On Screen p 35. The Impact of Social Media on Our Lives. Letter to the Editor

 A popular English language magazine has invited readers to send in letters giving their views on the impact of social media on our lives. You decide to send in a letter, in which you briefly describe your experiences using social media, explain the reasons why some people use social media, and assess what the consequences of that impact might be in the future.

On Screen p 35. Letter in favour of social media. Cloze

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to give my views (1)___________ the benefits of social media. Many articles and research papers have been written on the adverse (2)__________ of the medium, but I believe there are a number of positive aspects to (3)____________ use.
Personally, I use social media to keep in touch with friends and family who live far away. I enjoy receiving their news and updates (4)____________ it brings me closer to them (5)__________ the distance that separates us. In (6)______________, social media has (7)___________ me to make contact with long-lost friends from school. Being able to reconnect with an old friend is a wonderful thing, and I have social media to (8)___________ for it.
(9)_____________ it not for social media, many people who live in isolation would be cut (10)___________ from the rest of society. Those who are house-bound (11)_________ to illness or family circumstances need an outlet, and social media (12)____________ this. They can stay in contact with friends or family elsewhere, or (13)_________ use social media as a way to have some harmless fun and break up the boredom or drudgery of their lives. Going (14)__________, what I see is a continued role of social media in my life. As I plan to travel extensively in the future, social media will enable me to keep my family informed of my movements, and share with them the places that I intend to visit. Social media will also play a role in my career once I complete my studies and enter the (15)_____________.
Social media is unparalleled as a means of staying in touch with loved ones, and reestablishing contact with friends from the past. What is more, it is a godsend for the isolated and lonely. It serves a very useful purpose as (16)____________ as it doesn’t become the epicentre of one’s existence.

Yours (17)______________,

Jane Barkin



KEY
1. on 



2. effects



3. its



4. as/ since/ because/ for



5. despite



6. addition



7. enabled



8. thank



9. Were



10. off



11. due 



12. provides



13. even



14. forward
going forward: from this point on into the future.



15. workforce 



16. long 



17. faithfully


 
Dear Sir,

I would like to give my views on the benefits of social media. Many articles and research papers have been written on the adverse effects of the medium, but I believe there are a number of positive aspects to its use.
Personally, I use social media to keep in touch with friends and family who live far away. I enjoy receiving their news and updates as it brings me closer to them despite the distance that separates us. In addition, social media has enabled me to make contact with long-lost friends from school. Being able to reconnect with an old friend is a wonderful thing, and I have social media to thank for it.
Were it not for social media, many people who live in isolation would be cut off from the rest of society. Those who are house-bound due to illness or family circumstances need an outlet, and social media provides this. They can stay in contact with friends or family elsewhere, or even use social media as a way to have some harmless fun and break up the boredom or drudgery of their lives. Going forward, what I see is a continued role of social media in my life. As I plan to travel extensively in the future, social media will enable me to keep my family informed of my movements, and share with them the places that I intend to visit. Social media will also play a role in my career once I complete my studies and enter the workforce.
Social media is unparalleled as a means of staying in touch with loved ones, and reestablishing contact with friends from the past. What is more, it is a godsend for the isolated and lonely. It serves a very useful purpose as long as it doesn’t become the epicentre of one’s existence.

Yours faithfully,

Jane Barkin

On Screen p 35. Higher Education. Letter to the Editor. Word formation

An international magazine has recently published a feature entitled "Higher education is valuable for a young person's future as it provides more opportunities." The editor has asked readers to submit letters describing their own or someone else's experiences on the topic. You should also assess the extent to which higher education is a valuable experience for young people. Write your letter using around 200 words. 

Sample Answer

Dear Editor,
I am writing with regard to the (1)_____________ (DEEP) feature you have recently published on the value of education for a young person’s future. It is a (2)_________________ (THINK) topic and I wish to share my opinion on the matter.
I would like to use the (3)______________ (HAND) experiences of my Aunt Sophie as an (4)________________ (ILLUSTRATE) example of the (5)_____________ (COMPLEX) of the issue. Aunt Sophie had always been (6)_______________ (PASSION) about physics and (7)_______________ (EXCELLENT) in the subject so it seemed (8)____________ (PERFECTION) (9) __________ (NATURE) that she would (10)___________ (VIGOUR) pursue a degree and (11)_____________ (SUBSEQUENT) a post-graduate degree in theoretical physics. (12)_____________ (FORTUNE), on (13)____________ (COMPLETE) of her studies, she found that very few jobs were available for a theoretical physicist. Having searched (14)_______________ (SUCCESS) for several years, she then (15)______________ (WILL) accepted a job as a secondary school
physics teacher. In this case, her advanced degree did not provide her with (16)______________ (GREAT) opportunities than her first degree. However, she learned a great deal from this (17)__________ (VALUE) experience, has never expressed any regret, and maintains that she finds teaching extremely (18)__________ (REWARD).
(19)____________ (TAKE) the above into (20)____________ (CONSIDER), I believe that while a higher education should (21)________________ (THEORY) lead to more opportunities, that is sometimes not the case. Job (22)_______________ (AVAILABLE) depends on the needs of the society and positions that require highly (23)____________ (SPECIAL) skills, while (24)___________ (DESIRE), are limited. Sometimes experience gained working in the real world could place someone higher on the career ladder than someone who invested the same time in (25)_________ (FAR) education. On the other hand, (26)_______________ (TRANSFER) skills gained in education can always be applied and would be a (27)___________ (PRICE) asset in most positions.

