VIDEO TASK

"FRIENDS"

EXERCISE 1: Before watching the segment, try to fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the given verbs. Check your answers after watching it.

a) We ......... (go) to a self-defense class today.
b) Look, I .............. (study) karate for a long time.
c) ............. (be, not) that a kind of sushi?
d) Maybe it ........... (mean) that too.
e) Unagi ....... (be) a state of total awareness.
f) If we ........ (make) reservations, we .......... (can) have unagi in a half-hour.
g) You ....... (be) a freak!
h) At what point during those girlish screams ....................... (begin) to kick my ass?

EXERCISE 2: Identify if the relative clauses are reduced or not. If reduced, indicate the omitted word(s).

a) Of course you can defend yourself from an attack you know is coming. 

b) And there's a concept you should really be familiar with.

c) Please tell us what it is.

d) It's what the Japanese call unagi.

e) Only by achieving true unagi can you be prepared for any danger that may befall you.

f) A lesson in the importance of unagi.

EXERCISE 3: Watch the segment again and change the questions into a noun clause.

Example:  Why did the girls go to a self-defense class? 

- I wonder why the girls went to a self-defense class.

a) The girls want to defend themselves in case of a dangerous situation. What should they do to be safe?

- I don't know ................................................ .

b) Why doesn't Ross believe that they can defend themselves?

- I don't understand .............................................. .

c) The girls want to take revenge on Ross. How can they do that?

- Can you suggest .................................................. ?

d) They managed to take revenge on him. What did they do?

- Do you remember ................................................ ?

e) Ross was very scared when the girls took revenge on him. Why did he feel that way?

- Do you know ...................................................... ?

ANSWER KEY

EXERCISE 1:

a) went

b) studied

c) isn't

d) means

e) is

f) made, could 

g) are

h) would you have begun

EXERCISE 2:

a) Reduced relative clause, that/ which is omitted. (...from an attack that/ which you know is coming)

b) Reduced relative clause, that/ which is omitted. (...a concept that/ which you should really be familiar with)

c) Regular relative clause (noun clause)

d) Regular relative clause (noun clause)

e) Regular relative clause

f) Reduced relative clause, "that/ which is" is omitted. (A lesson which/ that is in the importance of unagi)

EXERCISE 3:

a) I don't know what they should do to be safe.

b) I don't understand why Ross doesn't believe that they can defend themselves.

c) Can you suggest how the girls can take revenge on Ross?

d) Do you remember what they did to take revenge on him?

e) Do you know why he felt that way when the girls took revenge on him?

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

52 PLACES TO GO IN 2015

BOLIVIA: THE 8TH ONE ON THE LIST

Finally stable and opening up to the world.

Bolivia’s days of relentless transportation strikes and roadblocks are mostly behind it. (simple present tense - expressing generalization) And travelers who (relative clause) try out the now tourism-friendly infrastructure will be (future tense - expressing future plans) rewarded with new attractions once they arrive. (adverbial clause of time)  Claus Meyer’s two-year-old fine-dining restaurant, Gustu,and the Melting Pot Foundation are helping set (infinitive) a new culinary tone around the country (present continuous tense - expressing an action that is happening at the moment of speaking) by starting Suma Phayata, an official street food tour in La Paz (reduced relative clause), and renewing interest in high-altitude wine routes in the Tarija region. Adventure excursions also abound, from luxe tent camp trips led by the Chilean operator Explora (reduced relative clause) across the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flats (reduced relative clause), to community tourism projects on (preposition) coffee farms in the Yungas region, where (relative clause) a new road to Caranavi, expected to open this year will cut (future tense - expressing future plans) the travel time drastically from LA. 


VOCABULARY

Relentless: Never stopping or getting any less extreme
Roadblock: Something that is put across a road to stop people who are driving down it
Infrastructure: The basic systems, such as transport and communication, that a country or organization uses in order to work effectively.
Culinary: Related to food and cooking
Abound: To exist in large numbers
Excursion: A short journey made by a group of people for pleasure


ANALYSING THE TEXT

• Although the writer's tone is quite informative throughout the text, he also uses the descriptive tone a little. We can understand that it is an informative text in that he makes statements by giving examples and defines everything he means to tell. Furthermore, he gives descriptions by using relative clauses to create a more vivid picture about the information he gives in the readers' minds. Therefore, on the whole, it can be said that the tone of the writer is both informative and descriptive.
• The language he uses is not completely formal. Besides, it is a sort of travel writing. So, we cannot expect it to be strictly formal. To give the readers the best suggestions on where to go for a vacation and what can be done there, or just to give a brief information about the destination, the writer uses a reasonably informal tone.
• The writer uses simple present and future tenses mostly, which can be a proof that his tone is informative. As the function of the tenses he uses is either to express generalization or to give information about the future plans, it can be said that he supports his tone by using the tenses that best fit his purpose. 

