Inkijkexemplaar New Interface B1/B2 (met literatuur)

N ew I nterface

Tweede fase

Level B1+/B2

Ani Babadjanian

Monique Bos

Jantine Broek

Marleen Cannegieter

Annie Cornford

Freya van Eimeren

Saul Gallagher

Vince Klösters

Nathalie Meeuwsen

Mayke Munten

Welmoed Oman

Jolien Quaedvlieg

Zarina Rimbaud-Kadirbaks

Sally Ripley

Eindredactie

Gudy Luchjenbroers

Sandra van de Ven

Bureauredactie

Liesbeth van der Hagen, Hanna Molenaar

Vormgeving

Studio Michelangela

Opmaak

Crius Group

Omslagfotografie

Flirt Creativity

Foto's

AP: Richard Drew

Getty Images: Kevin Winter

Pixabay: Dreamy Pixel, Lebens-lauf, Robin Higgins

Shutterstock: Goran Bogicevic, Creativa Images, Antonio Diaz, Keith Homan, D. Hurley, ImageFlow, Lightpoet, Monkey Business Images, New Africa, Point Images, Vladimir Sazonov, Soft_light, Valek Studio, Tero Vesalainen, Vhpicstock, Wavebreak Media, Debby Wong

Unsplash: Annie Bollin, Brooke Cagle, Spencer Davis, Perry Grone, Miguel Henriques, Bradley Hook, Lucas Newton, Nonsap Visuals, Hian Oliveira, Jesse Orrico, Greta Scholderle-Möller, Paulo Silva, Markus Spiske, Patrick Tomasso

Over ThiemeMeulenhoff

ThiemeMeulenhoff ontwikkelt slimme flexibele leeroplossingen met een persoonlijke aanpak.

Voor elk niveau en elke manier van leren. Want niemand is hetzelfde.

We combineren onze kennis van content, leerontwerp en technologie, met onze energie voor vernieuwing. Om met en voor onderwijsprofessionals grenzen te verleggen. Zo zijn we samen de motor voor verandering in het primair, voortgezet en beroepsonderwijs.

Samen leren vernieuwen.

www.thiememeulenhoff.nl

ISBN 978 90 06 39266 1

Tweede druk, eerste oplage, 2024

© ThiemeMeulenhoff, Amersfoort, 2024

Alle rechten voorbehouden. Niets uit deze uitgave mag worden verveelvoudigd, opgeslagen in een geautomatiseerd gegevensbestand, of openbaar gemaakt, in enige vorm of op enige wijze, hetzij elektronisch, mechanisch, door fotokopieën, opnamen, of enig andere manier, zonder voorafgaande schriftelijke toestemming van de uitgever.

Voor zover het maken van kopieën uit deze uitgave is toegestaan op grond van artikel 16B Auteurswet 1912 j° het Besluit van 23 augustus 1985, Stbl. 471 en artikel 17 Auteurswet 1912, dient men de daarvoor wettelijk verschuldigde vergoedingen te voldoen aan Stichting Publicatie- en Reproductierechten Organisatie (PRO), Postbus 3060, 2130 KB Hoofddorp (www.stichting-pro.nl).

Voor het overnemen van gedeelte(n) uit deze uitgave in bloemlezingen, readers en andere compilatiewerken (artikel 16 Auteurswet) dient men zich tot de uitgever te wenden. Voor meer informatie over het gebruik van muziek, film en het maken van kopieën in het onderwijs zie www.auteursrechtenonderwijs.nl.

De uitgever heeft ernaar gestreefd de auteursrechten te regelen volgens de wettelijke bepalingen. Degenen die desondanks menen zekere rechten te kunnen doen gelden, kunnen zich alsnog tot de uitgever wenden.

Deze uitgave is volledig CO2-neutraal geproduceerd. Het voor deze uitgave gebruikte papier is voorzien van het FSC®-keurmerk. Dit betekent dat de bosbouw op een verantwoorde wijze heeft plaatsgevonden.

READING

LISTENING AND WATCHING

WRITING

SPEAKING

Skilled for life!

New Interface tweede fase prepares you for life. Not just any life; YOUR life. Using the English language, we aim to broaden your knowledge and teach you valuable and practical skills that help you shape your life, now and in the future.

How? By practising English in real-life situations, by doing assignments that prepare you for the choices you will be faced with and by using the English language as a means to an end, as opposed to a goal in itself. Whether you travel the world or stay close to home, New Interface helps you to open new worlds.

LIFE SKILLS

COMMUNICATION

CREATIVE THINKING

INFORMATION SKILLS

MEDIA LITERACY

CRITICAL THINKING

PROBLEM SOLVING

WORDS CAN OPEN NEW WORLDS

NEW INTERFACE

Missions

COLLABORATION

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SKILLS

SELF-REGULATION

ATTITUDE

COPING WITH STRESS

COPING WITH EMOTIONS

You’ll work on Missions. According to the Cambridge Dictionary a Mission is ‘an important job that someone is given to do’. Each Mission focuses on one or more life skills and two or three language skills.

Completing an important job requires training. That’s why you can follow three or four Training sessions to prepare yourself for completing your Mission. In the first Training session you can practise with the Mission support subjects: vocabulary, grammar and phrases. The other Training sessions will each centre around a single language skill (reading, listening, writing, speaking or conversation). The life skills are the backbone and will be present throughout the entire Mission. Together with your teacher you can decide which Training sessions are important for you. Maybe all of them, but maybe you will only need to do one of them. Perhaps you can even complete your Mission successfully without having to train at all. Each Mission teaches you a new range of knowledge and skills, but you can use the same step-bystep road map to accomplish every one of them.

Mission road map

Look at the opening spread of the Mission and read the Mission briefing. Now you know what important job you have been given.

Go to the end of the Mission to read Complete your mission and Mission debriefing. These will tell you what your exact assignment is, the steps you need to take to complete it and how the end result of your Mission is going to be assessed.

Go to New Interface online. Do the Pre-assessment to determine whether you should do the exercises in Training session 1.

Follow the Training sessions (your teacher has assigned to you) to make sure you are ready to complete the Mission successfully.

Complete your mission

Follow the Mission debriefing to evaluate the end result.

References

Throughout the Missions you will come across the following references and icons:

Use Mission support, vocabulary, list number 7 in the back of your book.

Use Mission support, grammar, theory number 11 in the back of your book.

Use Mission support, phrases, list number 13 in the back of your book.

Use speech card, number 5A. Scan the QR-code next to the assignment, or find the speech card in the Mission support on New Interface online.

This strategy, input text or assignment will help you develop your life skills.

Work together with one or more classmates (as indicated in the assignment).

Go to New Interface online or the website that is indicated in the assignment. Scan the QR-code next to the assignment or find the website on New Interface online.

Listen to the audio clip. Scan the QR-code next to the assignment or find your clip on New Interface online.

Watch the video. Scan the QR-code next to the assignment or find your clip on New Interface online

MISSION

Life

Reading

Writing

Mission briefing

You've probably already completed some Missions. If not, you've most definitely completed multiple assignments from your English teacher. How many times has it been up to you to decide what the assignment would be about? Now's your chance! We give you the Mission goals, but the rest is up to you – you can choose your own topic for this Mission. You might not get this chance again in the near future, so make the most of it …

YOUR MISSION

Choose a topic of interest to you. Read texts about your topic, summarise the information you have found and comment on it in a report.

Training session 1: Mission support

To understand the importance of creativity – a skill you will need in order to think of a topic for your report and to write that report – it is helpful to know words such as 'potential', 'flourish', 'creator' and 'scientist'. And as you might have noticed from these last two words, suffixes can tell you a lot about the meaning of new words. In a report you include not only your own opinion, but also opinions from other sources that supported or helped shape yours. In referring to such sources, reported speech and the passive tense will come in handy. Finally, when you write a report, it is useful to know specific phrases for summarising and commenting on information you have found.

Drawing connections between new and familiar words

A good way to remember the meaning of a new and difficult word is to draw connections between the new word and your existing knowledge. Is there a synonym or antonym for this word that you already know? Or do you recognise a verb or another root word in it? You can write down difficult words you find hard to remember and their connections in a table or in a word web.

Example: The word 'prisoner' has the root word 'prison' in it. It indicates a person being kept in prison.

1 Vocabulary: Creative thinking

Use the Tip: Drawing connections between new and familiar words and Vocabulary: Creative thinking. You have to change some of the words to fit the sentences. a Fill in the correct synonyms of the words in bold.

1 It is in his character to take care of people.

2 My sister has the talent to become an Olympic gymnast.

3 This collaborative report urges the government to shake up the rigid school system.

4 I have had enough of your behaviour!

5 He was caught shoplifting and therefore had to be questioned by the police.

6 Our school is participating in the nationwide anti-bullying week to promote understanding of this serious problem.

7 It is a common misunderstanding that Big Ben is the name of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. It is, in fact, the name of the bell inside the clock tower.

TIP

b Complete the sentences with the antonyms of the words given.

1 I (be unwilling) to accept your offer.

2 Start your presentation with a (sad) anecdote to grab the audience's attention.

3 Since I was four years old, I've had a (great disinterest) in becoming an actor.

4 The fishermen claimed they saw the Monster of Loch Ness (disappear) next to their boat.

5 Despite Isaac Newton's theory, there have always been sceptics who believe humans can (obey) gravity.

6 Once you've paid for the order, the factory will (keep) the books.

7 It has been proven that children (struggle) at school when their teachers stimulate their creativity.

8 The police (hide) a dangerous criminal gang in my town last night!

c Choose three words from the Vocabulary list that you find difficult to remember. For each of these words, write down at least one synonym, one antonym and one other connection.

2 Creative thinking

Complete the sentences with the English translations of the following words. There are three extra words. You have to change some of the words to fit the sentences. Choose from: aanleg – alternatief – bevolking – ergens mee geconfronteerd worden –erkennen – grof – kern – langetermijn- – onbeperkt – onervaren – overeenstemming –profiteren van – rangorde – reeks – uitstellen

1 I wouldn't recommend entering a marathon if you're an runner.

2 That comedian is notorious for making jokes about obese people.

3 Did you know that chickens have a strict social ?

4 In problem-solving it's essential to get to the of the problem.

5 It's important to all the things you've achieved instead of focussing on the failures. 14

6 Despite their different opinions, the political parties managed to reach a

7 I had to get creative with the recipe and used yoghurt as a for sour cream.

8 I am writing a report about possible energy solutions.

9 Businesses need to adjust to the world's growing senior

10 I thought my private French lessons were stupid, but I really them.

11 Don't difficult tasks for too long, because that will make it even harder to deal with them.

12 Do you know which provider currently offers the best data plan?

ADVANCED VOCABULARY

Suffixes

Noun suffixes

-er / -or verb to noun teach – teacher dance – dancer create – creator invent – inventor

-ist noun (thing or abstract notion) to noun (person) science – scientist art – artist piano – pianist

-ity / -ty adjective to noun real – reality creative – creativity honest – honesty safe – safety

-ment verb to noun ship – shipment develop – development move – movement

-ship noun (condition or profession) to noun (quality or state) friend – friendship intern – internship leader – leadership

-sion / -tion verb to noun revise – revision fuse – fusion relate – relation promote – promotion

Verb suffixes

-ate noun to verb hyphen – hyphenate alien – alienate origin – originate

-ise noun (thing or person) to verb (with the meaning 'to make') advert – advertise critic – criticise magnet – magnetise

Adjective suffixes

-able / -ible verb to adjective

accept – acceptable predict – predictable access – accessible sense – sensible

-ful verb to adjective play – playful care – careful hope – hopeful

3 Advanced vocabulary: Suffixes

Use Advanced vocabulary: Suffixes. Write down the (possible) meanings of these words. If you don't know the word, have a look at the root (the basis) of the word and think of its meaning. Look at the example. You don't need to write down the root in your answer.

1 competitor a person who takes part in a competition (root: 'to compete')

2 economist

3 abnormality

4 payment

5 partnership

6 addition

7 televise

8 fearful

9 villager

4 Grammar: The passive

Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the verbs given.

1 Usually, general elections (to hold) in the UK every five years.

2 Over five hundred homes and businesses (to flood) during last month's heavy storms.

3 This programme (to bring) to you by Fix-All.

4 The nominees for the Women's Prize for Fiction (to announce) on 5th May every year.

5 Quite often, inventions (to name) after their inventors.

6 Many countries are asking Western museums to return the objects that (to steal) from them in the past.

7 Last night's political debate on TV (to view) by thousands of people.

8 Passengers (not – to allow) to leave the train because of a bomb threat.

5 Grammar: The passive

Complete the news article with the correct forms of the verbs given.

