E BOOK

ENGLISH II
ECONOMIC COLLEGE OF RIAU

2019

COMPILED BY: HASANUL BISHRY

INTERNAL MODUL

FREE OF CHARGE FOR STUDENTS

TOPIC I
TOURISM
LISTENING SECTION

Complete the notes below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer

MUSEUM

Date the museum 1.

The museum consist of a building 2.
and
Handicapped toilet door shows 3. Example: a wheelchair
The Education Centre is signposted 4.
by
If you lose your friends, meet at the 5.
Warning about The Vampire 6.
How often are the tours of The 7.
Vampire?
Person featured in today‘s video 8.
The Leisure Gallery shows how 9.
Australian culture is
influenced by
The Picture Gallery contains 10
pictures by
Cost of family membership of the 11.
museum
―Passengers and the Sea‖ includes 12.
a collection of
READING SECTION

TOURISM
A Tourism, holidaymaking and travel are these days more significant social phenomena than
most commentators have considered On the face of it there could not be a more trivial subject for
a book And indeed since social scientists have had considerable difficulty explaining weightier
topics such as work or politics it might be thought that they would have great difficulties in
accounting for more trivial phenomena such as holidaymaking However there are interesting
parallels with the study of deviance This involves the investigation of bizarre and idiosyncratic
social practices which happen to be defined as deviant in some societies but not necessarily in
others The assumption is that the investigation of deviance can reveal interesting and significant
aspects of normal societies It could be said that a similar analysis can be applied to tourism.

B Tourism is a leisure activity which presupposes its opposite namely regulated and organized
work It is one manifestation of how work and leisure are organized as separate and regulated
spheres of social practice in modern societies Indeed acting as a tourist is one of the defining
characteristics of being modern‘ and the popular concept of tourism is that it is organized within
particular places and occurs for regularized periods of time Tourist relationships arise from a
movement of people to and their stay in various destinations This necessarily involves some
movement that is the journey and a period of stay in a new place or places The journey and the
stay are by definition outside the normal places of residence and work and are of a short term and
temporary nature and there is a clear intention to return ―home within a relatively short period of
time

C A substantial proportion of the population of modern societies engages in such tourist

practices new socialized forms of provision have developed in order to cope with the mass
character of the gazes of tourists as opposed to the individual character of travel Places are
chosen to be visited and be gazed upon because there is an anticipation especially through
daydreaming and fantasy of intense pleasures, either on a different scale or involving different
senses from those customarily encountered Such anticipation is constructed and sustained
through a variety of non-tourist practices such as films TV literature, magazines records and
videos which construct and reinforce this daydreaming

D Tourists tend to visit features of landscape and townscape which separate them off from
everyday experience Such aspects are viewed because they are taken to be in some sense out of
the ordinary The viewing of these tourist sights often involves different forms of social
patterning with a much greater sensitivity to visual elements of landscape or townscape than is
normally found in everyday life People linger over these sights in a way that they would not
normally do in their home environment and the vision is objectified or captured through
photographs postcards films and so on which enable the memory to be endlessly reproduced and
recaptured
E One of the earliest dissertations on the subject of tourism is Boorstins analysis of the pseudo-
event (1964) where he argues that contemporary Americans cannot experience reality‘ directly
but thrive on ―pseudo-events Isolated from the host environment and the local people the mass
tourist travels in guided groups and finds pleasure in inauthentic contrived attractions gullibly
enjoying the pseudo-events and disregarding the real world outside Over time the images
generated of different tourist sights come to constitute a closed self-perpetuating system of
illusions which provide the tourist with the basis for selecting and evaluating potential places to
visit Such visits are made says Boorstin, within the ―environmental bubble of the familiar
American style hotel which insulates the tourist from the strangeness of the host environment

F To service the burgeoning tourist industry, an array of professionals has developed who
attempt to reproduce ever new objects for the tourist to look at These objects or places are
located in a complex and changing hierarchy This depends upon the interplay between, on the
one hand, competition between interests involved in the provision of uch objects and, on the
other hand changing class, gender, and generational distinctions of taste within the potential
population of visitors It has been said that to be a tourist is one of the characteristics of the
―modern experience Not to go away is like not possessing a car or a nice house Travel is a
marker of status in modern societies and is also thought to be necessary for good health The role
of the professional, therefore, is to cater for the needs and tastes of the tourists in accordance
with their class and overall expectations

Reading Passage has 6 paragraphs (A-F) Choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph
from the list of headings below Write the appropriate numbers (i-ix) in boxes 28 - 32 on your
answer sheet Paragraph D has been done for you as an example.

