9789140695666 by Smakprov Media AB

WHAT’S YOUR SPARK?

Sparks brings the world into the classroom. With a focus on authentic content, Sparks inspires you to practise and develop your communication skills. In Sparks there is something for everyone. With broad themes, texts at different levels and a wide range of exercises you will find support as well as challenges. In Sparks 9 Textbook you can find the following themes:

After reading

9 7

WHAT’S YOUR SPARK?

SPARKS TEXTBOOK

èè Passions èè On the Move èè News èè Footprints

In Sparks 7 Textbook you can find the following themes:

SPARKS

After reading

First Impressions Choices Adventure Flavours What to Wear? Feelings

SPARKS

è è è è è è

SPARKS

Clarify è What needs to be explained in order to understand the text?

TEXTBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

WHAT’S YOUR SPARK?

Choose Your Sparks and Basic training offer additional opportunities to improve your skills in English and help you to achieve your goals.

Escideli quaturia vendaerum qui abo. Harum cus volore rem inctibus. Optae od ut qui nesercius, quia qui consequat estissum et omniam voluptiassim ipidem. Aborem eos re comnis pro verum si ab id unda aperibe raerore rumquis dolor aborem dolenis pliti incium ut laccusa ndebit as iur aborrov iduntur sa volorio ssinveratur as dollita quodis aribus archiliquo ius nem rero venis ex et aborrorporro moluptasinum voluptu ritatus rem aut latios untem voluptasped es accaepro bea invelis alia voles

esed evenditio ventius il eiuscient delliquasped eum non rae siti rehendae porernatum eici temossit rerum, es eum quatin enditae latecaest volectas nonsendignis et arit labores ipsam dunt.

TEXTBOOK

year

esed evenditio ventius il eiuscient delliquasped eum non rae siti rehendae porernatum eici temossit rerum, es eum quatin enditae latecaest volectas nonsendignis et arit labores ipsam dunt.

TEXTBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

esed evenditio ventius il eiuscient delliquasped eum non rae siti rehendae porernatum eici temossit rerum, es eum quatin enditae latecaest volectas nonsendignis et arit labores ipsam dunt.

WORKBOOK

year

esed evenditio ventius il eiuscient delliquasped eum non rae siti rehendae porernatum eici temossit rerum, es eum quatin enditae latecaest volectas nonsendignis et arit labores ipsam dunt.

SPARKS

è Did You Get It? è Word Work è Looking at Language è Speak Out è Time to Write è Listen Up è Time for Research è … and Action

SPARKS

Time for Research

SPARKS

Main focus: Grammar

Main focus: Digital literacy

SPARKS

Listen Up Main focus: Listening comprehension

… and Action Main focus: Oral interaction

Speak Out Main focus: Oral production and interaction

Looking at Language

SPARKS

èè What needs to be explained in order to understand the text?

Time to Write Main focus: Written production and interaction

SPARKS

Clarify

Word Work Main focus: Vocabulary

è What is the text about? è What type of text is this? è What is the purpose of the text?

Ask questions

EXERCISES IN WORKBOOK

Did You Get It? Main focus: Reading comprehension

Summarise

WORKBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

SPARKS YEAR 7-9

Textbook Workbook Student’s web (elevwebb) Teacher’s web (lärarwebb)

WORKBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

è Think of 3 questions and answers based on the text

JEREMY TAYLOR

WORKBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

SPARKS YEAR 7-9

Textbook Workbook Student’s web (elevwebb) Teacher’s web (lärarwebb)

Make connections è What does the text remind you of?

TEXTBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

WHAT’S YOUR SPARK?

Summarise

Word Work Main focus: Vocabulary

Time to Write

èè What does the text remind you of?

Make connections

esed evenditio ventius il eiuscient delliquasped eum non rae siti rehendae porernatum eici temossit rerum, es eum quatin enditae latecaest volectas nonsendignis et arit labores ipsam dunt.

WORKBOOK JEREMY TAYLOR

èè Think of 3 questions and answers based on the text.

year

Ask questions

esed evenditio ventius il eiuscient delliquasped eum non rae siti rehendae porernatum eici temossit rerum, es eum quatin enditae latecaest volectas nonsendignis et arit labores ipsam dunt.

JEREMY TAYLOR

esed evenditio ventius il eiuscient delliquasped eum non rae siti rehendae porernatum eici temossit rerum, es eum quatin enditae latecaest volectas nonsendignis et arit labores ipsam dunt. TEXTBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

SPARKS

Time for Research Main focus: Digital literacy

TEXTBOOK

SPARKS

Main focus: Grammar

year

Looking at Language

Choose Your Sparks and Basic training offer additional opportunities to improve your skills in English and help you to achieve your goals.

SPARKS

Speak Out Main focus: Oral production and interaction

Did You Get It? Word Work Looking at Language Speak Out Time to Write Listen Up Time for Research … and Action

SPARKS

… and Action Main focus: Oral interaction

è è è è è è è è

SPARKS

Listen Up Main focus: Listening comprehension

In Sparks 7 Workbook you can find the following exercises:

SPARKS

Main focus: Written production and interaction

SPARKS

èè What is the text about? èè What type of text is this? èè What is the purpose of the text?

Main focus: Reading comprehension

EXERCISES IN WORKBOOK

Did You Get It?

WORKBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

SPARKS YEAR 7-9

Textbook Workbook Student’s web (elevwebb) Teacher’s web (lärarwebb)

WORKBOOK JEREMY TAYLOR

WORKBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

SPARKS YEAR 7-9

Textbook Workbook Student’s web (elevwebb) Teacher’s web (lärarwebb) ISBN 978-91-40-69566-6

789140 695666

TEXTBOOK JEREMY TAYLOR

content Overview of the Units ....................... 4 Welcome to SPARKS .......................... 6 Unit 1 – Passions................................. 8

1.1 Young and Passionate ......................... 10 1.2 People with Passions............................ 14 2.1 The Light of my Life.............................. 20 2.2 Just a Click Away?.............................. 24 3.1 Taking it Too Far?................................ 28 3.2 It Will be Wonderful............................ 32 Text Extract: Passionate Poems.............. 36

Unit 2 – On the Move....................... 40

1.1 Animals On the Move.......................... 42 1.2 Larry and the Monkeys........................ 46 2.1 Forced to Move................................... 50 2.2 For the Good of the Country................. 55 3.1 Adam and Alisha do SEA..................... 58 3.2 Summer in the 70’s ............................. 64 Text Extract: The Same Stars................. 68

Unit 3 – News.................................... 72 1.1 Read All About It!................................ 74 1.2 July 20, 1969..................................... 80 2.1 Dealing with Fake News...................... 83 2.2 Fake News?....................................... 86 3.1 Whose News?.................................... 90 3.2 Filter Bubble Reviews........................... 94 Text Extract: The First Men in the Moon................................ 97 Unit 4 – Footprints........................... 100

1.1 Crime Writers................................... 102 1.2 Traces of Crime................................. 107 2.1 Fixing the Footprint.............................112 2.2 Carbon Footprint Solutions..................116 3.1 A Life in Shoes.................................. 120 3.2 The Importance of Shoes.................... 124 Text Extract: The Hound of the Baskervilles............................. 129

World Map....................................... 136

Overview of the units Unit

Suggested focus

Text types

1. Passions Speaking Dialogue Magazine article Short story Factual text Diary

2. On the Move Listening Factual text Short story 1st person narrative Travel blog Journal

3. News Digital literacy Newspaper article Report Factual text Advice column Interview Book review

4. Footprints Reading Biography Writing Factual text Statistics Letter Short story Magazine article

Regional variants (in the texts)

Grammar

British English American English

Uncountable nouns Nouns in singular/plural

American English British English Australian English

Adverbs of time/place/manner Adverbs: Exceptions

British English American English South African English

Prepositions Question tags

British English American English

Verbs: Review of tenses Modal verbs

welcome to year 9! It is now the turn of Sparks Year 9 to engage you in the exciting world of learning English. But as always we hope to offer you more than just improved language skills. Have you heard of 21st century skills â&#x20AC;&#x201C; skills such as critical thinking, collaborating, curiosity and creativity? Sir Ken Robinson is a respected educationalist and is passionate about creativity and curiosity. He points out that young children are incredibly creative and curious but these character traits seem to diminish as a child grows older. He is naturally very keen that these skills are encouraged in schools and travels the world talking to millions of people involved in education, either face to face or through social media.

Children have inherent curiosity. I wonder what would happen if …. Parents can tell a child a hundred times that a fire is hot and they shouldn’t put their hands near the fire but still children will try it out. But why is it that children are so curious about the world but comparatively few adults are? Sir Ken Robinson gives the example of different ways to use a paper clip. He observed that young children can think of hundreds of different uses for a paper clip but adults very few. Why is that? Well, a curious person is definitely more likely to be a creative person! In its modest way, Sparks 9 does its best to foster these important skills and create the right environment for you to express yourself, be creative and to remain curious about the world. It’s clear that we can’t give you huge amounts of information about thousands of different topics. That is not our goal; you have Wikipedia for that. Our goal is to make you curious, to critically analyse things, to solve problems and be able to work together as a team. So, now let’s get started with some welcome exercises. What 21st century skills do you think are important to pack in your suitcase? Let’s have a closer look ...

What society wants, what society needs, is creative and curious people, people who can think …

filter

fake

news

a small step

IN THIS UNIT YOU WILL â&#x20AC;Ś focus on digital literacy debate fake news read about spaghetti trees write a police report find out what the filter bubble is listen to a great song learn how to use prepositions â&#x20AC;Ś and so much more!

unsinkable

reliable

TEXT 1 PART 1

Read All About It! There were many momentous events in the 20th century and naturally these were covered by newspapers around the world.

15 th april 1912

Titanic Sinks on Maiden Voyage Tragedy hits White Starâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RMS Titanic carrying 2,208 people when it hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean. Up to 1,500 passengers feared dead. initial reports suggested that the boat was merely damaged and could make its way to Halifax in Nova Scotia. Many people believed that the Titanic was unsinkable despite the fact that the wireless operators on the Titanic had stopped communication. momentous fear

The Titanic left Southampton on the 10th of April and stopped off in Cherbourg and Queenstown before heading for New York with the architect of the ship, Thomas Andrews, on board. The ship was designed with luxury in mind with first class accommodation offering a gym, swimming pools, a library as well as excellent cuisine in high class restaurants. The Titanic was believed to be unsinkable thanks to its sixteen watertight chambers that made unsinkable cannot sink accommodation place to live cuisine cooking watertight no water can get in (or out)

very important to worry that sth bad has happened merely only

up the hull of the boat. As long as 12 of the chambers remained intact, the ship would not sink. Last night, at 11.40 p.m., the Titanic hit an iceberg. This will have damaged at least five of the chambers which led to its slow but inevitable sinking. It seems that many people, mainly women and children, were rescued in lifeboats but the number of lifeboats available was insufficient for all the passengers

and crew. We still don’t have exact figures but with sea temperatures of around minus 2 degrees this is likely to result in the greatest loss of life in all maritime history. We spoke to a Mrs Trellis who was waiting to hear news of her sister who was on the Titanic. She said, “I thought this ship was unsinkable. I can’t believe it has gone down and I just hope and pray that I’ll get news from Elsie soon.”