A previously unknown shrine (1) (to uncover) in Rome in February 2020. It (2) (to believe) that in ancient times, the shrine (3) (to dedicate) to Romulus, the legendary founder and first king of Rome. According to Roman mythology, Romulus and his twin brother Remus (4) (to leave) in the river Tiber as babies before they (5) (to find) by a she-wolf, who raised them. Romulus later killed Remus and founded Rome in 753 BC.

Despite the famous legend, the existence of Romulus (6) (to question) by historians for hundreds of years. Some think the myth (7) (to base) on a real person who (8) (to kill) after a 37-year rule of Rome. The shrine is located on the spot where, according to stories, his body (9) (to bury) However, no remains (10) (to discover). The site (11) (to study) by archaeologists at the moment. It (12) (to open) to the public in the near future.

6 Grammar: Reported speech

You've had a video chat with your cousins Finley and Zoë, who are on holiday in New Zealand. Afterwards, you tell your mum all about your cousins' trip. Write sentences.

1 'It's the best holiday of my life!' – Finley

Finley said that it was the best holiday of his life.

2 'What did you do today?' – I

3 'We went on this amazing helicopter flight over the glaciers this morning!' – Zoë

4 'I found it rather scary. I preferred our visit to the little village from The Hobbit films last week.' –Finley

5 'How was your flight to New Zealand?' – I

6 'It was awful because it lasted for 36 hours and we had to change planes in Singapore.' – Zoë

7 'It was definitely worth it though.' – Finley

8 'I agree, it's so beautiful here. And we've done so many cool activities!' – Zoë

9 'Oh yeah? What kind of things have you done so far then?' – I

10 'We've been on lots of hikes together, but I'm also taking climbing lessons with a professional mountain guide.' – Finley

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

Greta Thunberg's father has said he thought it was 'a bad idea' for his daughter to take to the 'front line' of the battle against climate change.

GRETA THUNBERG'S FATHER: 'SHE IS HAPPY, BUT I WORRY' STRUGGLE WITH DEPRESSION

Speaking to Husain as part of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, Mr Thunberg said his daughter had struggled with depression for 'three or four years' before she began her school strike.

'When she was twelve, Greta was diagnosed with Asperger's. According to her, this allows her to see things from outside the box,' her father said. 'In the years that followed we began discussing and researching climate changes, with Greta becoming increasingly passionate about tackling the issue.'

'Her activism has changed her. She's in a very good place now. She dances around, she laughs a lot and we have a lot of fun.'

However, Mr Thunberg has worried for Greta since her school strike stunt went viral online. 'When she was younger, she got abuse from people for her looks and her behaviour. And now she faces abuse from people who don't want to change their lifestyles in order to save the environment.'

'I was particularly worried about the fake news about her and the hate that it generates. But Greta deals with the criticism incredibly well. Quite frankly, I don't know how she does it, but she laughs most of the time. She finds it hilarious.'

7 Grammar: Reported speech

29

Use Greta Thunberg's father: 'She is happy, but I worry'. Write a short report about Greta. Mention six different things Greta's father says about his daughter. The text already contains some reported-speech sentences. You are free to use these in your report as well.

8 Phrases: How to summarise

You've read an article about a remarkable art discovery in America. Complete the summary with the information given. Write sentences. Use each phrase only once. Note: Dutch painter Jeroen Bosch is called Hieronymus Bosch in English.

I've just read a very interesting article about an exciting art discovery. (1) (ontdekking van schilderij Jeroen Bosch) in the archives of an American museum. Up to that point, nobody thought Bosch had painted it himself – (2) (toegeschreven aan leerling). An international team carried out a five-year research using sophisticated infrared technology. (3)

(terugkerende elementen in werken Bosch doorslaggevend) for the experts. These features are often absurd and surreal – (4) (vooral monsters) and even a floating sausage. They say the painting is over 500 years old. (5) (slechts 25 schilderijen) and twenty drawings that have survived and are credited to the Dutch master, which makes it such an amazing discovery!

34

9 Phrases: How to comment

Write comments, using as many different phrases as possible.

1 Je dacht altijd dat de meeste inwoners van Londen rijk waren, totdat je een nieuwsitem over het aantal daklozen in de stad zag.

2 Vroeger dacht je dat niemand dakloos hoefde te zijn in een Westers land. Geef aan wat je er nu van denkt na dat nieuwsitem gezien te hebben.

3 Hoewel het je vanzelfsprekend lijkt, denk je dat de Britse overheid hier iets aan moet doen.

4 Je legt uit wat je denkt dat de overheid aan dit probleem kan doen. Bedenk zelf een oplossing.

5 Beschrijf wat de meeste van je klasgenoten denken van het daklozenprobleem in Londen. Gebruik je fantasie.

6 Geef aan dat jullie hier duidelijk niet eerder zo bij hadden stilgestaan en geef een mogelijke reden hiervoor.

7 Beschrijf wat je denkt dat er uiteindelijk zal gebeuren met het daklozenprobleem.

Training session 2: Reading

Who is more creative, artists or computer engineers? Creative thinking is often associated with artistic activities, but it is a very useful skill to have in everyday life. Not only for hobbies such as vlogging or gaming, but also when you need to make a report or presentation for school. And even in your future career, you will probably need to draw on this skill on a regular basis when solving problems. Creative thinking allows you to approach a problem from different and new perspectives, but it also allows you to experiment without fear of failure. In this training session you will gain more insight into the principles of creative thinking and put your knowledge into practice.

1 Get started

Work with a classmate. Discuss the questions.

1 What is the greatest invention ever? Name one invention each and discuss why you think it has been so important.

2 Why do you think inventions are created?

3 By what process do inventions come about, do you think?

Skimming texts

STRATEGY

If you need to get the general idea of a text quickly, skimming is a helpful tool:

• Read the introduction closely. Usually, you will find the main points of the text described there.

• Read and look at structural elements, such as images, titles and (sub)titles. They should tell you in just a few words what the paragraphs are about.

• Let your eyes go quickly over the text and focus on other structural elements such as lists, bullet points or words printed in bold or capitals.

How creative thinking led to the invention of items we couldn't live without anymore

We take many everyday items for granted, but when these items were introduced into the market, they were anything but ordinary.

Have you ever wondered how you got along without a specific product, a must-have invention ... or the latest version of your smartphone?

Somewhere between necessity being the mother of invention and pure creative genius, all kinds of useful products have come into our lives. Were their creators inspired by a burning desire to get rich? Did they have years of schooling or technical training? Were they part of huge corporations with unlimited research and development budgets?

No.

They just let their creativity take over. And we benefit from their inventive ways to overcome life's little challenges. Consider these items, born of necessity, over one hundred years ago.

Out-of-the-box thinking brought us everyday items

Mrs Earl Dickson, an inexperienced cook, often burned and cut herself back at the turn of the 20th century.

Mr Dickson, an employee of the medical company Johnson and Johnson, got plenty of practice in hand bandaging. Out of concern for his wife's safety, he began to prepare bandages ahead of time so that his wife could apply them by herself. By combining a piece of surgical tape and a piece of gauze, he fashioned the first crude adhesive strip bandage.

At 15 years old, Chester Greenwood's head was cold one December day in 1873. To protect his ears while ice skating, he found a piece of wire, and with his grandmother's help, padded the ends.

In the beginning, his friends laughed at him and said he looked ridiculous. However, when they realized that he was able to stay outside skating long after they had gone inside freezing, they stopped laughing. Instead, they began to ask Chester to make ear covers for them, too. In certain American states, earmuffs are now standard winter equipment.

During the hot summer of 1913, Clarence Crane, a chocolate candy manufacturer, found himself facing a dilemma. When he tried to ship his chocolates to candy shops in other cities, they melted into gooey blobs. His customers didn't want to deal with the mess and postponed their orders until cooler weather.

Mr. Crane needed to find a substitute for the melted chocolates if he wanted to keep his customers. He experimented with hard candy that wouldn't melt during shipment. Using a machine designed for making medicinal pills, Crane produced small, round candies with a hole in the middle. And that is how Life Savers were born.

The term Frisbee did not always refer to the flying plastic disks that have spawned a variety of games. More than a hundred years ago, William Russell Frisbie owned the Frisbie Pie Company and delivered his pies locally. All of his pies were baked in the same type of 10" round tin with a raised edge, wide brim, six small holes in the bottom, and 'Frisbie Pies' on the bottom.

Playing catch with the tins soon became a popular local sport. However, the tins were slightly dangerous when a toss was missed. It became the Yale University custom to yell 'Frisbie' when throwing a pie tin. In the '40s, when plastic emerged, the pie-tin game was recognized as a manufacturable and marketable product. Now FRISBEE is a registered trademark of Wham-O Mfg. Co.

If you can't eat just one potato chip, blame it on chef George Crum. He reportedly created the salty snack in 1853 at Moon's Lake House near Saratoga Springs, New York.

One night there was a diner who kept complaining that his fries were too thick, soggy and not crunchy enough. Fed up with this customer who continuously sent his food back, Crum sliced the potatoes as thin as possible, fried them in hot grease, then covered them with salt. He did so to annoy the customer. But instead, the diner told Crum he loved the thin fried potatoes. The new 'Saratoga Chips' quickly became a popular item at the lodge and throughout New England.

Eventually, the chips were mass-produced for home consumption, but since they were stored in barrels or tins, they quickly went stale. Then, in the 1920s, Laura Scudder invented the airtight bag by ironing together two pieces of waxed paper, thus keeping the chips fresh longer.

For a hundred years now, chips have been packaged in plastic or foil bags, or in cardboard containers. Today they even come in a variety of flavours, including sour cream and onion, barbecue, and salt and vinegar.

Creativity and entrepreneurship

All those inventions started innocently enough, without great expectations. That kind of creativity will continue, with or without corporate backing and deadlines to bring a product to market.

But there are constant demands in companies to come up with newer, better, shinier, more in-demand products. As companies try to stay afloat in a choppy economy, employees are being pushed for new ideas. Managers would be wise to consider the studies conducted by Teresa Amabile, professor at Harvard Business School and head of its Entrepreneurial Management Unit. She has explored creativity for nearly thirty years and her comprehensive research has uncovered some myth-defying facts:

• Money and rewards don't necessarily inspire creativity.

• Tight deadlines and pressure to produce don't encourage innovation.

• Competition doesn't induce creativity.

• Neither sadness nor fear fuel creative breakthroughs.

In order for creativity to blossom, workers need to feel deeply engaged in their projects, skilled enough to accomplish them, and free of negative influences – unnecessary distractions, politics, lack of resources and needless critical feedback.

It needs to be added that management has to be open to ideas from all sources – not just the so-called 'creative' departments. We all have a streak of creativity in us. Remember that the next time you need an adhesive or enjoy a Life Saver!

Based on: https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/growth-strategies/2016/12/how-creative-thinking-led-to-these-inventions. html and https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/scientific-experiments/9-things-invented-or-discovered-by-accident7.htm

2 Skimming an article

Use the Strategy: Skimming texts and How creative thinking led to the invention of items we couldn't live without anymore. Skim the text and answer the questions.

1 What is the main topic of the text?

2 In general, what was the main reason for the invention of all these different items?

3 What do you expect the paragraph 'Creativity and entrepreneurship' to be about?

4 Write down what you would like to know about the topic. Formulate one to three questions you have about the topic in general, or about the reading text in particular.

3 Structuring an article

Subheaders make it easier to read a text and understand its main points. Use How creative thinking led to the invention of items we couldn't live without anymore. Formulate suitable subheaders to break up the paragraph 'Out-of-the-box thinking brought us everyday items'.

• Use between one and three words for each subheader.

• Write down the line numbers to indicate where the subheaders need to go.

4 Understanding an article

Use How creative thinking led to the invention of items we couldn't live without anymore. Answer the questions in your own words.

1 Which of the inventions mentioned in the text managed to solve a real problem, in your opinion? Explain your answer.

2 What do you think of the other inventions? Explain your answer.

3 The article highlights a contrast regarding the use of creativity. What is this contrast?

4 What myth is uncovered in the article?

5 What, according to the author, is the best way to stimulate creativity in workers?

6 Do you agree with the author that everybody is capable of creative thinking? Explain your answer.

5 Understanding creativity

Read 4 Myths about creativity on the next page. Answer the questions.