MY COMMENTS

This text, which basically aims to give information about a place to visit, is quite fun to read in my opinion. The way that the author handles this topic is suitable as he uses the right language and tone. What is more, since he mostly gives information about Bolivia as a holiday destination, I don't think there is anything that I would disagree. It is an informative and descriptive text and I think he succeeds to capture the readers by his comprehensible descriptions. On the whole, I can say that I liked the text and the tone is as suitable as it could be.

• To get information about the whole list of the places to visit in 2015, you may check this link out and reach the full text:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/01/11/travel/52-places-to-go-in-2015.html?ref=travel&_r=0

TRANSITIVE & INTRANSITIVE VERBS

1. Smell

• The dish smells delicious. (Intransitive)
• The cook smelled the dish he had prepared in five minutes. (Transitive)

2. Pack

• She packed her bags in a hurry. (Transitive)
• The desperate woman was packing when her husband called her. (Intransitive)

3. Train

• He is training to be a lawyer. (Intransitive)
• I am trying to train my dog. (Transitive)

VİVA LA VİDA TASK SHEET 

The Poem About the King

I used to rock the world
Birds would keep quiet when I sang
Now in the morning I am alone
I can't even remember the songs that I used to sing

I used to shatter the records
Make millions sing along 
Listen as the crowd would sing my songs
"Now he is coming to stage!"

One minute I was the king of rock 'n roll
Next somebody else had the dice rolled 
I discovered that my era was long over
And there was no way to recover

The original song

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone 
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice 
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing,
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand 
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

ERROR CORRECTION SHEET 

1. I had lived in Sivas until I came to Ankara, and I love that city so much because Ankara's climate is too cold for me to get used to.

2. I graduated from Nazilli Anatolian Teacher Training High School.

3. Now, I am at the same department with one of my best friends, whose name is Ayşe, but I wish I were at the same university with my other best friends also.

4. If you ask something about me to my friends, they will explain what a wonderful person I am.

5. I have lots of hobbies such as swimming, reading, learning new things etc.

6. I think both of them are the best teams in their league.

7. I think everything has a beauty. Therefore, look around more carefully because there are always new things to discover.

8. Many visitors are suprised to see that some animals remain outside during the whole year such as penguins, polar bears and timber wolves which are very happy at outdoors in wintertime.

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 165

1. 

a) It sounds as if they are having a good time.

b) This isn't the way you are supposed to be doing this

c) He looked as if he was carrying something.

d) I took up jogging as you suggested.

e) He behaved as though he owned the place.

f) The meat tasted as if it hadn't been cooked properly.

g) Peter didn't conduct the experiment the way he was instructed to.

2. Will human beings ever live on other planets?

Although we have become accustomed to the idea of space travel, and in films and fiction it seems as though space travel is inevitable, it appears unlikely that human beings will ever get any further than Mars, our nearest neighbour. No matter how many films we make about space travel, the fact is that it remains technologically challenging and extremely expensive. Since the distances involved are immense, any voyage outside our solar system would take hundreds of years using current technology. Wherever human beings went into space, they would have problems of how to eat and breathe, and their spaceship would have to carry vast amounts of fuel in order to cover the distance. Even Mars is so far away that it would take about six months to get there. As the distance between Earth and Mars varies, astronauts would have to wait for nearly two years before they could return using the shortest journey time. Even though it could cost as much as $100 billion, a manned mission to Mars is planned for sometime between 2010 and 2020.

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 164

1.
a) Tina was given the job, even though she did not have the required experience.
b) Seeing that it's his birthday today, Tom has decided to take a day off.
c) This is the way we deal with hooligans in this country.
d) We'd better take some money with us, in case we can't find a cash machine.
e) Much as I admire his earlier work, I think that his recent novels are rather poor.
f) The moment you see anything move, press this alarm bell.
g) No matter what you say, I still can't really forgive you for what you have done.
h) Unfortunately Carol didn't pass the exam, although she studied really hard.
i) Everywhere I look these days, I seem to see people dressed the same.
j) Considering that she's only been learning the piano for six months, Jan plays really well.