hull intact inevitable

insufficient figures maritime

not enough numbers related to the sea

NEWS

the bottom part of a boat not broken cannot be stopped

july 3 rd 1928

All Women Allowed to Vote New act gives all women suffrage. A sea change in British democracy after years of campaigning. As a result of the new Represen tation of the People Act all women over the age of 21 will be allowed to vote, giving them equal status with men. The leader of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, 81-year-old Millicent Fawcett, was present in parliament when the Representation of the People Act became law. The Prime Minister, Mr Stanley Baldwin said, “I believe the Act will be beneficial for the country and it will serve the greater good in England.” The struggle for women’s suffrage has been a long one with many suffragette groups coming together in 1903 to form the NUWSS, the organisation suffrage the right to vote sea change a big change campaigning events to bring about change beneficial good

led by Millicent Fawcett and also the militant Women’s Social and Political Union led by Emmeline Pankhurst. Mrs Pankhurst led a campaign of civil disobedience, with arson attacks, window breaking and chaining themselves to railings. She and her fellow suffragettes were frequently put in prison and force fed after going on hunger strike. Despite 25 years of campaigning, Mrs Pankhurst did not live to see full women’s suffrage as sadly she died two weeks ago. A spokeswoman for the WSPU said, “Emmeline devoted her life to this struggle. Thanks to her efforts women are now equal to men and that is a fantastic achievement for which we are all very grateful. disobedience arson railings devote

‘bad things’ a crime which involves fire a fence made of metal poles to give time/money/effort to sth

august 6th 1945

ATOMIC BOMB

Dropped on Japan A deadly atomic bomb with the destructive force of 20,000 tons of TNT was dropped on the Japanese industrial city of Hiroshima, with its 318,000 inhabitants.

Ultimatum During a visit to Potsdam on July 26, President Truman delivered an ultimatum to the Japanese government which was swiftly rejected. The President then warned, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If they do not now accept our terms, they may

reconnaissance aftermath immense vaporise

to get information, usually in war the result of a serious event or accident very big to turn into a gas

expect a rain of ruin from the air the like of which has never been seen on this earth.â&#x20AC;? The World Awaits The world expects Emperor Hirohito to surrender following the deadly attack but this defiant leader has not given any indication that he is ready to raise the white flag. America has more atomic bombs ready to be dropped on Japan should Hirohito remain silent.

ultimatum a threat, a warning swiftly quickly surrender to give up, to stop fighting defiant proud not to obey

NEWS

Unclear It is not yet known exactly what happened in Hiroshima as a thick cloud of dust and smoke covered the city so reconnaissance planes were unable to photograph the aftermath. Given the tests in New Mexico in which an immense steel tower was vaporised it seems likely that Hiroshima will have been erased from the earth.

Man on the Moon 21ST JULY 1969

ture crowning America’s Armstrong steps into the fu e moon. goal of putting a man on th aut At 3.56 this morning astron ar Neil Armstrong left the lun module and set foot on the moon – the realisation of a d for dream that mankind has ha ng’s thousands of years. Armstro words as he stepped onto the all moon were: “That’s one sm leap step for [a] man. One giant for mankind.” Culmination This is the culmination of ge trillions of dollars and a hu effort by the Americans to achieve this goal ever since in President Kennedy’s speech to ss which he implored congre an back the financing of the ‘m on the moon’ project.

not only the United States, le but people from all peaceab st nations, people with intere th a and curiosity and people wi vision for the future.”

Long Distance Call ed a Armstrong and Aldrin receiv xon, phone call from President Ni ir congratulating them on the lied, rep ng achievement. Armstro vilege “It is a great honor and pri ing ent to be on the moon repres

lunar module culmination

In Detail This newspaper will cover every detail of the Apollo 11 mission in a special edition te tomorrow morning comple s with photographs, interview ent and our science correspond will explain the technical ta achievements required to pu man on the moon.

implore privilege

a small vehicle for a moon landing the final result

to beg, to ask desperately an opportunity to do sth special

12th FEBRUARY 1990

Mandela Released from Prison Nelson Mandela, leader of the ANC, walks free after 27 years. Black South Africans celebrate. White South Africans apprehensive.

Nelson Mandela, the controversial leader of the ANC was released from the Victor Verster Prison at 16.14 local time yesterday. After 27 years of imprisonment, first on Robben Island and then on the South African mainland, Mandela appeared remarkably well with no sign of bitterness. Joined by his wife, Winnie, Mandela looked statesmanlike as he addressed a crowd in Cape Town. In the speech Mandela declared, “The ANC’s struggle is not over. I hope that the government will be willing to negotiate a lasting peace for South Africa in which all South Africans are allowed to vote.”

There are certainly a lot of problems facing South Africa and there are many in Mr de Klerk’s government who believe he made a massive mistake in releasing Mandela. Whether the two men can negotiate a successful dismantling of the Apartheid regime remains to be seen. The ANC, the African National Congress, was founded in 1912 to campaign for voting rights for black and mixed race South Africans. From the 1940s it also campaigned against Apartheid. It finally came to power in 1994 with its leader, Nelson Mandela, being declared President of South Africa.

TALK ABOUT IT!

1 . Put the five stories in what you consider to be their order of importance to world affairs. Do your classmates agree?

2. How do you think the journalists got the information for the various stories?

3. What other historical events were not covered in the texts

apprehensive nervous, concerned, worried controversial liked by some, not by others bitterness anger

statesmanlike negotiate dismantle Apartheid

like a serious politician to discuss, to arrange to get rid of, to take apart a political system based on race

NEWS

– but could have been?

TEXT 1 PART 2

3 July

20, 1969

July 20 1969 was a big day in American history – the day that Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon. Or did he? Read three accounts of what happened that day and come to your own conclusions. 5

Geraldine Sandford I remember July 20 1969 very well. I was seven at the time and my parents were so excited about it so naturally me and my brother were as well. We had popcorn and potato chips in front of the TV as my parents didn’t want to miss a second of the action. I remember seeing lots of very nervous people at mission control who were seemingly oblivious of the millions of people watching them. We could also hear the voices of the astronauts – Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong – I still remember their names fifty years on. I think it was Michael Collins who said “The Eagle has landed” when the lunar module came to rest on the surface of the moon. My parents cheered and clapped with delight and we could hear a lot of noise all down our street. In fact the astronauts probably heard us with the racket we were making. It seemed to take forever after the landing before we were finally able to see grainy pictures of Neil Armstrong opening the door of the lunar module and walking down the steps onto the surface of the moon. What an achievement! I was so proud to be an American that day. I hear there are some people who don’t believe we ever got to the moon – that the moon landings were faked. Take it from me – we did. I saw it – live on TV.

