On Screen p 72. Key Word Transformations

Do Ex 1A

far be it from me to do something (but…) ​(informal) used when you are just about to disagree with somebody or to criticize them and you would like them to think that you do not really want to do this. Sp. Dios me libre/ no me corresponde a mí.

E.g.

Far be it from me to interfere in your affairs but I would like to give you just one piece of advice.

 

Do Ex 2A

have/hold in store (for one) To have something awaiting one. 

E.g.

No one knows what the future holds in store. But we can try to prepare accordingly. 

Nobody knows what tomorrow has in store. Sp. Nadie sabe qué tiene guardado el mañana.

On Screen p 71. Writing: Christmas Scrapbook.

I am so happy you've decided to learn how to make a scrapbook! I know you must be thinking, "Where do I start?" Trust me, most of us have been there at one point or another.

What is a scrapbook?
An album where you can stick pictures, newspaper articles, memorabilia, journaling...

Step One
Organize your photos, maps, theatre tickets, lottery tickets, cards, shopping lists, ...

"Ingredients"
Descriptions, narratives, lists, poems, quotes, songs, letters...

Tips
1. Treat your journaling as you would write a letter to somebody. Write down what you would say to somebody if they asked you what was happening in your photos.
2. Write page titles
3. Capture special holiday memories: cutting down the tree, trimming the tree, cooking, family dinners, parties with friends, trips...
4. Traditions: we all have our own Christmas traditions such as baking cookies, going caroling, or hosting the neighborhood party. Make sure to capture these special traditions with photos. Keep in mind that journaling is especially important when it comes to traditions. For example, include your family’s favourite recipe, some of the words from a favourite Christmas carol and write something personal.


Models

Cover:


Sample pages:

More models and tips here

Another sample scrapbook page:

Jamie Keddie's contribution (adapted):
 

On this scrapbook page, I would like to let you in on a little secret... Any predictions?

let sb in on a secret: to allow someone to know something that you have not told anyone else. E.g. Can I let you in on a little secret? 

 

First and foremost, I made a very special Christmas card for you. I hope you like it because I went the extra mile to make it. 

go the extra mile (for somebody/something): to make a special effort to achieve something, help somebody, etc.

bend/lean over backwards (to do something) to make a great effort, especially in order to be helpful or fair. E.g. I've bent over backwards to help him. 

go to great, extraordinary, etc. lengths (to do something) to put a lot of effort into doing something, especially when this seems extreme. E.g. She goes to extraordinary lengths to keep her private life private.

I wonder if it will be given pride of place on your mantelpiece.

pride of place: the position in which something is most easily seen, that is given to the most important thing in a particular group. E.g. The photo was given pride of place on the mantelpiece. 

mantelpiece: a shelf above a fireplace. E.g. There was a clock on the mantelpiece. 

Where do you put your Christmas cards? Do you write any?  Do you do the drawings yourself?

What do you think I drew on my Christmas card for you?

 

 

Do you think it is true? or do you think this is a hoax?

hoax: /həʊks/ an act intended to make somebody believe something that is not true, especially something unpleasant. Sp. engaño. E.g. a bomb hoax. Hoax calls. The emergency call turned out to be a hoax.

 

OK, that was a fib. 

fib: a statement that is not true; a lie about something that is not important. E.g. Stop telling fibs.

 

I didn't make the card. It was Jamie Keddy who actually made it in 1981. It was his entry for the annual school Christmas card contest.
At his primary school, this was a big deal. There were no age categories – it was every child for him/herself regardless of what year he/she was in.

every man for himself: (saying) people must take care of themselves and not give or expect any help. E.g. In business, it's every man for himself.

Competition was incredibly fierce and everyone got involved, driven by the prestige of winning and, of course, the stupendous prizes.

fierce: (especially of actions or emotions) showing strong feelings or a lot of activity, often in a way that is violent. E.g. fierce loyalty. The scene of fierce fighting. He launched a fierce attack on the Democrats. Competition from abroad became fiercer in the 1990s. His wife is his fiercest critic. The bill was passed despite fierce opposition.

stupendous: /stjuːˈpendəs/ extremely large or impressive, especially greater or better than you expect. E.g. stupendous achievements. Stupendous costs

What do you think the prizes were?

 

 And the prizes were:

• First prize: The winner would receive 150 prints of his/her winning Christmas card

What do you think the second prize was?

 

• Second prize: 100 prints

What do you think the third prize was?

• Third prize: 50 prints

Do you think these were tip-top prizes? Would children nowadays be thrilled to bits with these prizes? With what prizes would children be over the moon nowadays?

tip-top: excellent. E.g. The house is in tip-top condition.

thrilled to bits: extremely pleased. E.g. She was thrilled to bits  that he'd been offered the job.