NB There are more headings than paragraphs so you will not use all of them. You may use any
heading more than once.
LIST OF HEADINGS
i. The politics of tourism
ii. The cost of tourism
iii. Justifying the study of tourism
iv. Tourism contrasted with travel
v. The essence of modern tourism
vi. Tourism versus leisure
vii. The artificiality of modern tourism
viii. The role of modern tour guides
ix. Creating an alternative to the everyday experience
Paragraph A
Paragraph B
Paragraph C
Example Answer
Paragraph D ix
Paragraph E
Paragraph F
WRITING SECTION

COMPARING THINGS OR TALKING ABOUT SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

1. In both the speaking and writing modules, you are often asked to compare and contrast.
Look at the table of comparative and superlative adjectives and complete the rules below:
Adjective Comparative Superlative
Quick Quicker (the) quickest
Happy Happier (the) happiest
Modern More modern (the) most modern
Expensive More expensive (the) most expensive

Example: a dish of noodles is one of the quickest meals you can make – it’s much quicker than
making a rice dish, for example.

The form of comparative

a. With one-syllable words, we add …………………
b. With two-syllable words ending in –y, we change the –y to ……… and add………….
c. With most other two-syllable words and words with three or more syllable, we add the
word …………..

The form of superlative

a. With one-syllable words, we add…………..
b. With two-syllable words ending in –y, we change the –y to ……… and add………….
c. With most other two syllable words and words with three or more syllables, we add the
word (s) ……………..

NEGATIVE COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

Example:
Interestingly, although rice isn’t as rich in vitamin C as the potato, it is less fattening than the
potato.

The museum is open every day except for today, with Sunday being the busiest day and Thursday
being the least busy.

a. To make negative comparisons we use not as + adjective + …….. or less + adjective +

…………
b. To make negative superlative statements we use ……………..

Complete the sentences using the comparative or superlative form of the word in bracket
Example: my mother is a (good) better cook than my father
1. This is (good) hamburger I‘ve ever eaten!
2. The old chef was (bad) ……………….. than the new one
3. The restaurant is (expensive) ……………….. in London. It costs a fortune.
4. This is one of the (easy) ……………… recipes I know – a child could make it
5. These apples are (sweet) ……………. Than those
6. Jose‘s mother always find (cheap) vegetables in the market than in the supermarket
 7. People say small vegetables are (nice) ……….. than large ones.
8. I think salad is (healthy) ………….. than chips
9. Chips are (not expensive) ………… as caviar. (negative comparative)
10. Our college canteen is (expensive) ……………………..places to eat in town. –three
courses only Rp. 15.000.,- (negative comparative)

Writing Tips:
Less formal language More formal language
A lot more/less considerably/ a good deal more/less
A bit more/less slightly/ a little more/less by far the most

TRY THIS
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The charts below show the results of a survey of adult education. The first chart shows the
reasons why adults decide to study. The pie chart shows how people think the costs of adult
education should be shared.
Write a report for a university lecturer, describing the information shown below.
You should write at least 150 words.

How the costs of each courses should be shared

Individual 40%
Company 35%
Scholarship 25%
Writing sheet (150 words)
Useful language slight/slightly
Expressing changes gradual/gradually
To rise/ a rise steady/steadily
To increase/ an increase dramatic/dramatically
To go up steep/steeply
To double Sharp/sharply

To reach a peak Time expressions

For the period
To hold/remain steady since 1999
To be stable for five years
To be constant between 1990 and 2001
To level off in 1987

To fluctuate
A fluctuation

To decrease/ a decrease
To decline/ a decline
To fall/ a fall

SPEAKING SECTION

Describe an occasion when you were a quest in someone else’s home.

