English 3 Booklet 2018-2

Reading & Writing
Student Book
English 3 – LENG 1153

Integrated Academic Skills
2018-2
Universidad de los Andes Facultad de Ciencias Sociales Departamento de Lenguas y Cultura
Except where otherwise noted, the contents of this book are the property of the Department of Languages and
Culture at Universidad de los Andes.
Bogotá, Colombia, 2018
ii
NOTES ON THIS EDITION (2018-2)
The first edition of this book comprises four major sections, all useful to the learner of English
at the Basic Cycle of the Language Support Program at Universidad de los Andes.
The first section, Reading Strategies, includes reference information, examples and exercises
on the use of the strategies required to be an effective reader at B1 level of the Common
European Framework of Reference.
The second section, Reading Texts, is a compilation of four leveled readings upon which
exercises have been designed to apply the reading strategies proper of this course.
The third section, Reading Workshops, comprises a set of exercises to practice reading and
grammar strategies, based on the texts selected for the course. These workshops have been
designed to offer you a guided, scaffolded reading experience to facilitate your learning and
make it interesting.
Finally, the writing component of this course is catered for at the Writing Workshops section
of the book. There, you will find guided exercises to develop writing little by little, paying
attention to the key grammar topics necessary to achieve the course objectives.
We are sure you will find this book useful, and so invite you to take full advantage of it.
We wish you a great learning experience!
The English 3 Team
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Reference Material .................................................................................................................6
Reading Strategies.............................................................................................................................. 9
What is a reading strategy? .............................................................................................................. 9
Skimming ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Scanning ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Using context to understand vocabulary...................................................................................... 13
Finding the topic and the main idea of a text ............................................................................. 15
Identifying topic sentences and supporting sentences .............................................................. 16
Using graphic organizers .................................................................................................................. 18
Making Predictions ........................................................................................................................... 20
Identifying Noun Phrases .................................................................................................................. 21
Identifying References ..................................................................................................................... 23
Identifying facts and opinions ......................................................................................................... 24
Reading Texts ........................................................................................................................27
Dancing Ganesha……………..……………………………………………..………………………………29
The Orchids's Secret……………….………………………………………………………………………….32
Talking Leaves ....................................................................................................................................... 34
Digitized Signals Are the Future of the Black Box..……………………………….…………………..…36
Reading Workshops..............................................................................................................39
Reading Workshop 1 ........................................................................................................................ 41

Writing Workshops ................................................................................................................65
Writing Workshop 1 ........................................................................................................................... 67

Appendixes ........................................................................................................................... 81
v
Section 1
Reference Material
6
Reading Strategies
What is a reading strategy?
Think of this situation:
You get home at night, and you find the front door closed. How do you face the situation?
In this case, turning the knob, using the key, trying to use a window, and calling the locksmith are
different ways to come in home. A strategy is similar; it is a tool, or a method to solve a particular
problem. Reading strategies are tools, or methods to solve a reading problem.
Why are reading strategies important?
 Reading strategies facilitate your comprehension of a text. In the example of the door, you
could simply be locked out forever, or you could try to pull the door down. But with the use of
strategies, your problem is solved more easily.
 Reading strategies reduce the time to understand a text. For example, using a dictionary to
look up the meaning of every word can take hours. A context-guessing strategy reduces this
time significantly.
 Reading strategies enhance your comprehension of a text. With the use of strategies, you
can understand a text better and more completely.
9
Skimming
Skimming is to look for the general ideas in a text. You skim a text when you read only general ideas
within a text to get an overall impression of the content of a reading.
Tips on how to skim a text:

 Read the title.
 Read the introduction or the first paragraph.
 Read the first sentence of every other paragraph.
 Read any headings and sub-headings.
 Notice any pictures, charts, or graphs.
 Notice any italicized or boldface words or phrases.
 Read the summary or last paragraph.
Scanning
Scanning is a reading strategy to find specific information quickly. When you scan a text, you have a
question in your mind and you read a passage only to find the answer, ignoring information that does
not relate to your question.
Tips on how to scan a text:
 Make sure you know exactly what specific information you are looking for.
 Try to anticipate how the answer will appear and what clues you might use to help you
locate the answer. For example, if you were looking for a certain date, you would
quickly read the paragraph looking only for numbers.
 Use headings and any other aids that will help you identify which sections might contain
the information you are looking for.
 Selectively read and skip through sections of the passage.
Exercise
You have three minutes to do the following:
1. Read the title.

2. Read the first two sentences of each paragraph.
3. Answer the questions at the end of the article.
10
5.1 Overview of Photosynthesis
All living organisms on earth consist of one or more cells. Each cell
runs on the chemical energy found mainly in carbohydrate molecules
(food), and the majority of these molecules are produced by one
process: photosynthesis. Through photosynthesis, certain organisms
convert solar energy (sunlight) into chemical energy, which is then
used to build carbohydrate molecules. The energy used to hold these
molecules together is released when an organism breaks down food.
Cells then use this energy to perform work, such as cellular
respiration.
The energy that is harnessed from photosynthesis enters the

ecosystems of our planet continuously and is transferred from one
organism to another. Therefore, directly or indirectly, the process of
photosynthesis provides most of the energy required by living things
on earth. Photosynthesis also results in the release of oxygen into the
atmosphere. In short, to eat and breathe, humans depend almost
entirely on the organisms that carry out photosynthesis.
Taken from: Concepts of Biology by OpenStax, version 9.22. Download for free at
http://cnx.org/contents/b3c1e1d2-839c-42b0-a314-e119a8aafbdd@9.22.
1. What is the text about?
2. What information does it give you?
Exercise
Scan the job advertisement quickly to find the answers to the questions below. Remember, don’t read
every word.
11
Job Opportunity
National Bank
 Are you between 21 and 50 years old?
 Do you need a stable job?
 Are you available to work overtime?
 Can you work early, late or Saturday mornings?
National Bank is looking for enthusiastic and reliable people to work on a non-term
contract basis. Work is to be done at downtown headquarters in Bogotá.
 to provide information to clients on all kinds of accounts available at
the bank
 to offer and promote all the credit lines available at the bank
 to answer inquiries regarding checking and savings accounts and other
Main job bank related products
tasks  to process cash withdrawals
 to receive and verify loan payments, mortgage payments and utility bill
payments
 to open new accounts
 to make reports and submit them to the bank manager
 High school diploma is required
 Undergraduate degree in a finance or management related area is
Education required
 Computer competency is a must
 Additional accounting courses are an added advantage
 Excellent spoken and written communication skills
 Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish
 Punctual
Skills
 Polite
 Good work ethics
 Strong communication and customer service abilities
 Starting monthly salary, including Saturdays, is $2’700.000 COP, plus
Salary and three bonuses a year.
Contract  Promotion opportunities
 Immediate start, non-term contract
 Schedule: Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm and Saturday
Hours
mornings from 9:00am to 1:00pm
To apply for the job please send your CV to humanresources@nationalbank.com
Write your full name in the subject line. This job offer will be open until July 26th.
Applications will not be processed after this date.
1. When does the job start? _______________________________________________

2. How much is the salary? _______________________________________________
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3. How long is the job for? _______________________________________________
4. How many languages are required for the job? _______________________________________
5. What level of education is required for the job? ______________________________________
Using context to understand vocabulary
When you try to guess the meaning of a new word, it is often useful to look at what comes before and
after that word. The surrounding words can give you helpful context clues about the meaning and
structure of the new word, as well as how it is used.
Consider the following context clues to guess the meaning of a word in a text:
 Pay attention to the general meaning of the sentence or phrase

 Use grammar rules to identify word forms
 Use prior knowledge
 Notice word parts such as prefixes and suffixes
Use the context and prior knowledge to guess the meaning of the word in bold.
1. To prepare the cafeteria for the big dance, the planning committee adorned the walls with
colorful streamers and balloons.
Meaning:
___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence helped you understand the word?

___________________________________________________________________________
2. Desperate to make money, Andrea decided to smuggle drugs into the United States. Upon her
arrival in Miami, she got caught by airport police and now she is in jail.
Meaning:
___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
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3. Jackson loved his wife with all his heart, but three years after their marriage, she died in a
tragic car accident. He never recovered from his wife's death and eventually in grief, killed
himself
Meaning:
___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
4. Andrea had been on a very strict diet to lose weight for two months. But yesterday, at her best
friend’s birthday party, she yielded to temptation and ate a large slice of cake.
Meaning:
___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
5. Andrea did not announce her decision about the project in the meeting earlier today, but her
eyes gave me a hint of what her decision is.
Meaning:
___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
14
Finding the topic and the main idea of a text
What is a topic?
The topic of a text is what the whole text is mostly about.
How do you find it?
 Read the title.

 Read the first and the last paragraph. The topic is usually named.
 Look through the text and notice the words that are repeated.
 Look at the pictures, words in bold, headings, and others for clues.
 Look at what all (or most) the examples and other details in the text have in common.
What is a main idea?
The main idea is the key point that gives the most general information about the topic of the text.
How do you find it?
 There is usually one in every paragraph.

 Main ideas are usually followed by examples or explanations of details.
 The main idea is a complete sentence.
 Sometimes the main idea is explicit (topic sentence, see page 16), but sometimes it is implicit
in the text.
Example 1:
Summer is a wonderful time to spend at West Beach. It is a beach with

light-colored, soft sand. The coastline goes on for a long way and
many people enjoy walking along it. Children like to play in the surf
and walk along the rocks that are visible at low tide. This is a fun
beach for people of all ages.
 Topic of the paragraph: West Beach

 Main idea of the paragraph: Summer is a wonderful time to spend at West Beach
In this case, the main idea is also the topic sentence of the paragraph.
15
Example 2:
Water is a natural resource that makes up to 71 percent of the Earth’s

surface. Animals and plants depend on water in different ways.
However, some plants or animals have different water needs. Plants,
for example, require it for germination, photosynthesis, nutrient
transfer, and transpiration. Some animals need it to keep hydrated,
digest food, and build body fluids, while other animals need it as their
habitat. Without water, life as we know it on the planet would die
quickly.
 Topic of the paragraph: The importance and use of water for life on the Earth
 Main idea of the paragraph: Water is an essential natural resource for life as we know it on the
Earth.
In this case, the complete main idea is not explicit, so it requires interpretation.
Identifying topic sentences and supporting sentences
A topic sentence essentially (and often) tells you what the main idea of a paragraph is. It is usually at
the beginning of the paragraph, but it is not always the same.
Supporting sentences elaborate on the main idea expressed in the topic sentence. They usually have
one of the following functions:
 to provide specific and factual details

 to explain or define important terms
 to give examples to illustrate the point made in the topic sentence
 to give reasons or arguments
 to give opinions
Example:
The human heart is a small yet highly efficient piece of equipment.

