Page 1 EXTRA READING TOPIC FOR MINDMAP: Artists should be funded by the government. Do you agree or disagree? ‘A. Read the following text in 10 minutes. Refer to the Glossary in part B for explanations of the meaning of new words. 1. ARTISTS SHOULD BE FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT ~The government should be responsible for fu ding the arts and artists as they make enormous contribution to society. Artis @ way to express ideas and communicate concepts, People can learn from art and be inspired by it, Art encourages creativity and promotes harmony in society. Art teaches people about their own culture and history. However, most artists do not make enough money to support themselves. Without government funding, some artists would not be able to work. -Without government support, artists and musicians will have to turn to private patrons, which won't reflect the tastes and opinions of the pul , but rather only the wealthy. Government funding of the arts could be seen as an investment that is likely to bring benefits to other sectors of the economy Artists can’t save lives or build bridges, but they still contribute to the society in their own way. Music, for example, soothes the mind, In other words, by supporting music and musicians, the government is indirectly helping the emotional wellbeing of its people. Viewing art such as paintings, sculptures makes you healthier as the activi ty lowers the rate of anxiety and depression and increases the level of satisfaction, -Some art projects definitely require help from the state, In the UK, there are many works of art in publi spaces, such as streets or squares in city centres. In Liverpool, for example, there are several new statues and sculptures in the docks area of the city, which has been redeveloped recently. These artworks represent culture, heritage and history. They serve to educate people about the city, and act as landmarks or talking points for visitors and tourists. Governments and local councils should pay creative artists to produce this kind of art, because without their funding our cities would be much less interesting and attractivePage 2 2. ARTISTS SHOULD NOT BE FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT On the other hand, there are arguments against government funding for art. ~The main reason for this view is that governments have more important concerns. For example, state budgets need to be spent on education, healthcare, infrastructure and security, among other areas, These public services are vital for a country to function properly, whereas the work of creative artists, even in public places, is a luxury. Artists should earn their own living, Funding could be better granted to more pressing social issues, For example, the healthcare system needs more funding than the arts, Education should also be prioritised over art, In many developing countries, people's basic needs should be put before luxuries such as art. Another reason for this opinion is that artists do a job like any other profess mal, and they should therefore earn their own money by selling their work. If people make good art, other people will pay them for it. The government is not funding these people that make good art, itis funding people that cannot make art good enough to sell, There are also enough wealthy patrons around to subsidise artists B. GLOSSARY 1. patron (noun) /'peitran/ (someone who supports the activities of an organization, for example by giving money) -She is a patron of the organization and has a lot of influence over it. ~The student wants to find a wealthy patron in America, 2. to soothe the mind /su:d/ (to make calm or tranquil) -He soothed her mind and put her to sleep. -Meditating helps soothe the mind. 3. emotional well-being (the emotional quality an individual experiences) - For many people, ageing is associated with a decline in emotional well-being. - In college, she studied a lot and ignored her emotional well-being.Page3 4, a landmark (noun) /‘lendma:k/ (something that is easy to recognize, such as a tall tree or building, and that helps you know where you are) ~The hotel is a Los Angeles landmark. ~The farthest landmark visible is about 30km away 5. a talking point (a subject that a lot of people want to talk about) ~The subject is bound to be the main tall ing point during discussions. -That goal is another talking point in the new magazine. 6. to subsidize (verb) /‘sabsadaiz/ (a government or organization subsidizes a company, activity etc, it pays part of its costs) -The government should subsidize struggling museums, theaters, and artists. -The government has agreed to subsidize the hotel indus -The government has agreed to subsidize the hotel industry C. WHI0-TASK 1-SAMPLE Please note that this is only one possible interpretation of the task. Other approaches are equally valid. These charts give information about the rainfall and temperatures for the cities of Brasilia and Recife, with additional data about hours of sunshine and days with thunder. Although temperatures in Brasilia can be quite extreme, from just above freezing to 37°C, the average daily temperatures in Recife are not so variable. In Brasilia the range can be as great as 15 degrees, but in Recife average daily temperatures generally vary from 22°C to 31°C throughout the year. ‘The most noticeable contrast is in the rainfall, Brasilia is wettest from September to May, with only two or three wet days in June, July and August. During the wet months, theré thunder on approximately half the days, By contrast, Recife has at least ten wet days, even in its driest season, which lasts from October to January. From April to August there is rain on over twenty days per month. However, thunder is less common there, with a maximum of three thundery days in April (164 words)