You should say:
Why you went to that person’s home
What you did while you were there
How that person behaved towards you and explain how you felt about being a guest
In many groups, think of as many ideas as possible, for example:

 Why you went to that person’s home:

I visited my grandparents, as I do every week
I went home with a friend, whose parents invited me to join them for lunch

 What you did while you were there:

I helped my host to cook dinner
We chatted, then went out for a walk
TOPIC II
EDUCATION
LISTENING SECTION
Complete the schedule below:
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer
Example: Cioloetrotters Language School
Class Schedule
Chinese
Level: Advanced
Days: 1 ________________evenings
Japanese
Level: 2 ________________
Days: Tuesday and Thursday mornings
Level: 3 ________________
Days: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings
French
Level: Intermediate
Days: Friday 4 ________________

Complete the information below:

Write NO MORE THAN ONE NUMBER for each answer
Tuition Information
5. One week $ …………….
6. Four weeks $ ……………
7. Six weeks $ ……………
8. Twelve weeks $ ………..

Complete the sentences below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer
9 Students can register for a class by visiting………………….
10 ………………. is in charge of student registration.
READING SECTION
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on Reading Passage
below.
Catastrophe Theory
A
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the popular theory among Earth scientists
was that a number of major catastrophes had taken place over a relatively short period of time to
give Earth its shape. French geologist Baron Georges Cuvier introduced this idea, which was
later coined the ―catastrophe theory.‖ Proponents of the catastrophe theory used fossilized1
creatures and the faunal changes in rock strata to support their beliefs that major events such as
volcanoes had occurred on a worldwide scale. The catastrophe theory was used to support the
notion that Earth‘s history was not a relatively long one.
B
In response to the catastrophe theory, a handful of Earth scientists searched for explanations that
would provide a better scientific basis for Earth‘s geology. James Hutton, the father of geology,
is best known for his gradualist theory, a paradigm that became known as ―uniformitarianism.‖
Hutton published Theory o f the Earth in 1795, after which many other geologists including
Charles Lyell, adopted the idea that small changes on Earth occurred over a large expanse of
time. Uniformitarians rejected the idea that cataclysmic events could shape the Earth so quickly,
and instead proposed the theory that the key to the present is the past. The term deep time was
used to describe the span in which gradual geological processes occurred, especially the
formation of sedimentary rock. Charles Darwin later based his work on the idea, by developing
his theory of evolution.
C
The majority of paleontologists2 and geologists adopted the gradualist theory of Earth‘s history
for more than 100 years. In 1980, a discovery in Italy gave scientists a reason to reconsider the
discarded theories of catastrophism. Geologist Walter Alvarez discovered a clay layer in the K-T
boundary that intrigued him. The K-T boundary refers to the layer of Earth between the
Cretaceous and Tertiary periods. The geologist with the help of his father Luis Alvarez, a
prominent physicist, analyzed the clay for heavy metals. After careful examination, the clay was
found to contain high levels of iridium. Samples taken from the K-T boundary in other parts of
the world were examined, with the same findings.
D
The Alvarez group wrote a historic paper that applied the catastrophe theory to their discovery.
According to their hypothesis, the iridium in the K-T boundary was caused by an asteroid or a
comet that hit Earth near the end of the Cretaceous period, over 65 million years ago. They also
proposed that the impact would have raised enough dust to block the sun and cool Earth, which
in turn would have prevented photosynthesis. This chain reaction would have led to the
extinction of plants and animals. The main reason that the Alvarez theory took hold so quickly in
both the world of science and the public realm, was that it could account for the extinction of the
dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period. The acceptance of this theory was widespread,
even before the discovery in 1990 of a 180-kilometer1 crater in Mexico‘s Yucatan Peninsula, a
potential piece of evidence of the asteroid impact.
E
Events that have occurred on Earth in the last 100 years or more have proved to geologists that
not all processes are gradual. Major rivers have flooded areas in a matter of days, and volcanoes
have erupted, causing mass devastation. The eruption of Mount St. Helens was proof of how a
catastrophe could easily change the Earth‘s landscape. Modern research on fossils even supports
the theory of a marine catastrophe, not unlike the legends and stories among many peoples of
great floods. Some scientists believe that animal remains found within the layers of sedimentary
rock may have been casualties of such a flood. Sedimentary rock is made up of layers such as
sandstone and limestone and is created by water movement. In addition, some scientists propose
that the glacial ice sheet that once spread out across North America melted catastrophically
rather than having a slow glacial retreat. Deep erosion up to 100 meters wide was discovered
along the bottom of some of the Great Lakes. Within the gullies, layers of periodic sediment
point to catastrophic melting.
F
Though there is little debate that catastrophic events caused the mass extinction of several of
Earth‘s species, namely the dinosaurs, geologists still question whether asteroids, volcanoes, or
other natural disasters were the cause. The idea that the moon was formed as a result of
catastrophic events is a related field of study and one that has been debated for decades.
1 fossilized
2British: paleontologists
1 British: kilometre
Complete the notes using the list of words, A—K, below.
Write the correct letter, A—K, on lines 27—32 on your answer sheet.
Catastrophe Theory