The heart weighs about 11 ounces and is the size of a clenched fist.
The heart of a man performs at about 60 to 80 beats a minute. In a
year, it beats some 40 million times. At each beat, it takes in nearly a
16
quarter of a pint of blood. In a single day, it pumps 2,200 gallons of
blood, and in the course of a single lifetime, about 56 million gallons.
The topic sentence is underlined. Look at the organization of the paragraph:
 Topic sentence: The human heart is a small yet highly efficient piece of equipment.
 Supporting sentence 1: The heart weighs about 11 ounces and is the size of a clenched fist.
 Supporting sentence 2: The heart of a man performs at about 60 to 80 beats a minute. In a
year, it beats some 40 million times.
o Supporting sentence 2a: At each beat, it takes in nearly a quarter of a pint of blood.
In a single day, it pumps 2,200 gallons of blood, and in the course of a single
lifetime, about 56 million gallons.
Now, read this paragraph and identify its topic sentence and supporting sentences.
My hometown, Bogotá, is famous for several reasons. First, it is noted

for its Spanish colonial architecture in the historical center La
Candelaria. In La Candelaria, you will find small streets, lots of graffiti,
shops, nice restaurants, beautiful squares and historical buildings.
Second, Friday and Saturday are the perfect days to go out in ‘La
Zona Rosa’ of Bogota. Many different bars and cafes can be found in
this place. Do you like live music, reggae, salsa, rock or jazz? No
problem, because you will find it all! Everybody will be happy in this
place!
 Topic sentence:
__________________________________________________________________________
 Supporting sentence 1:
__________________________________________________________________________
 Supporting sentence 2:
__________________________________________________________________________
Exercise
Choose the topic sentence that best introduces the main idea of the paragraph.
1. _________________________________________________. North Americans send cards

for many occasions. They send cards to family and friends on birthdays and holidays.
They also send thank-you cards, get well cards, graduation cards, and congratulation
cards. It is very common to buy cards in stores and send them through the mail, but
turning on the computer and sending cards over the Internet is also popular.
17
a. Sending cards is very popular in North America.
b. Birthday cards are the most popular kind of card.
c. It is important to send thank-you cards.
2. _________________________________________________. I enjoy summer sports like
water skiing and baseball. The weather is usually sunny and hot, so I can go to the
beach almost every day. Gardening is my hobby and I spend many summer days
working in my garden. Unfortunately, the days pass too quickly in summer.
a. I like to garden in summer.

b. Summer is my favorite season.
c. Summer is too short.
Using graphic organizers
Graphic organizers are a useful strategy to read and see information in a different format. You can use
a graphic organizer for many purposes. The most frequent purposes are:
 summarizing,
 organizing,
 classifying, and
 synthesizing information.
The following are four common types of graphic organizers and their common uses.
Spider Map
A spider map is used to describe the development of a central idea or a topic and its related details.
You can use it to describe a thing (a geographic region), a process (photosynthesis), a concept
(altruism), or a proposition with support (Should experimental drugs should be available to AIDS
victims?).
18
Compare/Contrast Matrix
Person/Thing 1 Person/Thing 2
Attribute 1
Attribute 2
Attribute 3
You can use this matrix to show similarities and/or differences between two or more things, people,
places, events, ideas, etc.
Network Tree
You can use this diagram to show causal information (causes of poverty), a hierarchy (types of
insects), or branching procedures (the circulatory system).
Cycle Diagram
You can use this diagram to show how a series of events interact to produce a set of results again and
again (weather phenomena, cycles of achievement and failure, the life cycle).
19
Exercise
Choose the most appropriate graphic organizer to summarize/organize the information of the following
paragraph. The graphic that you make does not need to be exactly like the examples.
Welcome to Robotics Inc. As a new member of our advertising team,

we’d like you to know where you stand in our organization. Our
General Director, Howard Rogers, is mainly in charge of setting the
general strategy and direction of the company and allocating capital
to the company’s priorities. Directly under the GD are two important
divisions. One is R+D (Research and Development) which is
composed of two departments: Planning, and Research. They make
sure that we stay current in the ever-changing world of technology.
The other division is Marketing, which consists of the departments of
Advertising, Public Relations, and Sales. They are in charge of making
the company and our products visible and accessible to customers
around the world.
Making Predictions
You can use information from a text (including titles, headings, pictures, and diagrams), and your own
personal experiences to anticipate what you are about to read (or what comes next).
Predicting involves thinking ahead and anticipating information and events in the text. After making
predictions, you can read through the text and refine, revise, and verify your predictions.
Exercise
Read the following passage. Determine what event is probably going to occur next. Justify your
answer with evidence from the text.
"You have to water the tomatoes in the morning, not at midday or at

night," Veronica told her brother A.J. He nodded, but it didn't really
look like he was paying attention. "They need to receive water all day,
so please water them in the morning," she continued. "Yeah, yeah,
water the plants," A.J. said with frustration. Veronica was travelling out
of the country to Spain for two weeks. She was counting on her
20
brother A.J. to water her plants. He had been irresponsible in the past,
but she was giving him another chance. She had heard that
gardening was therapeutic and A.J. needed therapy. She hugged and
kissed him goodbye and then went to the airport. While she was
gone, A.J. stopped by the garden once or twice at the start of the first
week, and then he lost interest. Veronica wanted to call her brother to
remind him to water the plants, but she was having so much fun in
Spain that she forgot. When Veronica finally returned, the first thing
she did was check out her garden. She walked up to the patch and...”
What did Veronica probably do? ________________________________________________________
How do you justify your prediction? _____________________________________________________
Identifying Noun Phrases
A. Let’s start with the definition of noun. What is it? Talk with a partner. Can you give an example?
_________________________________________________________________________
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing or idea. For example, girl, school, book, and
information are nouns.
Look at this example:
bus (noun)
a bus
a school bus
You can see there are two nouns: school, and bus. But “school” describes “bus,” so we say that “bus” is
the head of this noun phrase. Every noun phrase has a head.
The head of the noun phrase is important. Look:
21
 I love milk chocolate.
 I love chocolate milk.
The head in 1 is different from the head in 2. Can you tell the difference?
Now, look at another example:
girl (noun)
a girl
a blond girl
a blond, Canadian girl
a cute, blond, Canadian girl
The words a, blond, Canadian, and cute, all describe the head noun girl. And they are all before the
head noun. We call this pre-modification.
B. Your partner’s wardrobe. Imagine that you are in front of your partner’s closet. Guess what is in
the closet.
Play with the elements in the following table and create noun phrases; underline the head noun.
Determiner Adjective Noun Head Noun

a, an, the, this, nice, horrible, ugly, leather, cotton, handbag, t-shirt,
these, one, two, old, new, big, metal, plastic, silk, shirt, blouse,
three, your,… small, fashionable, lycra, wool, … leggings, trainers,
boring, blue, black, boots, flip-flops,
funny, pink, shoes, scarf, hat,
yellow, brown… cap, jeans, trousers,
belt, …
Example:
- You have two nice leather jackets.

- You have a boring cotton t-shirt.
Note that noun phrases aren’t always cases of pre-modification. Look:

- I have a friend. (pre-modification)
- I have a good friend. (pre-modification)
- I have a good friend from Colombia. (pre- and post-modification)
See how you can post-modify the head noun:
22
Using a prepositional phrase (across the street, in red, at home…)
- I love the house across the street!
- The woman in red is my friend.
-
Using adverbs (today, outside, upstairs, inside…)
- Kids today use a lot of technology.
- I don’t like the people outside. They look suspicious.
Identifying References
A. Read these sentences:
1. Manuel Elkin Patarroyo is a Colombian professor of Pathology and Immunology.

2. Manuel Elkin Patarroyo made the world’s first attempt to create a synthetic vaccine against
malaria.
Remember that pronouns give us the opportunity to eliminate repetition. We can combine the two
sentences in one! Look:
Manuel Elkin Patarroyo is a Colombian professor of Pathology and Immunology who made
the world’s first attempt to create a synthetic vaccine against malaria.
And there are more ways! We can combine:
1. My math teacher wants to live in Buenos Aires.

2. My math teacher’s wife is Argentinian.
Into:
My math teacher, whose wife is Argentinian, wants to live in Buenos Aires.
There are different types of pronouns that you can use to avoid repetition; study the boxes on the next
page.
Personal Pronouns
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Subject Pronouns Object Pronouns Possessive Adjectives Possessive Pronouns
I me my mine
you you your yours
he him his his
she her her hers
it it its its
we us our ours
they them their theirs
Relative Pronouns
that which who whom whose where when why
B. Read the paragraph and underline the nouns and pronouns and their corresponding references.
The Matrix
Trinity, an infamous hacker, is cornered by police in an abandoned hotel. She overpowers them
with superhuman abilities, but a group of sinister superhuman black-suited Agents lead the
police in a rooftop pursuit. She answers a ringing public telephone and vanishes.
Computer programmer Thomas Anderson lives a double life under the hacker alias "Neo". He
believes something is wrong with the world and is puzzled by repeated online encounters with
the cryptic phrase "the Matrix". Trinity contacts him, saying that a man named Morpheus can
explain its meaning; however, the Agents, led by Agent Smith, apprehend Neo at his office and
attempt to get a plea bargain out of Neo in exchange for helping them capture Morpheus, whom
they call a terrorist. Undeterred, Neo meets Morpheus, who offers him a choice between a red
pill, which will allow him to learn the truth about the Matrix, and a blue pill, which will return
him to his former life. After swallowing the red pill, Neo's reality disintegrates and he awakens,
naked and weak, in a liquid-filled pod, one of countless people connected by cables to an
elaborate electrical system. He is rescued and brought aboard Morpheus' hovercraft,
the Nebuchadnezzar.
Taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix
Identifying facts and opinions
A. Read the following sentences:

24
1. Sharks are fish.
2. Sharks look scary.
Which sentence can you prove as true or false, 1 or 2?
 How can you prove it?