1 Explain in your own words what the myths about creativity are. Describe each myth in one sentence.

2 Why, according to the author, do parents think creativity isn't an essential skill for their children?

3 Explain the difference between big-C creativity and little-c creativity in your own words.

4 Give an example of how you use little-c creativity in your daily life.

4 Myths about creativity

Not everyone agrees on the value and importance of creative thinking in today's society. Part of the problem is that there is no consensus on what it means to be creative. Different people think about creativity in very different ways, so it's not surprising that they can't agree on its value and importance. As I've talked with people about creativity, I've come across a number of common misconceptions.

Myth 1: Creativity is about artistic expression

We value and admire painters, sculptors and poets for their creativity. But other types of people can be creative too. Scientists can be creative when they develop new theories. Doctors can be creative when they diagnose diseases. Entrepreneurs can be creative when they develop new products. Social workers can be creative when they suggest strategies for struggling families. Politicians can be creative when they develop new policies.

I believe that the common association of creativity with artistic expression contributes to an undervaluing of creativity in the minds of many parents. When I talk with parents about creativity, they often assume that I'm talking about artistic expression. Because most parents don't put a high priority on how well their children can express themselves artistically, they say that it would be 'nice' for their children to be creative, but they don't see it as essential. To avoid this line of thinking, I often use the phrase 'creative thinking' rather than 'creativity.' When parents hear 'creative thinking,' they're less likely to focus on artistic expression and more likely to see it as something essential for their children's future.

Myth 2: Only a small segment of the population is creative

Some people feel that the words 'creative' and 'creativity' should be used only when referring to inventions and ideas that are totally new to the world. In this view, winners of Nobel Prizes are creative, and artists whose works are on display at major museums are creative, but not the rest of us.

Researchers who study creativity sometimes refer to this type of creativity as Big-C Creativity. I'm more interested in what researchers call little-c creativity. When you come up with an idea that's useful to you in your everyday life, that's little-c creativity. It doesn't matter if thousands – or millions – of people came up with similar ideas in the past. If the idea is new and useful to you, it's little-c creativity.

The invention of the paper clip was Big-C Creativity; every time someone comes up with a new way to use a paper clip in everyday life, that's little-c creativity.

Sometimes, teachers focus too much attention on Big-C Creativity and not enough on little-c creativity. A few years ago, I made a presentation about creativity to a group of teachers. In the Q&A session at the end, one teacher said that it was very important for us to develop better methods for assessing creativity so that we could identify those students with the greatest capacity to be creative. In my mind, that's exactly the wrong view. Everyone can be (little-c) creative, and we need to help everyone reach their full creative potential.

Myth 3: Creativity comes in a flash of insight

Popular stories about creativity often revolve around an Aha! moment. Archimedes shouted 'Eureka!' in the bathtub when he realized that he could calculate the volume of irregularly shaped objects by submerging them in water (and measuring the amount of water displaced). Isaac Newton recognized the universal nature of gravitational force when he was sitting beneath an apple tree – and was hit on the head by a falling apple. August Kekule realized the structure of the benzene ring after daydreaming about a snake eating its tail.

But such Aha! moments, if they exist at all, are just a small part of the creative process. Most scientists, inventors and artists recognize that creativity is a long-term process. Constantin Brancusi, one of the pioneers of modernist art, wrote: 'Being creative is not being hit by a lightning bolt from God. It's having clear intent and passion.' Thomas Edison famously said that creativity is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.

But what is the person doing while perspiring? What type of activity precedes the Aha! moment? It's not just a matter of hard work. Creativity grows out of a certain type of hard work, combining curious exploration with playful experimentation and systematic investigation. New ideas and insights might seem like they come in a flash, but they usually happen after many cycles of imagining, creating, playing, sharing, and reflecting – that is, after many repetitions of the Creative Learning Spiral.

Myth 4: You can't teach creativity

There's no doubt that babies come into the world full of curiosity. They want to touch, to interact, to explore, to understand. As they grow older, they want to express themselves: to talk, to sing, to draw, to build, to dance.

Some people think that the best way to support children's creativity is to get out of their way: you shouldn't try to teach creativity; just stand back and let children's natural curiosity take over. I have some sympathy with this point of view. It's true that the rigid structures of some schools and some homes can erase children's curiosity and creativity. I also agree that you can't teach creativity, if 'teach' means giving children a clear set of rules and instructions on how to be creative.

But you can stimulate creativity. All children are born with the capacity to be creative, but their creativity won't necessarily develop on its own. It needs to be nurtured, encouraged, supported. The process is like that of a farmer or gardener taking care of plants by creating an environment in which the plants will flourish. Similarly, you can create a learning environment in which creativity will flourish.

So, yes, you can teach creativity, so long as you think about teaching as an organic, interactive process.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-myths-about-creativity

5 Why does the author refer to Edison's famous quote 'Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration'?

6 What are the author's thoughts on the myth that creativity can't be taught?

7 Which tip(s) or insight(s) from 4 Myths About Creativity was (or were) an eye-opener to you? Explain your answer.

STRATEGY

Creative thinking techniques

Asking Wh-questions

Asking Wh-questions helps you to come up with new ideas by moving away from what you already know. You ask and answer questions about your issue, like: Why is it necessary? Where should it be done? When should it be done? Who should do it? What should be done? How should it be done?

Thinking of outrageous ideas

Think of the most ridiculous and outrageous ideas you can imagine to solve a problem. No rules, laws or morals, except that you're not allowed to say 'Yes, but ...'. Once you're finished, look for ways in which these crazy ideas could be made practical.

This works as an introductory exercise to create the right mindset, but it can also lead to fantastic new ideas!

Mind mapping

Mind mapping is basically a form of note-taking. But instead of making a list, you put the main idea in the centre of the page and then work from the centre outwards, writing new ideas and associations all around it.

Picture association

Picture association can help you to create a story behind an image. To do this, perform an image search on your computer and pick a photo at random. Then create a story. Why was the picture taken? What is or was going on? You can be as imaginative as you like.

STRATEGY

Preparing a report or presentation

Follow this step-by-step plan to prepare a report or presentation.

1 Choose a topic

If you are free to choose your own topic, make sure it is something you find interesting. This will make it more enjoyable for you to work on your report or presentation. And if you are enthusiastic about your topic, chances are that your audience will be more engaged with what you are writing or talking about as well.

2 Write down what you already know

You could simply make a list, but it helps to order your existing knowledge visually, for example with the aid of a mind map.

3 Formulate your main research question

What, specifically, do you want to know about your topic? Formulate a Wh-question that isn't too broad, but not too narrow either. Also bear in mind how much time you have for preparing and creating your report or presentation and what its maximum length is.

For example: instead of asking 'How have new technologies changed the music industry?' for a two-page report, you could try to answer the question 'How have online music streaming services affected performing artists?'

4 Formulate additional questions

Additional questions help you in investigating the main research question and serve as a general outline for your report or presentation.

For example: 'How do online music streaming services work?' 'Do artists make money from online music streaming services?' 'Has the balance between live performances and music releases shifted because artists make less money from selling albums?' etc.

5 Do your research

Find information to answer your research questions. Depending on the type of research, you may want to do a survey, an experiment or literature research.

You may not find relevant and useful information to help answer your research question. This might indicate that your question was too broad or too narrow. In that case, go back to the research question and refine it. Keep track of changes you have made to your research plan and explain the reason(s) for those changes.

6 Choose the best sources

Determine which sources offer the most relevant information to answer your research questions. Be critical and only choose reliable sources.

7 Take notes

During your research, make sure to write down important thoughts, conclusions, research results, keywords etc. Also write down where you found these so it is easy to look them up again later. Alternatively, you can make a mind map to organise your findings.

8 Synthesise information

Synthesising means combining new and old information. First of all you need to summarise the information from the different sources. The summaries help you make connections between the sources you have found, but also to make connections between this new information and your existing knowledge of the topic. This combined knowledge is what you use as the basis for your report or presentation. (Also see: Strategy: Synthesising information in Mission 20, Training session Writing.)

9 Use only the most interesting or most relevant material

You do not have to use every piece of information you found during your research, especially when you are limited as to the length of your report or presentation. Choose the most interesting or most relevant material instead.

6 Collecting information for a report

Use:

• Strategy: Creative thinking techniques;

• steps 1-6 of Strategy: Preparing a report or presentation;

• either How creative thinking led to the invention of items we couldn't live without anymore or 4 Myths About Creativity.

1 Choose a subtopic from one of the reading texts that you want to know more about.

2 On a separate piece of paper, make a mind map in which you put everything you already know about the topic.

3 What else would you like to know about the topic? Have a short brainstorm session using Wh-questions or by adding to your mind map. Then choose the most interesting question and write it down.

4 Take five minutes to search online for further information. Write down the sources you have found or copy the links.

5 Which source(s) do you find most valuable? Explain your answer.

Mission 14 Training session 3 • Writing

Training session 3: Writing

Should creativity get a more prominent role in school programmes, or should teachers focus on maths, science and languages? That is what this training session is about. After reading what the world's leading educational speaker thinks about this topic, you will do you own research. Finally, you will write a short report in which you give your own substantiated opinion.

1 Get started Answer the questions.

a Prepare for a discussion with a classmate.

1 Do you feel you are a creative person? Explain your answer.

2 Is it the role of schools to stimulate creativity in their students? Explain your answer.

3 Do you think your school encourages creativity? Explain your answer.

4 Do you think creativity is an important skill for employees to have in general? Explain your answer.

b Work with a classmate. Discuss your answers from the previous exercise and decide on a common response. Indicate whether you initially had different opinions and what these were. Explain how you arrived at your final common answers.

Preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Educationalist and inspirational speaker Sir Ken Robinson is of the opinion that creativity is as important in education as literacy. He has defined creativity as the application of imagination. Using our imagination, we step outside our current place and time, in short, think outside the box. The creative process allows us to test and build up ideas, thus developing imagination into reality.

Risk-taking and critical thinking should also be associated with creativity, and this can apply to many areas of study and work. A report from a multinational computer technology company suggests that 65% of future jobs have not been invented yet. With the rise of robotics and digitalisation in the workplace, creativity will have a growing value in our lives.

This may seem obvious, but it took some time to be acknowledged. Back in 2006, Sir Ken's first Ted talk, titled 'Do schools kill creativity?', was made to a small audience in California. In the 1990s he had written a huge government report on the same subject. In his report, he contested the hierarchy of subjects in education, with maths and languages at the top and the arts at the bottom. He pointed out that public education is based on academic ability, with the result that many brilliant people think they are not because they are judged against this view of the mind.

For the most part, this report had been ignored, certainly shelved by a UK government whose focus was on testing in schools. However, his short, jokefilled Ted talk some years later went viral and was soon the most-watched Ted talk of all time. With the current focus on 'core subjects', teaching is missing out on the opportunity to use the interdisciplinary methodologies that are most effective for positive learning outcomes.

Moreover, he proposed that if you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original. Yet we now run a national education system where mistakes are the worst thing you can make. His description was light-hearted but relevant. Generally speaking, he said, students are told that there is one answer, it is at the back of the book, but you must not look because that is cheating. Not only that, but you must not copy from or confer with fellow students. His belief is that tomorrow's world will need individuals who can think for themselves, and far from not copying, they should welcome collaboration and the sharing of ideas.

In fact, his argument for change has become more relevant in the years since that famous Ted talk. Schools are producing exam robots, not creative thinkers. In the final analysis, awareness of the imagination and creativity needed to approach any problem – technological or scientific – leads to flexible thinking. And that is what our future will need.

STRATEGY

Writing a summary

• Skim the text (see Strategy: Skimming texts in Training session Reading). Ask yourself the question: What type of text is this?

• If there are no subheadings, divide the text into sections yourself.

• Ask yourself the question: Why am I reading this text? This can help you identify relevant information.

• Read the text while highlighting the key words and phrases.

• Write down the main points of each section in your own words.

• Write down important supporting points or arguments for each main point, but leave out examples and minor details.

• Read your summary to check whether all the information you wrote down is relevant to your reading goal, and make sure that you have used your own words.

• Finally, check if your summary is coherent and fluent.

2 Writing a summary

Use Strategy: Writing a summary and Preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. a Answer the questions in your own words.

1 What is the main idea of the text?

2 What are the supporting arguments? Write down three, using one sentence per argument.

3 What is the main problem, according to the author?

4 What is the author's main source?

5 What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution mentioned in the title? Support your answer with a quote from the text.

b Use Phrases: How to summarise. Write your summary.

• Only include information that will help you answer the following research question: 'Is it the role of schools to stimulate creativity in their students, and if so, how?'

• Use your notes from the previous exercise.

• Use 100-150 words.

3 Commenting on a text

Use:

• Preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution;

• your summary from the previous exercise;

• your answers to the questions from exercise Get started. Write a comment to go with your summary.

