On Screen p 68. Essay about the impact of social media on human relationships. Written mediation task. Word Formation

 

Read the instructions for the task. With the information given, produce a text using your own words. (approximately 200 words) 

Task description 

You have had a class discussion on the impacts of social media. Now your teacher has asked you to write an essay for your class based on some opinions expressed in the discussion and to analyse the positive and negative impacts of social media. You should say which impacts of social media on human relationships are more significant, giving reasons in support of your answer. Include your own opinions on this subject.

Write your essay

Opinions expressed in the discussion:

"It's easy to keep in touch now that we've left school."

"I've discovered a completely new hobby." 

"It's good to know there are people who share my views." 

"I feel everybody is having more fun than I am. This makes me feel increasingly despondent."

"It seems everybody else has lots of friends. I feel so left out."

"My Instagram friends constantly publish selfies of their beautiful faces and bodies. I wish I were so good-looking" 

"Very often I see groups of friends looking at their phones and not speaking to one another" 

"There are social media users who seem to enjoy taking the mickey out of other more sensitive users" 

 

Sample answer

The impacts of social media on human relationships

Social media has had a (1)_________ (REMARK) effect on human relationships in the last few years. I will focus on the merits and (2)_________ (MERIT) I think are particularly important. On one hand, how social media helps people stay in touch with loved ones and facilitates finding people with shared interests. And on the other hand, how it can damage self-esteem and body image and may even be (3)_______________ (DETRIMENT) to face-to-face communication.
 

To begin with, the main impact of social media is improving our ability to communicate with one another. For example, in the past, when someone left school or university, it was easy to lose touch with their friends. Nowadays, however, not only can people (4)____________ (SUCCESS) communicate with one another on social media platforms, but also keep up to date (5)__________ (SIMPLE) by checking their posts, without needing to directly talk to them. What is more, you can do this with people anywhere in the world, because your geographical location is (6)____________ (RELEVANCE) on social media.

Furthermore, social media platforms are ideal for putting (7)______________ (MIND) people together. There are social media groups or communities for all interests where you can share knowledge and ideas and even form (8)____________ (FRIEND). Say you are fan of a popular TV show and want to discuss it with other fans, you will have no problem finding a forum to discuss it on, no matter where you are in the world.

On the other side of the coin, teenagers on social media spend much of their time observing the lives and images of their peers. This leads to constant comparisons, which can harm their confidence and their self-image, (9)_____________ (EXACERBATION) depression and anxiety among adolescents. This is made even worse by cyberbullying, which remains rampant on social media. Unfortunately, it has been on the rise amongst adolescents due, in part, to increased access to electronic devices, the Internet, and at times lack of (10)_______________ (SUPERVISE) of online activity. It can be argued that cyberbullying is a more (11)___________ (THREATEN) form of aggression than traditional bullying, as cyberbullies can remain (12)____________ (ANONYMITY), causing bullying to occur around the clock. What is also an issue is that the act of a cyberbully can be viewed (13)____________ (REPEAT) and shared with others without limit, making it difficult for support networks to shield victims from cyberbullying. (14)____________ (LIKE) traditional bullying, cyberbullying can be (15)____________ (GO), even after the youth has left school grounds, making a teen feel (16)___________ (HELP) and without haven.

In addition, cell phones connect us to people far away – but distance us from the ones right in front of us. No one would dispute the fact that smartphones have changed the world. As a matter of fact, a quick glance around any street or (17)___________ (COMMUNE) space shows how (18)______________ (DOMINATION) our favourite digital devices have become. We are familiar with the sight of groups of teenagers not talking, but (19)___________ (EAGER) composing messages and posts on their screens. Or seeing couples dining (20)______________ (SILENT) in restaurants, ignoring the romantic (21)____________ (FLICKER) candle in favour of the (22)___________ (COMFORT) blue light of their phones. But why do these devices that are meant to connect us when we are far apart seem to cause so much division when we are close together? There can be no doubt that even in a (23)________ (RAPID) (24)____________ (DIGIT) world, face-to-face interactions remain the most (25)____________ (INTIMACY) ones.

In conclusion, there are many positive aspects of social media for human relationships. Personally speaking, I think the most (26)___________ (SIGNIFICANCE) of these is how it enhances our ability to stay in touch, something that is becoming (27)_____________ (INCREASE) difficult to do in real life due to the changes our society is going through. Nevertheless, we need to be aware of the (28)______________ (DESIRE) effects social media can exert, not (29)__________ (LESS) on young minds and as a society take the necessary measures to avoid any (30)___________ (HARM) consequences.