First introduced by 27 _________________

Proposes that major 28 _________________have given Earth its shape.

Supports the idea that the Earth has a 29 _________________history.

Gradualist Theory

First introduced by 30 _________________

Proposes that many 31 _________________changes in the shape of the

Earth happened over a 32 _________________period of time.

A short
B small
C Charles Darwin
D long
E definite
F disasters
G James Hutton
H mysterious
I Walter Alvarez
J evolution
K Georges Cuvier
Questions 33-39
The passage has six paragraphs, A-F. Which paragraph mentions the following information?
Write the correct letter, A—F, on lines 33—39 on your answer sheet. You may use any
paragraph more than once.
33. Proof that not all changes on Earth have occurred gradually
34. A theory explaining the presence of iridium beneath Earth‘s surface
35. Publication of a book about the gradualist theory
36. Discovery of a large crater that could have been caused by an asteroid
37. Evidence of the occurrence of a large flood in Earth‘s past
38. Recurrence of interest in the catastrophe theory
39. Ideas about how quickly ice age glaciers disappeared

Question 40
Choose the correct letter, A—C, and write it on line 40 on your answer sheet.
40 Most scientists now agree that
A. The gradualist theory is correct.
B. Catastrophic events occur regularly on the moon.
C. A major catastrophe caused the dinosaurs to disappear.
WRITING SECTION

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write at least 250 words.
Write about the following topic:
Everybody should be allowed admission to university study programs regardless of their level of
academic ability.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer and
include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Writing sheet: (250 Words
Advice
 Make sure you read the question carefully, there are often two parts to the question and
you will need to answer both parts.
 There is no correct answer, so you can agree or disagree or a mixture of both, though it is
usually a good idea to put forward both sides of the argument
 Do not repeat the question in your introduction
 Make a plan before you start writing. Make a list of ideas that you want to include and
sort them into the different sides of the argument-for and against, or advantage and
disadvantages.
You can improve your written work by using a variety of connecting words. Decide whether the
following word are closest in meaning to and, but or so, and write them in the correct column.
Though however
Unfortunately although
Consequently also
In addition (to) what is more
Therefore as a result (of)
In fact this means/meant (that)
Despite (the fact that)
 And But So

Making a general statement

It is often necessary in academic writing to make general comments as you may not know exact
figures or information. You should try to avoid definite statement using all, always, or never.

Useful language
There is a tendency for
It appears/seems that
It would appear/seem that
It is (often) said that
It has been suggested/claimed that
It is generally agreed/believed/assumed/recognized that
It is widely accepted/believed/assumed that
….tends to be…..
………..is recognized/believed/though to be
In a majority a large number of cases
Broadly/generally speaking
On the whole………

Writing extra
Giving reason:
Use of the internet is spreading fast because of the decreasing cost of computers.
Thanks to computers becoming more affordable, use of the internet is spreading fast
One result of the decrease in the cost of computers is the rapid spread of the internet
Because computers are rapidly coming down in price, the use of the internet is growing

While I agree that,…..nevertheless / on the other hand I feel / I (still) feel…..

Although it is true that…. I do not think that…
Finally I must restate my opinion that…
SPEAKING SECTION

FRIENDSHIPS

Generally, friendships are important to people?

How can friends help each other?
Do people spend more time with friends or with relatives?
How do our friendships change as we grow older?