_____________________________________________________________
Now, read:
 A statement that can be verified or proven is a fact.

 A statement that shows how someone feels, what he/she believes, or how he/she sees the world
is an opinion.
See some more examples:
FACTS OPINIONS
Pandas have fur. Pandas are cute.
Queen were a British rock band. Queen made great songs.
November 22nd is the last day of school. November 22nd is the best day of the year.
B. Practice
1. Identify the facts and the opinions in the following paragraph. Underline the facts, and highlight the
opinions. Then, compare your answers with a partner.
Jorge Luis Borges’s international reputation was consolidated in the

1960s, aided by his works being available in English, by the Latin
American Boom and by the success of García Márquez's One
Hundred Years of Solitude. Writer and essayist J. M. Coetzee said of
him: "He, more than anyone, renovated the language of fiction and
thus opened the way to a remarkable generation of Spanish American
novelists."
2. Decide if the following statements are facts or opinions.
STATEMENT FACT OPINION

1. In 2016 there was an outbreak of Zika in Colombia.
2. Babies generally start to talk between 18 and 24 months of age.
25
STATEMENT FACT OPINION
3. Italian is an easier language to learn than Spanish.
4. The capital of Russia is Moscow.
5. Smoke detectors can help save lives.
6. Thousands of people die each year from the interaction of their
prescription drugs.
7. Cell phones should be banned in all school and university classrooms.
8. Children should not be allowed to watch more than five hours of
television per week.
9. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is the US Government agency
responsible for the control and suppression of infectious diseases.
10. Surfing the Web is more fun than watching TV.
Now, compare with a partner and give reasons for your answers.
Credits
Photos
- Untitled, by Wayne Dery at https://unsplash.com/search/girl?photo=8k6tLpo8n0c

- Photograph of a school bus in Roselle, Illinois. Bus is a IC Bus CE-Series body on a mid to
late-2000s International 3300 chassis. By H. Michael Miley. Retrieved from:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ICCE_Illinois_School_Bus.jpg. This work is licensed
under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License. To view a copy of
this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ or send a letter to Creative
Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Text
- The Matrix, taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix
- Jorge Luis Borges, taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges
- Overview of Photosynthesis: Concepts of Biology by OpenStax, version 9.22. Download for
free at http://cnx.org/contents/b3c1e1d2-839c-42b0-a314-e119a8aafbdd@9.22. This work is
licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of
this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative
Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Activities
- Topic sentence insertion: Taken and adapted from:
https://kedatgym204.wikispaces.com/file/view/exercises_on_paragraph_writing.pdf. This work
is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ or send a letter to
Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
- Making predictions exercise: Taken from http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-
worksheets/reading-comprehension-worksheets/context-clues-worksheets/ By Mr. Morton
EreadingsWorksheets
26
Section 2
Reading Texts
Reading 1
Dancing Ganesha
1. Ganesha is a beloved Hindu god who brings

good fortune and success in all daily activities. In
India, people who visit temples often pray to
Ganesha before they worship the main temple god
or goddess. People can easily recognize Ganesha
because he has an elephant’s head, a round belly,
several arms, and artists depict it as having
something sweet to eat. Although he is often
sitting or standing, here he is dancing, which
shows his joyful side. In some parts of India he
has an adult’s body, in other parts, a child’s body.
2. People made this image of him from sandstone

over a thousand years ago and placed it in the
south exterior wall of a temple, which still exists in
the city of Gwalior in north-central India. Some
parts of the sculpture surrounding the figure of
Dancing Ganesha were broken a long time ago
when it fell off the temple. Both of his tusks are missing. People believe that he
broke one of them off and threw it at the moon because the moon laughed at his
potbelly! In another story, his broken tusk is the pen used to help write the
Mahabharata. This ancient Indian poem, about a war between cousins, describes
every aspect of Hindu life and thought.
3. Ganesha has more than two arms. Hindu gods are represented with multiple
arms as a sign of their supernatural powers. Here, two of Ganesha’s arms accent the
“S” curves of his dancing body: his upper-right arm extends out from his shoulder
as the hand points to his swaying trunk, echoing its graceful bend; his lower-left
arm leads our eyes down to the hip that juts out to the right. The hand of his lower-
right arm holds a large battle-ax to protect his worshippers from trouble and to cut
away bad thoughts. In his upper-left hand, Ganesha grasps a cone-shaped object,
which people interpret in several different ways: it might be his broken tusk, or a
daikon (large white radish)—a great treat for elephants! Like his father, Shiva, he
wears a snake around his large belly.
4. Ganesha holds a round sweet cake (called a modaka). Because he is dancing, his
crown is moved to one side. On his feet are ankle bells; dancers and elephants wear
29
them in India. He dances on top of a flat pedestal decorated with petals of a lotus
flower, a type of water lily. The lotus symbolizes the purity and divine energy of life
because, although rooted in the mud of ponds and rivers, its flower rises up out of
the water and opens, completely clean, each morning. Every aspect of Ganesha’s
round, rhythmically swaying figure is full of such contrasts: he is both heavy and
graceful, mischievous and serious, and he seems to embody deep wisdom as well as
the joy of a young child.
About the God Ganesha
5. Ganesha is a Hindu god who loves to dance. His name means “Lord of the Ganas”
small, mischievous dwarfs with round bellies who serve Ganesha and his famous
father, Shiva. Shiva is one of the three great male gods of Hinduism. Today, people
of different faiths throughout India, Southeast Asia, and around the world worship
Ganesha. Also called the Lord of Beginnings and the Lord of Obstacles, Ganesha can
create challenges, but even more, he can remove them or help his worshippers
overcome them. People pray to Ganesha to bring them good luck, especially when
starting something—such as a journey, a business, a marriage, or a new year—or
when facing something difficult, like taking an exam or performing a dance.
6. They know Ganesha both as the Lord of the Harvest and the Lord of Learning and
the Arts. His large elephant’s head symbolizes strength and wisdom. Indian rulers
used elephants to win wars, build palaces, and show off their wealth in royal
ceremonies. Ancient Indian poets compared elephants spraying water from their
trunks to rumbling rain clouds. People today value elephants for their cooperative
nature. In the wild, they live in family groups ruled by females and help one another
when calves are born or when a group member is in danger. They also work hard for
people to remove trees and do other construction work.
7. There are many stories about why Ganesha has an elephant’s head. One explains
how Ganesha’s mother, the goddess Parvati created him to keep her company while
her husband, Shiva, was not at home. She formed Ganesha using clay from the
riverbank. Parvati used her goddess powers to bring her son to life and was so
delighted with him that she kept him always by her side. One day before her bath,
she asked Ganesha to guard the doorway. When Shiva arrived home unexpectedly,
he heard his wife in her bath and found a young stranger who would not let him in.
Shiva became so angry that he cut off Ganesha’s head. When Parvati heard all the
commotion, she ran out to find that her son was dead. She explained to Shiva who
Ganesha was, and Shiva promised that he would bring the boy back to life with the
head of the next creature that came along—which happened to be an elephant!
30
Parvati was happy and Shiva rewarded Ganesha by making him the leader of his
army.
The Festival of Ganesha Chaturthi
8. There is a special festival in India dedicated to Ganesha during August and

September called Ganesha Chaturthi. Over one hundred years ago when the country
was still under British colonial rule, an Indian freedom fighter promoted the festival
to unite the Indian people through pride in their own culture. Today, millions of
people celebrate for as many as ten days at home and in the streets.
9. Families buy brightly painted clay sculptures of Ganesha for temporary shrines,
which they create in the kitchen or living room. They bathe the sculptures with
sacred oils and rub them with vermilion (a red powder, called kumkum in India),
then dress and present them with rice, fruits, flowers, and lamps that provide
sacred light. After these rituals, people believe that Ganesha inhabits the statues, so
they treat him as an honored guest and worship him each morning and evening.
10. Communities in India also create public shrines with statues of Ganesha—some
as tall as thirty feet made of unfired clay by local sculptors. They may include his
parents, or even feature Elvis and Madonna! They use the statues in parades with
music to public spaces where pujas (worship ceremonies) are held for crowds of
devotees. On the last day of the festival, devotees bring all the statues of Ganesha to
the sea (or nearby body of water), this water carries them into the waves, where they
dissolve and return to nature.
Retrieved and adapted from (January 2018) https://www.readworks.org/article/Dancing-Ganesha/7633caa0-4436-4f20-98f6-

