OTHER COMMUNITIES' EXAMS

Click here for samples of past exams of other communities

MEDIATION SAMPLES

Click here for topic-based oral and written mediation activities.

CULTURE SHOCK!

 What are the main differences an American person living in Spain might have experienced do you think? Watch the video to find out

HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING

 Go to this website to find tons of listening exercises with the key. Enjoy it! There are different levels, Find yours on top of the page

https://sites.google.com/view/listening-comprehension/home

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITINGS

 Have a look at this website that will help you improve your writings

https://www.cristinacabal.com/?page_id=7733

HOW TO WRITE A PROPOSAL

A proposal is a piece of writing similar to a report. Normally an authority figure has asked you to evaluate a set of options for the improvement of something. The general purpose of a proposal is to identify a particular need, explain it and recommend how this need can best be met.

The report gives an outcome of something. A proposal is an idea that is presented and maybe accepted.

It is written to someone who needs to make a decision which usually involves spending or investing money (e.g. a client or customer, a committee, someone responsible for finances within company or organization, etc)

It is usually formal in register, but could also be semi-formal when addressed to a committee of peers.

The writer uses language in such a way that it is persuasive, besides listing reasons and making suggestions.

In the conclusión the writer summarises the points made in the main body and if necessary expresses his/her own opinion

https://es.slideshare.net/GeorgeSchoondy/essay-report-review-proposal

INTRODUCING THE PROPOSAL
This proposal is based on a discussion about……./ a survey in which ….
The aim/purpose/intention of this proposal is to …..
As requested, I am submitting/writing this proposal in order to …...…….
This proposal describes/outlines…..
It outlines/suggests ways in which ….
It puts forward suggestions/proposals for ….
This is a proposal compiled in order to suggest/present/access/evaluate….
It concludes by recommending…./making recommendations on …..

MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS

These are some other ways of making recommendations. See your book for more:

There are several steps/measures that could be taken
It is suggested/recommended that ….should ….
X could/might consider (ING)….
I recommend/propose/suggest/believe that we should …..
I believe that it would be very beneficial /helpful/worthwhile to (students) to…
A further suggestion/possibility would be to ...
I (would) (strongly) suggest/recommend that ...

EXPLAINING THE REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION
If these recommendations are implemented,…...
By doing this, …/In this way, ...
This would enable people to ………/enhance ….
If we…., we could …...
It is my (strong) belief that ...………...….would ......…….
The advantage (s) of the the approach proposed would be that ...

CONCLUSIONS
To sum up/To conclude/In summary/All in all/In conclusion, I believe that …
In conclusión, I would say that ….
On balance, we are of the opinion that …...
I feel certain/believe that the course of action proposed above will achieve …./answer the needs of the …
I hope /trust that the plan/scheme outlined/presented in this proposal meets with your approval

USEFUL LINKERS FOR MAIN BODY PARAGRAPHS
To list points:

• Firstly/First of all/To begin with
• Secondly
• Thirdly
• Lastly/Finally

To add more points:

• In addition/Additionally
• What is more
• Furthermore

To provide reason and cause

• because (of)
• as
• since
• due to
• owing to
• on account of

To introduce examples/details

• For example/for instance
• In particular/Particularly
• such as/including/namely

To contrast:

• however
• although
• whereas/on the other hand

To introduce effect/result

• Consequently/As a result
• In this way
• This way
• In doing so
• Therefore
• Thus
• For this reason

REMEMBER;

1. Use appropriate language for making suggestions and recommendations
2. use linkers to sequence points
3. Set out your text so that it looks like a proposal and not a letter
4. divide your proposal into sections with headings
5. include a separate introduction and conclusion
6. be clear and concise
7. use an impersonal tone
8. frequent use of passive forms (e.g. Some available funds could be used to improve the office environment)

WILL TECHNOLOGY MAKE CRIME EASIER OR MORE DIFFICULT IN THE FUTURE?