an account

a conclusion

seemingly

to be oblivious

a racket

grainy

Steve Cannon I’ve seen the footage of the ‘moon landing’ like a million times and it is good, very good. But the sad fact is that the ‘moon landings’ took place in a studio in Arizona. Yes, that’s right. 100% Fake News. Now before you dismiss me as a nutty conspiracy theorist, hear me out. In the 1960s there was huge rivalry between the US and Russia. By April 1961 it was 2–0 to Russia. They had sent the first satellite into space followed four years later by Uri Gagarin becoming the first person ever to leave the Earth’s orbit. As you can imagine, the Americans were pretty sore about that. This led to approach

a practical joke

to get one over on

immensely

an orbit

NEWS

Michelle Lindberg Do I remember July 20 1969? Like it was yesterday. I was a graduate student at M.I.T. in the sixties, working in the field of telecommunications. In 1967 I was approached by the head of communications at NASA and asked to join a small team of people developing their communications systems. I thought someone was playing a practical joke at first but when a ticket arrived for me to fly business class down to Houston, I knew it was real. I have never participated in such an exciting project. It HAD to work. I know there were plenty of Americans who were desperate to get one over on the ‘Ruskies’ but for me and the brilliant people I was working with it was all about the technical challenge. Could we really put people on the moon and would it really be possible to send live pictures back to Earth? You may have seen shots of a big team of people at Houston all following the moon landing with each person responsible for one aspect of the journey. I was in the middle on the right hand side with two of my colleagues from NASA. I admit I didn’t sleep the night before the landing and chewed away all my nails as the Eagle approached the Sea of Tranquillity. I am immensely proud to be able to say “yes we did put people on the moon” and “yes it was possible to send live pictures back to Earth”. Please don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.

to John F. Kennedy’s pronouncement in May 1961 that America would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. And yes, I do believe that America threw trillions of dollars at the space program – anything to prove definitively that we were better than the Ruskies. Anything – including building a massive film studio in the desert in Arizona. By about 1968 it was clear that the technology simply wasn’t there to put a man on the moon but would the American government admit that? Oh no. Instead, they lied to their own people. They told us everything was going well, but in fact, we didn’t have a snowball in Hell’s chance of getting to the moon. The people involved in the filming in Arizona were sworn to secrecy but now some of them feel so bad that they are speaking up about it. I, personally, have spoken to two guys who know people who were involved in the project but I can’t tell you more as the government has very big ears and will do anything to suppress this particular truth. But don’t take my word for it. There are more and more people speaking up about this massive lie. Trawl the internet very carefully and you’ll find the proof.

TALK ABOUT IT!

1 . How believable are the accounts described by Geraldine

Sandford and Michelle Lindberg? Use quotes from the text to support your argument.

2. Steve Cannon doesn’t believe that the moon landings took place. What evidence does he use to support his argument?

3. Clearly they can’t all be right. What sources would you go to in order to decide for yourself what really happened?

to be sworn to secrecy

to trawl

a snowball in Hell´s chance

TEXT 2 PART 1

Dealing With Fake News

In recent years fake news has reared its ugly head and is affecting society in a wide variety of ways. We asked our readers to ask questions about fake news and our experts here at Tech Talk have answered them. I know that I should only use reliable sources but how am I supposed to know whether a source is reliable or not? Fatima, 17

Good question, Fatima. With the growth of the internet there are now thousands of ‘news’ sites to choose from. While there are some good new news organisations there are many more that are not. Here are four tips to help you sort them out. 1. Is the news full of celebrity scandals, implausible stories and spelling mistakes? Are the ‘stories’ designed to make you feel angry or emotional? A good sign you’re looking at fake news. 2. Is the story in other news media? If not, be sceptical – though it is always good to be sceptical. 3. Check the website URL. Some fake news websites will buy the domain name for a website that is similar to a genuine news organisation such as CNM.com or BCC.com. 4. Ask your local librarian for advice on which news websites to trust. They have a lot of experience with such things and can help you decide whether a website can be trusted or not.

sceptical questioning if sth is true genuine real trust to believe to be true

NEWS

rear its ugly head to arrive, appear (sth bad) reliable can be trusted implausible very unlikely

I subscribe to a newsfeed from a website that covers stories other news organisations don’t cover. They say that the others don’t know about the story – or are too scared to cover it. They’re right, aren’t they? Barnaby, 16

Almost certainly not. News organisations get their news from news agencies like Reuters or Associated Press as well as from their own journalists and reporters. Occasionally a news organisation will get an exclusive story but then the other organisation will check out the story to get their own angle on it. If it turns out not to be true, then they (normally) won’t publish it. Are they too scared to publish? That sounds very much like an excuse from a fake news website as to why other news organisations aren’t covering the story. If you look at the stories the mainstream media do cover, it seems unlikely that they are ‘too scared’ to publish anything. I’ve heard that you can actually make money making fake news. Is that true or is that fake news as well? How much money could someone make? (Asking for a friend). P.S. It’s not illegal, is it?

Alex, 17

Yes, it is true that people make some money by creating fake news. By creating outrageous stories, particularly ones including politicians, celebrities and scandals, people will share the stories and the more clicks the story gets, the more revenue goes to the creator. I understand that people want to make money and I doubt if they are feeling particularly malicious when they produce their material. However I find it tragic that it is possible to get money from large ‘respectable’ websites for making the world a more confused place than it already is. Please tell your ‘friend’ that there are better ways of making money. Is it illegal? It definitely should be. scared frightened, worried exclusive limited to just one group mainstream media the ‘normal’ news stations illegal against the law

utrageous shocking, very unusual, strange revenue money malicious wanting to do bad things respectable considered socially acceptable

We all know the websites that churn out fake news and if people want to visit them, that’s their right in a free country. Where’s the problem with fake news? It’s pretty entertaining and a harmless bit Elaine, 16 of fun, isn’t it?