• In your comment, answer this question: Do the ideas in Preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution correspond with the opinion you had about the role of creativity in schools and the workplace? Or has the text changed your mind about the topic?

• Explain your answer and use three quotes from the text to support it.

4 Writing a short report

You are going to write a short report that will answer the following research question: 'Is it the role of schools to stimulate creativity in their students, and if so, how?' Use your summary and your comment from the previous exercises.

a Write the introduction of your report.

• Give a short, simple description of your research topic. This background information should lead naturally to your main research question – which is what you end the introduction with.

• Use 50-75 words.

b Write the body of your report. Use your summary as the basis. If necessary, rewrite it so it matches the following criteria.

• Divide the body of the report into logical paragraphs.

• Check if the information is presented in a logical order. Rearrange the paragraphs if necessary.

• Use 100-150 words.

c Write the conclusion of your report. In the conclusion, you answer the research question, supported by evidence from the reading text.

• Use your comment as the basis. If necessary, rewrite it so it contains a clear answer to the research question.

• Your conclusion should still reflect if and how the information in the text has changed your opinion on the topic and contain an explanation of your answer.

• If you believe it is the role of schools to stimulate creativity in their students, then give two or three practical recommendations to help schools achieve this. Think about methods your school might use already.

• Use 125-175 words.

Complete your mission

Use Mission briefing and Strategy: Preparing a report or presentation and Strategy: Creative thinking techniques in Training session Reading. Follow the steps to complete your mission.

□ Think of any topic that interests you and that you want to know more about.

□ Write down what you already know about the topic.

□ Use the Wh-questions to formulate your main research question and some subquestions.

□ Find information about your topic. Find five sources online. Use the best three.

□ Write summaries of these three sources and synthesise the information.

□ Keep track of any adjustments you have made to your research plan. Explain why you had to make those changes.

□ Comment on the collected information and how it has helped shape or change your opinion.

□ Use your summaries and comment to write your report. Use 400-500 words.

□ List your sources: provide URLs of the websites you used.

Mission debriefing

Go to New Interface online for the Model answer. Compare your report to the model and fill in the rubric. Alternatively, you could ask a classmate to read the report and fill in the rubric for you. Mission accomplished ...?

1 Choosing a topic.

2 Formulating a research question and some subquestions.

3 Conducting research and collecting information.

4 Writing a summary of the information collected.

5 Justifying changes to the original research plan.

6 Commenting on the information collected.

7 Writing a short report.

8 Use of vocabulary, grammar and phrases.

If you have indicated 'Needs improving' in any category, please give tips here.

Mission 17 – Literature Burned books and inflammatory ideas

MISSION GOALS

Life skill: Attitude; Social and cultural skills

Reading B2: You can understand fictional and non-fictional texts in which the writers take certain positions.

Writing B2: You can voice your own well-rounded opinion in opinion pieces, personal letters, emails and in internet groups after taking other people's news and views into consideration.

MISSION SUPPORT

Vocabulary: 17L Controversial issues

Grammar: 16 Relative pronouns 27 If-sentences

Phrases: 36 How to express a strong opinion 46 How to position yourself within a discussion

Mission briefing

Opinions: everyone has them. Unfortunately, the opinions of people in power can lead to censorship, especially when expressed through a work of literature or art. Innumerable books, films, games and artworks, often about controversial and sensitive issues which their creators feel strongly about, have been censored for political reasons throughout history – and it's still happening today. But is it right to tell other people what (not) to read or watch, rather than letting them form their own thorough, well-rounded opinion? You're going to read a story that has been the subject of controversy and form your own opinion about how effective and useful censorship really is in an op-ed (opinion piece).

YOUR MISSION

Form your own opinion about censorship regarding the story of your choice, based on research. Look at your own reading experiences, but also at the experiences and opinions of others and professionals. Keep an open mind and be ready to learn.

Training session 1: Mission support

When you want to form an opinion about censorship based on written sources, it comes in handy to familiarise yourself with words such as 'controversial', 'incite', and 'provoke'. It helps if you know what words and phrases indicate agreement, disagreement or even indecisiveness and what words sound the same but actually have different meanings. Also, testing theories in order to make up your mind about a subject means expressing your train of thought through conditional sentences, while learning how to use relative pronouns helps you to give additional information about a subject. Being able to inquire after and differentiate between various perspectives allows you to develop your own view about censorship and enables you to voice it accordingly.

TIP

Using the context

Most of the time, paying close attention to context will help you figure out the meaning of words you don't know yet. For instance, take the sentence: 'The people demanded that the culprit be punished for his deeds.' If you're not familiar with the word culprit, you can understand from the way it's used in the sentence (i.e. the context) that it has got something to do with a person who is guilty of doing a bad thing. Common sense will take you a long way, so don't be afraid to use it.

TIP

Using a dictionary

In some cases, you will find that paying close attention to context is not of any help to you when trying to figure out the meaning of a word. Don't worry: there's always the dictionary. If you can't find the word you're looking for, try looking for the stem of the word by peeling off any pre- and suffixes – but keep their meaning in mind! For example, when you can't find unlikely, keep in mind the un- (meaning not) and look for likely. Found it? Always check and see if it makes sense when you use it, as some words can have different meanings. Take the word right, for instance: 'the right one' can mean 'not the left one' or 'not the wrong one'. For figuring out the meaning of a word, context is your friend.

1 Vocabulary: Controversial issues

Use Tip: Using the context to find the meaning of the words in bold. Only use Tip: Using a dictionary if you have to. Write down the meanings of the words in bold. Make sure the words fit the sentences.

TENNESSEE SCHOOL BANS GRAPHIC NOVEL ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST

Earlier this year, a school in Tennessee in the United States removed Maus, a Holocaustthemed graphic novel, from its arts curriculum. This led to widespread concern about

comics and other material aimed at teens and young adults being (1) threatened by censors. Maus, by Art Spiegelman, tells the story of his family in a Nazi concentration camp. As the first graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize (in 1992) it's often used to (2) contradict the idea that comics are not a good medium to deal with serious themes.

Tennessee officials said they (3) object to the use of several words including 'damn' and some nudity in the book, though several said they were not (4) opposed to the Holocaust being taught in schools per se. But as more and more alarming reports come in about history lessons in American schools, the board's decision, which was made public the day before Holocaust Remembrance Day, seems to point to a larger issue.

The Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. (5) defended Maus, saying that 'teaching about the Holocaust using books like Maus can inspire students to think critically about the past and their own roles and (6) responsibilities today.' Of course, preventing this from happening is exactly what conservative groups have been trying to (7) get away with for years.

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund also (8) responded to the school's (9) choice to ban the comic. The CBLDF has been supporting comics creators, publishers and retailers who are dealing with this kind of (10) censorship since 1986.

'People aren't allowed to remove books from libraries, but this doesn't apply to school curriculums, unfortunately. It's shocking, but not (11) unlawful ,' says Jeff Trexler, executive director of the CBLDF. 'Many adults think graphic novels and comics are dangerous, especially those about (12) sensitive topics, because they combine "bad words" with pictures which influences kids more than text alone. In fact, reading comics actually teaches kids how graphic communication works in their daily lives.'

'If this can happen to Maus, no work is safe. I see it as a (13) call to resist the censorship of comics just when we need them most. Comic readers need to speak out about their (14) position to help people see (15) reason . It's ridiculous to ban one of the most important books we have to learn about discrimination and censorship for some bad language and non-erotic nudity.'

2 Vocabulary: Controversial issues

Use Tip: Using the context or Tip: Using a dictionary if you have to. Complete each sentence with the English translation of the correct word. There are three extra words.

Choose from: aantrekkingskracht – aanzetten tot – beperken – beschikbaar – denigrerend –eerste – gemarginaliseerd – geweld – intimideren – kwetsend – laf – tegenreactie –toenemend – tolerantie – verdediging – verward – vrijheid – woedend

1 Mo was very by the school's decision to ban hats in the classroom.

2 They tried to him by sending him lots of anonymous hateful messages.

3 She called the director for refusing to speak out about the harassment she had faced on set.

4 Every culture has a different balance between a person's individual and collective social control.

5 Relatable characters are a major part of the of young adult literature.

6 Native communities in North America are often in terms of access to education and other essential services.

7 Her response was that she liked the book, but after she read some critical reviews, she changed her mind.

8 Ignoring someone on purpose can be seen as behaviour.

9 If you want to improve your mental health, you should the time you spend on social media.

10 Rosie was absolutely when she heard that her comments on the first draft had been ignored completely.

11 The actor received severe for the joke he made in his Academy Award speech.

12 Because of complaints about harfassment on the pitch, the football federation has started an anti-racism campaign.

13 There were no more seats because the entire book tour was sold out.

14 In my , I never claimed to be an authority on the history of Maori people.

15 Many parents worry that playing violent video games will a tendency for violence in their children.

3 Grammar: If-sentences

Write if-sentences. Use the clues and words given.

1 a fact: you / use a bookmark / not have to fold down the page corners

2 something that could happen, but it is not likely: Jimmy / win the lottery / go on a world trip

3 something that could have happened, but did not actually happen: Peggy / delete her tweet / not be cancelled

4 something that is likely to happen: A rapper / use profanity / Spotify censor the song

5 something that could happen, but it is not likely: Tim / have more time / read more books

6 something that could have happened, but did not actually happen: we / leave earlier / arrive on time

7 a fact: you / set books on fire / burn very quickly

8 something that is likely to happen: I / get home / finish my book

9 something that could have happened, but did not actually happen: Maisy / not learn to code / not have got the job in IT

10 a habit: Dan / visit a bookshop / look for the latest fantasy release

Relative pronouns and antecedents

An antecedent is the word or word group to which a relative pronoun refers. For example, in The cat that is walking down the street belongs to my sister the relative pronoun that refers to the cat. The cat is the antecedent.

4

Grammar: Relative pronouns

Write down the correct relative pronouns. If there is more than one correct answer, write down all correct answers.

Choose from: of which – that – when – where – which – who – whom – whose – why –Ø (= no pronoun)

CENSORSHIP IN THE 17TH CENTURY

In 1670, Benedict de Spinoza (1632-1677), (1) was a Dutch rationalist philosopher, wrote an essay about freedom of expression, the defence (2)  is still a hot topic in our time. This was a dangerous thing to be writing about even in a state like the Netherlands, (3)  people were relatively free to express themselves. Spinoza argued that the right to hold thoughts in your own mind and share them with others via speech or print was an natural right (4)  every human being possessed. Even kings (especially kings) had to respect this right, and this is one reason (5)  they thought Spinoza's position was a threat to their power. Spinoza argued that the government and the church, (6)  influence on how people thought and acted was enormous, should use this to let people 'develop their minds and bodies in security, and to employ their reason unshackled' rather than tell them what to think. People (7)  can't think, speak or write freely are forced to do so in secret and may become extremist in their thoughts and deeds. There are no long-term benefits to censorship, (8)  only teaches people to think one thing and say another and figure out ways to get around any oppressive laws.

Eventually, the Netherlands became a haven for heretical religious and political thinkers (9)  other countries had exiled, including the English philosopher John Locke and the French philosopher Voltaire. By printing books (10)  were banned in their own countries they could spread their ideas, and the Dutch printing industry became booming. It taught the government that freedom of expression, including freedom to criticise the church and the sovereign, was necessary for progress in science and the arts.

PRACTISE MORE

You can find more Vocabulary and Grammar exercises on the New Interface website.

5 Phrases: How to express a strong opinion

React appropriately to the situations below by expressing your opinion in a strong manner and supporting your opinion by at least one argument. Use a different phrase for each item.

1 Your mother thinks it is an excellent idea to sort all the books by the colour of the spine rather than by author.

2 Your best friend proudly tells you about that one time he played a mean prank on a neighbour who walks with a cane.

3 You and your classmate are walking to school when she just tosses away the plastic wrapper of one of her sweets.

4 A classmate got teased about her niqab, and now your teacher thinks banning all head coverings in the classroom is a proper measure to prevent future bullying.

5 Your history teacher tells you you're not allowed to write about the Ku Klux Klan for your next assignment.

6 Your neighbour is mowing the lawn at 6 am on a Sunday morning.

7 Your parents suggest Australia as the destination for your next family holiday.

8 Your teacher wants you to read a novel but you are more in the mood for a comic book.

6 Phrases: How to position yourself within a discussion

Read the dialogue and fill in the gaps. Use as many different phrases as possible.

Imani What do you think about the Principal's decision to remove To Kill a Mockingbird from the English curriculum because it has racist stereotypes?

