B1 lesson 16

Look at this picture carefully. Here are some possible answers:

1. I can see a woman in a bookshop or newsagent.

2. She is looking at a magazine. It could be a magazine about her hobby or interests.
3. Maybe she will buy the magazine.

Use these words in a sentence: Here are some possible answers:

1. This photo looks fake.

2. My brother is trying a new business venture.
3. Drug addiction is a serious problem in my country.
4. Last year there was a surge in poverty levels.
5. I love reading about celebrity gossip in magazines.

Teacher's Notes
Discussion warmer activity. The teacher directs students attention to the four
types of media on the left. The teacher asks students to discuss the questions
in pairs. The teacher can provide a model for the first question e.g. “I probably
use newspapers the most because I get them delivered to my door every day
and I like reading them while I have my morning coffee” When the students
have finished discussing in pairs, the teacher swaps the students into different
groups where they compare their answers.
Optional Extension!
Students can conduct a class survey of each other’s media habits, and then
use that information to create a class profile of media habits. Is there a
difference between men and women, young and older, conservative and
liberal?

1
Quickly read the newspaper story.
1. The article is a report. There is a lot of data and no personal language.

Read the story again in more detail. Decide if the following sentences
are true or false. Correct the false sentences.

1. True: The majority (80%) of people are addicted to their phones.

2. False: A fifth (20%) of people use their phone for fewer than 2 hours a day.
3. False: Only 30% of people get anxious when they don’t use their phone.
4. True: Using a smartphone too much can affect your sleeping patterns.
5. False: The number of people using phones is increasing.
6. True: A small number (5%) of people are trying to reduce the time they spend on
their phones.

Watch the video to learn about clauses of concession.

Now, using what you have learned, choose the correct option.
1. Even though she is kind, everybody hates her.
2. The children slept deeply, in spite of of the noise.
3. Despite having little money, he bought the shoes.

Watch the video to learn about clauses of purpose and reason.

Now use what you learned to choose the correct option to complete the sentences
below.

1. He cut his hair so as to look smarter. (so as to)

2. The fire couldn’t be stopped due to the weather conditions. (due to)
3. Since I’d already seen the film, I didn’t go to the cinema. (since)

All of the sentences below have a mistake. Change the underlined part of the sentence
to correct it.

2
1. Despite taking a taxi, we were still late.
2. Although the news was bad, she still felt positive about the future.
3. Despite playing well, they lost the game.
4. I’ll take a coat, so as not to get cold.
5. Despite the rain, we still went to the park.
6. Nobody believed the story because the pictures were obviously fake.

Teacher's Notes
The teacher directs the students attention to the sentences on the left of the board, and
tells them to finish them with their own ideas. Encourage creativity. Model activity first.
Nominate ss for feedback.
e.g. I stole a car so as to drive to Mexico.
I stole a car due to mine being stolen last week.
When students have finished they can compare with a partner.
Optional Variation!
The sentences can be cut up into cards and in groups, students can turn one over and
try to finish the sentence spontaneously.

Work in pairs. Match the words a - f with the words 1 - 6 to make collocations.

1. false information (c)

2. fake news (b)
3. celebrity gossip (a)
4. influence public opinion (f)
5. tell the difference (d)
6. check the sources (e)

Jing, Lucia and Emily talk about the news.

Listen to the conversation and match the speaker to the opinion.

Jing / Lucia / Emily

1. Jing: I think the media is honest.

2. Emily: I think the media only tells lies.
3. Lucia: I think that not all the media is reliable.

3
Work in groups and look at the newspaper headlines.
Ask and answer the questions:
1. The ‘sharks’, ‘blue dogs’, and ‘100-year-old cake’ stories are all true, but the ‘polar
bears’ and ‘killer bees’ stories are fake news.