Eng.

XI Meaning into Words

Unit – 24
Explanation
24. 1 Kinds of Explanation
Practice
1.    Do you agree with the reasons given in paragraph 1? What other reasons do you think
there might be?
2.    Why do you think people carry on smoking although they know the harmful effects of
smoking?
3.    What else can anti-smoking campaigns do to discourage people from smoking?
Answers:
1.    Yes, I agree, some of the children smoke because their parents and friends encourage
them to smoke, some think that it is a part of life.
2.    They are addicted to smoking because of the nicotine in the cigarette smoke.
3.    They can persuade the government to ban smoking in public places and to impose extra
taxes on cigarette production.
24. 2 Giving Reasons
Why do you think these people did what they did?
1.    Angela sold her house in the country and bought a flat in London. -
2.    Frank decided to take up karate. -       
3.    Joanna started learning English.
4.    Colin decided to retire early, at 55.
5.    Pauline stopped smoking.
Answers:
1.    so that he could go to Japan.
2.    in order to go to the U.S.A.
3.    so that he could start a business with the money he would get.
4.    because she was feeling pain in her legs.
Work in groups
What are the three most important decisions you ever made? Tell others exactly what
you did, and explain why.
Answers:
1.    I decided to join the college so that I could continue my study and make my future
bright.
2.    I decided to stop playing cards in order not to ruin my life.
3.    I decided to get a part-time job because I did not like to get money from my parents.
24. 3 General Purpose
1.    Suggest what each of these organization is for.
2.    What do you think each organization does to achieve its aims?
Answers:  
1.    The purpose of the Samaritans is to help people who are lonely and desperate. Shelter
is concerned with proving homes for homeless people.
 Eng.XI Meaning into Words

The Campaign for Real Chess exists to encourage people to eat natural cheese.
2.    Samaritans have a 24 hour telephone service. They visit lonely people and help them to
meet other people. They also reply to the letters and they keep private matters secret.
Shelter asks the house-owners to help the homeless people by inviting them to their
houses.
The Campaign for Real cheese advertise a lot through different media and claim that
theirs is real cheese.
Work in pairs
Student A: You are a spokesman for one of the organizations above (or for another
organization you know well) Answer student B’s questions.
Student B: You are a journalist. Interview student A about the purpose of his/her
organization, and what it does.
Answers:
B: What is the purpose of your organization, the Samaritans?
A: We are concerned with helping people who are lonely and desperate.
B: What particular things do you do?
A: We have a 24-hour telephone service. We visit lonely people and help them to meet
other people.
B: How can people living far away get help from you?
A: It's very easy. We can reply to their letters and telephones.
Writing
Write a paragraph about the organization you discussed.
The purpose of the Samaritans is to help people who are lonely, desperate and suicidal.
They have a 24-hour telephone service. They visit lonely people and help them meet
other people. Those who live far away can write to them or ring them up. They are
ready to help in a friendly manner. Anything said to them will be kept secret.
24. 5 Explanations Quiz
Answers:
1.     
a.    To help people who are being badly treated for political reasons (e.g. political prisoners).
– Amnesty international
b.    To help motorists, especially by repairing cars that have broken down. – The AA
c.    To give money, food and other aid to starving people. – Oxfam
2.     
a.    Sudden movements in the Earth's crust. - earthquake
b.    The moon: as the moon moves, it pulls the sea after it. This makes the water higher at
certain times in a particular place. – tides
3.    It was going too fast, and hit an iceberg, which made a hole in the side. – Titanic
4.     
a.    Because he wanted to prove that it was possible, and that Polynesians might be
descendants of the Incas. – Thor Heyerdal sailed from South America to Polynesia.
 Eng.XI Meaning into Words

b.    Because of the Watergate scandal; because people had proved that he was involved in
corruption. – President Nixon resigned.
5.     
a.    In order to find warmer places. – Birds migrate.
b.    So that they can reach the leaves on high trees. – Giraffe have long necks.
24. 6 Not What You’d Expect
Change the sentences below in the same way, (a) with although/even though (b)
with in spite of/ despite.
1.    She was 85 years old, but she still lived a very active life.
2.    Video machines are expensive, but lots of people are buying them.
3.    Her parents objected, but she still insisted on getting married.
4.    Beethoven was deaf, but he continued composing until his death.
5.    The acoustics in the hall are poor, but it is still regularly used for concerts.
6.    We've known each other for a long time, but we still call each other by our surnames.
7.    Hammerfest is a long way north of the Arctic Circle, but the sea never freezes there.
Answers:
1.    Even though she was 85 years old, she still lived a very active life.
 In spite of her old age, she still lived a very active life.
2.    Although video machines are expensive, lots of people are buying them.
In spite of the cost (expense), lots of people are buying video machines.
3.    Even though her parents objected, she still insisted on getting married.
Despite her parents' objections, she still insisted on getting married.
4.    Although Beethoven was deaf, he continued composing until his death.
Despite his deafness, Beethoven continued composing until his death.
5.    Even though the acoustics in the hall are poor, it is still regularly used for concerts.
In spite of its poor acoustics, the hall is still regularly used for concerts.
6.    Although we've known each other for a long time, we still call each other by our
surnames.
In spite of the length of time we've known each other, we still call each other by our
surnames.
7.    Even though Hammerfest is a long way north of the Arctic Circle, the sea never freezes
there.
Despite the distance of Hammerfest, north of the Arctic Circle, the sea never freezes
there.