 LISTENING # 2

Watch the video and answer the questions 
Answers HERE

THE WELL-BEING BUDGET

 

LISTENING: THE WELL-BEING BUDGET

Watch this video

And do this task. Answers at the end of document

informal letters / email

BEGINNING THE LETTER / EMAIL
Many thanks for your letter - It was great to hear from you
It was great to hear from you
Sorry for not writing earlier
Sorry that I haven´t been in touch for a while
I hope you and your family are well
I'm sorry I haven´t written for ages, but I've been really busy preparing for my exams
I thought I'd better write (and give you some more details about….)
It's been such a long time since we wrote to each other
How are you and your family?
How are things with you?
How was (your holiday)?
Thought I'd better / drop you a line / write to let you now …….

RESPONDING TO NEWS
Sorry to hear about your exam results
Glad to hear that you're all well
It's really good news that you (have passed your driving test)

APOLOGISING
I'm terribly sorry about what happened the other night
Sorry I couldn´t / didn´t manage to see you last time I was in Madrid

INVITING
How about (meeting up for a drink/coming over for a meal ) some time?
Why don´t we try to get together some time soon?
I was wondering if you might like to ( get together with the rest of the old gand next time you're in town)

RESPONDING TO AN INVITATION
Thanks very much for (inviting us to your party)
I was very excited when I got your invitation. Unfortunately, ………...so I won´t be able to make it / it doesn´t look as if I'm going to make it

MAKING A REQUEST
I was wondering if you happened to (know anywhere in Dublin we could stay)
If you've got a spare moment, do you think you could ………..?

REFERRING TO A PREVIOUS LETTER
Do you remember (that sports centre) you mentioned in your last letter?
You said in your letter (that you were thinking of applying for a scholarship)
Last time you wrote you asked (how Tina was getting on)
You know that (course) I told you (I had applied for). Well, …….

CLOSING REMARKS
I'd better stop and get on with (my studying)
I think that's all my news for the moment
Can't wait to (see you) on the 24th/next week
Don´t forget to say "hi"to…...from me
Anyway, / Well, That's all for now
Hope to hear from you soon
Hope this has helped
Let me know what happens
Give my love/regards to (your family)
Please write/drop me a line soon
Looking forward to (seeing you in July)
PS (=something you forgot and want to add) Please send me the photos you promised


There are various ways of closing letters to friends depending how well you know them.
- For very close friends or relatives you can use: With (all my) love, Love or Lots of Love
- with friends use: All the best
- With people you still don´t know very well use: (With) best wishes

YOUR PADLET

BILINGUALISM

Read this about the topic. Really interesting!

A CLOZE- LANGUAGE

LANGUAGE - CLOZE

A new study shows that being bilingual may delay dementia (1) ____ five or more years. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland discovered that people who spoke two languages did not (2) ____ any signs of three types of dementia for more than four years longer than (3) ____ who were monolingual. A co-author of the report, Dr. Thomas Bak, said: "Bilingualism can be (4) ____ as a successful brain training, contributing to cognitive reserve, (5) ____ can help delay dementia." This means that speaking two languages keeps the brain in better health and helps to keep diseases like Alzheimer's at (6) ____ for longer than if someone spoke just one language.

Dr Bak's research found that bilingualism and the delaying of dementia had (7) ____ to do with social status, gender, occupation or educational background. Bak's team evaluated the (8) ____ records of 648 people from India who had been diagnosed with dementia. Of these patients, 391 were bilingual or trilingual and many were (9) ____. Dr Bak wrote: "The fact that bilingual advantage is not caused by any differences in education is (10) ____ by the fact that it was also found in illiterates, who have never attended any school." He suggested that learning a language (11) ____ in life could keep the brain healthier. He said language learning was "socially more enjoyable, and it (12) ____ your brain to train permanently".