6b0ca2c3b792#!vocabularySection:aspect/articleTab:content/
31
Reading 2
The Orchid's Secret
1. Deep in the jungles of Colombia

there is a kind of flower that attracts
bees with its unique perfume. The
male bees store as much scent as
possible from this particular flower on
their hind legs. The male bees that
collect the most scent attract the
female bees to mate with them. In
Venezuela there is a flower people
collect for its large white or yellow
petals. Few people ever find it, though,
since it only blooms for a few days.
There is a small pink and yellow flower that only grows in a very specific part of
the state of Florida. It also only grows on trees, and wind or birds may spread its
seeds. These flowers are some of the most rare and delicate species in all of
nature. They are all types of orchids.
2. For hundreds of years orchids have been prized discoveries of collectors and
adventurers hoping to find new and exotic breeds of the flower. In her book The
Orchid Thief, author Susan Orlean tells how in the 1800s orchids became popular
in Europe, which made them very valuable. Many “orchid hunters” set out to find
and bring back new types of orchids to sell. However, many of the men who went
looking for the mysterious orchids met with tragedy instead. Orlean relates that
“dozens of hunters were killed by fever or accidents or malaria or foul play. Others
became trophies for headhunters or prey for horrible creatures . . . .” Sometimes
orchid hunters even were injured or killed by other people.
3. On one trip to find orchids in 1901, eight hunters ventured to the Philippines,
which is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. A tiger ate one hunter, another
was badly burned, and five more completely disappeared. The trip’s only survivor
brought back 7,000 orchids. Even modern-day orchid hunters, like Tom Hart
Dyke, still face incredible dangers to collect the flowers. He and his partner, Paul
Winder, were held as prisoners for over nine months after they were captured on
an orchid hunt in Central America.
4. While the plants have long been valued for their beauty, they may be even more
important to science and our understanding of co-evolution. Unlike plants that
32
can self-pollinate, orchids need very specific insects or birds to spread their
pollen. The process by which insects, the wind, or birds spread the pollen of
different flowers is called pollination. Pollen is a powder produced by plants that
contains their genetic material. In order for the plants to reproduce, the pollen
must be physically moved to the flower’s stigma, which contains an egg. Now the
fertilized egg can become a seed. Birds and insects can pollinate plants by
touching many different flowers and spreading the pollen around.
5. Orchids evolved to attract insects and birds. Because there are many different
species of orchid, there are also many different ways the orchids attract their
pollinators. Orlean explains that “many species look so much like their favorite
insects that the insect mistakes them for kin [other insects], and when it lands on
the flower to visit, pollen sticks to its body…. Another orchid imitates the shape of
something that a pollinating insect likes to kill.... Other species look like the mate
of their pollinator, so the bug tries to mate with one orchid and then another…
and spreads pollen from flower to flower each hopeless time.”
6. Other orchids don’t use their shape at all, but rather produce specialized scents
to attract specific insects, such as bees, beetles or flies. Some orchids smell like
cake, some like chocolate, and some like rotting meat. All these smells may seem
weird or gross, but they exist to lure creatures to their pollen and help the orchids
survive. The strategies to attract insects and spread their flowers’ pollen go on and
on. Each family of orchids has a unique kind of insect or bird that visits their
flowers, as well as its own way of attracting them. It has worked, too. According to
NOVA, a science television series on PBS, “orchid species number more than
25,000 worldwide.” That is more kinds of species than any other flower on the
planet, and new ones are still being found.
7. Orchids and the insects that pollinate them are one of the most amazing examples
of evolution. Though their degree of co-dependence varies, as it is apparent that at
least some orchids are more reliant on their pollinators than the pollinators are on
the orchids, the degree of evolutionary specialization is still very impressive.
Research by Harvard scientists suggests that certain species of orchid evolved
specifically to attract orchid bees, which collect a wide variety of scents from
various plants in preparation for mating. In another case, an orchid mimics a
female’s smell and appearance—and the male pollinator gets nothing out of the
bargain whatsoever. By tricking the insects that collect its pollen, the orchid has
survived since the time of the dinosaurs.
This article was retrieved on July 10th 2018 from ReadWorks.org.
URL: https://www.readworks.org/article/The-Orchids-Secret/f5f2d499-092d-4395-949c-
d9ea9fc8c171#!questionsetsSection:404/articleTab:content/
Used and reprinted by permission.
33
Reading 3
Talking Leaves
1. Can you imagine a world without a writing system for your language? It may be
hard to picture it now, but in the year 1809, a man named Sequoyah lived in
such a world. Sequoyah was a member of a Native American tribe, the Cherokee.
The Cherokee people speak their own language, but for hundreds of years they
did not have a system of writing. This meant that Cherokee business owners
could not keep written records. Cherokee soldiers fighting far from home could
not write letters to their families. Without a writing system, the Cherokee had no
newspapers or books.
2. Sequoyah was probably born around the year 1770, though no one knows for
sure. He lived with his mother in a small village in the mountains of Tennessee.
He did not go to school. Instead, he helped his mother work in the garden and
tend cattle.
3. Even though Sequoyah did not go to school, he was very smart. As an adult,
Sequoyah taught himself how to make jewelry out of silver. He also became a
blacksmith, using heat to shape metal into arrow points, knives, and shovels. He
sold the things he made and became a well‐known businessman in his town.
4. People came from all over to buy the beautiful objects Sequoyah made.
Sometimes, English speaking people came to his shop. Sequoyah noticed that
these people had a special way of communicating with one another: they used
marks on paper to record their thought and ideas. Sequoyah called these pieces
of paper “talking leaves.” He began to wonder why people who spoke Cherokee
did not have a way to write down their words.
5. In 1809, Sequoyah decided he would invent a way to write the Cherokee

language. His friends and family thought he was crazy. They said that it could
not be done. They said it was a waste of time. Many people believed the Cherokee
language did not need to be written down. The Cherokee tribe had grown strong
and powerful without the use of writing why did they need it now? But Sequoyah
did not listen. He was determined to give the Cherokee their own “talking leaves.”
6. Sequoyah set out to create a new writing system for the Cherokee language. At
first Sequoyah tried to create a different symbol for every word in the Cherokee
language and there are thousands of words! He soon realized it would be too hard
for people to remember so many symbols. Sequoyah came up with a new idea: he
would make a picture to represent each syllable. After much hard work,
34
Sequoyah created 85 symbols, one for each syllable in the Cherokee language.
His work was complete.
7. Now that Sequoyah had invented a way to write the Cherokee language, he
needed to see if it worked. He helped his daughter Ayoka learn each symbol.
Together they practiced saying words to each other and writing them down. Even
though she was only 6 years old, Ayoka learned to read and write very quickly.
Sequoyah’s invention was a success!
8. Sequoyah was excited to teach other Cherokee people how to read and write. He
traveled from town to town offering to teach anyone who was interested.
Sequoyah was disappointed to find that almost nobody wanted to learn to read or
write. He had to come up with a new plan.
9. Sequoyah brought Ayoka with him to a nearby village and met with the local
leaders. He told Ayoka to leave the room, then asked each person to say one
word. He wrote all their words down and called Ayoka back into the room. When
she read each word perfectly, the local leaders were convinced that it was
possible to write their language. They decided to let Sequoyah teach reading and
writing to the people of their village.
10. Before long, Sequoyah’s writing system had spread far and wide. Cherokee
people living in all different parts of the country learned to read and write. They
published books and newspapers. They wrote down speeches and laws. In 1825,
Cherokee leaders made Sequoyah’s system the official written language of the
Cherokee people. Sequoyah was given a medal in recognition for all his hard
work.
11. To this day, Cherokee speakers still use Sequoyah’s writing system. In some
parts of the United States, you can see street signs and billboards written in both
English and Cherokee. Sequoyah will always be remembered for his important
contribution to the Cherokee people.
This article was retrieved on June 10th 2017 from ReadWorks.org.

URL: https://www.readworks.org/article/Talking-Leaves/3a9a5df8-1c27-4d36-8c01-e8344d73e834#!articleTab:content/
35
Reading 4
Digitized Signals Are the Future of the Black Box
1. Signals of any kind are a way to deliver a message to a destination. When digital
signals transmit information, they do so by turning signals into code. This is binary
code, which is very specific and easily quantified. When that code is sent via wave
pulses, the transmission of the signal is very reliable.
2. What makes this so reliable is the fact that digital signals are actually quite
resistant to outside noise disturbances. While other kinds of communication will
almost always be transmitted along with some kind of undesirable noise (making a
recording much harder to hear), digital signals can be encoded and sent without too
much outside interference. One of today’s commonly used devices made the switch
from analog to digital signaling within the last 20 years. You might know it as the
black box.
3. Many have heard of “the black box,” a device used for recording what happens
during an airplane’s flight. What most people don’t know is that the black box is
really a common term for two pieces of recording equipment that are onboard every
commercial and corporate airplane. The first is called a cockpit voice recorder, or
CVR. The CVR is attached to multiple microphones located in the cockpit and it
records any communication and all the sounds in the cockpit. In the case of an
accident, the investigators who listen to a CVR recording can actually hear two
things: first, what did the pilots and/or crew right before the incident; and second,
the sounds in the background say. Well-trained investigators can detect unusual
engine noise, strange pops and other signals that help alert them to figure out what
went wrong with the flight.
4. The second part of the so-called black box is the flight data recorder, or FDR. This
piece of equipment does not record the people onboard, but all technical aspects of a
flight. Sensors all over the plane detect and send information to a flight data
acquisition unit which, in turn, is hooked up to the FDR. The FDR is usually
attached to the plane’s tail, where it’s least likely to be damaged in case of an
accident. In the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration requires FDRs to record at
least 88 parameters, or aspects, of a commercial flight. As a few examples, these
parameters can include the time, altitude, airspeed, direction, movement of the flaps
on the wings, the flow of fuel, and use of autopilot. Then, in case something
happens, investigators can use this information to recreate a simulation of the entire
flight, from takeoff to the incident. In conjunction with the information from the
cockpit voice recorder, they can get a picture of what happened.
36
5. Making a recording of some aspect of a flight began with the beginning of flight
itself. The Wright brothers, who created the first airplane, actually used a device to
record their propeller rotations. (Think of it as the very first FDR, except that it only
recorded a single kind of data!) Some basic recording devices were invented and
used during the 1930s and during World War II, but they weren’t commonplace. It
was two decades later that aviation recorders began to become more widespread.
The modern day black box is credited as an invention by an Australian scientist, Dr.
David Warren.
6. Warren came up with the idea that multiple aspects of all flights should be
recorded while he was working at the Aeronautical Research Laboratory in
Melbourne. He was helping investigate an accident by the world’s first jet-powered
commercial aircraft, the Comet. Without any kind of recording, the crash was a total
mystery to him and his co-investigators. He demonstrated the first basic flight data
recorder in 1957. It was called a “red egg” for its shape and color. The red egg was
fireproof and shockproof. It could reliably record both a plane’s instrument readers
and the pilots’ voices, using only one wire. It also included a device to then decode
all this information back on the ground.
7. The red egg wasn’t put into widespread use immediately. In 1960, however, there
was another unexplained plane crash in Australia; this time in Queensland. After
that, Australia became the first country in the world to mandate that the device be
used on all commercial aircraft.
8. The black box is now used on all commercial aircraft and corporate jets. It’s
unclear exactly where the term came from, but it’s possible it came from something
a journalist told Dr. Warren about his red egg. Supposedly, he said, “this is a
wonderful black box.” At any rate, the phrase doesn’t refer to the black box’s color—
the equipment is actually painted bright orange, in order to make it easier to find.
9. The modern device is used around the world and is highly regulated. International
standards mandate that it be able to withstand high acceleration and deceleration,
high and low temperature fires, deep sea pressure, submersion in seawater or other
liquids, and high impact and being crushed.
10. Beginning in the 1990s, the technology employed by the black box was greatly
improved. Newer black boxes were being built with solid state memory boards,
which use memory chips to record and store information. This digital system is an
improvement over the original system, magnetic tape technology, for several
reasons. First off, magnetic tape needs to be pulled across an electromagnetic head.
Solid state technology, however, has no moving parts making it both more reliable
37
as an encoder of information and less likely to break. Second, the original cockpit
voice recorder could only hold about a half-hour of information. It would record in a
loop, recording over every half-hour, so the last half-hour of a flight was all
investigators could hear. With solid state technology, the CVR can record up to two
hours, which provides much more information. Furthermore, the flight data recorder
can hold up to 25 hours using solid state technology.
11. Solid state memory boards are also better than magnetic tape technology
concerning what the flight data recorder can record. While the old technology was
able to record up to 100 different aspects or parameters of a flight, solid state
technology records up to 700.
12. What has remained the same, from one technology to the next, is the way the
black box is powered. Both types draw energy from two generators which are
powered by the plane’s engines.
13. The black box records and provides a huge amount of information. However, its
technology helps determine how quickly investigators can analyze and use that
information. In the case of an investigation, it can take weeks, even months, for
investigators to download all the information from black boxes still using magnetic
tape technology. And that’s before they can even start studying and processing what
happened! Using digitally equipped black boxes, however, they’re able to download
all the information from a flight in a matter of minutes. What a vast improvement!
Black box manufacturers have made a complete switch to digital signaling from the
old analog ways, and no longer make the magnetic tape recorders.
This article was retrieved on June 27th 2018 from ReadWorks.org.

