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GENERAL ENGLISH · IELTS COURSE · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

GLASSES

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1 Warm up
Before you watch a video about the function and fashion of glasses, complete these vocabulary
exercises. Use the words to complete the captions for these pictures.

(1) frame (2) hinge (3) lens (4) rim (5) tip

a) the metal ____ b) a bicycle ____ c) the ____ of a d) a camera ____ e) a door ____
of a wooden pencil
wheel

Use the same words to label the parts of a pair of eyeglasses, or glasses.

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For each sentence, cross out one word that does NOT belong in the sentence. The * symbol marks
academic vocabulary.

1. When you play on a football team, you need some gear like boots / a coach / a shirt.
2. Politicians work hard to project an honest / caring / cruel persona so that people will vote for them.
3. Scientists use telescopes to magnify an image of a planet to observe its location / weather / surface
more closely.
4. Many people have problems with their vision*, like being near-sighted / far-sighted / second-sighted.
5. The personality trait that most people want their partner to have is kindness / a lot of money / a
sense of humour.

What do you know about the history of glasses?

2 Watch for key information

Debbie Millman is a design and branding expert. Watch her video, "The function and fashion of
eyeglasses," part of the Small Thing, Big Idea series of TED talks, and answer the questions.

1. How did Debbie first get interested in glasses?

2. What type of environment led people to make eye gear out of bone?
3. What parts did early Italian glasses have?
4. When did people add sides or arms to glasses?
5. How did movies help to make glasses popular?
6. What personality traits do people think that aviator glasses indicate?
7. What do some people do that shows they see glasses as a fashion item?
8. How are glasses different from other useful items like wheelchairs?

What new information did you learn from the video?

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3 Academic vocabulary

These words are often used for descriptions in academic contexts. The * symbol marks academic
vocabulary. First, match the words with their meanings.

Group 1

1. attribute to* a. a form of something that differs slightly from other similar things

2. device* b. an important characteristic that something has

3. an attribute* c. an object that people use for a particular purpose

4. version* d. a piece of equipment that helps people do something

5. aid* e. say that something was started or caused by a person or group

of people

Group 2

1. feature* a. depend on being able to use something or get help from someone

2. maintain* b. include something as an important part

3. rely on* c. keep something working well or in good condition

4. signify* d. look back through time to see how something began

5. trace back* e. mean or be a sign of something

Now answer these questions.

1. In Group 1, what part of speech are almost all of the items?

2. In Group 2, what part of speech are all of the items?
3. Which word in Group 2 could also be used as a noun in the same form?
4. Which three verbs are followed by prepositions?

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4 Watch for detail

Use the correct forms of the academic vocabulary items to complete the sentences. You may need
to write more than one word. Watch the video again to check your ideas.

1
1. It didn’t occur to me that glasses were really a medical .
2
2. The earliest forms of eye gear can be 4,000 years.
3
3. The first vision was called a reading stone and was invented over 1,000 years
ago.
4
4. It’s not exactly clear who invented the first eyeglasses, but many people it
5
the Italians.
6
5. Early of eyeglasses were called rivet spectacles.
7
6. Modern-day eyeglasses a pair of rims that hold corrective lenses, a bridge that
connects the rims, ...
8
7. Glasses with heavy frames intelligence or nerdiness.
8. ... some people actually don glasses without a prescription lens at all, because they want to portray
9
a certain about themselves.
9. People that can’t see well enough to drive, well enough to cook, well enough to read
10 11
glasses for their lives.

5 Language in context

Read these sentences from the video and explain the meaning of the phrases in bold. The * symbol
marks academic vocabulary.

1. It didn’t occur* to me that glasses were really a medical device.

2. It took some time for eyeglasses to land on the perfect design.
3. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if anything that we use, any device that we’ve invented to help our
humanity could also be elevated in the same way?

Would you use these expressions in the IELTS Speaking, Writing or both?

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6 Activate
Work in pairs. Prepare a description for your partner of the different items in your pictures, using
vocabulary from the box. Aim to speak for 1.5 minutes.
Student A: Types of bicycles

feature / frame / hinge / maintain / persona or personality trait / rely on

Student B: Early cameras

attribute / device / gear / lens / trace back / version

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Deliver your presentation. When you are listening to your partner, follow the instructions in the box.

• Keep track of the time and stop the speaker after 1.5 minutes by saying, "Thank you very
much."
• Give feedback on vocabulary - did the speaker use all their words correctly?
• Ask a question.

7 Optional extension

There are many types of eye gear. Match the words with the descriptions.

1. a covering that protects an injured or sore eye a. bifocals

2. a less common word for glasses b. lorgnette

3. this can be part of a hat or a mask that protects people’s eyes c. contacts

4. a single lens which is kept in place over one eye by face muscles d. eyepatch

5. a very old type of glasses with a frame but no sides; it is held over the eyes e. goggles
with a handle
6. glasses which include two types of lens in the same frames - one for seeing f. monocle
close up and the other for seeing far away
7. small lenses that are worn directly on your eyeball g. spectacles

8. special close-fitting glasses which are used for swimming, skiing or safety h. visor
during certain dangerous activities

Answer the questions.

1. Have you ever worn any of these items? When and why did you wear them?
2. Are any of these items associated with a specific occupation? Do any signify a particular persona?
3. Which of these vocabulary items do you think you will use the most frequently?
4. Which definitions use passive forms?

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8 Appendix

Here you will find word families for Academic wordlist items from this lesson.

verb noun adjective

aid aid –

attribute to attribute/attribution –

– device –

feature feature –

maintain maintenance –

occur occurrence –

rely on reliance reliant

signify significance significant

trace (back) trace –

– version –

– vision visual

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