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	at	(b)	as	(c)	from	(d)	by
2.	(a)	revive	(b)	gauge	(c)	make	(d)	show
3.	(a)	them	(b)	those	(c)	they	(d)	these
4.	(a)	looked	(b)	watched	(c)	seen	(d)	stared
5.	(a)	which	(b)	such	(c)	this	(d)	too
6.	(a)	bay	(b)	pay	(c)	by	(d)	par
7.	(a)	dearth	(b)	scarce	(c)	few	(d)	little
8.	(a)	medical	(b)	medicine	(c)	medicinal	(d)	medics
9.	(a)	alliterate	(b)	illiterate	(c)	iterate	(d)	reiterate
10.	(a)	conformed	(b)	confounded	(c)	confirmed	(d)	confined
11.	(a)	latest	(b)	lately	(c)	later	(d)	lateness
12.	(a)	fracas	(b)	forces	(c)	faces	(d)	faux pas

answers:A new study shows that being bilingual may delay dementia by five or more years. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland discovered that people who spoke two languages did not show any signs of three types of dementia for more than four years longer than those who were monolingual. A co-author of the report, Dr. Thomas Bak, said: "Bilingualism can be seen as a successful brain training, contributing to cognitive reserve, which can help delay dementia." This means that speaking two languages keeps the brain in better health and helps to keep diseases like Alzheimer's at bay for longer than if someone spoke just one language.

Dr Bak's research found that bilingualism and the delaying of dementia had little to do with social status, gender, occupation or educational background. Bak's team evaluated the medical records of 648 people from India who had been diagnosed with dementia. Of these patients, 391 were bilingual or trilingual and many were illiterate. Dr Bak wrote: "The fact that bilingual advantage is not caused by any differences in education is confirmed by the fact that it was also found in illiterates, who have never attended any school." He suggested that learning a language later in life could keep the brain healthier. He said language learning was "socially more enjoyable, and it forces your brain to train permanently".

Read more: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1311/131112-bilingualism.html#ixzz4QdyiJLL5


Read more: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1311/131112-bilingualism.html#ixzz4QdybPeth

Read more: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1311/131112-bilingualism.html#ixzz4Qdy7WJuO

EXAMPLES OF COVER LETTERS

Click here for same examples of cover letters. You'll be surprised to find out there are different styles!

IMPORTANT INFO

 HOJA DE INICIO 2020-2021

LEVEL C1

Welcome to the EOI. My name is Valentina Martín. I will be your teacher this course.

HOURS

Tuesdays and Thursdays.

- 16:15 to 18:35

- 18:45 to 21.05

Sessions on Tuesdays. Room 4

Online (zoom so far) on Thursdays. Same hours. You will receive a link to zoom every Thursday to join your class for a videoconference with me. You will need your book and a notebook near you.

MATERIALS REQUIRED


· Our textbook for this year is:

ENGLISH FILE 4TH EDITION ADVANCED C1.1 (Student's book and workbook with key pack)

Latham-Koenig, Oxenden & Lambert (Oxford University Press 2020)

ISBN: 9780194058186

- Aula virtual: In process

ATTENDANCE: 

Regular attendance and active participation in class are vital to achieve the course objectives. Besides, attaining the level requires a lot of self-study

· A notebook or folder is also necessary in your language class.

Dictionaries:

· A monolingual and/or bilingual dictionary (Oxford, Collins or Larousse). Try to get the latest edition.


PRESENTATIONS

You will be asked to give a presentation during the course. You will have to choose the topic from the ones that your teacher will provide you with and have appeared in previous exams.
Your teacher will give you feedback on your presentation and this will give you an idea about your strongest and weakest points. You may as well give your talk on one topic of your choice.
Remember: your teacher won´t make the end-of-the-course exam so she doesn´t know which topics you will be asked to talk about at the end of the year.  You will find the topics for your presentations in this blog.

PRESENTATIONS (Monologue  3-4 minutes)

These are the monologues that have appeared in the exam over the years. Write your name next to one of them to prepare and deliver in the class. The person who has prepared the topic will have to give his/her presentation after having submitted the text to the teacher for correction. Alternatively you may deliver your presentation on a topic of your choice, one related to your field of interest.