URL: https://www.readworks.org/article/Digitized-Signals-Are-the-Future-of-the-Black-Box/2bd18909-3762-4d44-9a87-
05c867b43443#!questionsetsSection:352/vocabularySection:communication/articleTab:content/
38
Section 3
Reading Workshops
40
Reading Workshop 1
Reading: Dancing Ganesha. See page 29
Learning Outcomes
 Can predict the content of a simple academic text, using headings, images and captions.
 Can take basic notes on a text about a familiar topic in their field of study.
 Can identify key information in a simple academic text, if guided by questions.
 Can scan a simple academic text to find specific information.
Pre-reading
1. Work in pairs and look at the photos of some graffiti artists’ work. Which do you like/dislike?
41
Discuss the answers with your partner.
2. Which adjectives from the box below could you use to describe each photo? Check the
unknown words in your dictionary.
colorful depressing disturbing intriguing sad unusual striking vivid
3. Now, write other adjectives that you could use to describe those works of art.
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
4. Work in pairs. Choose one of the photos and describe it using the adjectives from the box and
your own adjectives.
5. In your booklet, you can find some relevant information about how to take notes using graphic
organizers (see page 18). Make a graphic organizer using the topics from the box.
literature theater performing Arts ballet drama science Fiction

sculpture horror comedy visual arts cinema photography
poetry graffiti painting music novel
While reading
Predicting – Skimming
6. Look at the title and the picture of the reading. What do you think the reading is about?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
42
7. How do you think the title and the picture are associated with the concept of art? Write some
words on the lines.
______________________ _______sculpture______ ______________________
______________________ _______________________ ______________________
Skimming
8. Underline the first and the last sentences in each paragraph.

9. Based on those ideas underlined, which do you think is the most general topic of the text?
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
10. From the list of topics below, indicate in which paragraph they are developed. Write the
number of the paragraph on the line provided. If the topic is not in the text, write NT.
Topics Paragraph
a. how Ganesha was born ________
b. the origin of the Festival of Ganesha ________
c. the influence of foreign cultures to believe in Ganesha ________
d. supernatural abilities of the god Ganesha ________
e. ideological differences between Parvati and Shiva ________
f. the meaning of Ganesha for his believers ________
11. Tick (√) all possible options to complete the following ideas from the text.
A. Ganesha _____________________
a. ____has animal and human body parts.
b. ____symbolizes prosperity and fortune.
c. ____is never happy.
d. ____can be tough and considerate at the same time.
B. The picture in the text supports the following ideas:

a. ____ Ganesha is most of the times represented sitting or standing.
b. ____ Ganesha has some missing parts.
c. ____ Ganesha’s arms represent his supernatural powers.
d. ____ Dancing Ganesha has many contrasts.
43
C. Stories about Ganesha’s appearance include _____________________
a. ____his parents’ role Shiva and Parvati.
b. ____the material he was made of.
c. ____the reasons why Parvati created him.
d. ____the reasons why he became a god.
D. Some types of art that are involved in the Festival of Ganesha are ______________
a. ____architecture
b. ____painting
c. ____theater
d. ____sculpture
Vocabulary
12. Find the words in the reading and match them with their synonym. Write the letters on the
lines.
a. beloved – P1 (adj.) _____ incarnate

b. treat – P3 (noun) _____ malicious; naughty
c. embody P4 (verb) _____ sweet; candy
d. mischievous – P5 (adj.) _____ compensated, honored
e. rewarded– P7 (verb) _____ altars
f. shrines – P9 (noun) _____ venerated
13. Choose the best meaning of the underlined word according to the context of the text.
A. “…and artists depict it as having something sweet to eat.” (P1)
a. interpret
b. narrate
c. use
d. represent
B. “Ganesha can create challenges, but even more, he can remove them or help his
worshippers overcome them.” (P5)
a. believers
b. gods
c. priests
d. guests
44
Reading comprehension
14. Mark the following ideas as true or false.
Ideas True False

1. Elephants represent divine and natural attributes in Hinduism.
2. The tools in Ganesha’s multiple arms represent different kinds of powers.
3. In sculptures, Ganesha is almost always represented with a child’s body.
4. People keep their statues of Ganesha at home when the festival is finished.
5. Ganesha’s followers think that he helps them succeed in life.
15. Complete the diagram based on the relationship that some ideas have in the reading. Write
only one letter in the corresponding box. Do not repeat any letter. Some ideas are not used.
a. Ganesha’s different names and titles

b. the importance of dancing Ganesha in Hinduism
c. some meanings of Ganesha’s tools in his multiple arms
d. The Lord of the Harvest and the Lord of Learning and the Arts
e. Events at The Festival of Ganesha
f. British influences in Indian art
g. decoration of statues
h. a large battle-ax for protection
i. one of the three great male gods of Hinduism
c
g
45
Post-reading
Do some research on a god associated with arts in a different culture. Give an oral report about this
god to the rest of the class.
Credits
Photos
Untitled, by Chris Barbalis at https://unsplash.com/search/art?photo=IQIkl2iGnbw
Reborn, by Dylan Collette at https://unsplash.com/search/art?photo=a7nCUMyUpNo
Untitled, by Lucas Gallone at https://unsplash.com/search/arts?photo=PVw_vtpCGaM
Untitled, by Roman Kraft at https://unsplash.com/search/arts?photo=vjUtAhK_0uQ
46
Reading Workshop 2
Reading: The Orchid’s Secret. See page 32
Learning Outcomes
 Can identify the topic sentence of a paragraph.

 Can take basic notes on a text about a familiar topic in their field of study.
 Can identify key information in a simple academic text, if guided by questions.
 Can scan a simple academic text to find specific information.
 Can identify the main topic and related ideas in a structured text.
Pre-reading
1. Build your vocabulary. Find the following words in the reading. Read the words around them
and try to guess their meanings. Do not use a dictionary. Match the words with a definition on
the right.
Word Meaning
1. scent____ a. dependent on someone or something
b. a stock of plants within a species having a distinctive appearance
2. bloom ____
c. the part of a flower stalk where the parts of the flower are
3. seed ____ attached
4. breed ____ d. to produce flowers
e. an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food
5. prey ____ f. the unit of reproduction of a flowering plant
6. pollinate ____ g. to deposit pollen on a flower and so allow fertilization.
h. a distinctive smell, especially one that is pleasant.
7. stigma ____ i. to copulate a flower
8. mate ____
9. reliant ____
While reading
Skimming
2. Skim the text. Answer the following questions:
3. Which possible topic(s) do the picture and the title convey?
47
4. Write some possible topics developed in the text.
a. ______________________________ c. ______________________________
b. ______________________________ d. ______________________________
5. What is the reading mostly about?
a. the Philippines and the dangers of hunting orchids there

b. orchids, orchid hunting, and orchid pollination
c. some orchid hunters and their expeditions around the world
d. a species of orchids that lives deep in the jungles of Colombia
Scanning
6. Where can you find orchids? ________________, __________________, _______________
7. Why might orchid hunters be willing to face dangerous challenges in order to get orchids?
a. Orchids are worth a lot of money.

b. Some orchids use their scent to attract insects.
c. Some orchids look like insects.
d. The orchid has survived since the time of the dinosaurs
Identifying Topic Sentences
8. Write on the lines the number of the sentence that corresponds to the topic sentence and the
related ideas.
“1 Orchids evolved to attract insects and birds. 2 Because there are many different species of
orchid, there are also many different ways the orchids attract their pollinators. 3 Orlean
explains that “many species look so much like their favorite insects that the insect mistakes
them for kin [other insects], and when it lands on the flower to visit, pollen sticks to its body….
4 Another orchid imitates the shape of something that a pollinating insect likes to kill.... 5 Other
species look like the mate of their pollinator, so the bug tries to mate with one orchid and then
another… and spreads pollen from flower to flower each hopeless time.”
Topic Sentence: _____
Related idea: ______

48
9. Based on the previous paragraph, what are the ways orchids attract insects to spread their
flowers’ pollen?
a. _____ They look like family insects.

b. _____ They are similar to other flowers.
c. _____ They are similar to prey insects.
d. _____ They use specific odors.
e. _____ They resemble dangerous mates.
f. _____ They are similar to attracting mates.
10. Read paragraph 6. Identify the ideas that relate to the topic sentence. Then, write them on the
space provided. You do not need to use all the lines.
Topic Sentence: Other orchids don’t use their shape at all, but rather produce specialized
scents to attract specific insects, such as bees, beetles or flies.
Related idea: _________________________________________________