To conclude, I feel that the choice of whether to pursue higher education must be considered (28)_____________ (CARE). This (29)_____________ (RICH) experience should be (30)_____________ (TAKE) out of interest for a subject and for the personal (31)_____________ (GROW) it offers, with the (32)________________ (REALISE) that it may not result in an easier (33)_______________ (HUNT) experience. Thank you for considering my views, and I hope they have been of interest.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Smith 

KEY

1. in-depth

 

 

2. thought-provoking

 

 

 

3.first-hand/ hands-on

first-hand: obtained or experienced yourself. E.g. to have first-hand experience of poverty.

hands-on: doing something rather than just talking about it.

E.g.
hands-on computer training
to gain hands-on experience of industry
a hands-on style of management

 

4.illustrative

/ˈɪləstrətɪv/, /ˈɪləstreɪtɪv/, /ɪˈlʌstrətɪv/ helping to explain something or show it more clearly. Explanatory
/ɪkˈsplænətri/

E.g.

an illustrative example 

 

5. complexity / complexities

 

 

 

6. passionate 

 

 

 

7. excelled

 

 

 

8. perfectly 

 

 

 

9. natural 

 

 

 

10. vigorously 

 

 

 

11. subsequently

/ˈsʌbsɪkwəntli/

afterwards; later; after something else has happened.

E.g.
The original interview notes were subsequently lost.
Subsequently, new guidelines were issued to all employees.
He subsequently became chairman of the party.

 

 

 

12. Unfortunately

 

 

 

13. completion

the act of finishing something.

E.g. On completion of the building, they make a final inspection.  

 

 

 

14. unsuccessfully 

 

 

 

15. willingly/unwillingly

willingly: in a way that shows you are happy or pleased to do something or that you do not object to doing something.

E.g. People would willingly pay more for better services.

unwillingly: in a way that involves someone doing something they do not want to do.

E.g.

"Yes, all right. I'll go," she agreed, somewhat unwillingly. 

They are being unwillingly dragged into the debate  

 

 

 

16. greater 

 

 

 

17. invaluable/valuable 

 

 

 

18. rewarding 

 

 

 

19. Taking 

 

 

 

20. consideration 

 

 

 

21. theoretically 

/ˌθɪəˈretɪkli/ 

 

 

 

22. availability 

 

 

 

23. specialised 

 

 

 

24. desirable 

 

 

 

25. further 

 

 

 

26. transferable

/trænsˈfɜːrəbl/

that can be moved from one place, person or use to another.

E.g.
This ticket is not transferable (= it may only be used by the person who has bought it).
We aim to provide our students with transferable skills (= that can be used in different jobs).

27. priceless
extremely valuable or important
E.g.

a priceless collection of antiques
priceless information
Our family photos are priceless.

 

 

 

28. carefully

 

 

 

29. enriching 

 

 

 

30. undertaken

undertake: undertake something to make yourself responsible for something and start doing it. Sp. asumir, emprender.

E.g.
to undertake a task/project
University professors both teach and undertake research.
The company has announced that it will undertake a full investigation into the accident.

 

 

 

31. growth

 

 

 

32. realisation 

 

 

 

33. job-hunting 

 

 

  

 

 

On Screen p 35. Technology in the Workplace. A Letter to the Editor. Word Formation Cloze

 

Task description:

An English language magazine is inviting readers to submit letters in response to the following excerpt from an article: "The 21st century workplace requires more technological skills than ever before." You decide to submit a letter expressing your views. You should briefly describe your experience using technology, explain the reasons why it has become important and assess the impact it has in the workplace. Write your letter in 250 words.

Sample answer:

Dear Editor,

Having (1)___________ (THOROUGH)  read your article on technology in the workplace in the last issue of your magazine, I would like to put forth my (2)___________ (OBSERVE) on the subject. New (3)____________ (TECHNOLOGY) devices, considered to be (4)______________ (INNOVATE) tools, have indeed (5)__________________ (REVOLUTION) the way businesses operate. It is my strong belief that they will define the future of the workplace.