1^st: St prepares topic and outline. Time it and make sure you don´t exceed the time limit. Check pronunciation of new items

2nd: Give presentation and outline to the teacher. Teacher will correct it and give it back to student with feedback

3rd: Student practices at home. (make sure you know how to pronounce every Word)

4rd : delivery to the class (Ss gives presentation, using the outline)

4^th: Teacher emails monologue to all the class. Be prepared to answer your teacher's questions on your production. 

1.     Family: Changes in the last two decades. New type of family in the 21^st century. Having Children in the current social & economic situation. Parental authority. Ideal Parents: Qualities, Rights, Duties & Changing Relationship with Their Children. Leaving the nest vs living with your parents. Divorce in Spain: Social aspects. 

2.     Winners or Losers in life: Personality, Education, Luck. Becoming successful at a young age 

3.     Crowdfunding. Advantages & disadvantages. Other ways to get funds. The role of the Internet to get a job.

4.     Productivity and how to improve it in Spain. Unemployment: Causes & solutions. Youth unemployment. 

5.     Learning English: Type of learner; learning process through the years, English compared to Spanish. Learning Languages. Dealing with problems/difficulties involved in learning.

6.     Important People Who Have Influenced Your Life

7.     Your Other Half. Dating agencies, meeting online, social interaction on the internet. Other ways to meet people in our society. 

8.     Another kind of conflict: Bullying. Causes. Effects. Solutions.: Youngsters: Discipline vs. Freedom; role of the media; responsibility

9.  Spanish Legal System & Crime Rates In Spain. What could your government do to reduce crime? Street crime

10.  Ubiquity of music: Reasons for; right to silence; importance of music in your life.

11.  Big cities. Public transport in big cities; advantages and disadvantages; strengths and weaknesses (Madrid). Travelling by train. Self-driving cars

12.  Self-help books: Reason for their success.

13.  Royalties: Illegal copying/downloading, future of books, films & music. Why. Possible solutions. Intellectual property. Problems faced by artists. Protecting copyright.

14.  Having a good sense of humour. Importance of humour. Pursuit of Happiness, The. What makes us happy. Role of money in happiness.

15.  Shopping habits. Small vs. large shops; evolution of shopping; future of shopping.

16.  Charities, money handled, and their role in society. Aid or Business. Working for a charity and raising funds for charity in the current economic climate. What type of events are the most popular? Is fund-rising widespread in Spain? 

17.  Health & Beauty: Trends. The perfect body. Obsession. Cult of Body, The. Physical appearance. Role of the media. Plastic Surgery: Obsession with looking good.

18.  Mass Media: ICTs (Information & Communication Technologies). The future of the media. No more paper: Consulting information in the digital age.

19.  Social Networking: Friends or Audience? Facebook, Twitter, Tuenti and modern communication. Social relationships: Popularity of networking websites; advantages/disadvantages of online relationships; Meeting people & keeping in touch in the future. Computer Skills: Acquired by teenagers and young people. Internet dependence. Video games (positive and negative features)

20.  Neighbourhood Problems: Drugs, Filth, etc. Street crime. Street Drinking & Anti-social behavior associated with it. Solutions. CCTV: Security vs. privacy; threat of police state; Other forms of surveillance. Concern about security

21.  School Homework. Is it necessary? Importance of free time and creativity. Schools: State vs. private. Home schooling. Bilingual education in Spain. Drop-outs. Current Problems of our education system. Importance of having a university degree. Education & Exams. How to increase motivation. Poor school results. Measures to improve the present system. Free to choose: practical vs. vocational studies 

 22.  Graffitti. Urban art?

23.  Alternative medicine & commonly-held beliefs about health & medicine. Healthcare System & the economic recession in Spain. Maintaining the National Health System. Health in the 21^st century (lifestyles, anxiety disorders…) 

24.  the post-holiday syndrome. Bank holidays. Number of holidays in our country- too many or not enough?

25.  Tourism In Spain and abroad. Ecotourism (vs. Mass Tourism). Being Eco-friendly

27.  Animals and us. Services they provide to humans today. Animal Rights: Should bullfighting be banned? El Toro de la Vega, etc. 