Andre (1) that we should be able to decide for ourselves what we do and do not read, but I'm not sure. What about you, Luke?

Lucas I think you're right. (2)

I think it's none of anyone's business what I read. I love historical novels and I wish we'd read more of them in English.

Andre Well, (3) we should be able to decide for ourselves, yes, (4) reading it might cause some students to get upset.

Iman Exactly. (5) our class president, that our teenage brains are still developing and therefore are easily influenced by offensive content. The Principal might as well help us out a little by saying what's good and what's bad.

Lucas (6)

I don't believe we are so bad at understanding when something is considered offensive or outdated. We don’t need someone to tell us what’s good or bad. Let us form our own opinions.

Andre I guess (7) you want to be independent but at the same time be given tips to better understand certain situations.

Lucas Hm, I see. I guess (8) , (9)

Imani By the way, have you guys finished reading The Hate U Give yet?

Training session 2: Reading

In order to form an opinion about censorship, it is not only important to be wellinformed, but also to be mindful of how reliable this information is. After all, you want to make sure the basis of your opinion is defensible if someone challenges it. Therefore, it makes sense to be critical of the information you use for your argument and get more familiar with different views on the matter while keeping an open mind. This way, you can provide a better foundation for your own opinion.

1 Get started Discuss and answer the questions with a classmate.

1 How would you define censorship?

2 What is your opinion on censorship?

3 Do you, or does anyone you know, have any personal experience with censorship?

4 Go online and find an example of a book burning: this can be a historical or a recent example.

• Where and when did the book burning take place?

• What was the outcome?

• Do you think the censorship was justified? Why (not)?

STRATEGY

Skimming texts

If you need to get the general idea of a text quickly, skimming is a helpful tool.

• Read the introduction closely. Usually, you will find the main points of the text described there.

• Read and look at structural elements, such as images, titles and (sub)titles. They should tell you in just a few words what the paragraphs are about.

• Let your eyes go quickly over the text and focus on other structural elements such as lists, bullet points or words printed in bold or capitals.

2 Skimming a text

Use Strategy: Skimming texts. Skim the excerpt from Fahrenheit 451

a What do you think the story will be about?

b What do you think the title, Fahrenheit 451, refers to?

FAHRENHEIT 451

He had chills and fever in the morning.

"You can't be sick," said Mildred.

He closed his eyes over the hotness. "Yes."

"But you were all right last night."

"No, I wasn't all right." He heard the "relatives" shouting in the parlor.

Mildred stood over his bed, curiously. He felt her there, he saw her without opening his eyes, her hair burnt by chemicals to a brittle straw, her eyes with a kind of cataract unseen but suspect far behind the pupils, the reddened pouting lips, the body as thin as a praying mantis from dieting, and her flesh like white bacon. He could remember her no other way.

"Will you bring me aspirin and water?"

"You've got to get up," she said. "It's noon. You've slept five hours later than usual."

"Will you turn the parlor off?" he asked.

"That's my family."

"Will you turn it off for a sick man?"

"I'll turn it down."

She went out of the room and did nothing to the parlor and came back. "Is that better?"

"Thanks."

"That's my favorite program," she said.

"What about the aspirin?"

"You've never been sick before." She went away again.

"Well, I'm sick now. I'm not going to work tonight. Call Beatty for me."

"You acted funny last night." She returned, humming.

"Where's the aspirin?" He glanced at the water-glass she handed him.

"Oh." She walked to the bathroom again. "Did something happen?"

"A fire, is all."

"I had a nice evening," she said, in the bathroom.

"What doing?"

"The parlor."

"What was on?"

"Programs."

"What programs?"

"Some of the best ever."

"Who?"

"Oh, you know, the bunch."

"Yes, the bunch, the bunch, the bunch." He pressed at the pain in his eyes and suddenly the odor of kerosene made him vomit.

Mildred came in, humming. She was surprised. "Why'd you do that?"

He looked with dismay at the floor. "We burned an old woman with her books."

"It's a good thing the rug's washable." She fetched a mop and worked on it. "I went to Helen's last night."

"Couldn't you get the shows in your own parlor?"

"Sure, but it's nice visiting."

She went out into the parlor. He heard her singing.

"Mildred?" he called.

She returned, singing, snapping her fingers softly.

"Aren't you going to ask me about last night?" he said.

"What about it?"

"We burned a thousand books. We burned a woman."

"Well?"

The parlor was exploding with sound.

"We burned copies of Dante and Swift and Marcus Aurelius."

"Wasn't he a European?"

"Something like that."

"Wasn't he a radical?"

"I never read him."

"He was a radical." Mildred fiddled with the telephone. "You don't expect me to call Captain Beatty, do you?"

"You must!"

"Don't shout!"

"I wasn't shouting." He was up in bed, suddenly, enraged and flushed, shaking. The parlor roared in the hot air. "I can't call him. I can't tell him I'm sick." "Why?"

Because you're afraid, he thought. A child feigning illness, afraid to call because after a moment's discussion, the conversation would run so: "Yes, Captain, I feel better already. I'll be in at ten o'clock tonight."

"You're not sick," said Mildred. Montag fell back in bed. He reached under his pillow. The hidden book was still there.

"Mildred, how would it be if, well, maybe, I quit my job awhile?"

"You want to give up everything? After all these years of working, because, one night, some woman and her books"

"You should have seen her, Millie!"

"She's nothing to me; she shouldn't have had books. It was her responsibility, she should have thought of that. I hate her. She's got you going and next thing you know we'll be out, no house, no job, nothing."

"You weren't there, you didn't see," he said. "There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing."

"She was simple-minded."

"She was as rational as you and I, more so perhaps, and we burned her."

"That's water under the bridge."

"No, not water; fire. You ever seen a burned house? It smolders for days. Well, this fire'll last me the rest of my life. God! I've been trying to put it out, in my mind, all night. I'm crazy with trying."

"You should have thought of that before becoming a fireman."

"Thought! " he said. "Was I given a choice? My grandfather and father were firemen. In my sleep, I ran after them."

The parlor was playing a dance tune.

"This is the day you go on the early shift," said Mildred. "You should have gone two hours ago. I just noticed."

"It's not just the woman that died," said Montag. "Last night I thought about all the kerosene I've used in the past ten years. And I thought about books. And for the first time I realized that a man was behind each one of the books. A man had to think them up. A man had to take a long time to put them down on paper. And I'd never even thought that thought before." He got out of bed.

"It took some man a lifetime maybe to put some of his thoughts down, looking around at the world and life, and then I came along in two minutes and boom! it's all over."

"Let me alone," said Mildred. "I didn't do anything."

"Let you alone! That's all very well, but how can I leave myself alone? We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?"

And then he shut up, for he remembered last week and the two white stones staring up at the ceiling and the pump-snake with the probing eye and the two soap-faced men with the cigarettes moving in their mouths when they talked. But that was another Mildred, that was a Mildred so deep inside this one, and so bothered, really bothered, that the two women had never met. He turned away.

Mildred said, "Well, now you've done it. Out front of the house. Look who's here."

"I don't care."

"There's a Phoenix car just driven up and a man in a black shirt with an orange snake stitched on his arm coming up the front walk."

"Captain Beauty?" he said.

"Captain Beatty."

Montag did not move, but stood looking into the cold whiteness of the wall immediately before him.

"Go let him in, will you? Tell him I'm sick."

"Tell him yourself!" She ran a few steps this way, a few steps that, and stopped, eyes wide, when the front door speaker called her name, softly, softly, Mrs. Montag, Mrs. Montag, someone here, someone here, Mrs. Montag, Mrs. Montag, someone's here. Fading.

Montag made sure the book was well hidden behind the pillow, climbed slowly back into bed, arranged the covers over his knees and across his chest, half-sitting, and after a while Mildred moved and went out of the room and Captain Beatty strolled in, his hands in his pockets.

"Shut the 'relatives' up," said Beatty, looking around at everything except Montag and his wife.

This time, Mildred ran. The yammering voices stopped yelling in the parlor. Captain Beatty sat down in the most comfortable chair with a peaceful look on his ruddy face. He took time to prepare and light his brass pipe and puff out a great smoke cloud. "Just thought I'd come by and see how the sick man is."

"How'd you guess?"

Beatty smiled his smile which showed the candy pinkness of his gums and the tiny candy whiteness of his teeth. "I've seen it all. You were going to call for a night off."

Montag sat in bed.

"Well," said Beatty, "take the night off!" He examined his eternal matchbox, the lid of which said GUARANTEED: ONE MILLION LIGHTS IN THIS IGNITER, and began to strike the chemical match abstractedly, blow out, strike, blow out, strike, speak a few words, blow out. He looked at the flame. He blew, he looked at the smoke. "When will you be well?"

"Tomorrow. The next day maybe. First of the week."

Beatty puffed his pipe. "Every fireman, sooner or later, hits this. They only need understanding, to know how the wheels run. Need to know the history of our profession. They don't feed it to rookies like they used to. Damn shame." Puff. "Only fire chiefs remember it now." Puff. "I'll let you in on it."

Mildred fidgeted.

Beatty took a full minute to settle himself in and think back for what he wanted to say. "When did it all start, you ask, this job of ours, how did it come about, where, when? Well, I'd say it really got started around about a thing called the Civil War. Even though our rule-book claims it was founded earlier. The fact is we didn't get along well until photography came into its own. Then motion pictures in the early twentieth century. Radio. Television. Things began to have mass."

Montag sat in bed, not moving.

"And because they had mass, they became simpler," said Beatty. "Once, books appealed to a few people, here, there, everywhere. They could afford to be different. The world was roomy. But then the world got full of eyes and elbows and mouths. Double, triple, quadruple population. Films and radios, magazines, books leveled down to a sort of paste pudding norm, do you follow me?"

"I think so."

Beatty peered at the smoke pattern he had put out on the air.

"Picture it. Nineteenth-century man with his horses, dogs, carts, slow motion. Then, in the twentieth century, speed up your camera. Books cut shorter. Condensations, Digests. Tabloids. Everything boils down to the gag, the snap ending."

"Snap ending." Mildred nodded.

"Classics cut to fit fifteen-minute radio shows, then cut again to fill a two-minute book column, winding up at last as a ten- or twelve-line dictionary resume. I exaggerate, of course. The dictionaries were for reference. But many were those whose sole knowledge of Hamlet (you know the title certainly, Montag; it is probably only a faint rumor of a title to you, Mrs. Montag) whose sole knowledge, as I say, of Hamlet was a one-page digest in a book that claimed: now at least you can read all the classics; keep up with your neighbors. Do you see? Out of the nursery into the college and back to the nursery; there's your intellectual pattern for the past five centuries or more."

Mildred arose and began to move around the room, picking things up and putting them down. Beatty ignored her and continued.

"Speed up the film, Montag, quick. Click? Pic? Look, Eye, Now, Flick, Here, There, Swift, Pace, Up, Down, In, Out, Why, How, Who, What, Where, Eh? Uh! Bang! Smack! Wallop, Bing, Bong, Boom! Digest-digests, digest-digest-digests. Politics? One column, two sentences, a headline! Then, in mid-air, all vanishes! Whirl man's mind around about so fast under the pumping hands of publishers, exploiters, broadcasters, that the centrifuge flings off all unnecessary, time-wasting thought!"

Mildred smoothed the bedclothes. Montag felt his heart jump and jump again as she patted his pillow. Right now she was pulling at his shoulder to try to get him to move so she could take the pillow out and fix it nicely and put it back. And perhaps cry out and stare or simply reach down her hand and say, "What's this?" and hold up the hidden book with touching innocence.

"School is shortened, discipline relaxed, philosophies, histories, languages dropped, English and spelling gradually neglected, finally almost completely ignored. Life is immediate, the job counts, pleasure lies all about after work. Why learn anything save pressing buttons, pulling switches, fitting nuts and bolts?"

"Let me fix your pillow," said Mildred.

"No! " whispered Montag.

"The zipper displaces the button and a man lacks just that much time to think while dressing at dawn, a philosophical hour, and thus a melancholy hour."

Mildred said, "Here."

"Get away," said Montag.

"Life becomes one big pratfall, Montag; everything bang, boff, and wow!"

"Wow," said Mildred, yanking at the pillow.

"For God's sake, let me be!" cried Montag passionately.

Beatty opened his eyes wide.

Mildred's hand had frozen behind the pillow. Her fingers were tracing the book's outline and as the shape became familiar her face looked surprised and then stunned. Her mouth opened to ask a question . . .

"Empty the theatres save for clowns and furnish the rooms with glass walls and pretty colors running up and down the walls like confetti or blood or sherry or sauterne. You like baseball, don't you, Montag?"

