Virtual Work Guide (Centro de Idiomas – CECAR)

Course: English Intensive B1.2

1. Class topic: Unit Material world

2. Competence: Speaking, reading and Writing

3. Objectives: Students should be able to:

 Get familiar with social changes and environmental problems

Teacher: Yesid Contreras Mora

Email and hangouts: jose.contreras@cecar.edu.co

CLASS ACTIVITY 1

Complete the text with the option.

financial support - obsessed - outsource - recruit - shortage -

traffic congestion - unemployment - wireless internet access

Results for the current top news stories: Local: Washingtonville

Technology news

A local coffee shop is offering free  1 wireless Internet access

 The owner says it's necessary to compete with the large coffee shop chains.

Business

Several companies have announced they will 2    their

customer service jobs and lay off staff. Local 

3 expected to jump three percent.

rates are

Increased demand for the latest hybrid cars has created a

4 car dealers.
at local

Local companies are expecting to 5    over 600

employees at the annual job fair this year.

 Health

Is our culture 6    with dieting and being thin? Dr.

Murphy examines the diet craze and the new "designer" diets.

Education

Tuition fees at colleges across the country are rising at an alarming rate. Local

financial expert Ken Rose explains what kind of 7    is

available.

Local traffic

The Washingtonville Bridge area is expecting  8   again

tomorrow. Delays are due to the ongoing bridge repairs.

Technology news
A local coffee shop is offering free 1 wireless Internet access. The ownerMention
says it'sa social
necessary to compete with the large coffee shop chains. change for each
Business of the following
Several companies have announced they will 2 outsource their customer service jobs
topics:
and lay off staff. Local 3 unemployment rates are expected to jump three percent.
Increased demand for the latest hybrid cars has created a 4 shortage at local
Technology
car news:
dealers.
Business:
Local companies are expecting to 5 recruit over 600 employees at the annual job fair
this year. Health:
Health Education:
Is our culture 6 obsessed with dieting and being thin? Dr. Murphy examines the diet
craze and the new "designer" diets. Local traffic:
Education
Tuition fees at colleges across the country are rising at an alarming rate. Local
financial expert Ken Rose explains what kind of 7 financial support is available.
Local traffic
The Washingtonville Bridge area is expecting 8 traffic congestion again tomorrow.
Delays are due to the ongoing bridge repairs.
CLASS ACTIVITY 2

Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

1 Use __________ home appliances to cut back on electricity use.

biodegradable
energy-saving
global warming

2 Avoid using plastic containers that take years to __________ in landfill sites.

consume
recycle
decompose

3 Encourage government officials to pass tougher laws to reduce __________ .

air pollution
public transportation
endangered species

4 Take shorter showers and remember to turn off the faucet while you brush your
teeth to reduce __________ .

nuclear waste
water consumption
water pollution

5 Try to __________ plastic, paper, and glass if possible.

recycle
consume
use

6Buy appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners that __________ lower
amounts of energy.

lack
decompose
consume
7
Be aware of companies that __________ rivers with toxic chemicals, and don't buy
their products.

protect
contaminate
conserve

8
If you think you __________ information on ways to save energy or conserve water,
search the Internet for ideas.

buy
take
lack

Mention a
2 Avoid using plastic containers that take years to decompose in landfill sites.
common problem
3 Encourage government officials to pass tougher laws to reduce air pollution.
related to the
4 Take shorter showers and remember to turn off the faucet while you brush your
following topics:
teeth to reduce water consumption.
5 Try to recycle plastic, paper, and glass if possible. Global warming:
6 Buy appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners that consume lower amounts
of energy. Air pollution:
7 Be aware of companies that contaminate rivers with toxic chemicals, and don't buy
Endangered
their products.
species:
8 If you think you lack information on ways to save energy or conserve water, search
the Internet for ideas. Public
transportation:
CLASS ACTIVITY 3
Complete the spaces with the vowels (a,e,i,o,u)

1 Many fish are dying because of the __________ that factories dump into rivers
every day.

T X C - C H M C H L S

2 Scientists think that polar ice caps are melting at an ever-increasing rate because
of __________.

G L B L - W R M N G

3 Garbage that isn't recycled ends up in a __________.

L N D F L L

4 If we continue to use our natural __________, like oil and coal, they might run out.

R S R C S

5 Due to the lack of rain, we are experiencing a __________.

D R G H T

6 Scientists have been working on ____________ transportation, like electric cars,

to cut down on pollution.

N V R N M N T L L Y - F R N D L Y

7 Some synthetic materials are not___________________.

B D G R D B L

8 When you leave home, ___________ energy by turning off lights.

C N S R V
CLASS ACTIVITY 4

Choose the correct words or expressions to complete the sentences.

1 I think the majority of people would prefer to buy organic

produce in order to / despite the high cost.

2 We always turn our heat down a few degrees in the winter in

order to / instead of save money on oil.

3 Gas prices have gone up due to / although oil shortages.

4 We try to recycle plastic, paper, and glass, although / so that it's sometimes hard
to do.

5 We're experiencing more hurricanes and severe storms as a result of / because

global warming.

6 I think some people aren't very aware of environmental problems instead of /

because of a lack of education.

2 We always turn our heat down a few degrees in the winter in order to save money
on oil.
3 Gas prices have gone up due to oil shortages.
4 We try to recycle plastic, paper, and glass, although it's sometimes hard to do.
5 We're experiencing more hurricanes and severe storms as a result of global
warming.
6 I think some people aren't very aware of environmental problems because of a lack
of education.
CLASS ACTIVITY 5

Complete the sentences with the words and expressions.

because - due to - in order to - in spite of - instead of - so that

1 It's important to keep the world's oceans and seas free of pollution and

contamination  because we depend on these waters for food.

2 Car companies are beginning to make some cars out of lightweight carbon fiber

instead of steel    increase gas mileage.

3 Governments need to work together     endangered species

are protected around the world.

4 Some rain forests are being deforested twice as quickly as previously thought   
logging activities.

5 Governments should invest in renewable energy    the cost.

6 Some people use vegetable oil to run their cars    gasoline.

2 Car companies are beginning to make some cars out of lightweight carbon fiber
instead of steel in order to increase gas mileage.
3 Governments need to work together so that endangered species are protected
around the world.
4 Some rain forests are being deforested twice as quickly as previously thought 
due to logging activities.
5 Governments should invest in renewable energy in spite of the cost.
6 Some people use vegetable oil to run their cars instead of gasoline.
CLASS ACTIVITY 6

Look at the example and write 90-100 words text describing a social change. You can
describe: technology, health, education, business, nature, transportation or any other
topic.

Technological changes

Have you noticed that more and more people

use their phones for everything? I mean,
everywhere you go, you just see people using
their phones. Even my grandparents take
videos of us with their phones. They never
bring their camcorder anymore. It just seems
that fewer people are using them these days.

I bet the sales of video cameras and

things have declined due to smartphones.
I mean, it’s just increasingly common to
use your phone for everything these days.
When I go away for the weekends, I don’t
even take my computer anymore.
It’s less trouble to just take my phone
and use that for email and everything. I
use it instead of my credit card too now – like the number of stores that let
you pay by phone is growing. So it’s really convenient.