2.
a) Whenever you are in the area, drop in and see us.
b) As soon as I saw you, I knew I liked you! 
c) Fiona started training as a ballet dancer when she was six.
d) I won't leave until you come back.
e) You can park your car anywhere you like outside.
f) Now you're here, you'd better sit down.
g) Once the exams are out of the way, we can start learning something new.
h) The memorial shows where the plane crashed.


3. The Earth and the Sun
Although most ancient Greek philosophers considered the Earth to be flat, Eratosthenes calculated that it was a sphere and worked out its circumference around 240 BC. Considering that he used only rough estimates, his calculation is surprisingly accurate. As it seemed obvious that the Sun moved in the sky and the Earth stood still, this was the basis of astronomy until the work of Copernicus in the 16th century. Once Copernicus's work was published in 1543, it became increasingly difficult for scientists to see the universe in the way they had done before with the Earth at the centre of the universe. However, the theory was so controversial for religious reasons that it didn't become widely known. When Galileo came to the same conclusions as Copernicus in 1610, he was accused of heresy by the Church and imprisoned, in case his view of the universe encouraged people to doubt the existence of God.

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 161

1.
a) This is the man who jumped over the counter and took the money.
b) George turned up late, which wasn't unusual. 
c) We questioned many people, some of whom gave us good descriptions of the robber.
d) That's the house where my aunt and uncle live.
e) Everyone who meets Angela likes her.
f) Many people came to the meeting, some of whom were half an hour late.
g) We eventually found a shepherd's hut where we sheltered from the rain.
h) The train, which was extremely crowded, stopped at every station.
i) This isn't the building (that) I thought the bus stopped outside.

2. Jane Austen
Jane Austen, whose novels feature many clergymen, had two brothers who joined the church, and two others whose careers in the navy are also reflected in her novels, in which several naval officers appear. She also had a sister, Cassandra, with whom she had a close relationship. They exchanged frequent letters, from which historians learned much about what Jane was doing and thinking during a life which was fairly uneventful. All we know about Jane Austen's appearance is based on Cassandra's coloured sketch hanging in the National Portrait Gallery in London. We know Jane was encouraged to write by her brother Henry, who also wrote himself, and that the family borrowed novels from the local library, which influenced Jane's writing. Although Jane Austen wrote during the period of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, what she wrote about was largely confined to what she knew: the manners of mainly well-off people living in small-town society near London, and the problems faced by women in choosing a marriage partner. Her novels also show women who have chosen the wrong partner, or those whose difficult financial situation influences their behaviour. 

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 160

1. 
a) The historic castle, which was rebuilt after the war, contains the city museum.
b) What I would like to do next is go and visit the Modern Art Gallery.
c) I didn't know exactly whom I was working with on the project.
d) You may tick the "No Publicity" box, in which case no details of your win will be given to the press.
e) I've never seen anyone who can kick a ball as hard as David can! 
f) I'm afraid this isn't the meal I asked for.
g) Can someone tell me what I am supposed to be doing?
h) Brussels, which I've visited several times recently, is a good place to spend a weekend.
i) After eating so much I felt sick, which wasn't so surprising!
j) The police asked me if I had seen anyone who fitted the description.

2.

a) Many Asians live in mega-cities, that is, cities whose population is greater than 10 million.

b) Tony, whose brother Dave also played for Scotland, eventually became team captain.

c) I'm the sort of person who likes being busy all the time.

d) We looked at three flats to let, one of which seemed suitable, though it was expensive.

e) Elsa seemed like the kind of person to whom happiness came almost naturally.

f) This e-mail is intended solely for the use of the person to whom it is addressed.

g) It was a mistake that both generals were to regret before the day was over.

h) The buildings which were damaged in the earthquake were marked with a red cross.

i) Sophia lived alone in a house owned by her father, for which she paid no rent.

j) That's the building where I used to work.

3. Are men better at maths than women?

One of the stereotypes about the differences between men and women, which seems to be supported by some research, is that men are better at maths. According to brain research, levels of grey matter, which creates processing centres in the brain, are higher in men than they are in women. On the other hand, it is women who have more white matter, which creates the links between processings centres in the brain. What this seems to suggest is that while the male brain contains more areas for processing information, which means that the male brain has more capacity to solve maths problems, it is the female brain that has the greater ability to perceive patterns. In other words, it is brain structure that makes men better at maths, but which also makes women better at communicating. However, other researchers argue that it is the stereotyping itself that causes the difference in performance in maths, rather than any innate ability. Women who believe they are inferior at maths, especially when they take maths tests in rooms where men are present, tend to produce the kind of results they expect to produce. Research which analyses maths test results on a large scale suggests that the results attained by women are just as good as those attained by men.