Over the moon: extremely happy and excited. E.g. They’re over the moon about their trip to Japan. 

 

Prints were special back in those days – much more memorable than modern photocopies. Fresh off the press, they were warm and had a sweet chemical smell that will bring back nostalgic childhood memories to many of us. Rather than black and white, everything was dark purple or light pink. I've just spent a wee while researching this and apparently, they were produced by a process called spirit duplication. 

wee: small. E.g. Have a wee drink. You may have to wait a wee while (=a short time). A wee child.

Let's recap!

recap: to repeat or give a summary of what has already been said, decided, etc. E.g. Let me just recap on what we've decided so far.

So, imagine that – 150 warm and smelly spirit duplicates to take home and enjoy in the comfort of your own home!

 



So, perhaps you are wondering if he won. 

What's your guess?



Well, I am elated to report that he did. The "Santa's Here" illustration that you see above beat over 250 other entries. It featured in the school magazine and for a whole week before Christmas, he was the golden boy of the school.

feature (in something) to have an important part in something. E.g. Olive oil and garlic feature prominently in his recipes.

golden: special; wonderful. E.g. golden memories. Businesses have a golden opportunity to expand into new markets. Hollywood’s golden boy 


  He told me that he remembers the praise from his teacher and wowing his architect father: "Wow! Such a simple design. But what an incredible technicality for a 9-year-old boy. What an eye for form. Perhaps he too will grow up to be an architect one day."

praise: (N) words that show approval of or admiration for somebody/something. E.g. His teachers are full of praise for the progress he's making.

praise: (V) to express your approval or admiration for somebody/something. E.g. He praised his team for their performance. 

wow somebody (with something): (v) to impress somebody very much, especially with a performance. E.g. He wowed audiences around the country with his new show.


What do teachers say to praise their students?
 
 

He took the praise and he enjoyed his moment of glory. He genuinely felt that he had earned it.

 



I wonder if you can see where this is going... 
Any predictions?

 

Jamie: Well, it's time to come clean about a dirty secret that I have lived with for the last 35 years. 

What can it be?




Jamie: "It involves my favourite children's Christmas book – a picture book called Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs who is probably best known for The Snowman.
I loved Raymond Briggs's Father Christmas. Rather than being a jolly Christmas lover, he is a reclusive and overworked, grumpy old man who hates everything about the festive season, except perhaps the brandy.

jolly: happy and cheerful

reclusive: living alone and avoiding other people. E.g. a reclusive millionaire

grumpy: bad-tempered. E.g. Pay no attention to his moods—he’s just a grumpy old man.


So, what do you think Jamie did?


And here is the Christmas confession: Raymond Briggs's book was the inspiration for my winning Christmas card. 

If you look very carefully at the following image, you might just see the similarity.

 So what do you reckon? Can you see any similarities or differences?



You can see that I struggled with the face. I seem to have given my Father Christmas an overgrown black beard in order to conceal my lack of artistry here.

overgrown: that has grown too large. E.g. an overgrown village

conceal: hide sth. E.g. Tim could barely conceal his disappointment.

artistry: /ˈɑːtɪstri/ the skill of an artist. E.g. He played the piece with effortless artistry. An appreciation of the beauty and artistry of the painting.

I was not a dab hand at drawing but you can't say I was cack-handed either. I hope you don't think I did a botched job or that I made a real dog's breakfast of it anyway.

dab hand: a person who is very good at doing something or using something. E.g. He's a dab hand at cooking spaghetti. She's a dab hand with a paintbrush.

a cack-handed person often drops or breaks things or does things badly. E.g. That's a cack-handed way of going about it!

botch something (up) (informal) to spoil something by doing it badly. E.g. He completely botched up the interview. The work they did on the house was a botched job. 

a dog’s breakfast/dinner a thing that has been done badly. Mess. E.g. He's made a real dog's breakfast of these accounts. 

What is your opinion? Do you think Jamie excelled at it? Was he hopeless at it? Or just middling? Is this drawing a curate's egg?

middling: of average size, quality, status, etc. Medium or average; neither very good nor very bad. E.g. a golfer of middling talent ‘Do you like your coffee weak or strong?’ ‘Oh, middling, please.’ A man of about middling height. A middling performance. He was middling at school, and put his energies elsewhere. He was middling at studying, but a voracious reader who devoured whatever books he came across.  He was middling in all the games he played.

a curate's egg: a thing that is partly good and partly bad. E.g. this book is a bit of a curate's egg. Origin: early 20th century: from a cartoon in Punch (1895) depicting a meek (= quiet, gentle, and always ready to do what other people want) curate who, given a stale (= no longer fresh and therefore unpleasant to eat) egg at the bishop's table, assures his host that ‘parts of it are excellent’.