 

KEY

 

1. remarkable 

 

 

 

2. demerits 

 

 

 

3. detrimental 

 

 

 

4. successfully 

 

 

 

5. simply 

 

 

6. irrelevant 

 

 

 

7. like-minded 

 

 

 

8. friendships 

 

 

 

9. exacerbating 

 

 

 

10. supervision 

 

 

 

11. threatening  

 

 

 

12. anonymous 

 

 

 

13. repeatedly 

 

 

 

14. Unlike 

 

 

 

15. ongoing 

 

 

 

16. helpless 

 

 

 

17. communal 

 

 

 

18. dominant 

 

 

 

19. eagerly 

 

 

 

20. silently 

 

 

 

21. flickering 

 

 

 

22. comforting 

 

 

 

23. rapidly 

 

 

 

24. digitised  

 

 

 

25. intimate 

 

 

 

26. significant 

 

 

 

27. increasingly 

 

 

 

28. undesirable 

 

 

 

29. least 

 

 

 

30. harmful 

On Screen p 17: Essay about the impacts of tourism. Written mediation task. Cloze

Read the instructions for the task. With the information given, produce a text using your own words. (approximately 200 words)

Task description
 

You have had a class discussion on the impacts of tourism. Now your teacher has asked you to write an essay for your class based on two texts that you have recently read and to analyse the positive and negative impacts of tourism. Include your own opinions on this subject.

Write your essay

1) TEXT 1

Modern Tourism 

Global tourism has experienced continued growth and deepening diversification in the latter decades of the twentieth century. It has made it possible for us to travel the world and broaden our horizons, diminishing our attachment to cultural stereotypes. And this cultural value is not the only aspect to be considered. The more people travel around the world, the greater the economic benefits to host countries. Destinations around the world which might otherwise have stagnated financially can flourish as tourists explore attractions and natural landscapes which are often the key reason for the initial interest in the area.

2) TEXT 2

Impacts of Tourism

It appears that people travelling around the world are oblivious to the detrimental effects of mass tourism. This can be clearly seen in the case of industry leaders undercutting small local businesses in popular tourist destinations. Governments around the world appear to neglect this issue and actively promote mass tourism for financial reasons.

And as tourism numbers grow, so does environmental degradation due to air travel emissions and land pollution. Only serious action from local authorities is likely to resolve economic and environmental issues arising from the tourism industry.

 

undercut somebody/something to sell goods or services at a lower price than your competitors.

E.g.

to undercut somebody’s prices     

We were able to undercut our European rivals by 5% 

Impacts of Modern Tourism

Travel and tourism have had massive impacts (1)_________ the world. Not only (2)__________ they have lasting effects on the traveller but also on local people in the host countries (3)__________ are visited. (4)__________, careful consideration should be given to this issue focusing both (5)________ the benefits and drawbacks of modern tourism. 

On one hand, it should be pointed out that the worldwide boom (6)_________ travel in recent decades has had positive impacts in two main areas. Firstly, it has had cultural value by broadening our (7)_________ and reducing our preconceptions about people from other places. (8)__________, few people would disagree that it has greatly improved the economic conditions in many places that are tourist destinations. In my view, we should not forget the additional benefits in (9)_________ of overseas investment and development of infrastructure also.
On the other hand, we should raise the (10)__________ that tourists often do not appreciate the negative repercussions of their decision to travel. Besides, this is also a problem that is conveniently ignored by the authorities of many countries in (11)_________ to stimulate the local economy. Things (12)__________ as they are, large services providers often flood the market as a result of this at the (13)__________ of smaller businesses.
Opponents of tourism also argue that pollution and damage (14)___________ the natural world rises hand-in-hand with the surge (15)_________ the numbers of tourists visiting an area.

Clearly, there are different views on the impacts of tourism. By and (16)_____________, tourism has grown massively in recent years. To a (17)_________ extent this has had positive effects on tourist destinations. (18)___________, in my opinion, the growth of tourism has serious negative impacts also. In (19)__________, both travellers and governments must be responsible to limit any harm (20)________ everyone’s benefit.

 

KEY

 

1. upon/on

 

 

 

2. do 

 

 

 

3. that/which 

 

 

 

4. Thus/Therefore/ So 

 

 

 

5. on 

 

 

 

6. in 

 

 

 

7. minds 

 

 

 

8. Furthermore/Moreover/Additionally 

 

 

 

9. terms

in terms of:

in relation to. Sp. en terminos de/ desde el punto de vista.

E.g.

Femininity is still defined in terms of beauty.  

It’s a mistake to think of Florida only in terms of its tourist attractions.  

 

 

 

10. issue 

 

 

 

11. order 

 

 

 

12. being

"Things being as they are" usually means "Because things are not different from what they are". Sp. así las cosas.  

 

 

 

13. expense

at the expense of somebody/something 

if something is done at the expense of someone or something else, it is only achieved by doing something that could harm the other person or thing. En detrimento de, a costa de. 