"Baseball's a fine game."

Now Beatty was almost invisible, a voice somewhere behind a screen of smoke.

"What's this?" asked Mildred, almost with delight. Montag heaved back against her arms. "What's this here?"

"Sit down!" Montag shouted. She jumped away, her hands empty. "We're talking!"

Beatty went on as if nothing had happened. "You like bowling, don't you, Montag?"

"Bowling, yes."

"And golf?"

"Golf is a fine game."

"Basketball?"

"A fine game."

"Billiards, pool? Football?"

"Fine games, all of them."

"More sports for everyone, group spirit, fun, and you don't have to think, eh?

Organize and organize and super organize super-super sports. More cartoons in books. More pictures. The mind drinks less and less. Impatience. Highways full of crowds going somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, nowhere. The gasoline refugee. Towns turn into motels, people in nomadic surges from place to place, following the moon tides, living tonight in the room where you slept this noon and I the night before."

Mildred went out of the room and slammed the door. The parlor "aunts" began to laugh at the parlor "uncles".

"Now let's take up the minorities in our civilization, shall we? Bigger the population, the more minorities. Don't step on the toes of the dog-lovers, the catlovers, doctors, lawyers, merchants, chiefs, Mormons, Baptists, Unitarians, secondgeneration Chinese, Swedes, Italians, Germans, Texans, Brooklynites, Irishmen, people from Oregon or Mexico. The people in this book, this play, this TV serial are not meant to represent any actual painters, cartographers, mechanics anywhere. The bigger your market, Montag, the less you handle controversy, remember that! All the minor minor minorities with their navels to be kept clean. Authors, full of evil thoughts, lock up your typewriters. They did. Magazines became a nice blend of vanilla tapioca. Books, so the damned snobbish critics said, were dishwater. No wonder books stopped selling, the critics said. But the public, knowing what it wanted, spinning happily, let the comic books survive. And the three-dimensional sex-magazines, of course. There you have it, Montag. It didn't come from the Government down. There was no dictum, no declaration, no censorship, to start with, no! Technology, mass exploitation, and minority pressure carried the trick, thank God. Today, thanks to them, you can stay happy all the time, you are allowed to read comics, the good old confessions, or trade journals." "Yes, but what about the firemen, then?" asked Montag. "Ah." Beatty leaned forward in the faint mist of smoke from his pipe. "What more easily explained and natural? With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word ‘intellectual,' of course, became the swear word it deserved to be. You always dread the unfamiliar. Surely you remember the boy in your own school class who was exceptionally 'bright,' did most of the reciting and answering while the others sat like so many leaden idols, hating him. And wasn't it this bright boy you selected for beatings and tortures after hours? Of course it was. We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against. So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man's mind. Who knows who might be the target of the well read man? Me? I won't stomach them for a minute. And so when houses were finally fireproofed completely, all over the world (you were correct in your assumption the other night) there was no longer need of firemen for the old purposes. They were given the new job, as custodians of our peace of mind, the focus of our understandable and rightful dread of being inferior; official censors, judges, and executors. That's you, Montag, and that's me."

The door to the parlor opened and Mildred stood there looking in at them, looking at Beatty and then at Montag. Behind her the walls of the room were flooded with green and yellow and orange fireworks sizzling and bursting to some music composed almost completely of trap drums, tom-toms, and cymbals. Her mouth moved and she was saying something but the sound covered it.

Beatty knocked his pipe into the palm of his pink hand, studied the ashes as if they were a symbol to be diagnosed and searched for meaning.

"You must understand that our civilization is so vast that we can't have our minorities upset and stirred. Ask yourself, What do we want in this country, above

all? People want to be happy, isn't that right? Haven't you heard it all your life? I want to be happy, people say. Well, aren't they? Don't we keep them moving, don't we give them fun? That's all we live for, isn't it? For pleasure, for titillation? And you must admit our culture provides plenty of these." "Yes."

Montag could lip-read what Mildred was saying in the doorway. He tried not to look at her mouth, because then Beatty might turn and read what was there, too. "Colored people don't like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don't feel good about Uncle Tom's Cabin. Burn it. Someone's written a book on tobacco and cancer of the lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Burn the book. Serenity, Montag. Peace, Montag. Take your fight outside. Better yet, into the incinerator. Funerals are unhappy and pagan? Eliminate them, too. Five minutes after a person is dead he's on his way to the Big Flue, the Incinerators serviced by helicopters all over the country. Ten minutes after death a man's a speck of black dust. Let's not quibble over individuals with memoriams. Forget them. Burn them all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean."

The fireworks died in the parlor behind Mildred. She had stopped talking at the same time; a miraculous coincidence. Montag held his breath. "There was a girl next door," he said, slowly. "She's gone now, I think, dead. I can't even remember her face. But she was different. How? How did she happen?"

Beatty smiled. "Here or there, that's bound to occur. Clarisse McClellan? We've a record on her family. We've watched them carefully. Heredity and environment are funny things. You can't rid yourselves of all the odd ducks in just a few years. The home environment can undo a lot you try to do at school. That's why we've lowered the kindergarten age year after year until now we're almost snatching them from the cradle. We had some false alarms on the McClellans, when they lived in Chicago. Never found a book. Uncle had a mixed record; antisocial. The girl? She was a time bomb. The family had been feeding her subconscious, I'm sure, from what I saw of her school record. She didn't want to know how a thing was done, but why. That can be embarrassing. You ask Why to a lot of things and you wind up very unhappy indeed, if you keep at it. The poor girl's better off dead."

"Yes, dead."

"Luckily, queer ones like her don't happen, often. We know how to nip most of them in the bud, early. You can't build a house without nails and wood. If you don't want a house built, hide the nails and wood. If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none. Let him forget there is such a thing as war. If the Government is inefficient, top-heavy, and tax-mad, better it be all those than that people worry over it. Peace, Montag. Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to more popular songs or the names of state capitals or how much corn Iowa grew last year. Cram them full of noncombustible data, chock them so damned full of 'facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant' with information. Then they'll feel they're thinking, they'll get a sense of motion without moving. And they'll be happy, because facts of that sort don't change. Don't give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy. Any man who can take a TV wall apart and put it back together again, and most men can nowadays, is happier than any man who tries to sliderule, measure, and equate the universe, which just won't be measured or equated without making man feel bestial and lonely. I know, I've tried it; to hell with it. So bring on your clubs and parties, your acrobats and magicians, your daredevils, jet cars, motorcycle helicopters, your

sex and heroin, more of everything to do with automatic reflex. If the drama is bad, if the film says nothing, if the play is hollow, sting me with the Theremin, loudly. I'll think I'm responding to the play, when it's only a tactile reaction to vibration. But I don't care. I just like solid entertainment."

Beatty got up. "I must be going. Lecture's over. I hope I've clarified things. The important thing for you to remember, Montag, is we're the Happiness Boys, the Dixie Duo, you and I and the others. We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought. We have our fingers in the dyke. Hold steady. Don't let the torrent of melancholy and drear philosophy drown our world. We depend on you. I don't think you realize how important you are, we are, to our happy world as it stands now."

Beatty shook Montag's limp hand. Montag still sat, as if the house were collapsing about him and he could not move, in the bed. Mildred had vanished from the door. "One last thing," said Beatty. "At least once in his career, every fireman gets an itch. What do the books say, he wonders. Oh, to scratch that itch, eh? Well, Montag, take my word for it, I've had to read a few in my time, to know what I was about, and the books say nothing! Nothing you can teach or believe. They're about nonexistent people, figments of imagination, if they're fiction. And if they're nonfiction, it's worse, one professor calling another an idiot, one philosopher screaming down another's gullet. All of them running about, putting out the stars and extinguishing the sun. You come away lost."

"Well, then, what if a fireman accidentally, really not intending anything, takes a book home with him?"

Montag twitched. The open door looked at him with its great vacant eye.

"A natural error. Curiosity alone," said Beatty. "We don't get overanxious or mad. We let the fireman keep the book twenty-four hours. If he hasn't burned it by then, we simply come and burn it for him."

"Of course." Montag's mouth was dry.

"Well, Montag. Will you take another, later shift, today? Will we see you tonight perhaps?"

"I don't know," said Montag.

"What?" Beatty looked faintly surprised. Montag shut his eyes. "I'll be in later. Maybe."

"We'd certainly miss you if you didn't show," said Beatty, putting his pipe in his pocket thoughtfully.

I'll never come in again, thought Montag.

"Get well and keep well," said Beatty. He turned and went out through the open door.

Source: Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2021 (1951). 45-60. Print.

3 Reading for detailed information

Read the excerpt from Fahrenheit 451

a Take notes on the views and actions of the following characters while reading. Write down how they change and where they differ. You'll need these notes to answer the next question.

• Guy Montag

• Mildred Montag

• Captain Beatty

b Reread your notes. Answer the questions individually.

1 What is Mildred's opinion on burning books? Has she always felt this way, or not? How do you know?

2 How does Guy's opinion about burning books change?

3 How has Captain Beatty's opinion about burning books changed over the years?

c Individually, reflect on what censorship looks like in the world of this book. What role do the firemen play?

d Discuss the following questions with your classmate.

1 Based on the excerpt you've read, what do you think is the author's position on censorship? Is the book a warning, a call to action, or a call for further thought? What makes this clear?

2 Do you agree with the author? Explain your answer.

3 Fahrenheit 451 itself has been banned in many places in the past. Who do you think has banned it and why? Back up your answer with at least one quote from the excerpt.

4 According to Captain Beatty, the book burnings started because minority groups took offense to published works that showed them in a bad light. Can you think of any parallels in our time that show this still happens today? Do you think his solution could work in our society? Explain your answer.

4 Discussing context and setting Reread (parts of) the excerpt from Fahrenheit 451

a Find at least two quotes that make clear that this story takes place in a different world than your own. Mark them in the text and explain why you've chosen them.

1 I chose this quote because:

2 I chose this quote because:

b Do you think censorship on this scale could happen in real life where you live? Give examples of what the situation is like now and what might happen, or not. How does that make you feel?

STRATEGY

Determining the reliability of sources

When reading an article that contains information that you need to base a decision on, always make sure your source is reliable. To do this, always do a fact-check on the claims made in the article you are reading. When it is too good (or bad) to be true, it usually isn't.

An article is probably reliable when:

• it is from an established source (a quality newspaper, a scientific website, etc.);

• its contents cannot be adjusted by outsiders (unlike, for example, Wikipedia);

• it is no more than twelve months old;

• it is based on several sources and is objective;

• it provides a two-sided argument, i.e. it mentions both pros and cons;

• the author does not have an agenda;

• it uses citations;

• it provides verifiable evidence for claims made;

• it acknowledges different points of view;

• it uses neutral language and punctuation;

• the person writing the article is an authority, i.e. they know what they are talking about.

5 Determining a text's purpose and reliability

Use Strategy: Determining the reliability of sources. Dear Sir, I Intend to Burn Your Book was written in response to a controversy that took place in Amsterdam in 2011. Roy Groenberg, chairman of the Dutch group Foundation to Honor and Restore Victims of Slavery in Suriname, e-mailed author Lawrence Hill to tell him he was going to burn copies of his novel, The Book of Negroes, because he found the title racist and offensive. The Book of Negroes was in fact named after an important document in the history of North American slavery, which plays a key role in the novel. Read the excerpt from Dear Sir, I Intend to Burn Your Book

a What is the purpose of this text?

◯ to argue

◯ to entertain ◯ to inform ◯ to instruct

b A piece of non-fiction in which the writer expresses an opinion is different from a source that provides factual information. Still, what makes such a text reliable is largely the same. Read the excerpt from Dear Sir, I Intend to Burn Your Book How reliable is the text? Explain your answer with at least two examples from the text.

STRATEGY

Keeping an open mind

When you're researching a topic, especially a controversial one, it's important to keep an open mind. Doing this will allow you to avoid tunnel vision and to discover different sides to the story, amongst other things. As a result you'll have a (better) understanding of the issue, which helps you form a more rounded opinion. Try the following things:

• Look for neutral sources first. Such sources do not aim to convince you of something but rather present you a complete picture.

• Be aware of confirmation bias. Your own beliefs often affect the way you assess new information.

• Get out of your comfort zone and think outside of the box if you struggle with confirmation bias. This will help you find new angles that will give you a broader understanding.

• Put yourself in the shoes of your opposing party. Empathy is a powerful tool.

• Accept that it is perfectly fine to alter your opinion the more you understand the issue and don't be afraid to do so when the time comes.

• Remember why you are researching a topic. The point of research is understanding differences, not judging them.