ANGER MANAGEMENT TASK

Dave Buznik is a businessman who is falsely sentenced to an anger management therapy. It all starts when he is about to get his first kiss from his childhood crush. Some bullies give him trouble by pulling his pants down and from then on he becomes paranoid whenever his girlfriend Linda attempts to kiss him. Linda feels extremely uncomfortable with his behaviour, so she feels awkward when he acts in such a weird way and shakes her hand instead of kissing her. One day on a flight, Dave is seated near his future anger management therapist, Dr. Rydell, who is rather aggressive himself. At first, he is not aware of what is going to happen. Then, as annoyances and misunderstandings take place, he is arrested and sentenced to the anger management therapy. In my opinion, he was not guilty at all during the incident that took place on the plane. All he wanted was a headset and he put it forward in a quite normal way with no shouting or anything. Therefore, I obviously think that he did not have to be arrested out of nothing. He may have raised his voice a little bit as the flight attendant did not care about what he wanted and kept on chatting with her friend. However, I think this is normal and anyone could act in the same way. Instead of forcing him to get into the anger management therapy where he does not feel like he belongs to, he could just be advised to see a psychologist whom he could tell about the reasons why he acts in such a way. By this way, the root causes of his behaviour and low-temper could be discovered, leading to a more humane way of helping him to overcome all these issues. 

REFLECTION TASK 3

If I were a jury member of the committee choosing the person of the year, I would definitely choose Dilek Livaneli. She is a teacher who was chosen "the Teacher to Make a Difference in His/ Her Profession" in 24th November 2012 by the Ministry of National Education. She was one of 50 best teachers, being nominated for the Global Teacher Prize. She carried out a project called "My School is Getting Younger" at Kumköy Primary School in Samsun where she was appointed to. She made huge differences in the lives of her students in both social and cultural ways. There were many things on the news regarding this innovative teacher. Still, there may be some who are not aware of her and I think everyone should get to know about her meticulous work and her passion to educate the kids in a whole different way. Besides, she is not just a teacher. She is also the person who enabled the kids in her school experience numerous things for the first time. For instance, she took them to the shopping mall, the zoo and the bowling hall. She also took all of her students to Samsun for the first time and helped them get familiar with the theatre, cinema, opera, museums and historical places. The first kite festival was organized by her for the students, which included all the people in the village creating handmade kites. Most importantly, she did not only educate the kids but also provided training for their mothers. She helped them get parenting education and gave them the chance to go to the cinema and opera, the places where she had never got the chance to go to. In conclusion, she is such an idealistic teacher that I think she should gain more recognition and deserves to be the person of the year. What is more, as someone who is going to be a teacher in the future, I consider her as my idol.

REFLECTION TASK 2B

Hello fellas! :) I would like to give some information about the legendary TV series “Friends” today. It is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kaufmann. It lasted ten seasons from 1994 to 2004. Before getting its title, it was named many different things. At first, the producers decided on the title “Insomnia Cafe” and then switched it to “Bright”, “Friends Like Us”, and finally, it got its current name “Friends”. Its type is comedy and romance. Wondering about the plot? Let me give you some clues! The TV serial mainly focuses on the lives of 6 people who are very close friends. Their friendship goes a long way and they experience numerous things together. However, no matter what happens, their friendship never disappears and they are attached to one another in a very special bond. I think I had better finish off with the plot now in case you wanna watch it yourself, and I definitely suggest you to do so! I decided to write about this serial as it really is a nice one and also demonstrates how a true friendship actually should be. They go through the ups and downs of life together, get into fights, share their secrets with one another. When one of them feels down, the others are always there standing by. In my opinion, the scenarist actually tries to show how people should be towards each other in a way. The message that is aimed to be given may in fact be somehow related to the world peace, giving us the message that we all should be “friends”, not enemies. I absolutely agree with the writers in that case and I think everyone should watch it. So, what are you still waiting for? I say, go for it and you won’t be regretful! :)