Related idea: _________________________________________________
Related idea: _________________________________________________
Related idea: _________________________________________________
11. Based on paragraph 6, how are orchids’ attracting techniques different?
___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________.
Mindmapping
12. You are going to create a mind map about the text you just read.
a. Re-read the text.

b. Identify the main topics developed in the text (you can write them next to each paragraph).
c. Identify the related ideas of those topics.
d. Organize your ideas in this mind map in the same order as they appear in the text.
(Remember: Write phrases or words in your mind map, not full sentences). Some spaces are
completed as examples.
49
Post-reading
In groups, discuss the following idea.
The title of the passage is “The Orchid’s Secret.” Based on the information in the passage, what secret may the
title be referring to? Use information from the passage to support your answer.
50
Reading Workshop 3
Reading: Talking Leaves. See page 34.
Learning Outcomes
 Can understand the main idea of a passage using textual clues.
 Can understand the relationship between a main point and an example in a structured text.
 Can identify and show comprehension of basic noun phrases in English.
 Can identify anaphoric reference with personal, relative, and demonstrative pronouns in a
simple text.
Pre-reading
1. Discuss with a partner. How many indigenous or creole languages are spoken in Colombia?
2. Match the following indigenous languages or language families in Colombia to their main
locations or regions.
Language Location
a. Wayuú ( ) 1. Vichada, Meta, Arauca, Guaviare and Guainía
b. Guambiano ( ) 2. Pacific Littoral
c. Emberá ( ) 3. Cauca
d. Sikuani ( ) 4. Guajira
The previous examples are considered minority languages. Why?
3. Read the first line of the text:
Can you imagine a world without a writing system for your language?
With your partner, think of some communication difficulties users of a language with no
writing system might encounter. Make some notes.
Understanding the Meaning of Words in Context
4. Read the following sentences and try to guess the meaning of the underlined words from
context. Match the words in Column A to their meanings in Column B.
a. In this contemporary era, it is difficult to picture effective communication using a language

that does not have a writing system.
b. The blacksmith forged a sword from the red-hot iron.
c. The invention was a success, as we resolved the problem of communication.
d. During the conversation, we realized that we were from the same town.
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e. The business owner needs to keep records of all his clients.
f. Those teachers who were strong went out to spread their teaching far and wide.
Column A Column B
1. picture a. _____ comprehend
2. success b. _____ imagine
3. far and wide c. _____ metal manufacturer
4. records d. _____ achievement
5. blacksmith e. _____ everywhere
6. realize f. _____ written documents
5. Take a couple of minutes to skim the text and do the following exercises:
a. How many paragraphs does it have?

b. How many times do the words “Cherokee” and “writing system” appear in the text? Circle
the words in the text. How can this activity help you find the main topic of the text?
Share your answers with a partner.
Now, do these exercises:
c. Read the first paragraph completely. Then, read the first and the last sentences in each
paragraph. How can you relate the title of the text with its contents?
d. What is this passage mostly about? Choose the main topic of the text.
i. the life of a Cherokee man named Sequoyah
ii. the invention of the Cherokee writing system
iii. why the Cherokee did not have a writing system
iv. how Sequoyah taught his daughter to write the Cherokee language
While reading
6. Read the following excerpt from the text:
Sequoyah set out to create a new writing system for the

Cherokee language. At first Sequoyah tried to create a
different symbol for every word in the Cherokee language and
there are thousands of words! He soon realized it would be too
hard for people to remember so many symbols. Sequoyah
came up with a new idea: he would make a picture to
represent each syllable.
52
As used in the paragraph, what does the word “symbol” mean?
a. a type of communication that uses hand gestures
b. a way of doing something that follows a set of rules
c. a shape or picture that is used to represent something
d. a sound that is used to represent something
Understanding Reference Words
Remember: Pronouns take the place of nouns (see page 23). When you read, it is
important to understand the meaning of pronouns to know which noun a pronoun
refers to.
Tip: To find the noun that a pronoun refers to, look back in the sentence or in the
sentences that come before it.
7. Find the following reference words in the text. What does each pronoun refer to?
1. it (P1, L2) ___________________________________

2. they (P1, L4) ___________________________________
3. this (P1, L5) ___________________________________
4. these people (P4, L2) ___________________________________
5. their (P5, L6) ___________________________________
6. it (P7, L2) ___________________________________
7. he (P9, L2) ___________________________________
8. their (P9, L5) ___________________________________
9. his (P10, L5) __________________________________
Understanding Noun Phrases
8. Read the sentences below and identify which sentences have noun phrases and which do not.
A. _____ A man named Sequoyah lived in such a world.

B. _____ Sequoyah was probably born around the year 1770, though no one knows for
sure.
C. _____ Many people believed the Cherokee language did not need to be written down.
D. _____ At first Sequoyah tried to create a different symbol for every word in the
Cherokee language.
E. _____Now that Sequoyah had invented a way to write the Cherokee language, he
needed to see if it worked.
53
Remember: a noun phrase is a word group with a noun or pronoun as its head (see
page 21). The head of a noun phrase can be accompanied by modifiers,
determiners, and so on. It most commonly functions as a subject, object or
complement. The head noun is the only word in the phrase which is obligatory. That is,
it is the only word which cannot be removed.
9. Answer the questions by identifying the noun phrases in the reading “Talking Leaves”:
“Which word cannot be removed? “ = Head Noun Which pronoun can it be replaced by? =
Reference Word
Paragraph 1
• What is it hard to picture? ______________________________________________
• Who was Sequoyah? ______________________________________________
• Who didn’t have a writing system? ______________________________________________
Paragraph 3
• What did Sequoyah become? ___________________________________
Paragraph 4
• What did people buy from Sequoyah? ___________________________________
• What did Sequoyah notice these people had? ___________________________________
• What did Sequoyah call “Talking Leaves”? ___________________________________
Paragraph 6
• What did Sequoyah set out to create? ___________________________________
Paragraph 9
• Where did Sequoyah bring Ayoka to? ___________________________________
Paragraph 10
• Who learned to read and write? ___________________________________
• What did Sequoyah’s system become in 1825? ___________________________________
54
Understanding Topics and Related Ideas
Remember: One paragraph or a set of paragraphs divide reading material into topics, or subjects.
10. Match the paragraphs with their topics. Write the numbers of the paragraphs on the lines.
Topic Paragraph #
a. Sequoyah’s realization that Cherokee did not have a writing system ______
b. Testing the writing system ______
c. Second attempt to teach the Cherokee writing system ______
d. Sequoyah’s decision to create a writing system ______
e. Limitations of communication without a writing system in the Cherokee tribe ______
f. First attempt to teach the Cherokee writing system ______
g. The process of creating the Cherokee writing system ______
h. Contributions of the writing system to the Cherokee community ______
i. Sequoyah’s life ______
Relating Main Points and Examples
11. The column on the left lists the main points in the text. The column on the right lists some
examples that relate to the main points. Write the letter of the main points next to each
specific example to show their relationship. You can use each letter more than once.
Main points Specific examples

 Sequoyah was disappointed to find that almost
nobody wanted to learn to read or write. _____
a. Sequoyah had a hard time getting  Sequoyah’s helped his daughter Ayoka learn each
people to use his writing system. symbol in Sequoyah’s writing system, and she learned
b. Sequoyah created a simplified to read and write very fast. _____
 The Cherokee tribe had grown strong and powerful
writing system.
without the use of writing. _____
c. The Cherokee local leaders were  Sequoyah traveled from town to town offering to
convinced that Sequoyah’s writing teach people to read and write. _____
 Sequoyah tried to create a different symbol for every
system could work.
word in the Cherokee language. _____
d. To know that the invention was a  Sequoyah created 85 symbols, one for each syllable in
success, Sequoyah needed to test it. the Cherokee language. _____
 Sequoyah’s daughter, Ayoka, read the words the
leaders said while she was out of the room. _____
55
Getting the Main Idea of the Text
Remember: A reading expresses one main idea, which summarizes and establishes the relationship
between the topics, the main points, and the examples in the text.
Tip: This main idea is often not literal from the text. It usually requires interpretation.
12. Write the main idea of the text. See the relationship between the main topics, the main
points, and the examples in the previous exercises. Write one complete sentence.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Post-reading
In small groups, answer these questions.
 Do you think that, without writing, your language could go extinct?

 What do you know about writing systems different from your own language’s?
 Which indigenous languages from Colombia are only oral (with no writing system)? Are they
considered endangered languages?
56
Reading Workshop 4
Reading: Digitized Signals Are the Future of the Black Box. See page 36
Learning Outcomes
 Can understand the main idea of a passage using textual clues.
 Can understand the relationship between a main point and an example in a structured text.
 Can identify and show comprehension of basic noun phrases in English.
 Can identify anaphoric reference with personal, relative, and demonstrative pronouns in a simple text.
 Can recognize the writer's point of view in a simple academic text, if guided by questions.
Pre-reading
Communication Devices: Read the following definition.
A flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of
facilitating the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents. This is called “the Black Box.”
1. How much do you know about “the Black Box”? Take the following quiz and discuss the
answers with your partner.
Statements Yes No
 The Black Box is actually bright orange.  
 The Black Box preserves the recent history of the sounds in the cockpit,
 
including the conversation of the pilots.
 The Black Box is combination of more than one recorder.  
 The Black Box can resist strong aircraft collisions.  
 The first Black Box model attempt was made in France.  
 Australia became the first country in the world to make cockpit-voice
 
recording compulsory.
2. Build your vocabulary. Find the words in column A in the text. Use context to guess their
meaning in column B. Write the letters on the lines to match them.
A - Word B - Meaning
a. signals (P2) ____ converted (information or an instruction) into a particular form
____ the area, usually near the front of an aircraft from which a pilot
b. encoded (P2)
controls the aircraft
c. device (P3) ____ sounds, gestures, or movements that convey notice or warning
____ a piece of mechanical or electronic equipment adapted for a
d. cockpit (P3)
particular purpose
57
While reading
Skimming
3. Skim the text and choose the best option to answer the question. What is the topic of the text?
A. Improvements in Black Box technology
B. The Future of Black Box technology
C. The problems of Black Box technology
Understanding Unknown Vocabulary
Remember: Context can help you guess the meaning of unknown words. See page
13.
4. Read the following excerpts from the text and answer the questions. Use your dictionary if you
don’t understand the options.
A. “The modern device is used around the world and is highly regulated.
International standards mandate that it be able to withstand high
acceleration and deceleration, high and low temperature fires, deep sea
pressure, submersion in seawater or other liquids, and high impact and
being crushed.”
As used in the passage, the word “mandate” probably means
a. require
b. reject
c. avoid
d. create
B. “First off, magnetic tape needs to be pulled across an electromagnetic

head. Solid state technology, however, has no moving parts making it
both more reliable as an encoder of information and less likely to
break.”
As used in the passage, the word “reliable” probably means
a. honest
b. dependable
c. stable
d. positive
58
Understanding Reference Words
Go to the first section in this booklet and review the information on reference words (see page 23).
5. Now, fill in the table. What do the words in the left column refer to in the text?
Word Referent
P1 they
P3 it
P3 them
P4 where
P5 they
P6 he
P13 its
Understanding Noun Phrases
See page 21 to have a quick review of noun phrases in English.
6. Find and underline four noun phrases in the following excerpt. Notice the number of words.
“The red egg wasn’t put into widespread use immediately. In