Dear Sir, I Intend to Burn Your Book

Some friends and family members were surprised to see how much Mr. Groenberg’s email upset me. And I was surprised myself. Earlier in my career, when very few people had heard of my books, I sometimes joked with friends that all I needed was to be the subject of a book censorship campaign. That, for sure, would increase my sales! I supposed that a few writers whose books are banned, censored or burned end up gaining a few extra sales, but many of them face the more likely possibly of seeing publishers, bookstores and others back away. Who wants to be associated with a writer who will cause trouble, or stir controversy, or attract vigorous public criticism?

I have a troubled relationship with my book burners in Amsterdam.

One emotional challenge for me, in dealing with the issue, was that the Dutch book burners, albeit small in number, were people of Surinamese descent. Suriname, in South America, was one of the most important slave colonies of the Dutch. In the broader Diaspora of African peoples, these are my own people. And it hurts, frankly, when your own people reject you, or tell you that you don’t belong, or challenge the very identity that you have shaped for yourself. I don’t agree with those who burned my book. But I empathize with them. And that, and the troubling relationship we have with books that offend us deeply, is what I want to talk about.

I am not merely a reader and writer with an obvious bias in favour of the freedom to read and write. I am also a parent of five children, and the son of a woman and a man who devoted much of their lives to advancing the cause of human rights in Canada.

My late father, Daniel G. Hill, was an African American born in Independence, Missouri in 1923. He served as a soldier in the highly segregated American Army in World War II. Up to the end of that war, he was reminded most days of his life that he was a black man with second-class rights as an American citizen. Good enough to die for his country, but not good enough to eat in restaurants with white people, drink from their water fountains, swim in their pools or, for that matter, fall in love with one of their daughters.

My mother, Donna Hill, was a White American born in 1928 in South Dakota but raised in Oak Park, Illinois. She navigated the miraculous, early life transition of leaving behind her conservative family roots to become a civil rights activist.

After my parents met and fell in love in one of the only two racially integrated housing co-ops in Washington, DC in 1952, they married and the next day left the USA forever. They moved to Toronto, where my mother continued her work in social activism and my father began his PhD studies in sociology at the University of Toronto.

Yes, I am the child of two sociologists. Consider me a survivor. What else is there but emotional survival, when one’s father catches one pummelling one’s brother, pulls out a scholarly book by French sociologist Émile Durkheim, points a finger and calls out “Deviant Behaviour”?

My father didn’t have much time for children exhibiting deviant behaviour. He was busy finishing his PhD thesis, circa 1960, called “Negroes in Toronto: A Sociological Study” and a few years later he was busy creating the Ontario Human Rights Commission—the first commission of its kind in Canada. Human rights, Black history in Canada, the stories of slavery, the end of slavery, and the civil rights movements in this country and in the USA formed part of our kitchen table talk at home in Don Mills—a sleepy, affluent, overwhelmingly white suburb of Toronto.

My father is no longer around to answer my detailed questions, but I remember him telling me that when I was very young, he argued against the use of racist books and textbooks in the public schools of Ontario. He was sensitive to outrageous descriptions and depictions of Black people—and other racial minorities—in literature, and, by the time he was hitting his full stride as young professional in the 1960s and 1970s, felt fully ready to do battle with them.

One of the books that most outraged him was Little Black Sambo. For those of you who don’t know, Little Black Sambo is a children’s book written by Helen Bannerman and first published in 1899.

The original character appears as a boy from India, but over time the character, in North America especially, is seen to be black. Sambo, like Aunt Jemima, is a catch-all, hurtful name meant to refer to Black people who are in a subjugated, menial, servile position. Sambo evokes the image of the North American slave who is satisfied with his state of servitude.

In this famous children’s story, Sambo surrenders his fancy clothes to four tigers so they will not eat him. The vain tigers chase each other around a tree and melt into a pool of butter. Sambo recovers his clothes and his mother, whose name is Black Mumbo, uses the butter to make 169 pancakes. Black Sambo eats them all. The depiction of the character “Little Black Sambo” falls into the camp of “pickaninny” stereotyping that offends many African-Canadian and African-American readers. Black Sambo has every stereotype going: bare feet, flashy clothes, exaggerated facial features and gluttony to boot. If that does not suffice, he sports the name of the servile, satisfied slave, of William Thackeray’s black-skinned Indian servant from his 1847 novel Vanity Fair

I don’t remember if my father called for the book to be yanked from Ontario schools. I asked his lifelong friend and confidant, Alan Borovoy—now retired, but the former general counsel for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association—but he couldn’t remember either exactly what battle my father might have fought on that front. I asked Alan—a vigorous defender of free speech, even on unpopular fronts such as arguing that disseminators of hate literature should not be prosecuted in Canada—and he answered that it was one thing to try to ban a book completely in society, and less aggressive to argue that a school or school board should not be giving its imprimatur to racist literature.

But this is where we fall into very tricky territory. Half the world, it seems, wants to pull one book or another off school shelves, because the children just aren’t ready for it. On the one hand, you have your basic leftwingers like my father and me, who would be scandalized to think that a teacher in the year 2012 would want to have Grade 1 kids reading Little Black Sambo. On the other hand, you have your right wing and fundamentalist groups that object to the children’s book And Tango Makes Three, the true story of two gay penguins raising a baby penguin in New York’s Central Park Zoo.

Just imagine. If the leftwingers and the rightwingers formed a coalition, they could yank half the books out of the Canadian school curriculum. Together, they could ensure that no school or public library book would ever be allowed to provoke, disturb, challenge, offend or outrage another reader for the rest of time. They could control our minds forever after. In the publicly funded shelves of schools and libraries, the only thing we would have left is Anne of Green Gables

I think I can dispense of two matters immediately. I wouldn’t want any book in a library or bookstore banned, pulled, removed or burned. Period. We can hate them, dissect them, learn from them or praise them, but we need to leave books alone and let readers come to terms with them. We can teach young people to be aware and to be critical thinkers. But to believe that we can protect young people from the ideas in literature is self-delusional, in the extreme. In today’s electronic age, dissidents who are prosecuted and persecuted in a country such as China are more likely to be bloggers than novelists. Still, even in the year 2012, the book holds a special place in the world of argument. To those who would ban them and to those who would defend them, books remain symbols of ideas, defiance, originality and individuality—loved by some for the very same reasons that they are despised by others.

From a practical standpoint, book censorship seems ludicrous. You can find all manner of violence, hate, pornography and filth on the Internet, and on television, and in film. We don’t seem to get too exorcised about that. Many or most young people in Canada have access to the Net and to television, and a great many of them have unrestricted access. Between the Net and television and film, there is something in the palette of colours to meet virtually every definition of gross, and to offend virtually every person on the planet. But heaven forbid that our children read a book about gay penguins in the Central Park Zoo! It seems misplaced and unfair to single out literature for the loudest complaints about allegedly offensive ideas.

Now, let’s consider the thornier problem of grossly hateful or offensive material in the schools. What do we do about it?

Is there such a thing as free speech? Not really. You are not allowed to stand on a street corner in Canada and incite people to violence. It is—rightly, in my opinion—against the Criminal Code of Canada to disseminate hate literature in this country. Clearly, there is room for only so many books in a Grade 3 classroom, or on a Grade 11 English curriculum, or in a school library for that matter. Somebody has to decide which books should be bought, made available to students in libraries, and taught. And it is only normal that a range of societal values will influence the decisions of those who are buying books for students, and teaching children in the classroom.

I openly admit that in the neighbourhood of Hamilton where I live with my wife and children, I would be appalled if I found a Grade 1 teacher reading racist literature to his or her six-year-old charges. I’m sure I would have some questions to ask. I would make sure to speak to my own children—although mine are now well past that age—about the book, and its bias, and its limitations in my view. This is my right as a parent. But, unless the book violated our hate laws or some other Canadian law, I don’t believe that I could argue that it should be removed entirely from the school library, or made inaccessible to children who wanted to read it. I think the hypocrisy of saying “I can read this and handle it but others must be protected from it” applies to children too.

Books are expressions of human thought. It is fair to criticize them, even virulently. But I just don’t think we should be burning or banning them or choosing to make them inaccessible.

Anyway, I can’t really argue to pull a book I happen to hate from the shelves, because it would then be impossible for me to defend other books against attacks led by other people.

Source: Hill, Lawrence. Dear Sir, I Intend to Burn Your Book: An Anatomy of a Book Burning Edmonton: The University of Alberta Press, 2013. 23-28. eBook.

6

Close reading

Read the excerpt from Dear Sir, I Intend to Burn Your Book. Use Strategy: Determining the reliability of sources and Strategy: Keeping an open mind.

a Choose the answers that are true according to the text.

1 Being the subject of a book censorship campaign resulted in Lawrence Hill …

◯ agreeing with the people who burned his book because he understood them.

◯ feeling hurt that those who did it were his own people.

◯ losing publicity from his publisher and from bookstores.

◯ selling more copies of the book than he had expected.

2 When Mr Hill was young, his father …

◯ criticized the use of racist books and textbooks in the public schools of Ontario.

◯ fought to get racist books banned completely in Canadian society.

◯ taught him how to spot offensive depictions of black people in literature.

◯ tried to get Little Black Sambo banned from Lawrence's school in Ontario.

3 According to Mr Hill, book censorship in schools is mainly supported by …

◯ leftwingers and minority groups who don't want schools teaching offensive ideas to their children.

◯ leftwingers and rightwingers who are afraid their children will be influenced by ideas in books they don't agree with.

◯ rightwingers and fundamentalist groups who don't want their children to read stories by or about LGBTQ+ people.

◯ school teachers and librarians who want to ensure that pupils don't have access to offensive or disturbing books.

4 According to Mr Hill, book burning is …

◯ an effective way to protect young people from harmful content in the media and in society.

◯ as effective as censoring harmful content on the internet or on television.

◯ more symbolic than truly effective in stopping harmful content from being spread in society.

◯ symbolic of the increased censoring of content that comes with the growth of the internet and television.

5 When it comes to banning books in schools, Mr Hill says it's …

◯ a legal enactment of Canadian laws that say hate literature is not allowed in schools.

◯ hypocritical, because it goes against ideas about free speech and allowing authors to spread their views.

◯ hypocritical, because people should not dictate what others should read, enjoy or be able to handle.

◯ the right of school teachers and librarians to ban books if they go against their own values.

b Write down the central arguments presented in this excerpt: those in favour of book censorship and those against it.

• Write down at least two arguments in favour of book censorship and two against it.

• Also write down for each argument if you think it's understandable given the circumstances, or not. Explain your answers.

c Discuss the questions together with your classmate. Look up more information about the book-burning incident if you need to.

1 What was the outcome of the book burning in Amsterdam? Did Roy Groenberg and his fellow protesters reach their goal?

2 How effective was the book burning, in your opinion?

3 These events took place over ten years ago. Since then, a lot has changed in public opinion about racism. Do you think an incident like this one could still happen today? Would the response be similar?

7 Forming your own opinion

Look back at question 1 from Get started. Use Strategy: Keeping an open mind. Have your definition of and views on censorship changed after reading the two texts? Explain why (not) in 100-120 words.

Training session 3: Writing

The author of a book you love may say things in an interview that you don't agree with. Or a book may represent political ideas that many people find offensive. This can blow up into a discussion: should the author be 'cancelled', or the book be banned, burned, or censored? It's not easy to be as unbiased as possible when researching such a controversy, especially if you have an emotional connection to the book or the author. But to form a well-rounded opinion, you should be aware of the different sides to a discussion and not dismiss arguments too easily. This way, you can create a full picture of and a thoroughly researched opinion about the issue.

1 Get started a Pair up with a classmate. Discuss the statements and explain why you agree or disagree with them. Fill in the answers you came up with.

1 Everybody should be able to say whatever they want, because free speech is important. I agree / disagree with this statement, because:

2 Influential people, like celebrities and government staff, should be careful about what they say or post on social media, and consider who their audience is.

I agree / disagree with this statement, because:

3 If a celebrity I like got publicly shamed, I'd try to find out both sides of the story before agreeing or disagreeing.

I agree / disagree with this statement, because:

4 When I read or watch something I don't like, I voice my opinion on social media and try to get people to agree with me.

I agree / disagree with this statement, because:

b The widespread influence of social media on the way we interact with others is often blamed for the rise of 'cancel culture'. Look up this term if you don't know what it means. Discuss cancel culture together and come up with a definition. Give an example of cancel culture and write down in one sentence what you think about this particular example.