Useful language
I think/believe that………….because…..
In my opinion…… this is because….
Well, first of all…..
The first point I‘d like to make is (that)
Let me explain

COMMENT ADVERBS
Comment adverbs are very common in both academic writing and speaking. They allow the
writer/speaker to indicate how likely they think something is and what their attitude or opinion
is, or what viewpoint they are speaking from. Look at these two examples.

Interestingly, he went on to say…..

(I think this is interesting)
Psychologically, these foods resemble food spoilt by bacteria.
(From the psychological point of view, i.e. in our minds)

Replace the underlined part of each sentence with one of the comment adverbs from the box.
More than one choice may be possible
Disappointingly generously honestly
Interestingly logically obviously
Personally statistically surprisingly
wisely
1. Although there would appear to be a lot of blue cars on the road, from the point of view
of percentages, silver is more popular
2. In my opinion, I can‘t see any reason for not eating blue food
3. Matt gave a lot of money to help redecorate the children‘s playroom
4. If A = B, then it follows that B = A
5. I was very interested to find out that red is a lucky color in china
6. You are, it goes without saying, wrong in thinking all animals can see in color
7. It‘s a pity but very few people went to the exhibition on the history of color
8. To be frank, I think driving a red car would make you more likely to have accidents than
driving a black one
9. You may not know this but 89% of men are color blind
10. Tania, in what was a very good decision, decided to apply to study biology rather than art
TOPIC 3
ESSAY
LISTENING SECTION

Questions 21 -24
Choose FOUR letters A~~G.
Which FOUR of the following are required of student teachers
A. weekly journal
B. sample lesson plans
C. meetings with other student teachers
D. observing other teachers
E. evaluation from supervising teacher
F. portfolio
G. final exam

Question 25
Choose the correct letter, A, B, or C.
25. Who has to sign the agreement form?
A. the student teacher
B. the supervising teacher
C. the advisor

Questions 2 6-30
Complete the schedule below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
First week
26. ……………………………………due
Fourth
week 27. ……………………………………meeting
Seventh
week 28. ………………………………………..
Fourteenth
week 29. ……………………………………due
Fifteenth
week 30. ………………………………………
READING SECTION