There are two ways to look at this. As a matter of fact, I am in a quandary. I really can't decide which is the correct way. 

quandary: /ˈkwɒndəri/ the state of not being able to decide what to do in a difficult situation. Dilemma. E.g.  George was in a quandary—should he go or shouldn't he? This placed the government in something of a quandary.

First of all, was this dishonest? Was he a rogue? 

rogue: /rəʊɡ/ a man who is dishonest.

Would you say Jamie lifted the drawing from Raymond Briggs's book? 

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.


I am really not sure. I'm in a predicament. 


predicament /prɪˈdɪkəmənt/ a difficult or an unpleasant situation, especially one where it is difficult to know what to do. Quandary. E.g. the club’s financial predicament. I'm in a terrible predicament.


On the one hand, he remembers having no feelings of guilt whatsoever.  

whatsoever: not at all. Not of any kind. E.g. ‘Is there any doubt about it?’ ‘None whatsoever.’
 
But on the other hand, he remembers that he didn't divulge the secret about copying the image to anyone. He took the praise in full knowledge that the truth would probably have invalidated it.

divulge: /daɪˈvʌldʒ/ to give somebody information that is supposed to be secret. E.g. She refused to divulge the information. The plans must not be divulged to anyone.



But I also think that copy, remix and mashup are essential for any individual to develop drawing skills or indeed, to develop any creative process. So perhaps there was something honest, or at least necessary and natural going here.


remix: a new version of a recorded piece of music made by using a machine to arrange the separate parts of the recording in a different way, add new parts, etc. E.g. a remix of their first single. An Elton John remix.

mashup: /ˈmæʃʌp/ a combination of elements from different sources used to create a new song, video, computer file, program, etc. E.g. a video mashup. Most mashups are simple remixes that DJs have been doing for decades. It’s a new web service that allows people to create mashups of movies, combining scenes from various films.

necessary: /ˈnesəsəri/ /ˈnesəseri/ 

Who am I trying to fool?

Do you consider remixes and mashups  acts of stealing, of unoriginal thought, of plagiarism, of laziness,...?

Or, do you consider them creative and original cultural acts? Do you think most things are mashups? Can you think of examples where multiple ideas, products, music, literature, you name it, were mashed-up, remixed and recontextualized to create something completely new and original?

 
Happy holidays


Another idea for your scrapbook:



 

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 67. Phubbing. Speaking Interaction. Cloze

7. What comes to mind when you see this picture? Remember that the pictures are there to give you ideas to talk about. You are not supposed to simply describe them.

 

A: Look at that couple over there. They are unarguably phubbing each other. What I (1)_________ by this is that they're staring at their smartphones and they're altogether ignoring each other. If you (2)_________ me, I think it was better before all these devices were invented. How do you (3)____________ about it?

B: I see what you (4)____________. It is evident that they are both too engrossed (5)___________ their phones (6)______________ pay attention to each other. However, we must also take into (7)____________ all the benefits that mobile technology has brought (8)_____________. For (9)___________, nowadays with our smartphones we can access the internet, take care of the finances or contact the office, to name (10)__________ a few. Admittedly, there is no way we (11)__________ have done that in the past.

A: You may have a (12)__________ there. But to my (13)_________, nothing (14)___________ good old-fashioned face-to-face conversations. Nowadays, everyone is glued (15)___________ their devices, (16)_________ when they're with other people.

B: My thoughts (17)___________, yet the world is changing and (18)__________ is the way that we communicate with each other. Evidently, new technologies are (19)_________ to stay.

A: Well, frankly I still think that technology can have a detrimental effect (20)_________  human relationships.

B: Maybe there's some (21)____________ in what you say. All the (22)_________, I think all this new technology is really amazing!

A: I guess so, but actually to be honest, it's not my (23)_________ of tea!

 

 1. mean

 

 

 

2. ask

 

 

3. feel  

 

 

 

4. mean 

 

 

 

5. in/with 

 

 

 

6. to 

 

 

 

7. consideration/account 

 

 

 

8. about 

 

 

 

9. instance/example 

 

 

 

10. but 

 

 

 

11. could 

 

 

 

12. point 

 

 

 

13. mind 

 

 

 

14. beats 

 

 

 

15. to 

 

 

 

16. even 

 

 

 

17. exactly 

 

 

 

18. so 

 

 

 

19. here 

 

 

 

20. on

 

 

 

21. truth 

 

 

22. same

All the same: in spite of something that you have just mentioned. Sp. de todas formas, aun así.  I’m not likely to run out of money but, all the same, I’m careful.  

 

 

 

23. cup