28.  Taxation: Pros & cons of paying higher or lower taxes. How taxes should be spent. Taxing fattening food (a good idea?)

28.  Importance of manners. Generational differences. Worldwide. On The Dot: Punctuality & Arriving Late. Political Correctness: Necessary or not?

29.  Culture Shock: Comparison between different cultures. Shocking aspects.Immigration: Current Situation in Spain. Pros & Cons of Emigrating. Integration of Immigrants. Multiculturalism: Multicultural classrooms. Immigration trends. Future of multicultural societies. Working Abroad due to Spanish recession. Opportunity or Necessity. Living and working abroad. Reasons.

30.  Football celebrities: Overpaid jobs. Money is killing sport. Limiting sportspeople’s earnings. Celebrities & The Right To Privacy.

31. Gender issues. Gender equality: Toys & games; traditional jobs for men/women; reverse discrimination. The situation of women in Spain. 2016 

32. Global warming. Mankind’s effect on nature. Natural Resources. Protecting the environment: Saving energy, Consumerism. Alternative sources of energy.

33.  Reality shows & the reasons for their success. Influence of television on our daily life. Trash TV: Gossip programmes

34. Globalisation and its effect on developing countries.

35. Meritocracy. 

We will mark your presentation following these criteria:

-        Range of vocabulary and grammar

-        Accuracy

-        Organisation (Cohesiveness, signposting, …)

-        Register and appropriateness  (giving enough information, varied and relevant...)

Signposting

Section of presentation	Signpost language
Introducing the topic	The subject/topic of my talk is ... I'm going to talk about ... My topic today is… My talk is concerned with ...
Overview (outline of presentation)	I’m going to divide this talk into four parts. There are a number of points I'd like to make. Basically/ Briefly, I have three things to say. I'd like to begin/start by ... Let's begin/start by saying that/commenting on ..... First of all, I'll... … and then I’ll go on to … Then/ Next ... Finally/ Lastly ...
Finishing a section	That's all I have to say about... We've looked at...
Starting a new section	Moving on now to … Turning to... Let’s turn now to … The next issue/topic/area I’d like to focus on … I’d like to expand/elaborate on … Now we'll move on to... I'd like now to discuss... Let's look now at...
Analysing a point and giving recommendations	Where does that lead us? Let's consider this in more detail. Why is this important?
Giving examples	For example,... A good example of this is... To give you an example,... To illustrate this point...
Summarising and concluding	To sum up ... To summarise... Right, let's sum up, shall we? Let's summarise briefly what we've looked at... If I can just sum up the main points... Finally, let me remind you of some of the issues I've covered... To conclude... In conclusion ... In short ... So, to remind you of what I’ve covered in this talk, … Unfortunately, I seem to have run out of time, so I’ll conclude very briefly by saying that ….. I'd like now to recap...
Paraphrasing and clarifying	Simply put... In other words....... So what I’m saying is.... To put it more simply.... To put it another way....

READERS:

Reading is one of the best ways to learn English. You will have to read at least ONE BOOK before Easter. Once you have read the book you will have to hand in your book review after Easter.

The library and the class library are at your disposal to take out books. It is also important to sign in the lending library list in your class whenever you take out or return a book. You can have the book for 15 days and the DVDs for a week. When you return the book it will be in lockdown for 6 days before another student can take it

These are only some websites that can help you write a book review. Use the info!
REMEMBER: PLOTS ARE TOLD IN PRESENT TENSES.

https://www.esleschool.com/writing-section-jurassic-park-book-review/
http://www.cristinacabal.com/?p=7595

HOW TO CONTACT ME

If you need to contact me throughout the course you can do it at valentina.martinramos@educa.madrid.org

In January you will take an exam which will be identical to the June one. Your mark will ONLY give you feedback on your strongest and weakest points but will NOT be part of your end-of the course mark.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR

Check out this important info

- School year

School rules. 