1960, however, there was another unexplained plane crash in
Australia; this time in Queensland. After that, Australia
became the first country in the world to mandate that the
device be used on all commercial aircraft.”
# of words Noun Phrases

3 The red egg
7. Identify and underline the head of the following noun phrases.
Remember: The “head” of a noun phrase is the word that the other words refer to or
“talk about.” All the other words give information about that head noun.
59
The first one is an example:
a. some kind of undesirable noise (P2)

b. too much outside interference (P2)
c. all technical aspects of a flight (P4)
d. the information from the cockpit voice recorder (P4)
e. the flight data recorder (P10)
8. Complete each idea below with the corresponding noun phrase from the text. Circle the head
noun.
A. Paragraph 2:
The Black box is _________________________________________ which made the switch
from analog to digital signaling.
B. Paragraph 3:
A device that is attached to multiple microphones in the cockpit is
______________________________________________________________.
C. Paragraph 4:
____________________________________________records all technical aspects of a flight,
except for recordings of people onboard.
D. Paragraph 6:
Warren exhibited _________________________________________ which was called a "red
egg".
E. Paragraph 7:
Australia became _______________________________________ in using the red egg on all
commercial aircraft.
Making connections: Topics and related ideas
Tip: Sometimes you can find more than one topic in a text. Each topic also has ideas
that relate to it.
60
9. Match the topics with the number(s) of the paragraph(s).
Topics Paragraph
a. Component one of Black Box: the CVR ________
b. Why digital signals work well ________
c. The modern day Black Box ________
d. Component two of the Black Box: the FDR ________
e. An introduction to digital signals ________
f. The origins of the Black Box ________
10. Match the following main points and their related ideas from the text. Write one letter in each
box.
MAIN POINTS RELATED

IDEAS
Explanations that support digital signalling.
Descriptions of recording equipment.
The evolution of this recording device
Related Ideas:
A. Aviation recorders improved because of disastrous events.
B. Digital signaling transmissions are quite resistant to outside noise disturbances.
C. Experts found certain issues solving a legendary plane crash.
D. A sensor that detects external parameters
E. Transmissions via wave pulses are very stable.
F. A component that helps decipher what causes flight accidents.
Relating Main Points and Examples
Main points: These are the big concepts or ideas that make the text. They are usually
related to the topics.
Examples/details: They are very specific information that supports the main points.
11. The following are some of the main points of the text. Write examples or details that support
each main point.
A. The Black Box is a set of two pieces. _______________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________.
61
B. The Black Box term probably originated from a comment. ______________________________
____________________________________________________________________________.
C. The digital system has surpassed the original system in the manufacturing of the black box
recording devices. _____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________.
Identifying the author’s point of view
Note: A text gives you information about its main idea, main points, examples,
details, and topics. But a text can also show you the author’s point of view, or the
point of view of the people mentioned in the text.
Important: A point of view is normally not found explicit in the text.
To identify the author’s point of view, you can do this:

 Identify the opinions in the text.
 Analyze the language (nouns, adjectives, verbs): Is it positive, negative,
apparently neutral?
12. From the text, decide if the author of the text would agree or disagree with the following
ideas:
Ideas Agree Disagree

a. New technology must still improve recording of outside disturbance.  
b. The black box technology should determine the speed investigators
 
can analyze the recordings.
c. Unfortunately, some Black box manufactures haven't changed to
 
digital signaling.
d. The technological advances have taken so long, and the results
 
haven’t always been positive.
e. Digital signaling has improved the Black Box technology
 
considerably.
62
Getting the Main Idea of the Text
Remember: A reading expresses one main idea, which summarizes and establishes the relationship
between the topics, the main points, and the examples in the text.
Tip: This main idea is often not literal from the text. It usually requires interpretation.
13. What is the main idea of this text?
a. The Black Box technology helped develop reliable methods to control commercial flights.
b. Dr. Warren invented the first Black Box becoming the pioneer in digital signaling.
c. Digitized signals are a vast improvement over magnetic tapes in black box recorders.
Post-reading
In small groups, report the following ideas from the text. Then share your reports with the whole
class.
 Why are digital signals more reliable than magnetic tapes in recording and transmitting
information during a flight?
 It is important to get information about a flight from many parts of the airplane. What
evidence from the text supports this conclusion?
 How have improvements in black box technology impacted the investigation process of
aircraft?
63
Section 4
Writing Workshops
Writing Workshop 1
Learning outcomes
 Can write short, basic descriptions of places, people or things.

 Can use coordinate conjunctions to link sentences.
In this task, you are going to plan, write, revise, and edit a short, basic description of a
music festival in your country.
1. Explore: Read the information in the box.
Language for Writing: Using coordinating conjunctions and, or, but, so
We use coordinating conjunctions to join two simple sentences and make our writings
more cohesive.
Use and for adding information, or for giving alternatives, but for making contrast, and
so for giving results. Use a comma before each conjunction.
Examples:
 Amy's dad is a pilot, and he sends us pictures of his trips.

 You can go to the reggae concert, or you can go to the cinema.
 U2 is a good band, but I prefer Metallica.
 The Rolling Stones have played for more than 50 years, so they are a musical
legend.
2. Recall:
Link the sentences with the conjunction in parenthesis. Don’t forget the comma.
a. I wanted to go to that music festival. I could watch that outstanding band.

(so)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
b. In a concert, you listen to live music. You can take pictures of the artists.
(and)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
67
c. Local art and music activities in my town can contribute to the reduction of
child work. More people need to be more conscious of the problem. (but)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
d. In this museum, people might have fun. People can get bored. (or)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Circle the correct conjunction to join these sentences.
a. I’d love to stay here at the concert, (so / and / but) I have to catch my bus.
b. His hot dog was too hot, (so / and / but) he waited a little to eat it.
c. We did not have an umbrella, (so / or / but) we got extremely wet.
d. We can go to talk to the singers, (and / but / or) we can take a picture of
them, whichever you prefer.
e. I’m definitely coming to that event, (or / so / but) I could be a bit late.
4. Discuss: What kinds of activities can you find in a music festival? Give some
examples from Colombia. Write notes:
5. Learn: Analyze the following writing skill.
Writing a descriptive paragraph
A descriptive paragraph talks about a thing, a person, or a place. A good

descriptive paragraph helps the reader visualize the picture that the writer had in
mind.
To write a short descriptive paragraph, follow these steps:
1. Choose a thing, a person, or a place.

2. Think about:
 its central idea
 the ideas that relate to your central idea
 a logical order to present your ideas
 the way the ideas are connected using linking words
68
6. Read the following model paragraph. Underline all the conjunctions and pay
attention to their function.
One of the most renowned events in Colombia is the annual Ibague

Folk Festival. This festival takes place in June in the heart of Ibague, the
¨Musical City of Colombia¨. It is a unique opportunity to showcase the
region’s talent, and visitors listen to groups best recognized in the field
of Colombian music, dance, and folklore. The city turns on the festival
magic with the plazas and parks revamped into incredible musical
stages, so people dance to the beat of traditional Andean rhythms:
sanjuaneros, bambucos, and pasillos. The public enjoys the dances, and
they come in close contact with the spirit of folklore. The parade of
floats carrying the beauty pageant candidates is a crowd favorite. This
folk festival fosters the city’s traditional and local values and highlights
its musical character.
7. Draft your text
A. Brainstorming: Work with a partner and complete the chart about one music
festival in Colombia.
Music Festivals in Colombia

Festival’s Where? Type(s) of Reason why it
Activities
name When? bands/artists is famous
B. Planning: Follow the steps to make notes for your sentences. Don’t worry
about grammar, or spelling. Write your ideas.
Step 1 Decide on the topic and central idea of your paragraph – a

famous music festival in Colombia.
Step 2 Decide on the characteristics of the festival that you want to
write about.
Step 3 Complete your plan in logical order.
69
One of the most renowned music festivals in Colombia is ______________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
When and where: ___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Details/Examples: ___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Types of bands/artists: _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Activities: ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Reasons why it is famous: ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
C. Writing: Write the first draft of your paragraph using the previous information.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
70
Use this checklist to evaluate your work:
Did you…
 use capital letters at the beginning of each sentence?
 check your grammar and spelling (verbs, plurals, capital “I”)?
 use a dictionary for new words?
 check your punctuation (commas before transition words and conjunctions
and, or, but, so; periods at the end of each sentence)?
71
Writing Workshop 2
Learning outcomes
 Can make simple comparisons between people, places or things.

