conjures up memories of holidays in France. He strained to conjure up her face and voice, but they had vanished.

Objective Proficiency p 60. How to Grow a Planet. Extra Listening

Objective Proficiency p 60. Pink Moon. Extra Listening

Objective Proficiency p 60. Tidal Force. Extra Listening

Objective Proficiency p 60. Keys and Vocabulary

Ex 1 (2002 edition: Ex 2)
a
KEY
dazzling: adjective  
Dazzling: (adj) Extremely impressive, beautiful, or skilful. E.g. a dazzling display of football.

eyeballing: participle 
eyeball: look or stare at closely. E.g. we eyeballed one another 


b
KEY
i Driving refers to Percy Shaw
ii Modelled refers to his invention (the cat's eye) 



c
KEY
i The cat is sitting on the roof
ii The person is sitting on the roof 


Ex 2 (2002 edition: Ex 1)
awe-inspiring: impressive; making you feel respect and admiration. E.g. The building was awe-inspiring in size and design. There is something very awe-inspiring about this image.

indistinct: /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋkt/ that cannot be seen, heard or remembered clearly. E.g. an indistinct figure in the distance. His memory of the incident was somewhat indistinct.

Dazzle: to impress somebody a lot with your beauty, skill, etc. E.g. He was dazzled by the warmth of her smile. Dazzling: (adj) e.g. a dazzling display of oriental dance.

Flamboyant: /flæmˈbɔɪənt/ 1. (of people or their behaviour) different, confident and exciting in a way that attracts attention. Sp. Exuberante, extravagante. E.g. a flamboyant gesture/style/personality. He was flamboyant and temperamental on and off the stage. 2. brightly coloured and noticeable. Sp. Vistoso, llamativo. E.g. flamboyant clothes/designs.

Gratuitous: /ɡrəˈtjuːɪtəs/ done without any good reason or purpose and often having harmful effects. Unnecessary. E.g. gratuitous violence on television.

Inspiring: /ɪnˈspaɪərɪŋ/ Exciting and encouraging you to do or feel something. E.g. an inspiring teacher. 

Stunning: extremely attractive or impressive. Beautiful. E.g. You look absolutely stunning! A stunning view of the lake. His performance was simply stunning.

Towering: extremely tall or high and therefore impressive. E.g. towering cliffs. The gas clouds in the space image are almost flamboyant in their towering grandeur.

Grandeur: /ˈɡrændjə(r)/ /ˈɡrændʒə(r)/ the quality of being great and impressive in appearance.  Splendour. E.g. the grandeur and simplicity of Roman architecture. The hotel had an air of faded grandeur. 
 

Ex 3 

• Gaze: to look steadily at somebody/something for a long time, either because you are very interested or surprised, or because you are thinking of something else. E.g. He sat for hours just gazing into space.
• Glow: to produce a dull, steady light. E.g. The embers (brasas) still glowed in the hearth (/hɑːθ /the floor at the bottom of a fireplace). The lighted candles glowed in the darkness. 
• Starburst: a bright light in the shape of a star, or a shape that looks like a star exploding.
• Reminiscent of sth/sb: /ˌremɪˈnɪsnt/ reminding you of somebody/something. E.g. The way he laughed was strongly reminiscent of his father. She writes in a style reminiscent of both Proust and Faulkner.
• Masterly: / ˈmɑːstəli/ showing great skill or understanding. E.g. a masterly performance. Her handling of the situation was masterly.
• Relay: to receive and send on information, news, etc. to somebody. Transmitir. E.g. He relayed the message to his boss.Instructions were relayed to him by phone.
• Flamboyant: /flæmˈbɔɪənt/ different, confident and exciting in a way that attracts attention. Extravagante. A flamboyant gesture/style/personality. He was flamboyant and temperamental on and off the stage.

P 182

• (Go) back to the drawing board: to start thinking about a new way of doing something after a previous plan or idea has failed. E.g. They rejected our proposal, so it's back to the drawing board. 

Objective Proficiency p 25. Vocabulary

Ex 3

KEY

1 a



2 b



3 a



4 b



5 a
 
p 184

Vocabulary

• Irritable: /ˈɪrɪtəbl/
• Shoot off: to leave very quickly. Dash off. E.g. I had to shoot off at the end of the meeting. Tom finds it pretty quiet around here in the evenings, so he often shoots off to town on his motorbike.
• Run-in (with sb): an argument or a fight. E.g. The fiery /ˈfaɪəri/ player has had numerous run-ins with referees. I've just had a really awful run-in with Duncan over his marketing plan.
• Wrapper: /ˈræpə(r)/ a piece of paper, plastic, etc. that is wrapped around something, especially food, when you buy it in order to protect it and keep it clean. Envoltorio. E.g. Sweet wrappers.

Ex 4

• Dubious: /ˈdjuːbiəs/ not certain and slightly suspicious about something; not knowing whether something is good or bad. Doubtful. E.g. I was rather dubious about the whole idea. I'm rather dubious about the saying that imagination is more important than knowledge.
• Mystify: to make somebody confused because they do not understand something. Baffle. E.g. They were totally mystified by the girl's disappearance.
• hatch: to come out of an egg. E.g. Ten chicks hatched (out) this morning. 

Ex 5

KEY

1. far



2. date
 in-depth: very thorough and detailed. E.g. an in-depth discussion/study. We will be providing in-depth coverage of the election as the results come in. Tonight's programme is an in-depth look at the long-term effects of unemployment.

phenomenon: /fəˈnɒmɪnən/ plural phenomena /fəˈnɒmɪnə/ a fact or an event in nature or society, especially one that is not fully understood. E.g. cultural/natural/social phenomena. Globalization is a phenomenon of the 21st century. Early retirement is a relatively new phenomenon in Britain.


3. given
given that: e.g. It was surprising the government was re-elected, given that they had raised taxes so much.

geophysics: /ˌdʒiːəʊˈfɪzɪks/ the scientific study of the physics of the earth, including its atmosphere, climate and magnetism. 
geophysical /ˌdʒiːəʊˈfɪzɪkl/ E.g. geophysical data

Impending: that is going to happen very soon. Imminent. E.g. his impending retirement. Warnings of impending danger/disaster.   


4. turn



5. make
Make use of sb/sth: to use something/somebody, especially in order to get an advantage. E.g. We could make better use of our resources. You should make use of your contacts.


6. put
Put sth to good use: to be able to use something for a purpose, and get an advantage from doing so. E.g. She'll be able to put her languages to good use in her new job.


7. whatever



8. as 

comes as no surprise: E.g. It comes as no surprise to learn that they broke their promises.

As yet: until now or until a particular time in the past. E.g. An as yet unpublished report. As yet little was known of the causes of the disease.

Sort sth out: to separate something from a larger group. E.g. Could you sort out the toys that can be thrown away? It was difficult to sort out the lies from the truth.