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

USEFUL LANGUAGE FOR DEBATES

PARTIALLY AGREEING
I know what you mean, but...
I hear what you're saying, but...
I see your point, but...
I agree to a certain extent, but...
That´s partly true, but...

CHALLENGING AN ARGUMENT
Yes, but don´t you think …?
Are your really saying that …?
I'm not so sure about that

SETTLING (ENDING) AN ARGUMENT
Maybe we'd better agree to disagree (on that)
It's a complex issue/It's not black and white
There are no easy answers

FORMAL LETTERS/EMAILS

REASONS FOR WRITING
I am writing with regard / reference to / in connection with / in response to ….
I am writing to express (my concern about/disappointment with /disapproval of/ apologies for )….
I would like to draw your attention to /point out ….

INTRODUCING POINTS
(I feel) I must also (dis) agree with ...
I should also like to point out that ….
Your (article) states that ….However, ...

STATING THE PROBLEM
A key challenge that we face is  …..
Not only is this ….. but it is also ….

INFORMING ABOUT SOLUTIONS
What we need to do is ...
What I suggest doing is ...
Only by (ing) ….. can we….

REQUEST FOR ACTION
I would appreciate it/be grateful if you would ...
I look forward to receiving / seeing ...
I trust/very much hope you will ...
I urge you to .....
I call on you to ....
I count on you to ...
I would be grateful if you could ....
This is our chance to ...
Together, we can ....

REMEMBER!!!!
Your formal letters/emails must start with Dear Mr / Ms (surname) and end Yours sincerely if you know the person´s name
Begin Dear Sir / Madam and end Yours faithfully if you don´t know the person's name
Use inversions and cleft sentences

HOW TO DESCRIBE A CARTOON

HOW TO DESCRIBE A CARTOON

The cartoonist may want to convey the idea that…

Its message might be that…

Perhaps the cartoonist’s intention is to show that…

The cartoon implies that…

At first glance one might think that… but a closer analysis shows that…

You could draw the conclusion that…

a speech bubble/ thought bubble

on the (visual) surface

X stands for/ symbolizes…

The aim of the cartoonist is to exaggerate certain character traits

This cartoon shows a satirical description (of)

to satirize sth.

to criticize the behaviour of ....

The cartoon is critical towards…

This cartoon is an outspoken critic (of)

to disapprove of sth.

The cartoonist’s intention is to make fun of/ to poke fun at sb./sth./ridicule sth/sb

to make a sarcastic comment (on)

Let's analyse a cartoon:

Step 2:
What is going on in the cartoon?

Use present continuous to describe

Step 3:
What is the message of the cartoon?

MEDIATION: HOW TO QUOTE

        

Lead-ins, also called signal phrases, introduce quotations.

l According to X, “. . .”

l In the words of X,  “. . .”

l As X puts it, “. . .”

Alternate signal phrase verbs:

Adds, admits, agrees, argues, asserts, believes, claims, comments, compares, confirms, contends, declares, denies, disputes, emphasizes, endorses, grants, illustrates, implies, insists, notes, observes, points out, reasons, refutes, rejects, reports, responds, suggests, thinks, writes.

l X points out that “. . .”

l X, (well-known scientist), argues that “. . .”

l X, (a professor at X University), admits that “. . .”

l X has concluded that “. . .”

l X reports that “. . .”

l X writes that “. . .”

l X stated in an interview that “. . .”

l “. . .,” remarks X, “. . .” .

l “. . .,” claims X

l X claims that “. . .”

1. To contend: assert something as a position in an argument. Spanish argüir, sostener

Example: She contends that the judge was wrong

2. Endorse: declare one’s public approval or support of. Spanish: aprobar, refrendar

Example: I fully endorse that opinion

3. Refute: refutar, rebatir. To deny or contradict ( a statement or accusation). Prove a statement or theory to be wrong or false; disprove

Example: these claims have not been convincingly refuted

4. Claim: asegurar, afirmar. State or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof

Example: The Prime Minister claimed that he was concerned about Third World debt

Assert: state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully. Afirmar