E.g.

the growth in short breaks, at the expense of longer package holidays  

 

 

 

14. to 

hand in hand, hand-in-hand adv    together. Sp.   codo con codo E.g.    

Poverty and social unrest usually go hand in hand. Sp. La pobreza y la inestabilidad social van siempre codo con codo.

 

 

 

15. in 

 

 

 

16. large

by and large      ​

used when you are saying something that is generally, but not completely, true.

E.g.         

By and large, I enjoyed my time at school.

 

 

 

17. certain  

 

 

 

18. However/ Nevertheless/ Nonetheless 

 

 

 

19. conclusion 

 

 

 

20. for

If you say that someone is doing something for the benefit of a particular person, you mean that they are doing it for that person. 

E.g. 

You need people working for the benefit of the community. 

He doesn't have to go through this elaborate display for my benefit!  

Close-up p 90. Can Money Ever Create Problems? Essay. Word Formation

Money plays a vital role in the world we live in. It provides us with the bare (1)___________ (NECESSARY) such as clothing, housing, transport and our staple (2)______________ (STUFF). Beyond that, it allows for life's little (3)____________ (LUXURIOUSLY) such as the occasional holiday. However, money is a (4)______________ (EDGE) sword, and along with its many benefits come significant drawbacks.

The most serious of these is the (5)______________ (DISTRIBUTE) of wealth. Perhaps never before in history has so much been in the hands of so few; the (6)___________ (CALL) "one per cent". When wealth is not divided (7)_________________ (EQUALITY), it creates class divisions and this situation leads to social (8)_______________ (RESTED). We need only to look back to the French Revolution to see what form this (9)____________ (ROAR) can take. (10)_____________ (GRANT), we are no longer living in the eighteenth century, but the same problems continue to plague us. The (11)_________________ (HAVE)- then, as now- express their (12)______________ (DESPERATE) and (13)__________________ (RESENTFUL) towards the rich and to corrupt governments by (14)______________ (RIOTER), looting and striking.

Not only can money cause problems at the (15)________________ (SOCIETY) level, but it can also ruin individual lives. In the case of (16)_______________________ (WIND) such as an (17)___________________ (HEIR) or a lottery win, the sudden shift to (18)_____________ (WEALTHY) can become a (19)______________ (CURSED). There have been (20)______________ (NUMBER) stories in the media about lottery winners being (21)________________ (HARASSMENT) for money, or whose friends and family (22)__________________ (EXPLOITATION) their (23)_________________________ (KIND). Some have squandered their fortunes (24)___________________ (RECKLESSNESS) due to poor money (25)___________________ (MANAGE) and ended up (26)__________________ (BREAK). Others find themselves (27)____________________ (DEBT). The most (28)_______________ (FORTUNE) have met (29)__________________ (TRAGEDY) ends, the victims of (30)_________________ (RUE) killers.

In (31)_____________________ (SUM), it would seem that money is an issue that can divide people, at times quite (32)_____________ (VIOLENCE). Whether it creates two (33)______________ (DISTINCTION) classes in society or tears families apart and destroys (34)_______________ (FRIEND), it is a (35)_________________ (POWER) force in our world.

KEY

1. necessities

 

 

 

2.  foodstuffs [usually plural]

any substance that is used as food

• essential foodstuffs
• Cross-border trade in foodstuffs and consumer goods is increasing.
• Rationing of basic foodstuffs was introduced.

 

 

 

3. luxuries

luxuriously /lʌɡˈʒʊəriəsli/

luxury /ˈlʌkʃəri/  

 

 

 

4. double-edged 

 

 

 

5. redistribution

the act of sharing something out among people in a different way

• the redistribution of wealth

  

 

 

 

 

6. so-called

 

 

7. equally

 

 

 

8. unrest 

rested: feeling healthy and full of energy because you have had a rest

• I awoke feeling rested and refreshed.

 

unrest: a political situation in which people protest or behave violently  E.g. There is growing unrest throughout the country. Political/social/industrial etc unrest.  The protests were the biggest show of social unrest since the government came to power

 

 

 

9. uproar

[uncountable, singular] a situation in which there is a lot of public criticism and angry argument about something that somebody has said or done. Outcry. E.g. The article caused (an) uproar. 

 

 

 

10. Granted

used when you admit that something is true SYN admittedly.  E.g. Granted, the music is not perfect, but the flaws are outweighed by the sheer joy of the piece.  

 

 

 

11. have-nots 

 

 

 

12. desperation 

 

 

13. resentment/ resentfulness 

 

 

 

14. rioting 

 

 

 

15. societal 

 

 

 

16. windfalls

windfall /ˈwɪndfɔːl $ -fɒːl/ noun [countable]    1 an amount of money that you get unexpectedly. Sp. dinero caído del cielo. E.g.  his £2 million windfall in the lottery. windfall gain/profit etc (=high profit that you did not expect to make)2 a piece of fruit that has fallen off a tree.