2 Analysing two op-eds

You're going to read two opinion pieces (op-eds) about Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. These were written after Rowling received backlash online for expressing her opinion about transgender people in a way that millions of fans found hurtful and confusing. Subsequently, many people wanted to distance themselves from the author and her views. Read Harry Potter and the Author Who Failed Us and She Who Shall Not Be Named. Use Strategy: Determining the reliability of sources (Training session 2: Reading).

a Write down which position each writer takes on cancel culture and explain your answer. Which phrases or words are used to make clear what their opinion is? Write down at least five.

b The goal of an op-ed is usually either a call to action or a call for further thought about an issue. What is the goal of both these opinion pieces? Mark at least three phrases or words in the texts that tell you what each author wants their audience to do.

c Which audience do these writers write for, and who do they write against? List at least three phrases or words from the text that make this clear.

d Look up the websites of the news outlets and/or the writers to get a clearer picture of their background. Are these opinion pieces reliable? Why (not)?

https://www.vox.com

HARRY POTTER AND THE AUTHOR WHO FAILED US

People often ask me if I think “canceling” someone really has a meaningful effect, or if it’s just a performative stance. But that question flattens cancel culture’s power. To me, “canceling” someone does not mean punishing one individual, ruining their career or blacklisting them from existence based on some general idea of which social crimes are worth punishing.

Instead, I see cancel culture as a collective decision to minimize the cultural influence a person and their work have from this moment on. This is already happening for some 20th-century figures whose art can now no longer be seen outside of its problematic context: white supremacists Ezra Pound and H.P. Lovecraft are the clearest, most well-known examples, but society has also changed how we discuss more recent creators like Woody Allen and Michael Jackson. In all of these controversial cases, the approach is usually one of compromise: no one wants to lose Cthulhu or “Thriller” or Annie Hall, but we also can no longer talk about those stories without making it clear that they were created by bigots or predators.

We cannot discuss Harry Potter now without acknowledging the bigotry lurking beneath the surface-level morality of Rowling’s stories. The sad and messy truth is that Rowling’s transphobic comments may have ruined Harry Potter for many of its fans. But though many aspects of Harry Potter are already up for debate and re-evaluation, it’s simply too big a cultural landmark, one that means too much to too many of us, to have its existence completely erased. I bristle at the jokes on social media that fantasize about the Harry Potter books magically appearing unto us with no author, or that they were written by someone else we like better. We can’t pretend that Rowling is dead or non-existent, and that her opinion or influence doesn’t matter. No effort to separate the art from the artist can ever be fully successful when the artist is right there, reminding us with her tweets that she intended for her art to reflect her prejudice all along.

This is important, because despite its flaws, Harry Potter has made generations of kids grow up to be progressive—more progressive than the books themselves and the woman who authored them, in fact. Millions of Harry Potter fans are cancelling the author not out of a spirit of scorn and ostracism, but out of real grief. It was the fans, not Rowling herself, who, by sorting themselves into Hogwarts houses, sewing cosplays, writing fanfic, playing Quidditch and swarming stores for midnight book launches, made Harry Potter the cultural phenomenon it is today. Their passion deserves to be part of the story, and that includes their love and empathy for trans people and other vulnerable communities, and their steady rejection of Rowling’s prejudice.

So if we can’t erase Rowling, we can break up with her instead. We can nurse our wounds and be sad we loved someone who hurt us so badly. We can celebrate happier times while mourning a relationship we outgrew — one that became toxic — and regretting the time we spent waiting for a problematic fave to change and grow. We can give ourselves time to heal. And we can accept that the microaggressions we may have noticed in Rowling’s books were, perhaps, warning signs obscured by a benevolent, liberal exterior. Jo can keep the money, the house elves who love their enslavement, the anti-Semitic goblin stereotypes, Dolores Umbridge, Voldemort and the Dementors. We’ll keep the Wizarding World that lives on in our hearts: the Harry Potter we all created together, without J.K. Rowling. We all know that’s the version that matters, in the end.

Source: Aja Romano for Vox, 11 June 2020.

https://www.newnews.com

She Who Shall Not Be Named

JK Rowling is being erased from her own creations. All because she spoke up for women’s sex-based rights.

Perhaps the Harry Potter universe is so magical that it invented itself. The new trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore certainly makes it seem that way, introducing the movie with ‘Warner Bros invites you’, rather than ‘JK Rowling invites you’, as in the trailers for the previous installment, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. This feels like a deliberate and sinister move. Rowling’s books have inspired theme parks, party decorations, university courses, even food and drinks around the world, and have been translated into 65 languages, making her one of the most-translated authors in history and the first to make a billion dollars. And now she’s being subtly erased.

We know why, too. On 19 December 2019, Rowling expressed support for consultant-researcher Maya Forstater when she lost her employment tribunal. (Forstater had not had her contract renewed by the company she worked for following a gender-critical tweet.) But by speaking out for women’s sex-based rights, Rowling had effectively sinned against trans orthodoxy.

The one-time liberal idol’s fall from grace was swift and vicious, and her treatment in media and cultural circles has been shameful. In September 2020, Warner Bros was already reassuring fans that Rowling would not be involved in the development of a Harry Potter game. The young actors whose careers she spearheaded went one step further, refusing to acknowledge the role Rowling played in the Harry Potter films altogether. They have thrown the woman that made them under a bus.

This feels like a perilous moment for female authors, who throughout history have had their work minimised, their accomplishments dismissed and their legacy stolen by men. As Kiri Tunks, co-founder of the feminist organisation Woman’s Place UK, told the Telegraph: ‘This attempt to detach a female author from her own creative achievement is astonishing … [But] it won’t work … [Rowling] is now a hero to women all over the world for speaking up in the face of intimidation and abuse.’

Behind the pseudonym ‘JK Rowling’ lies a woman named Joanne who wanted to be taken seriously in the sexist world of publishing. After becoming one of the most decorated authors in history by pursuing her dreams, defying her impoverished circumstances and escaping an abusive marriage, she now has another struggle on her hands. With her fame and riches, she could be leading an extremely comfortable life, hanging out with celebs and drinking champagne. But she decided instead to use her fame to shed light on the bullying and harassment endured by everyday women, like me.

What is the purpose of the abuse, intimidation and the erasure of Rowling’s work, of symbolically burning the quintessential witch of our times? At this point, it’s impossible to erase her from history books, but it does send a message to other women: ‘If we can do this to JK Rowling, imagine what we could do to you’.

It seems some think Rowling, by standing up to trans-activist bullies, has uttered a real-world unforgiveable curse like those in the books, which can get a wizard sentenced to life in Azkaban prison. No doubt they also want to send her away to a remote prison island.

Rowling has done women an immeasurable service. We should be thankful to her for alerting thousands of us to the possible threat at our doors. The time for quiet mumblings is over. Now is the time to stand up for women.

Source:

3 Pre-writing: doing research

Use Strategy: Determining the reliability of sources and Strategy: Keeping an open mind (Training session 2: Reading). In this exercise you're going to write your own op-ed about cancel culture. First, you're going to research the topic further. Find two reliable sources about cancel culture, one that discusses why it can be effective and necessary and one that discusses its downsides. Copy the overview twice and fill them in. Don't worry too much about the length of the text; if you estimate the text will contain about three or four arguments, you're good.

Raquel Rosario Sanchez for Spiked, 18th December 2021.

Text about why cancel culture can be good / bad

Title:

Author:

Date of publication:

Source:

STRATEGY

Building a strong argument

Sometimes you will feel the need to defend your opinion against those who might not agree with you. It is very useful to organise your thoughts and turn them into a constructive and therefore strong argument. After all, a strong argument is more likely to sway your audience. When you want to build a strong argument, keep the following things in mind.

• Be aware of who you are trying to convince. Trying to convince your three-year-old niece would require a different approach than trying to convince your head teacher.

• Research the issue you want to discuss by drawing on reliable and authoritative sources and taking notes along the way.

• Make sure you understand both sides of the issue, especially if you feel very strongly about your own opinion.

• Think not only of arguments, but also of objections to these arguments and how these can be rebutted in turn.

• Formulate your opinion as a statement and support your opinion by drawing from the arguments, objections and counterarguments you have collected.

• Don't forget to summarise your arguments in your conclusion and state your opinion in a new way.

4

Writing a blog

Use Strategy: Building a strong argument. You may use Harry Potter and the Author Who Failed Us and She Who Shall Not Be Named. Write an opinion piece (op-ed) in which you discuss what you think about cancel culture when it comes to authors. Go back to Get started and choose an angle from the statements mentioned there, or choose from the statements below.

• It's (not) fair to look at a person's past actions or statements and let that influence the way you feel about them in this moment.

• Cancel culture can be good or bad, depending on the situation and the person.

• People who write about marginalised groups (don't) have a responsibility to write about these groups in a non-harmful way.

You can write about J.K. Rowling or choose another author you know who has been the subject of controversy. You can use Harry Potter and the Author Who Failed Us and She Who Shall Not Be Named as examples, but use your own words and arguments and refer to the sources you found online to make your own op-ed more reliable. Use no more than 400 words.

Complete your mission

Use Mission briefing, Strategy: Determining reliability of sources and Strategy: Keeping an open mind in Training session Reading and Strategy: Building a strong argument in Training session Writing. Follow the steps to complete your mission.

□ Reread Mission briefing. Choose one of the books from the following list:

• James Baldwin – Go Tell It On the Mountain (novel)

• Art Spiegelman – Maus (graphic novel)

• Mark Twain – Huckleberry Finn (novel)

• Angie Thomas – The Hate U Give (novel)

• Marjane Satrapi – Persepolis (graphic novel)

• Elizabeth Acevedo – The Poet X (poetry)

• Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games (YA novel)

• Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why (YA novel)

• Arthur Miller – The Crucible (play)

• Shirley Jackson – The Lottery (short story; see also Mission 9 – Literature)

Or find another (graphic) novel, play or short story with a history of controversy and censorship. Make sure it hasn't already been discussed at length in one of the Training sessions. Do not forget to check with your teacher for approval.

□ Find at least three opinion pieces about the censorship history of your story. Consult online and/or offline resources, all the while keeping an open mind. Make sure that:

• the source of each piece is reliable;

• each piece is between 500 and 800 words long;

• you keep track of your work by writing down the title, author, date of publication and source.

□ Thoroughly read your selection in order to ensure it offers you as many different opinions about censorship as possible, not just good or bad. Look at the many nuances that exist, like historical context, changing morals in society, the evolution of media outlets, etc.

□ Read your selection again and take note of the following:

• Where, when and why has this book been censored? Reasons for the why could include:

• the subject matter;

• the context in which it was written and/or read;

• the intended audience;

• language use or word choice;

• the author's private political views or actions;

• literary aspects, such as style, genre, or type of text.

• What is the background of those in favour of censorship and those who are opposed to it?

□ Collect the key arguments of each opinion piece.

□ Form your own opinion about this particular case of censorship. Take into account your own reading experiences as well as those you’ve gathered from other people and professionals. Try not to make a sweeping statement like 'censorship is good/bad because …' but form a nuanced argument.

□ Write an op-ed (opinion piece) (or, if you'd like to make a vlog or a short podcast, write a script) about the story, its history of censorship, and your opinion about it. Use the key arguments of your opinion pieces either as a means of substantiating your own opinion, or as a starting point for shedding a light on a different angle – your opinion, to be exact.

□ Use 400-500 words.

Mission debriefing

Go to New Interface online for the Model answer. Compare your op-ed (opinion piece) to the model and fill in the rubric. Alternatively, you could ask a classmate to read your oped and fill in the rubric for you. Mission accomplished ...?

1 Looking for and finding at least three opinion pieces of 500-800 words.

2 Using opinion pieces from different reliable sources.

3 Giving an overview of your sources.

4 Having a number of different, nuanced views on this particular case of censorship.

5 Analysing the story's history of censorship.

6 Determining the key arguments of each opinion piece.

7 Keeping an open mind up to the point where you were asked to form your opinion.

8 Forming a thorough and well-rounded opinion based on your research.

9 Contents of the op-ed: expressing your opinion in a clear and appropriate way.

10 Use of vocabulary, grammar and phrases.

If you have indicated 'Needs improving' in any category, please give tips here.

WORDS NEW WORLDS CAN OPEN

New Interface tweede fase prepares you for life. Not just any life; YOUR life. Using the English language, we aim to broaden your knowledge and teach you valuable and practical skills that help you shape your life, now and in the future.

How? By practising English in real-life situations, by doing assignments that prepare you for the choices you will be faced with and by using the English language as a means to an end, as opposed to a goal in itself.

Whether you travel the world or stay close to home, New Interface helps you to open new worlds.