True, fake news can be entertaining and there are many websites that clearly label themselves as satirical websites: perhaps the best known is The Onion. What I have a problem with is ‘news’ websites that masquerade as real news websites yet are basically a vehicle to provide clickbait so that they can get advertising revenue or, even more worrying, to manipulate people’s voting intentions. With so many people confused about what is true and what is not true this is definitely bad news for society.

I’ve given up on ALL news as it is impossible to tell the difference between real news and fake news and it’s all so depressing anyway. Justin, 17

I understand your frustration, Justin, but I think it is worth the effort to find some reliable websites with real news so that you can be an informed citizen. Being informed of what is going on in the world means that you don’t live in a bubble of ignorance. Next year you’ll be allowed to vote and isn’t it better to be informed to the best of your ability about the best candidate to vote for? If too many people remain ignorant then the consequences could be dire.

TALK ABOUT IT!

1 . What would you consider the most important advice given by the Tech Talk team? Do your classmates agree?

2. Young people clearly have questions about fake news. What questions

churn out satirical clickbait intention

to produce a lot of critical but in a funny way a link designed to make you click a plan

depressing informed ignorance dire

very sad educated, knowledgeable the state of not knowing sth very bad

NEWS

do you have? Can your classmates answer your questions?

TEXT 2 PART 2

Fake News? Fake News has been around for a long time as people try to influence others either as a practical joke or for more sinister reasons. Read the following stories that are clearly fake news – or are they?

The Cottingley Fairies In 1917, two girls, nine-year-old Frances Griffiths and her cousin sixteen-year-old Elsie Wright took photographs of themselves with fairies near a river. Elsie’s father dismissed the photos saying they were simply cardboard cutouts of fairies but someone else believed the girls; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle was a keen spiritualist and seized on the photos of evidence that fairies existed. Then in 1983, not long before they died, Elsie and Frances admitted that the photos were indeed fake. They had cut pictures of fairies out of a book of fairytales and taken the pictures with their father’s camera. Spaghetti Trees In 1957 a serious current affairs programme on the BBC had a report about a bumper harvest of spaghetti in southern Switzerland. At that time spaghetti was not well known in Britain and seen as an ‘exotic’ food so many people were not aware of where it came from. Narrated by a well-respected journalist, Richard Dimbleby, around 8 million people watched the programme. The following day hundreds of people called the BBC, some to question the authenticity of the report but others to ask for further information on how to grow their own spaghetti trees. The fact that the programme was broadcast on the 1st of April should have alerted viewers that something might be up with the story. sinister

to dismiss

to seize

bumper

to narrate

authenticity

to alert

Fast Food Worm Burgers The rumours that fast food companies add worms to their burgers began circulating in the 1970s and they resurface on a regular basis. In addition to worms, cows’ eyeballs are often quoted as being added to burgers. Other people suggest that the beef that is used comes from a mutant genetically-modified creature with no eyes, tail or fur. Anyone wanting to check whether fast food companies do in fact use worms or eyeballs can very easily check the price of a kilo of worms or eyeballs and compare it to the price of a kilo of 100% beef. Would it make economic sense to use these ‘additives’? Er, no. As for the ‘mutant cow’ story – is it simply a coincidence that such an idea appears in a science fiction novel by Frederik Pohl?

respected

a submarine

to circulate

to resurface

mutant

NEWS

The Surgeon’s Photo Many visitors to Scotland visit Loch Ness in the hope of seeing ‘Nessie’ the Loch Ness Monster. Over the years, many people claim to have seen the monster but in 1934 the first proof, a photograph taken by a respected surgeon, appeared in the Daily Mail news paper. The photo clearly shows a beast with a long neck in Loch Ness. Surely a respected surgeon wouldn’t try to fool people, would he? Well, yes he would and yes he did. The truth came out in an article in the Sunday Telegraph in 1975 and more detail was given in the book The Surgeon’s Photo Exposed published in 1999. A friend of the surgeon had taken the photo and it was simply a toy submarine with a model ‘neck’. But this was the ‘proof’ that so many people needed to ‘know’ that the Loch Ness Monster was real.

Adolf Hitler’s diaries In April 1945, as the Russians were about to take Berlin, ten planes took off from Berlin Airport carrying large cases of important materials and were headed to Berchtesgaden, Hitler’s retreat in the South of Germany. One of the planes crashed close to the Czechoslovak border. The plane was carrying documents which Hitler said would ‘show posterity the truth of my actions’. Nothing more was heard of the matter until 1981 when a journalist working for the German magazine ‘Stern’ was contacted by a man who claimed to have a set of sixty diaries written by Adolf Hitler, rescued from the plane crash. Excited by the possibility of a journalistic coup the journalist, Gerd Heidemann, offered the man money but also asked for proof that they were genuine. Initial tests carried out quickly showed that the diaries were indeed genuine and Stern paid millions of deutschmarks for the rights to the diaries which they sold to newspapers and magazines around the world. Not all experts agreed that the diaries were genuine and further tests were carried out eventually proving that they were, in fact, fake. They had been produced by a well known con artist and forger, Konrad Kujau. He had used simple techniques like staining the paper with tea to make it look old yet still people were tricked into believing his story. a retreat

posterity

to claim

a coup

genuine

a con artist

Climate Change – a Chinese Hoax According to Donald Trump, climate change is a hoax. In a tweet in 2012 Trump said: “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing noncompetitive.” In 2014 he wrote: “Give me clean, beautiful and healthy air – not the same old climate change (global warming) bullshit! I am tired of hearing this nonsense.” It is not clear where Donald Trump got his science education from but it is definitely not from the vast majority of American scientists. The scientists were dismayed when Trump pulled America out of the Paris climate agreement in 2017 and despite meeting a leading environmentalist, Trump continued to ignore advice from scientists.

TALK ABOUT IT!