REFLECTION TASK 2A

Hi folks! :) Today, I wanna talk about technology which has taken over our lives and is now in everywhere of our lives. The reason why I chose this topic is that technology has changed numerous things: our habits, way of living, hobbies, and even  our impressions. When did sayings such as “I am following you”, “I added you”, “I ‘shared’ your photo” start to be used? Just imagine someone saying these things to another person decades ago. The people saying these would either be labelled pervert or a psychopat, right?  It does not sound weird now though. And that is because technology introduced us new sayings, a new way of expressing ourselves. That can either be considered positive or negative. In my opinion, it is not so bad. I mean, what is wrong with widening our knowledge of vocabulary and having changes in our lives? Yes, it could mean taking the easy way out from time to time. However, I think technology provides us with a lot of opportunities such as improving ourselves and having easy access to information and these are not just things to overlook. Another thing technology has brought about is that we are more socially connected than we were. It may not be true for everyone. Yet, it is obvious that social websites such as facebook and twitter actually connect people, enabling them to share photos and stuff with others. And these are not the only things that technology has provided us with. By means of the internet, we can cook whatever we desire at any time by just checking out the recipe online. What is more, we don’t have to wait in line at banks thanks to online banking. Same goes for online shopping, saving us from the long lines of the stores. In conclusion, there may be people against technology and they may even support the idea that it changed our lives in a negative way. However, considering all these advantages it presents us, I think technology is one of the biggest gifts that our age has ever offered us.

EXERCISE FROM PAGE 9

Although the numbers of death caused in traffic accidents in the EU is going down, experts are still trying to find ways of reducing the number throughout the EU to around fatalities per year by 2010. Traffic safety is improving but experts believe that achieving the 2010 goal will prove difficult. Recent statistics show that in 2005 in the EU 41.600 people were killed in road accidents. Although progress has been made, most experts agree that this figure will have fallen to only around 32.000 by 2010, which means that the EU target will be missed by about 7.000. On the other hand, as the amount of traffic is increasing it is possible to argue that the situation is not as bad as it looks. However one interprets the statistics, it remains true that as times goes on.It is becoming harder and harder to reduce the figures especially accident-reduction schemes cost a lot of money. Many have tried and failed to reduce the number of accidents, and in the UK as a whole, only Sweden is pursuing the goal of zero accidents. Accident reduction is more difficult for newer EU member who are currently facing very rapid growth in traffic and are having difficulty in building new roads and introducing safety measures at a fast enough rate. To complicate matters, most new members have very little experience in dealing with the demands of heavy traffic. Experts suggest that any programme must also set about changing the way drivers behave. Despite what people often say it seems to be the younger generation that cause most accidents. In line with this research, many countries are introducing tougher driving tests, and are concentrating on the main causes of accidents; speed, reckless overtaking, alcohol, and over-confidence.

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 169

1. 

a) As it was a public holiday, there was a lot of traffic on the roads.

- It being a public holiday, there was a lot of traffic on the roads.

b) When I opened the letter, I realized it was from Professor Alton.

- On opening the letter, I realized it was from Professor Alton.

c) The palace was destroyed by fire during the war but later reconstructed.
- Though destroyed by fire during the war, the palace was later reconstructed.
d) As Carol walked from the room, tears streamed from her eyes.
- Carol walked from the room, tears streaming from her eyes.
e) I broke the camera as I tried to remove the memory card.
- In trying to remove the memory card, I broke the camera.

f) My hair has become soft and shining since I've used Glosso shampoo.

- Since using Glosso shampoo, my hair has become soft and shining.

g) Jan was taken to hospital after she was knocked down by a car.

- Jan was taken to hospital after being knocked down by a car.

h) After he had been shown to his room, George lay down on the bed and slept.

- Having been shown to his room, George lay down on the bed and slept.

2. 

Restoring the sight of people blinded by macular degeneration, a condition of the eye, could start within five years, according to a British team developing human eye stem cell implants. More than 500.000 people in the UK have blindness caused by macular degeneration, a disease marked by a loss of central vision due to degeneration of the macula, a spot at the back of the eye. Having been given almost €4 million towards the cost of developing a stem cell therapy by an anonymous philanthropist, a team from two British universities are starting to conduct trials. Commenting on the project, a spokesman for the team told us affecting up to one third of the population, this condition is a major cause of blindness, so a new kind of treatment is vital. In previous operations, having transplanted tissue from patient's own eye, we have seen about %25 of patients report improvement. However, creating new eye cells grown in the laboratory from human embryos will be much more effective.

