Culture

Writing overviews Expressing advantages and

Describing two sets of data disadvantages
Using complex sentences; . Using advantage and disadvantage
Concession (1) vocabulary
Using complex sentences:
Concession (2)

Task Writing overviews

1 Give at least three advantages of each cultural activity shown in the pictures.

2 Rank the activities in the list below 1-10 according to how important they are
in developing understanding between different cultures (1 = most important;
10 = least important).
organizing student establishing transport links
exchanges
promoting tourism
language learning
sharing scientific and technological
setting up international trade know-how
agreements
promoting positive media
advertising similar climate and images
landscape
highlighting similarities in lifestyle and
creating joint cultural culture
events

3 Think of examples to justify your choices in exercise 2. Are there any

activities that might be difficult to develop or promote?

4 Which of the activities in exercise 2 can be carried out by individuals?

Which can be carried out by governments?

5 Statements a-c were used to write overviews of data.

Put the words in italics in the correct order.
a It is clear that majority/people/overwhelming/of/the/ Technique
were/of/favour/in school visits between countries. Write an overview
for every Task 1
question. This
b Overall, just over half the people surveyed found the will help you to
climate in the tropics the most difficult thing to adapt achieve a good
to, a/number/with/smallerinaming/and/lifestyle/ score. You can
place the overview
food. just after the
introduction, in the
first sentence of the
c The three languages in question, Spanish, Arabic
second paragraph
and Chinese, were named as important/the/ or as a separate
languages/most/after English by about/of/equal/ short paragraph
people/numbers. at the end like a
conclusion.

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.40.
6 Answer these questions about the sentences in exercise 5 on page 46.
a Which activity in exercise 2 do they relate to?
b Which pie chart 1-4 below would be a good illustration of each statement in exercise 5?
Use the proportions in each sentence to help you.

7 Pie charts are frequently used to summarize data. Match each of the following
overviews to one of the pie charts 1-4 above.
a To conclude, only a small minority of people felt that the language barrier
would prevent the development of cultural links.
b It is evident that opinions are split almost equally between the three options
as regards the benefits of joint cultural ventures.
c It would seem that the vast majority of people think that the development of
trade links has the greatest impact on international relations.
Just under half the people surveyed are of the opinion that China would be
the biggest cultural influence in the world by 2020.
About half of the holiday makers visited Italy because they were interested
in the art and culture, whereas the food and the climate were named as the
Culture

Technique
Aim to include several
key features in your
Task 1 answer:
a paraphrase of the
question, proportion
phrases, comparisons,
some general and some
specific statements/
clauses about the data,
along with an overview.

most important factors by approximately equal numbers of the remaining tourists

in the survey.

8 Rewrite the sentences below using a suitable phrase from the list.
nearly a third a almost equal numbers • the vast majority
a tiny minority up just under half • nearly-twe-thirds

Examples
Government subsidies accounted for 63 per cent of all funding.
Government subsidies accounted for nearly two-thirds of all funding.
a 87 per cent of holiday makers to China were very satisfied with their experience.
b It is clear that about 50 per cent of both sexes favoured increased cultural
contacts.
c Only 11 per cent of filmgoers thought films helped promote cultural awareness.
In conclusion, the trend is clearly upward, with 47 per cent of companies
establishing new trade and cultural links in 2012.
To sum up, 32 per cent of all tourists were on some form of package holiday.

9 Look again at the sentences in exercises 5,6 and 8. Make a list of phrases which are
used to indicate overviews.

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 Unit 6
U Describing two sets of data

1 Study Task 1 below and answer questions a-c.

• The table below shows the age profile of tourists on backpacking

holidays and guided tours in New Zealand in 2012 and the pie chart
gives the satisfaction rating of their stay. Summarize the information
by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

Age profile Backpacking Guided tours Not sure

, 18-30 62%
No
31-40 23% 22%
41-50 10% 57%
Other 5% 14%

a How does the age profile of people on each type of holiday differ?
b Which age group is almost equally represented on each holiday type?
c How would you describe the opinion of the majority of visitors?

2 Complete the text with verbs from the box. The first one has been done for you.

comes • accounts for • belong • provides • enjoyed • is rated • make up • include

The table 1 trovidef a breakdown by selected age group of those on backpacking and guided tours in
New Zealand in 2012 with the pie chart indicating whether they 2 their holiday
As can be seen from the table, the age profile of people on the two afferent types of holiday varies
considerably For example, the majority (62 per cent) of those on backpacking holidays 3 to
the 18-30 age range, but the same age group 4 a small proportion (seven per cent) of those
on guided tours. 1-lowever, the pattern is the complete reverse when it 5 to 41-50 year-olds.
These people 6 57 per cent of those on guided tours, despite accounting for only ten per cent
of backpackers.
13y contrast the profiles for both backpacking and guided tours 7 roughly qual proportions
from the 31 10 age/group: 23 and 22 per cent respectively
It is dear from the pie chart that New Zealand 8 as a popular holiday destination among the
majority of all holiday makers, with a massive 83 pea- cent from both groups stating they enjoyed their holiday

3 Which phrases and sentences in the text in exercise 2 indicate: Technique

a a phrase directing attention to the table Use a variety of verbs such as form,
b a phrase summarizing the data in the table make up, account for when you
c a general sentence about 41-50 year-olds describe proportions.
d an overview about the satisfaction rating

4 Using your own words, write a paraphrase of the phrases and

sentences in exercise 3. Technique
Show that you can combine ideas in
complex sentences.

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 Culture
Using complex sentences: Concession (1)

1 Read the example sentences below then answer questions a-c.

Examples
57 per cent of people on guided tours were aged 41-50, although only 10 per cent
of backpackers belonged to this age group.
57 per cent of people on guided tours were aged 41-50. Nevertheless, only 10 per cent
of backpackers belonged to this age group.
a Which linking devices are used to introduce a contrast?
b How are the devices used differently?
c Find three examples of similar devices in the text in exercise 2 on page 48. Which devices in
the example sentences are they like? Which device can only be used before a noun or an -ing
form?

2 Match a-e below with suitable sentences or sentence endings 1-5 to create correct statements
about the data in exercise 1 on page 48.
a Despite accounting for nearly equal proportions of each holiday type,
b Although people aged 41-50 were dominant on guided tours,
c Guided tours were least popular among people in the 18-30 age group,
One in ten people said that they didn't enjoy their holiday.
Only 14 per cent of people from the four other categories chose guided tours.
1 they still accounted for one in ten backpackers.
2 Nevertheless, most clearly expressed satisfaction.
3 this age group still accounted for under a quarter of each.
4 However, that was still a higher proportion than the 18-30 age group.
5 but they were most popular with the oldest group.

3 Join each of the following sentences using the phrase given.

a The vast majority of visitors to Britain come from Europe. However, they stay for fewer
than ten days on average.
Although
b 45 per cent of people speak a foreign language. Nevertheless, the vast majority are at a
low level.
Although 45 per cent
c It has good weather. However, southern France is visited by only two per cent of Asian
tourists.
Despite
The cost of student exchanges went up. Nevertheless, the number of exchanges rose.
The number of student exchanges
The event was promoted to teenagers. Nevertheless, they accounted for only 32 per cent
of the audience.
Although

4 Look at the table below which gives information about three cinemas. Write five sentences about
the information using the concession words in exercises 2 and 3.

• Number of screens Number of Revenue 2012

admissions 2012

Plaza 3 510,957 £ 2,759,167

Cinelink 2 523,899 £ 2,758,943
Roxy 5 763,902 £ 2,812,400

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