 Can signal contrast in a simple text with a limited range of language.
 Can use the comparative and superlative form of simple adjectives.
In this task, you are going to plan and write a short comparison paragraph.
1. Recall: Read the information in the box.
Language for Writing: Comparative and superlative adjectives
In academic work, you often need to make comparisons between two or more
things, people, or ideas.
1. The comparative form is used for comparing two people or things.
Examples:
 He is taller than me.
 This quiz was easier than the last one.
 The book was more interesting than the film.
2. The superlative form is used for comparing one person or thing with every
other member of their group.
Examples:
 He was the tallest boy in the class.
 This quiz was the easiest in the semester.
 100 Years of Solitude is the most interesting book I’ve ever read.
3. The comparative form as + adjective + as is used for comparing two people

or things with similar characteristics.
Examples:
 Barranquilla is as hot as Santa Marta.
 Helen is as friendly as her husband.
 Some movies are as interesting as books.
72
Important: Use the appropriate adjectives for comparing people, places or things:
Examples:
 My car is old; it’s 20 years old. 
 My grandfather is old; he’s 90 years old! 
 My bag is new, I bought it last week. 
 Margaret is new; she’s just 10 years old!   Margaret is young… 
2. Practice:
Based on the previous information, write comparisons using the words given.
a. lions/tigers/dangerous
_____________________________________________________________________________
b. going to the movies/reading a book/interesting

_____________________________________________________________________________
c. attractions in a show farm/attractions in a natural park/good

_____________________________________________________________________________
d. plane/expensive way to travel

_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Discuss: Work with a partner to describe animals and the places where they live.
Step 1 A. Complete the table with adjectives from the box.
free aggressive endangered happy social good hunters

green artificial pure natural good appropriate
intrusive balanced threatening gentle conscious
A National Park A Zoo The Jungle
Animals
Habitat
Contact with
humans
73
A. Write full sentences to compare the national park, the zoo, and the jungle using
the previous adjectives.
1.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. Learn: Analyze the following writing skill.
Writing Skill: Developing one central idea in a comparison paragraph
The central idea is the most important point in a piece of writing. It gives the reader
the possibility to know what the paragraph is about from the beginning.
If you are comparing people, places or things, you need to introduce them in the
first sentences of the paragraph. The other ideas that are presented in the
paragraph support that central idea.
To develop a clearer central idea, follow these steps:
1. Think about
 the people, places, or things to compare
 an introductory idea
 the comparisons that support that central idea.
 the linking words to connect your ideas
74
Step 2 Write a central idea that tells the reader what you are going to discuss in
your paragraph.
5. Writing: Write the first draft of your paragraph using the previous information. Start
with your central idea.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Did you…
75
Writing Workshop 3
Learning outcomes
 Can write a description of a simple everyday process.
In this task, you are going to plan and write a short paragraph describing a simple
everyday process.
Let’s start!
1. Read these signs and notices in an English classroom. Who did the teacher have in
mind?
a. everybody
b. latecomers
c. weak students
d. strong students
e. chatty students
2. Read the signs again. Underline the correct option:
The signs have / don’t have a subject before the verb.
Grammar Review
The imperative form is used to give orders, instructions, permission, or to declare a

prohibition.
Look at the pictures:

A B C
76
D E
As you can see, the imperative form is the basic form of the verb (as you find it in
the dictionary).
Use do not (don’t) to make the negative.
Example: Do not smoke!
Pay attention to the use of transition words. Look:
To install an app on your smartphone:
First, go to the app store; then, type the name of the app on search
box. Next, press “install”. Finally, press “open” to go to the app.
This is a short selection of transition words:
Beginnings Middles Endings

first, initially, at first, first of second, next, then, after finally, at the end, last, to
all, to begin with, that, meanwhile, in the finish, last of all,
meantime, later on
Let’s write
Choose Task A or B.
 Task A: Extract the audio from a YouTube video into an MP3 file.
 Task B: Convert a Microsoft Word file into PDF and send it via email.
77
Take notes:
Write:
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Did you…
78
Credits
Photos
Untitled, by Michael Mroczek at

https://unsplash.com/search/stop?photo=iC2imdhnPac
Untitled, by Alvaro Serrano at https://unsplash.com/search/signs?photo=-kr8XPYuSI8
Untitled, at https://static.pexels.com/photos/92028/pexels-photo-92028.jpeg
Untitled, by Carl Heyerdahl at

https://unsplash.com/collections/856079/computer?photo=KE0nC8-58MQ
Untitled, by Jaymantri at https://static.pexels.com/photos/2564/typography-white-

door-fence.jpg
79
Writing Workshop 4
Learning outcomes
 Can write short basic descriptions of past events and activities.

 Can use the simple past and past expressions.
1. Explore
Language for Writing: Past Simple
We use the past simple to refer to completed events, states or actions.
Examples:
 Shakespeare wrote over 30 plays.
 I saw Harry in the office today.
 Past Expressions
Notice how past-time expressions are used in English.

Expression At the end of a sentence At the beginning of a sentence
yesterday I bought a new dictionary Yesterday, I bought a new
(morning/afternoon/evening) yesterday. dictionary.
last night/week/month/year My best friend and I played Last week, my best friend and I
videogames last week. played videogames.
hours/days/weeks/months/ My parents arrived in the city Two hours ago, my parents
years ago two hours ago. arrived in the city.
in + year/month Columbus arrived in America on On October 12th, 1492,
on + day/date October 12th, 1492. Columbus arrived in America.
at + time
when + subject + verb in past I was really happy when I won When I won my first sports
my first sports medal. medal, I was really happy.
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2. Practice
A. Read the following extract about Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World
Wide Web. Complete the reading with the appropriate time expressions.
a. in 1973 b. when he was there c. when Tim was at CERN d. on June 8, 1955
e. when the first web page was available
Tim Berners-Lee is a British computer scientist. He was born in

London (1) _______________. His parents were early computer
scientists, working on one of the first computers that people
used. He started school (2) _______________. at Queen's
College, Oxford, UK. In 1976, (3) _______________, he received
a first-class degree in physics. In 1980, after graduating from
Oxford University, Berners-Lee became a software engineer
at CERN, a large physics laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland.
(4) _______________, he noticed that people had problems to
communicate, like sending documents to people in other
places. Tim thought the WWW as the system to
deliver webpages over the Internet. In 1990, he created a
new computer language called HTML in which most web
pages are written in. (5) _______________on 6 August 1991, he
did not realize how important this invention would be for the
development of human kind.
B. Put the words in the correct order to make sentences. Pay attention to
punctuation.
a. a message / called / didn’t / he / when / Peter / you / leave

_____________________________________________________________________________
b. about / an article / communication / I / read / satellites / this afternoon
_____________________________________________________________________________
c. had / conversation / face-to-face / last / a / week / we
_____________________________________________________________________________
d. collided / in 2009 / two satellites
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_____________________________________________________________________________
e. cell phone / rang /one hour ago/ your
_____________________________________________________________________________
f. before / I / read / the text message / the day / yesterday
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Preparation for Writing
In Column A you will find facts about the life of Martin Cooper, a famous inventor. In
Column B, write complete sentences using the past simple as in the example.
A - Facts B – Sentences
th
a. December 28 1928 - born in Chicago, Martin Cooper was born in Chicago, Illinois, on
Illinois December 28th 1928.
b. 1950 – graduate in electrical engineering
from the Illinois Institute of Technology
c. 1954 – begin working in Motorola
d. 1957 – earn a Master’s degree in electrical

engineering from IIT
e. 1960 – patent the first radio-controlled
traffic-light system
f. 1983 – introduce the first portable cell
phone for Motorola
g. April 3rd 1973 – make the first cell phone
call at a press conference in New York city
h. 1983 – leave job at Motorola
i. 1983 – start his own company Cellular

Business Systems, Inc
j. 2013 – receive the Marconi Prize
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4. Writing
Using the sentences in exercise 3, write a short biography of Martin Cooper, inventor
of the cell phone.
Martin Cooper
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Did you…

 check your punctuation (commas before and, or, but, so; periods at the end of
each sentence)?
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Section 5
Appendixes
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Writing Sheet
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Reading & Writing

English 3 – LENG 1153

Bogotá, Colombia, 2018

We wish you a great learning experience!

The English 3 Team

Reference Material .................................................................................................................6

Reading Workshop 1 ........................................................................................................................ 41

Writing Workshop 1 ........................................................................................................................... 67

What is a reading strategy?

Think of this situation:

Why are reading strategies important?

Tips on how to skim a text:

Tips on how to scan a text:

You have three minutes to do the following:

1. Read the title.

The energy that is harnessed from photosynthesis enters the

1. What is the text about?

2. What information does it give you?

Applications will not be processed after this date.

1. When does the job start? _______________________________________________

Using context to understand vocabulary

 Pay attention to the general meaning of the sentence or phrase

What clues in the sentence helped you understand the word?

What clues in the sentence helped you understand the word?

What clues in the sentence helped you understand the word?

What clues in the sentence helped you understand the word?

What clues in the sentence helped you understand the word?

The topic of a text is what the whole text is mostly about.

How do you find it?

 Read the title.

What is a main idea?

How do you find it?

 There is usually one in every paragraph.

Summer is a wonderful time to spend at West Beach. It is a beach with

 Topic of the paragraph: West Beach

Water is a natural resource that makes up to 71 percent of the Earth’s

Identifying topic sentences and supporting sentences

 to provide specific and factual details

The human heart is a small yet highly efficient piece of equipment.

The topic sentence is underlined. Look at the organization of the paragraph:

My hometown, Bogotá, is famous for several reasons. First, it is noted

1. _________________________________________________. North Americans send cards

a. I like to garden in summer.

Using graphic organizers

Welcome to Robotics Inc. As a new member of our advertising team,

"You have to water the tomatoes in the morning, not at midday or at

What did Veronica probably do? ________________________________________________________

How do you justify your prediction? _____________________________________________________

Identifying Noun Phrases

Look at this example:

The head of the noun phrase is important. Look:

Now, look at another example:

Determiner Adjective Noun Head Noun

- You have two nice leather jackets.

Note that noun phrases aren’t always cases of pre-modification. Look:

See how you can post-modify the head noun:

A. Read these sentences:

1. Manuel Elkin Patarroyo is a Colombian professor of Pathology and Immunology.

And there are more ways! We can combine:

1. My math teacher wants to live in Buenos Aires.

My math teacher, whose wife is Argentinian, wants to live in Buenos Aires.

that which who whom whose where when why

Taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix

Identifying facts and opinions

_________ _ ___________

_________ _ ___________

__________________ _sculpture __________________

__________ _ ____________

6. Where can you find orchids? , , _