 

 

 

 

17. inheritance 

 

 

18. wealth 

 

 

 

19. curse

 

cursed (adj) having a curse on it; suffering from a curse. Sp. maldito

• The necklace was cursed.
• The whole family seemed cursed.

 

 

 

20. numerous 

 

 

 

21. harassed 

 

 

 

22. exploited 

 

 

 

23. kindness 

 

 

 

24. recklessly

in a way that shows a lack of care about danger and the possible results of your actions. Sp. temerariamente; (=thoughtlessly) imprudentemente 

E.g. to drive recklessly. Sp. conducir temerariamente 

to spend recklessly Sp. derrochar dinero

• He admitted driving recklessly.
• She had fallen hopelessly and recklessly in love.

 recklessness: behaviour that shows a lack of care about danger and the possible results of your actions. Sp. temeridad, Imprudencia.

• He was full of boyish recklessness and irresponsibility.

 

 

25. management

 

 

 

26. broke 

 

 

 

27. indebted

/ɪnˈdetɪd/  owing money to someone  the 17 most heavily indebted nations.

be (deeply/greatly) indebted to somebody: to be very grateful to someone for the help they have given you. E.g.  We are deeply indebted to Dr Allen.

 

 

 

28. unfortunate  

 

 

 

29. tragic  

 

 

 

30. ruthless

so determined to get what you want that you do not care if you have to hurt other people in order to do it. Sp.  despiadado -a, cruel• a ruthless dictator Sp. un despiadado dictador. E.g.  a ruthless dictator.  They have shown a ruthless disregard for basic human rights.

 

rue: /ruː/ verb [transitive] 

rue something to feel bad about something that happened or something that you did because it had bad results. To wish that you had not done something.  synonym: regret. Sp.  lamentar (la decisión, etc.) rue the day (that) Sp. maldecir el día en que. E.g.  She learned to rue the day she had met Henry. He rued the day they had bought such a large house.

 

 

 

31. summary

 

 

 

32. violently 

 

 

 

33. distinct

/dɪˈstɪŋkt/  

1. easily or clearly heard, seen, felt, etc.

• There was a distinct smell of gas.
• His voice was quiet but every word was distinct.

 

2. clearly different or of a different kind. Sp. distinto.

• The results of the survey fell into two distinct groups.
• distinct from something Jamaican reggae music is quite distinct from North American jazz or blues.
• We are talking about rural areas, as distinct from major cities.

 

 

 

 

 

34. friendships

 

 

 

 

35. powerful 

 

Close-up p 16. Essay: How peer pressure affects young people. Word formation Cloze

 And how to prevent it…

Peer (0) pressure  (PRESS) exists across society, affecting people (1)___________ (BENEFIT) and (2)______________ (ADVERSITY). In the case of the latter, certain risk factors have been identified that can make young people prone to (3)______________ (DUE), and often (4)____________ (WELL), influence. When this occurs, there are strategies that can be used to handle the problem.

Peers play an important role in a teenager’s life as adolescence is the time when the desire to fit in and find (5)_____________ (ACCEPT) and (6)______________ (APPROVE) from the group is strongest. The need for approval is not bad in itself. It is part of what motivates adolescents to take extra care with their (7)________________ (APPEAR), for instance.

At times, however, the desire to either impress or gain acceptance by the group becomes (8)___________ (EXCESS) and can result in people choosing to take risks, with (9)___________ (POTENT) serious consequences. Similarly, they might engage in behaviour that is extremely (10)_____________ (HURT), like ridiculing someone with a physical or mental (11)_____________ (ABLE).

When such situations arise, knowing where to draw the line is vitally important. (12)_____________ (OTHER), by giving in and doing something that is contrary to their character or core value system, they could be letting themselves in for distress and regret.

For this reason, they should always stand up for what they think is right. They should speak up in an (13)____________________ (ASSERT), but (14)______________________ (CONFRONT), way to let others know that they have boundaries. There may be some teasing at first but, nevertheless, that is a small price to pay for doing the right thing.

In short, adolescents want to belong, but the need to fit in should not be at any cost. When negative peer pressure rears its ugly head, teens need to assert their own opinions and feelings by making clear what their limits are and (15)____________________ (STAND) their ground. They may even inspire others to follow.

 

KEY

 

1. beneficially 

 

 

 

2. adversely

 

 

 

3. undue

 

 

 

4. unwelcome

 

 

 

5. acceptance

 

 

 

6. approval

 

 

 

7. appearance

 

 

 

8. excessive

 

 

 

9. potentially

 

 

 

 10. hurtful

 

 

 

11. disability

 

 

 

12. Otherwise

 

 

 

13. assertive

 

 

 

14. non-confrontational

 

 

 

15. standing