1. All of these stories appear to have been discredited but which ones just might possibly be true?

2. What do you think were the motives of the people who created these items of fake news?

3. Some of these stories are like urban legends. What urban legends are you familiar with?

to run for

a rumour

ineligible

a hoax

to be dismayed

NEWS

Barack Obama’s Place of Birth When Barack Obama ran for the Presidency in 2008 many Republicans wanted to discredit him. There were rumours that he wasn’t born in Hawaii but in Kenya – which would make him ineligible to be president. In 2010, 25% of adult Americans believed that President Obama was not born in America. Even after the release of his full birth certificate in 2011, this figure only dropped to 13%.

TEXT 3 PART 1

Whose News? Dr Sonia Mandal is a senior lecturer in computer science at the University of Pune, India. Read the following interview between Dr Mandal and a British journalist, Paul Mainstone. journalist :

Dr Sonia Mandal, welcome to Tech Talk. dr m andal : Thank you for having me. journalist : Now we are very aware that India has made huge strides in computer science and that India is a major source of talent for Silicon Valley. What’s your secret? dr m andal : Nice try, Paul, but I’m not giving up our secrets that easily. One thing I will say is that we’re keen to develop our own computer and software industries rather than suffering from the current brain drain. There are plenty of exciting developments in computer science and we need thousands of software engineers to work on them. journalist : Could you give me an example? dr m andal : One key area is fake news. This is a real problem facing the big five. journalist : The big five? Elephants, lions, rhinos … dr m andal : Er, not that big five. I mean the five big tech companies, Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook. lecturer strides keen to

brain drain

university teacher steps, progress eager to

qualified people leaving an area

m andal :

journalist : dr

m andal :

journalist : dr

m andal :

journalist : dr

m andal :

journalist : dr

m andal :

journalist : dr

m andal :

journalist : dr

m andal :

virtually abducted nefarious outcome

Okay, but what have they got to do with fake news? They publish virtually nothing. They are platforms on which we, the public, can publish pictures of our cats, holiday snaps … … or fake news. True, but that is not really a problem for the big five though, is it? In my opinion, it is. Some people produce fake news for a bit of a laugh; a story about a politician abducted by aliens for example. I don’t have a problem with that. But I do have a problem with some nefarious groups that try to influence the outcome of an election by putting out fake news stories about one of the candidates. Do you think people are really taken in by that? I’m certain. Are you familiar with the filter bubble? I’ve heard the term … The idea is based on the personalisation of the Internet so that what you look at, click on and the friends you follow will determine how the internet will appear to you. That sounds like a good thing. But think a little more. You are offered a choice of news stories – one about some celebrity who was caught cheating and another about an environmental disaster somewhere in a faraway country like … India. Most people are going to click on the celebrity story. True, but they might look at the environmental story later. But that’s where the filter bubble comes into action. The algorithms quickly realise that you like celebrity gossip and you’re not interested in environmental disasters in India so what happens? My news feed fills up with celebrity gossip? Exactly. Also think of your politics. Let’s presume you are a social democrat so most of your social media basically taken away (by force) very bad a result

taken in determine gossip

fooled, tricked to decide to talk about private lives of others

NEWS

journalist :

journalist : dr

m andal :

journalist : dr

m andal :

journalist : dr

m andal :

journalist :

spectrum view confirm

friends are also social democrats. The things that you are exposed to will reflect your political views making you feel ‘normal’. And does that mean the same thing is happening at the more extreme ends of the political spectrum? I’m afraid it does. People with extreme views are friends with others who have the same views and the news they receive will constantly confirm their opinions. The filter bubble – keeping you ‘protected’ from views that are different from you own. Exactly – which is likely to lead to more and more extremism in the world. Wow, so, what can we do about it? That’s something that I am hoping to address. You may be aware that some of the big five employ thousands of people to look out for extremist content on their websites. They also have advice on how to tell what is real news and what is fake news. But the kind of person who is likely to click on a fake news story is unlikely to be the kind of person with great critical thinking skills. They are unlikely to realise that they are in address skill

a range an opinion to prove sth is true

to deal with, to combat an ability

m andal :

journalist : dr

m andal :

journalist : dr

m andal :

journalist : dr

m andal :

journalist : dr

m andal :

a filter bubble and that they should question the source of the story. Very true. But then the big five, and we, the computer scientists, have a dilemma; if we censor what people post are we interfering with their free speech? A tough one. What is fake news and what is an opinion you disagree with? Some politicians will dismiss a news story that makes them look bad or doesn’t fit in with their own political beliefs as fake news. I’ve heard that a few times. And you’re likely to hear it a lot more in the future unless we can do something about it. Which is where you and your software engineers come into the picture? I certainly hope so. I don’t think we’ll ever stop people from creating fake news but hopefully we can stop it going viral and affecting the world in a negative way. It won’t be easy but it is something that really needs to be done. I admire your courage. Dr Sonia Mandal, thank you for coming to talk to us on Tech Talk. My pleasure. Thank you.

TALK ABOUT IT!

1. If this dialogue were on the radio, who would be the target audience? 2. How would you explain the concept of the filter bubble to someone who didn’t know about it?

3. What could Dr Mandal and her team of software engineers do about fake news? (Many people will be very happy if you come up with a good answer.)

a moral problem to remove offensive things to make unwanted changes

dismiss courage

to say sth is not important strength to control fear

NEWS

dilemma censor interfere

TEXT 3 PART 2

Filter Bubble Reviews In 2011 Eli Pariser wrote The Filter Bubble –What the Internet is Hiding from You. Here are two reviews of the book.