Nineteenth-Century Paperback Literature

A publishing craze that hit both America and England from the mid- to late nineteenth century
attracted the readership of the semiliterate working class. In America, dime novels typically
centered on tales of the American Revolution and the Wild West, while British penny bloods
(later called penny dreadful) told serial tales of horror or fictionalized versions of true crimes.
These paperback novels were sold at newsstands and dry goods stores and succeeded in opening
up the publishing market for both writers and readers. The industrial revolution facilitated the
growth of literacy, making it easier to print and transport publications in large quantities, thus
providing inexpensive entertainment for the masses.
Though Johann Gutenberg‘s printing press was designed in the fifteenth century, it was not until
after the first newspapers began circulating in the eighteenth century that it became a profitable
invention. Throughout the nineteenth century, commoners in England were becoming educated
through normal schools, church schools, and mutual instruction classes, and by the 1830s,
approximately 75 percent of the working class had learned to read. In 1870, the Forster
Education Act made elementary education mandatory for all children. Though few children‘s
books were available, penny dreadfuls were highly accessible, especially to male youths who
created clubs in order to pool their money and start their own libraries. Similar to reading a
newspaper, dime novels and penny dreadfuls were meant to be read quickly and discarded,
unlike the hardbound high literature that was written in volumes and published for the elite.
Struggling authors, many of whom had limited writing and storytelling skills, suddenly found an
audience desperate to read their work. When the first typewriter became available in the 1870s,
authors were able to maximize2 their output. Successful authors, some of whom wrote over
50,000 words a month, were able to earn a decent living at a penny per word.
From the 1830s to 1850s, penny bloods featured tales of gore that often depicted the upper class
as corrupt. One of the most beloved characters from the penny blood serials was Sweeney Todd.
In the original story, String of Pearls: A Romance, published in 1846, Sweeney Todd was a
demon barber who used his razor to torture his victims before turning them into meat pies. In
1847, hack playwright George Dibdin Pitt adapted Thomas Prest‘s story for the stage, renaming
it The String of Pearls: The Fiend of Fleet Street. With no copyright laws, authors were always
at risk of having their ideas pilfered. Pitt‘s play was released again one year later at one of
London‘s ―bloodbath‖ theaters1 under the name Founded on Fact. The Sweeney Todd story also
made its way into musicals and comedies. Controversy still exists over whether Thomas Prest‘s
character was based on a real person. No records of a barber shop on Fleet Street or a barber
named Sweeney Todd have been found, though Thomas Prest was known for getting his
inspiration from ―The Old Bailey‖ of the London Times, a section devoted to real-life horror
stories. Despite the warning from Lord Shaftsbury that the paperback literature was seducing
middle-class society into an unproductive life of evil, the penny bloods grew in popularity. They
provided a literary voice for commoners at an affordable price. Eventually, penny bloods became
known as penny dreadfuls and began to focus more on adventure than horror. In 1860, Beadle
and Adams was the first firm in the United States to publish a title that would be categorized2 as
a dime novel. Malaeska: The Indian Wife of the White Hunter, by Anne Stephens, had originally
been published twenty years earlier as a series in a magazine. In novel form, approximately
300,000 copies of the story were sold in the first year, paving the way for the new fad in
America. Many dime novels were written as serials with recurring characters, such as Deadwood
Dick, Commander Cody, and Wild Bill. Originally, the paperbacks were intended for railroad
travelers; however, during the Civil War, soldiers quickly became the most avid dime novel
readers. Beadle dime novels became so popular that the company had to build a factory of hack
writers to mass produce them. As urbanization3 spread, stories of the Wild West were in less
demand, and tales of urban outlaws became popular. At that time, dime novels were chosen for
their illustrated covers rather than their sensational stories and characters. Despite their
popularity, by the late 1880s dry goods stores were so full of unsold books that prices dropped to
less than five cents per copy. Many titles that could still not sell were given away or destroyed.
The International Copyright Law, passed by Congress in 1890, required publishers to pay
royalties to foreign authors. Selling at less than five cents a copy, the paperback industry was
doomed until the arrival of pulp paper.

Questions 14—19
Which of the characteristics below belongs to which type of literature? On lines 14—19 on
answer sheet write:

A. if it is characteristic of penny bloods

B. if it is characteristic of dime novels
C. if it is characteristic of both penny bloods and dime novels

14. They were popular in America.

15. They were popular in Britain.
16 They showed members of the upper class as corrupt.
17 They were inexpensive.
18 They featured tales of the Wild West.
19 They were popular among members of the working class.

Questions 20-23
Match each year with the event that occurred during that year. Choose the correct event, A-F,
from the box below and write the correct letter on lines 20—23 on your answer sheet. There are
more events than years, so you will not use them all.
20 1870
21 1846
22 1860
23 1890

EVENTS
A. the first dime novel was published in the United States
B. Lord Shaftsbury warned people about the dangers of penny bloods
C. If it is characteristics of both penny bloods and dime novels
D. A law was passed requiring children to attend school
E. A law about copyrights was passed
F. The first Sweeney todd story was published
Questions 24—27
Do the following statements agree with the information in the reading passage? On lines 24—27
on your answer sheet write:

YES If the statement agrees with the information

NO If the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN If there is no information on this in the passage

24. The literacy rate in England rose in the nineteenth century.

25. Children‘s books were popular in the nineteenth century.
26. Most people agree that Sweeney Todd was based on a real person.
27. Dime novels were popular among Civil War soldiers.
WRITING SECTION

Write about the following topic

Working hours today are too long and people are not spending as much time as they should with
their families or on leisure activities.

What is your opinion on this?

Writing sheet: (250 words)
STRUCTURING THE ESSAY
1. An introductory paragraph followed by
2. Two or three paragraphs giving your reasons and examples from your own knowledge or
experience followed by
3. A concluding paragraph

Useful language
Introductory paragraph
First of all, I would like to say that……
The first thing to consider when discussing X is that….
There is no doubt that…
One of the main arguments puts forward for X is that….
I strongly agree/disagree with the statement that…
Although some people say that…., I believe that….
Supporting paragraph
Firstly,………
The most important point is…..
The next most important point is…
Secondly….
Next…….
One/an example/illustration of this is..
I can illustrate this with an example from my own experience such as….
Conclusion
Finally….
To sum up…
In conclusion…

SPEAKING SECTION

With a partner, ask and answer the following questions. Remember to expand your answers
1. Do you think history is taught well?
2. What could be done to make students want to study history?
3. Do you think students should have more choice in which area of history they study?
What would you choose?