(6)___________ (PERSON), I have a lot of high tech experience and I am very confident in my (7)______________ (ABLE) to learn any new computing programs quickly. In fact, I cannot imagine living without my mobile phone as I (8)______________ (FREQUENT) check status (9)___________ (DATE) from various (10)___________ (WORK) sites and keep in touch with my 100+ social media friends and followers.

There is no doubt that the (11)_____________ (ADOPT) of (12)____________ (SOPHISTICATION) technology (13)_____________ (WITH) the workplace has become (14)____________ (ESSENCE) in recent years. The (15)___________ (APPEAR) reason for this is that the (16)_____________ (LATE) tech tools allow (17)_______________ (EMPLOY) and companies to be more (18)___________ (EFFICACY) in the (19)_____________ (GLOBE) (20)___________________ (PLACE).

That being the case, technological (21)_________________ (HOW) is required for the (22)_______________ (MAJOR) of industries since it makes life easier for all (23)___________ (WORK) (24)____________ (PROFESSION).

It is my (25)_________________ (CONSIDER) opinion that technology has impacted businesses (26)____________________ (SIGNIFY). As markets shift with higher (27)_____________ (FREQUENT), businesses have become (28)____________ (EXTREME) (29)____________ (RELY) on technology. This is because computers and (30)_____________ (MACHINE) perform many tasks and cut costs for businesses while increasing (31)__________________ (PRODUCTION). (32)________________ (SIMILAR) the internet has improved communication since information can be transferred (33)____________ (INSTANT), allowing businesses to offer their services across the globe.

On the whole, any business without some level of technical (34)_____________ (SAVVINESS) are (35)_______________ (LIKE) to succeed in the future. It is therefore critical that businesses embrace change and new technologies in the digital age to stay (36)___________ (FLOAT). Thank you for considering my views.

Yours faithfully,

Adam Jones

KEY

1. thoroughly

 

 

 

2. observations

 

 

 

3. technological

 

 

 

4. innovative

 

 

 

5. revolutionised

 

 

 

6. Personally

 

 

 

7. ability

 

 

 

8. frequently

 

 

 

9. updates

 

 

 

10. networking

 

 

 

11. adoption

 

 

 

12. sophisticated

 

 

 

13. within

 

 

 

14. essential

 

 

 

15. apparent

 

 

 

16. latest

 

 

 

17. employees

 

 

 

18. efficient

 

 

 

19. global

 

 

 

20. marketplace

 

 

 

21. know-how

 

 

 

22. majority

 

 

 

23. working

 

 

 

24. professionals

 

 

 

25. considered

(one's) considered opinion

One's opinion after giving a topic adequate attention and careful thought. Sp. después de haberlo pensado/ considerado detenidamente, creo que. E.g. In light of these circumstances, what, in your considered opinion, would be the best way to structure the company? In my considered opinion, ‘Trainspotting’ is one of the best British movies ever made.

26. significantly

signify: to be a sign of something. Mean. signify something E.g. This decision signified a radical change in their policies 

27. frequencies/frequency

high/low frequency (= happening often/not very often) E.g. a society with a high/low frequency of stable marriages.

 

 

 

28. extremely

 

 

 

29. reliant

Reliant on/upon somebody/something needing somebody/something in order to survive, be successful, etc. Dependent. E.g. The hostel is heavily reliant upon charity. Businesses have become increasingly reliant on complicated computing systems.The service has become heavily reliant on government support.

 

 

 

30. machinery

 

 

 

31. productivity /ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvəti/

 

 

 

32. Similarly 

 

 

 

33. instantaneously/ˌɪnstənˈteɪniəsli/

 

 

 

34. savvy

savvy noun/ˈsævi/ [uncountable] ​practical knowledge or understanding of something. E.g. political savvy. Skill isn’t enough—you need savvy too.

Origin

Late 18th century originally black and pidgin English imitating Spanish sabe usted ‘you know’.

 

savvy adjective/ˈsævi/ (comparative savvier, superlative savviest) ​having practical knowledge and understanding of something; having common sense. E.g. savvy shoppers. Most of his clients were financially savvy enough to know a good deal when they saw one.

savviness  /ˈsavɪnəs/ noun (mass noun) ​practical knowledge or understanding of something; the ability to make good judgements. E.g. her vast experience and innate political savviness.

 

 

 

35. unlikely

 

 

 

36. afloat

(of a business, etc.) having enough money to pay debts; able to survive

• They will have to borrow £10 million next year, just to stay afloat.
• They had to sell their assets to keep the business afloat