A Bright Future I’m sure that lot of people reading this book will be horrified by the examples that Eli Pariser describes. Personally, I think the filter bubble is a wonderful thing and while not everything about technology is perfect, I think the future looks pretty bright. Let me give you an example. Early on in the book he discusses a change that Google made on the 4th of December 2009 when they decided to give people personalised results. So if you are an environmentalist and you type in ‘BP Mexico’ into Google, you will get a lot of websites talking about the pollution of the famous oil spill there. If, on the other hand, you are more interested in stock markets, then typing in the same ‘BP Mexico’ will give you websites giving advice on how to invest in BP Mexico. Pariser seems to think that this change was a terrible thing and seems to be oblivious of the amazing benefits of personalisation. If you’re an environmentalist, you don’t want to look through loads of stock investment websites to get to one about the environment. And the more Google knows about you – and I admit I did feel a little strange finding out how much Google knows about me – the more personalised your searches will be. Similarly, Facebook will also have advertisements based on your interests. This makes a LOT of sense. In the ‘bad old days’ horrified

personalised

an oil spill

to be oblivious

benefits

companies put adverts on television in the hope that someone watching might be interested in buying their product. Nowadays, Facebook knows me pretty well by the things I post, the things I ‘like’ and the people I hang out with. As a result, they can target me with ads that I might genuinely be interested in such as gadgets I can use when I go camping, as opposed to ads for incontinence pads or lipstick that I see on TV. Think about it, companies want to sell their products and they’re probably not happy having to spend millions on advertising. Isn’t it brilliant that they can now target their advertising at people who are likely to want it – saving them money and ultimately making things cheaper for all of us. What’s not to like? /Eddie Younge

1984 with a twist

to target

to harvest

a bidder

benign

marital status

a swing voter

NEWS

I’ve just finished reading The Filter Bubble and I can honestly say that it is the most depressing book I’ve ever read. There’s nothing wrong with Eli Pariser but the future world that he portrays is a terrifying one. With websites personalising our content then we will no longer be exposed to views different from our own. We are living in a bubble in which the news tells us what we want to hear – not what is genuinely important in this world. Pariser explains how tech companies harvest more and more data about us and they can use that information in any way they want – selling it to the highest bidder. Putting ads for running shoes on our Facebook page after we’ve been reading an article on another website about getting fit may seem quite benign but think how the information could be used. These companies know us better than our best friends know us. They know everything we’ve ever searched for online (gulp!) where we live, our marital status, our ethnicity, our political views. Did you know that political parties can now buy advertisements that will target undecided voters? So politicians can focus on swing voters in swing states. Imagine what could happen – and

perhaps what did happen in 2016. Imagine if Hitler had had access to this data in the 1930s! Another very spooky area that Pariser discusses is face recognition technology. In the near future shops will have cameras so that as you enter the shop a hologrammed figure will appear, greet you by name and tell you of the VERY special offer on running shoes they have at the moment … Most people have a vague idea about personalisation and targeted advertising but think that it stops when you turn off your computer. Think again. With face recognition technology you can be recognised everywhere – helped by the GPS tracker you have on your mobile. Just like in Orwell’s 1984 – there is nowhere ‘they’ can’t follow you. A top executive at Google said that their goal is to know what we are searching for and to deliver it. Google knows we’re at a train station and knows we’re going to Bristol so will provide a website with train times. Once we have our ticket it will know that we like good coffee so will direct us to the best coffee shop. For some people this may sound like Heaven – for me, becoming a robot guided by AI from Google is my kind of Hell. Thank you, Eli Pariser for waking me up to the future. /Helen Everson

TALK ABOUT IT!

1. It almost seems that Eddie and Helen read

different books. What similarities and differences were there in their comments on Eli Pariser’s work?

2. Having read the two reviews, who do you agree with more about the idea of the filter bubble? Can you explain why?

3. Having read the reviews and the interview with Dr Mandal how will your online behaviour change?

to have access to

hologrammed

vague

face recognition

benefits

The First Men in the Moon The First Men in the Moon is a novel by the British science-fiction writer H.G. Wells first published in 1901. Mr Bedford is a failed businessman who meets an eccentric inventor, Mr Cavor, who has invented cavorite, a new material which is anti-gravity. Cavor builds a ball-shaped vessel in which he and Bedford can travel to the moon. The sphere is made of steel and has a simple manhole as a door at the top. In chapter 4 we see a nervous Mr Bedford about to go through the manhole into the sphere.

Chapter 4 – INSIDE THE SPHERE

I drew my other leg inside and slid down the smooth glass to the bottom of the sphere, then turned to take the cans of food and other impedimenta from Cavor. The interior was warm, the thermometer stood at eighty, and as we should lose little or none of this by radiation, we were dressed in shoes and thin flannels. We had, however, a bundle of thick woollen clothing and several thick blankets to guard against mischance. By Cavor’s direction I placed the packages, the cylinders of oxygen, and so forth, loosely about my feet, and soon we had everything in. He walked about the roofless shed for a time seeking anything we had overlooked, and then crawled in after me. I noted something in his hand. “What have you got there?” I asked. “Haven’t you brought anything to read?” “Good Lord! No.” “I forgot to tell you. There are uncertainties— The voyage may last— We may be weeks!” 97

NEWS

“Go on,” said Cavor, as I sat across the edge of the manhole, and looked down into the black interior of the sphere. We two were alone. It was evening, the sun had set, and the stillness of the twilight was upon everything.

“But——” “We shall be floating in this sphere with absolutely no occupation." “I wish I’d known——” He peered out of the manhole. “Look!” he said. “There’s something there!” “Is there time?” “We shall be an hour.” I looked out. It was an old number of Tit-Bits that one of the men must have brought. Farther away in the corner I saw a torn Lloyd’s News. I scrambled back into the sphere with these things. “What have you got?” I said. I took the book from his hand and read, “The Works of William Shakespeare.” He coloured slightly. “My education has been so purely scientific—” he said apologetically. “Never read him?” “Never.” “He knew a little, you know—in an irregular sort of way.” “Precisely what I am told,” said Cavor. I assisted him to screw in the glass cover of the manhole, and then he pressed a stud to close the corresponding blind in the outer case. The little oblong of twilight vanished. We were in darkness. For a time neither of us spoke. Although our case would not be impervious to sound, everything was very still. I perceived there was nothing to grip when the shock of our start should come, and I realised that I should be uncomfortable for want of a chair. “Why have we no chairs?” I asked. “I’ve settled all that,” said Cavor. “We won’t need them.” “Why not?” “You will see,” he said, in the tone of a man who refuses to talk. I became silent. Suddenly it had come to me clear and vivid that I was a fool to be inside that sphere. Even now, I asked myself, is to too late to withdraw? The world outside the sphere, I knew, would be cold and inhospitable enough for me—for weeks I had been living on subsidies from Cavor—but after all, would it be as cold as the infinite zero, as inhospitable as empty space? If it had not been for the appearance of cowardice, I believe that even then I should have made him let me out. But I hesitated on that score, and hesitated, and grew fretful and angry, and the time passed. There came a little jerk, a noise like champagne being uncorked in 98

TALK ABOUT IT!