Useful language
Suggesting and giving answer
Let me give you an example
A case in point is…
Let me explain why I think that
For one thing, they could…. And for another
Personally, I think that…/ I would choose…
TOPIC 4
INTERVIEW
Fairygodboss
Recently
in
Career
No matter how many job interviews you've had, let's face it: Job interviews are nerve-wracking
for any job seeker. Even if you spend hours preparing, you can never be certain you won‘t be
caught off-guard with a tough interview question — and it can be hard to know in advance
whether you are a good fit for the company.
The best way to tackle preparation? Rehearse answering the questions on this list, since they're
most likely to be the questions asked.
Common Questions You‘ll Get in a Job Interview

1. "Would you like something to drink?"

Ok, this may sound like a silly job interview question and something more in line with common
job interview etiquette than the substance of the interview itself, but experts say that when
someone does something for you, they are actually slightly more positively inclined towards
you.
It‘s called the Ben Franklin effect: a person who has performed a favor for someone is more
likely to do another favor for that person. So even if you‘re not a thirsty job candidate that day,
just take the water, for goodness sake!

2. "Tell me about yourself."

Despite how this open-ended question sounds, it is not literally an invitation to delve into an
existential examination of your life before your interviewers. Especially not because this is a job
interview question!
A good answer should focus on the fact that this is an elevator pitch opportunity and needs
rehearsing. Be ready to wrap up your answer in 1 minute and focus on the positive summary of
your skills, professional accomplishments, and personal experience that casts you in the most
appealing light for the job. Talk about your promotions, highlight your successes and quantify
your achievements.
One of the worst things you can do is drone on without realizing you are boring the other person
or answering with details they aren‘t interested in, so pay attention to non-verbal cues as you talk
and be ready to adjust mid-way through if you need to.

3. Why are you interested in the role?"

As a job seeker, the best way to answer this common interview question is to emphasize the
merits and exciting aspects of the position itself to convey your enthusiasm, rather than a time to
rehash how your background and work experience is a fit.
Think of it this way: Even if you‘re the perfect fit, that‘s what the rest of the interview is to
demonstrate. This is the time when you get to demonstrate your enthusiasm about the work
you‘re about to do. Actually wanting to do a certain job counts for a lot.

4. "Why our company?"

This is one of the most common job interview questions. If you‘re interviewing for a role that
might be relatively ‗standard‘ across many other companies, it‘s actually a very good question —
so it's a good idea to have a ready answer. It also is a test to see how much you understand about
the larger context and employer, itself.
Think about the interviewer's perspective and about the company goals. This is a time to show
that you understand the company‘s mission, its values or something about its culture. Remember,
you want to make the interviewer feel good about where he or she works and make them believe
you really want to join them.

5. "What do you know about this organization?"

This is a similar question to the previous one, but you still might get both in one interview.
Essentially, the interviewer wants to know whether you care enough about this position and the
business to take the time to do your homework.
So do your homework! While this isn't a test, you should be aware of the business's major
initiatives, mission, and qualities. You should also look into all aspects of the business that are
related to the position or function you'll be performing. For example, if you're interviewing for a
marketing role, make sure to look at all of the company's social media accounts.

6. "How did you hear about this position?"

While this question may not seem all that important, it's actually a great opportunity for you to
demonstrate your interest in the company. Perhaps it's been your longtime dream to work at the
organization, and you peruse the company website. If that's the case, say so!
Maybe you heard about it from an acquaintance who is a current employee. In that case, mention
the employee's name—this can help you establish a connection, which can help you achieve a
more favorable impression.
Or you might have come across the position on a job board. Still, something caught your eye, so
rather than dwelling on the fact that you're just looking for any job, explain why you chose to
apply to this one in particular.

7. "Why are you leaving your current job?"

