IB ENGLISH B TEXT TYPES

STUDENT WORKBOOK
JUMBLED TEXT STARTER

How to Write
AN EMBEDDED
INTERVIEW
Series 2

A Contented Being Resource

 AN EMBEDDED INTERVIEW: Jumbled Text Starter

An EMBEDDED INTERVIEW about a remarkable invention has been jumbled up.

Your task is to number the elements below in the order they would appear in the original text.
Write your numbers on the dotty lines.

…… When asked about the danger of accidentally capturing fish and other lifeforms, she added: “Special sensors
attached to the device can detect the electrical impulses given off by living creatures; if they are identified, the
device turns itself off until they have moved away. Plus, I equipped the machine with tiny lasers that can recognise
the size and shape of specific garbage items made of plastic, metal, and paper. Once identified, they are then either
scooped from the surface or vacuumed from the riverbed.”

…… Initially, the IB students were just supposed to write a brochure to educate people about the problem, but Jenny
wanted to do more. “Letting people know about the issue was just half of the problem. Something had to be done.”

…… So, what inspired her invention?

…… I wanted to know more about her invention. “It’s a river cleaning device,” she said, “that combines surface
booms and suction pumps to collect and remove plastic waste from local rivers.” She went on to explain that the
device can remove both floating debris and other bits of pollution that might be stuck at the bottom of the river.

……By Dan Strong, 16 February 2023

…… I wondered what would happen if the device were caught in the rapids near rocks and Jenny explained that the
device could only work in parts of the river that were flowing slowly. “Most garbage gets carried along by strong
currents and then deposited in the still pools, so this is where the machine works best,” she said.

…… “That’s when I got excited about its potential,” Jenny added. “Now we can make a difference right across the
country.”

…… “One of the IB English B themes is ‘Sharing the Planet’ and whilst learning about this theme, we were taken
down to two local rivers to see the impact of pollution first-hand.” What she saw saddened her greatly. “It was
appalling,” she said. “I couldn’t believe how such a pretty part of the county could be ruined by such
thoughtlessness.”

……A True Inspiration

…… Indeed, Jenny’s invention (which has yet to be named) will not just be effective on the waterways of our country
– it has the potential to positively impact river systems all across the globe, too.

…… Enlisting the expertise of her mother, an engineer, and the help of two students from Little Place University,
Jenny set about designing the first of many prototypes. “I spent many months researching what was already out
there. Some amazing inventions tackle plastic pollution in the oceans, but they are large and unsuitable for rivers.”

…… A well-deserved award, and inspirational proof that one individual really can change the world…

…… Inevitably, news of the device soon reached the local environmental agency which, after witnessing its
effectiveness over several trials, subsequently decided to sponsor further development. I asked how she felt about
this.

…… Little Place International School has a proud tradition of celebrating students who, inspired by the values of the
IB Learner Profiles, have gone on to become leaders in the field of innovation and invention. Such a student is Jenny
Flux who has recently won the prestigious County Environmental Innovation of the Year Award for her river cleaning
machine – a device that is already (if you’ll pardon the pun) making waves both locally and across the country. I
spoke with her shortly after she received her award at the Centre for Environmental Innovation last week.

…… After much trial and error, Jenny’s machine was launched and all involved were very pleasantly surprised by its
effectiveness: in just under an hour, it had collected enough waste to fill a small canoe.