1. What did Mr Bedford realise that he should have brought? 2. Why do you think Bedford got cold feet about the journey? 3. If an eccentric inventor invited you to take part in an untested

new technology would you jump at the chance or would you, like Bedford, have cold feet? What would you want to know or do before you trusted the new invention?

NEWS

another room, and a faint whistling sound. For just one instant I had a sense of enormous tension, a transient conviction that my feet were pressing downward with a force of countless tons. It lasted for an infinitesimal time. But it stirred me to action. “Cavor!” I said into the darkness, “my nerve’s in rags. . . . I don’t think———” I stopped. He made no answer. “Confound it!” I cried; “I’m a fool! What business have I here? I’m not coming, Cavor. The thing’s too risky. I’m getting out.” “You can’t,” he said. “Can’t! We’ll soon see about that!” He made no answer for ten seconds. “It’s too late for us to quarrel now, Bedford,” he said. “That little jerk was the start. Already we are flying as swiftly as a bullet up into the gulf of space.” “I—” I said, and then it didn’t seem to matter what happened. For a time I was, as it were, stunned; I had nothing to say. It was just as if I had never heard of this idea of leaving the world before. Then I perceived an unaccountable change in my bodily sensations. It was a feeling of lightness, of unreality. Coupled with that was a queer sensation in the head, an apoplectic effect almost, and a thumping of blood vessels at the ears. Neither of these feelings diminished as time went on, but at last I got so used to them that I experienced no inconvenience. I heard a click, and a little glow lamp came into being. I saw Cavor’s face, as white as I felt my own to be. We regarded one another in silence. The transparent blackness of the glass behind him made him seem as though he floated in a void. “Well, we’re committed,” I said at last. “Yes,” he said, “we’re committed.”

WHAT’S YOUR SPARK?

After reading

9 7

WHAT’S YOUR SPARK?

SPARKS TEXTBOOK

èè Passions èè On the Move èè News èè Footprints

In Sparks 7 Textbook you can find the following themes:

SPARKS

After reading

First Impressions Choices Adventure Flavours What to Wear? Feelings

SPARKS

è è è è è è

SPARKS

Clarify è What needs to be explained in order to understand the text?

TEXTBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

WHAT’S YOUR SPARK?

Choose Your Sparks and Basic training offer additional opportunities to improve your skills in English and help you to achieve your goals.

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TEXTBOOK

year

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TEXTBOOK

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WORKBOOK

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SPARKS

è Did You Get It? è Word Work è Looking at Language è Speak Out è Time to Write è Listen Up è Time for Research è … and Action

SPARKS

Time for Research

SPARKS

Main focus: Grammar

Main focus: Digital literacy

SPARKS

Listen Up Main focus: Listening comprehension

… and Action Main focus: Oral interaction

Speak Out Main focus: Oral production and interaction

Looking at Language

SPARKS

èè What needs to be explained in order to understand the text?

Time to Write Main focus: Written production and interaction

SPARKS

Clarify

Word Work Main focus: Vocabulary

è What is the text about? è What type of text is this? è What is the purpose of the text?

Ask questions

EXERCISES IN WORKBOOK

Did You Get It? Main focus: Reading comprehension

Summarise

WORKBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

SPARKS YEAR 7-9

Textbook Workbook Student’s web (elevwebb) Teacher’s web (lärarwebb)

WORKBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

è Think of 3 questions and answers based on the text

JEREMY TAYLOR

WORKBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

SPARKS YEAR 7-9

Textbook Workbook Student’s web (elevwebb) Teacher’s web (lärarwebb)

Make connections è What does the text remind you of?

TEXTBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

WHAT’S YOUR SPARK?

Summarise

Word Work Main focus: Vocabulary

Time to Write

èè What does the text remind you of?

Make connections

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WORKBOOK JEREMY TAYLOR

èè Think of 3 questions and answers based on the text.

year

Ask questions

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JEREMY TAYLOR

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JEREMY TAYLOR

SPARKS

Time for Research Main focus: Digital literacy

TEXTBOOK

SPARKS

Main focus: Grammar

year

Looking at Language

Choose Your Sparks and Basic training offer additional opportunities to improve your skills in English and help you to achieve your goals.

SPARKS

Speak Out Main focus: Oral production and interaction

Did You Get It? Word Work Looking at Language Speak Out Time to Write Listen Up Time for Research … and Action

SPARKS

… and Action Main focus: Oral interaction

è è è è è è è è

SPARKS

Listen Up Main focus: Listening comprehension

In Sparks 7 Workbook you can find the following exercises:

SPARKS

Main focus: Written production and interaction

SPARKS

èè What is the text about? èè What type of text is this? èè What is the purpose of the text?

Main focus: Reading comprehension

EXERCISES IN WORKBOOK

Did You Get It?

WORKBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

SPARKS YEAR 7-9

Textbook Workbook Student’s web (elevwebb) Teacher’s web (lärarwebb)

WORKBOOK JEREMY TAYLOR

WORKBOOK

JEREMY TAYLOR

SPARKS YEAR 7-9

Textbook Workbook Student’s web (elevwebb) Teacher’s web (lärarwebb) ISBN 978-91-40-69566-6

789140 695666

TEXTBOOK JEREMY TAYLOR