Not sure of how to answer this question? Remember that this isn‘t a time for a job-seeker to bad-
mouth your boss or previous employer. Doing so will be a red flag and create a problem that
could hurt you as early on as during the phone interview.
What this question is really getting at is why you are looking for a new job at the place you’re
interviewing. So even though it‘s not phrased that way, respond by talking about how appealing
this specific opportunity is to you. As tempting as it may be to vent, don‘t spend any time
dwelling on the things that make you sound unhappy or unsatisfied at your current company.

8. "Why are you currently unemployed?"

Ok, we admit it‘s unlikely the interviewer will put the point so bluntly. Typically, this question is
asked in the following way: ―Tell me about why you left your [insert name of last job].‖
What they really want to ask is: ―Were you fired and if so, why?‖ People are reorganized and
fired all the time for reasons that have nothing to do with their individual performance. On the
other hand, some people are fired for cause as well.
Whichever category you fall into, be sure to spin the best story possible without being defensive.
The more casual and confident you can be in your answer, the easier it will be for your
interviewer to conclude what you want them to: ―Ok, no big deal.‖

9. "What are your weaknesses?"

Always come prepared to discuss both a strength and weakness. "What is your greatest
weakness?" is often one of the most dreaded questions of an interview because, quite frankly, we
all believe that we cannot really be honest in answering.
To address this question, be brief and be comfortable with silence. You should certainly
brainstorm examples of weaknesses (yes — there are some good weaknesses for interviews,
especially when they‘re fairly honest and you can describe how you‘re improving).
In other words, whatever you say, don‘t say more than you have to, and remember that you don't
have to literally share what you believe to be your greatest weakness.
Typically this means choosing a single weakness and one that isn‘t very serious (e.g. ―I can be a
little too aggressive in setting goals‖ or ―I can be very impatient when I‘m working on a project I
really believe in‖) and too central to the job description you‘re interested in.

10. "What's one of your greatest professional achievements?"

Hearing about what you've accomplished is a great way for a hiring manager to see how you
might contribute to the company. Make sure you describe the situation thoroughly but without
getting too bogged down in details that aren't relevant or won't interest the interviewer—after all,
you

11. "Do you prefer working independently or on a team?"

This is a common question when a hiring manager wants to assess whether you will be a good
fit, culturally. Be as honest as possible when you respond to this, but make sure it‘s clear you‘re
comfortable working collaboratively and on your own.
Companies want to hire people who are fun and easy to work with — but also those who can
manage whatever they need to on their own.

12. "How do you deal with pressure or stress?"

The short answer you want to give is: ―Well.‖ While you probably don't want to literally say that,
the idea is to convey competence to deal with difficulty and hopefully pressure is not a problem
for you. Frankly, this question tends to come with high-pressure, stressful jobs or companies and
they want to know whether you‘ll be able to handle tough situations.
Hopefully, you have self-selected into this kind of job and applied to the company and role with
your eyes open about those realities and believe you can thrive in an environment that demands a
lot of you.

13. "What are you expecting in terms of salary?"

We believe that anchoring your salary expectations to your prior salary is the surest way to get
very incremental pay raises. Ideally, you‘ve done your compensation research and understand the
salary possibilities for the role. If not, and you must anchor your salary expectations to what you
have previously earned, don‘t frame the expectations that way.
Simply state the number you believe you should receive for the role (and make sure it‘s more
than what you would settle for, just in case it sets an anchor figure for future pay negotiation).

14. "What other positions are you looking at?"

We believe it‘s best not to name names. Nobody really wants to hear that you‘re interested in or
applying to their competitors and saying that may turn some hiring managers off.
On the other hand, if you say you are not looking at any other position, it might seem far-fetched
or make you look like you‘re not aware of your market worth and ability to get a job elsewhere.
The best answer here is something along the lines of ―Similar roles at companies in this industry
where I think I can make a real difference.‖

Next Steps
Remember, job interviews aren‘t a time to try to wing answers to questions that you know
there‘s a high probability of being asked. Committing several of these questions to memory and
rehearsing for these job interview questions and answers will go a long way to making you feel
— and sound — more confident!
Finally, don’t forget to send a job interview thank you letter — even if it‘s just a quick thank you
email after an interview. Following up is key!