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 8

15 Tiptree
Warwick
CV29 7AL

Friday, 15th October

Hi everyone,

  I'm having problems getting a new phone connection were, so instead of sending e-mails as usual, I'm actually sitting down to write a letter.
  I imagine you'll be surprised to get this as I've never been much of a letter-writer. I am putting the return address in big letters at the top, because to tell you the truth I am beginning to feel quite lonely here.
  Well, perhaps I don't mean that exactly . There are plenty of people for me to talk to. In fact, I am settling in to student life quite well, but I don't really know anyone yet. I've got a room in a house a long way from college, and I seem to spend a long time on the bus. A lot of students here cycle, so I'm trying to find a cheap bike, and I'm also thinking of moving nearer to college when I find somewhere. Sorry - an interruption , someone is knocking at the door. More later. Later. One of the girls downstairs is having a party, and I'm invited. And the phone line has been fixed, so I expect you'll get an e-mail from me very soon! In fact, I'm considering tearing up this letter, so just ignore everything I've said...

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 168

1. a) Not knowing the way, I got lost several times. (True)

b) After leaving the room, the telephone rang. (After I had left...)

c) Having lost my money, the conductor wouldn't give me a ticket. (As I had lost...)

d) While falling asleep, there was a loud knock at the front door. (While I was falling asleep...)

e) By forcing open the window, I was able to get into the house. (True)

f) Not wishing to be a nuisance, I left as early as I could. (True)

g) Having opened the box, it turned out to be empty. (When I opened the box...)

h) Though feeling tired, Helen went out clubbing with her friends. (True)

i) Having asked my name, I was taken to meet the prime minister. (After I had been asked for my name...)

j) On arriving the station, the train had already left. (When I arrived...)

2. a) Although feeling dizzy, Sarah managed to play on until the end of the match.

b) Being a powerful swimmer, George reached the island in less than an hour.

c) Without waiting for a reply, the mysterious stranger vanished into the night.

d) It being a Friday, everyone in the office was in a good mood.

e) While walking across the field, Kita noticed something glittering by the path.

f) Abandoned by its owner, the old dog sat by the side of the road.

g) Though shocked by what he had seen, Martin tried to keep calm.

h) There being no chance of escape, the two men gave themselves up to the police.

i) If using a fan-assisted oven, reduce cooking time by half an hour.

j) By signing your name here, you agree to the conditions listed below. 

3. Located near the equator, the Galapagos islands are a group of islands of the coast of Ecuador. Found by Spanish colonists in 1535, and first illustrated on maps in about 1570, the islands were rarely visited being a haven for pirates. Having developed their own specializations and escaped the attentions of predators common elsewhere, the Galapagos species had became unique and unafraid for people. Passing ships hunted seals giant tortoises. Once caught the tortoises were kept alive on ships for long periods and later eaten. After facing near extinction, few of these creatures remain today, visited by the naturalist Charles Darwin in 1835, the islands still have a close association with Darwinian theory. Being the home to many species isolated from the main island. Discovering later that birds which differed from island to island were in fact the same species, Darwin used evidence from the Galapagos in the development of his theory of natural selection. Now, protected as part of a national park, the island are popular with 'eco-tourists'. Efforts are continuing to save their wildlife.

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 23

THE AGEING POPULATION 

The number of men and women in the US aged 60 or over still in work has been rising for more than a decade. Economists have given a number of reasons for this trend. First, since 1985 the US economy has been expanding, so there has been an increased demand for labour. At the same time, the cost of some services, such as health care, has been increasing so workers need to earn more money in later life. In addition, changes in social security benefits and rules have had a considerable effect on labour patterns. First, in 1977 and 1983 changes to the Social Security Act raised the full-benefit age from 65 to 67 and introduced other changes that make delaying retirement more attractive. Then, in 1986, the Age Discrimination Act ended compulsory retirement for all workers, allowing them to work later in life. Changes to pension laws have also encouraged workers to stay in employment longer, as this gives them more chance of a larger pension when they retire.

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 22

1. Ian McEwan is a British writer who, according to many critics, has written some of the best novels of recent years.

2. Born in 1948, he spent much of his childhood abroad as his father was an army officer.

3. He studied English literature and creative writing at the universities of Sussex and East Anglia. 

4. He has written a number of successful collections of short stories and novels.

5. His novel The Child in Time won the Whitbread Novel Award in 1987. 

6. His later novels, including Amsterdam, Atonement and Saturday have been very successful.

7. Amsterdam received the Booker Prize for Fiction 1998.

8. Atonement and Saturday also won literary prizes.

9. However, McEwan has always been a controversial writer. 

10. Some writers have accused him of stealing details in Atonement from the work of another author, Lucilla Andrews.

11. However, he pointed out the acknowledgement made to Lucilla Andrews in an author's note in the book.

12. During this controversy, the American author Thomas Pynchon wrote a defence of McEwan in a British newspaper.