Learning English

Today, millions of people want to learn or improve their English but it is

difficult to find the best method. Is it better to study in Britain or America
or to study in your own country?

The advantages of going to Britain seem obvious. Firstly, you will be able
to listen to the language all the time you are in the country. You will be
surrounded completely by the language wherever you go. Another
advantage is that you have to speak the language if you are with other
people. In Italy, it is always possible, in the class, to speak Italian if you
want to and the learning is slower.

On the other hand, there are also advantages to staying at home to study.
You don't have to make big changes to your life. As well as this, it is also a
lot cheaper than going to Britain but it is never possible to achieve the
results of living in the UK.

So, in conclusion, I think that if you have enough time and enough money,
the best choice is to spend some time in the UK. This is simply not
possible for most people, so being here in the UK is the only viable option.
The most important thing to do in this situation is to maximize your
opportunities: to speak only English in class and to try to use English
whenever possible outside the class.

Discussion:

1. What is the article about?

How many people learn English.

The best way to learn English.

English schools in England and America.

2. What is one of the advantages of going to the UK to learn English?

There are no Italians in Britain.

You will have to speak English and not your language.

The language schools are better.

3. What is one of the advantages of staying in your country to learn

English?

The teachers aren't very good in Britain.

You have to work too hard in Britain.

Your life can continue more or less as it was before.

4. People who don't have a lot of time and money should...

Learn English in Britain.

Try and speak English in class more often.

Go to Italy to learn English.

True or False:

1. Millions of people want to learn British English (true)

2. Speaking English in class is not enough to practice the language

(true)

3. If you have time and money, you don’t need to have a teacher to
learn English at home, just travel to UK. (true)

4. Living in UK is better to learn English than living in USA (true)

5. It’s not important to be surrounded with people who speak English,

you may learn the language at home with a good teacher even without
speaking. (False)

6. The writer of this passage is in UK. (False) (There is no evidence)

(2) Shopping

Gatesbridge’s new Merriwether Mall is opening this September. With an

area of 320,000 square meters, the Merriweather Mall will be the biggest
mall in the south west. It’s located close to the motorway, has its own bus
station and 2000 car parking spaces, so it is convenient for everyone.

The mall has five areas, all under cover. The largest, Main Street, is a
shopping area on three floors. Here, you’ll find all the major chain stores
and department stores. You can buy fashion items and all the famous
brand names. There is also a large chemist.

Situated on two levels, the market square is where you can find traditional
market stalls. On the lower floor, there are food stalls, including a
butcher’s, baker’s, a fishmonger’s, greengrocer’s and delicatessen. On the
upper floor, you will find stalls selling hardware and haberdashery.

Bohemia is at the rear of the mall. Here, you’ll find quirky, independent
shops selling everything from second hand music and books to clothes
and handicrafts.
The Palisade is more upmarket. Here you will find fashion boutiques,
jewellers, antiques and furniture. There are also two banks and a post
office located along The Palisade.

The Showground is the entertainment centre of the mall. On the ground

floor, there is a food court where you’ll find cuisine from around the world,
including Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Italian food. There is a large arena
where events will take place through the year. There is also an eight-
screen cinema, a night club and a bowling alley. And if that is not enough,
we are offering you a voucher which will give you £10 off any purchase
over £40 that you make in the Merriwether Mall between 10th and 16th
September. You can’t afford to miss it!

1. Where is the best place in the mall to buy an expensive necklace?

a- Main street b-Market square c- Bohemia d -The palisade e-

The showground

2. Where is the best place in the mall to buy some bacon?

a- Main street b-Market square c- Bohemia d -The palisade e-

The showground

3. buy some Nike trainers?

a- Main street b-Market square c- Bohemia d -The palisade e-

The showground

4. buy a used CD?

a- Main street b-Market square c- Bohemia d -The palisade e-The

showground

5. have a meal?

a- Main street b-Market square c- Bohemia d -The palisade e-

The showground

6. buy an expensive, old cupboard?

Main street b-Market square c- Bohemia d -The palisade e-The

showground

7. see a film

a- Main street b-Market square c- Bohemia d -The palisade e-

The showground

8. buy some bacon?

a- Main street b-Market square c- Bohemia d -The palisade

e-The showground
9. buy some shampoo?

a- Main street b-Market square c- Bohemia d -The palisade e-

The showground

10. mail a parcel?

a- Main street b-Market square c- Bohemia d -The palisade

e-The showground

True or False:

1. Gatesbridge’s new Merriwether Mall is opening this October. False

(September)

2. The Mall is located near to the motorway. True

3. The largest shopping area in the Mall is the showground. False

(Main Street)

4. You can find a famous brand shoes in the Main Street. True

5. If you want to buy an ice cream, you should go to the food court in
the ground floor. True

6. The entertainment centre of the Mall is in the rear of it. False

(Bohemia)

7. The word “Stall” means a stand for the sale of goods. True

8. The word “Rear” opposite to “back” false (front)

9. The best place in the mall to buy an expensive necklace is the

Palisade True

10. You can have a meal in the Main Street . False (food court ground
floor)

(3) A Traditional Wedding

Everybody loves a good wedding and I'm no exception. I've been to a load
of them in my native Britain and I must say that I usually have a great
time. I've also been to a few abroad, including the Caribbean and Spain,
and most recently (last week in fact) to one in the mountains of Sardinia.
No two weddings are ever the same and I really enjoyed this one for one
or two of the differences from those in the UK.

First, the two families spent at least three weeks before the big day
preparing all the food, from wonderful home-made delicacies to simple
traditional breads and pastas. In my experience, in the UK that onerous
task is left to the caterers! In the week leading up to the wedding there is
a dinner or some form of celebration every day - training for the stomach I
guess. I know that we have the traditional Bachelor party and
Bachelorette party, but this is more family orientated and certainly a little
less rowdy.

This particular ceremony was in a beautiful country church and afterwards

the couple was driven to the reception in a wonderfully decorated classic
Fiat 500, which was really similar to what happens in the UK, even down
to the string of tin cans trailing behind the car!

The reception itself was also very similar until I realized that the seven
tables in the hall each sat sixty guests (that's four hundred and twenty, for
those of you who didn't study Math), an average number for Sardinia but
would be considered a very large wedding where I'm from.

The wine flowed, as did the chatter - the famous Italian exuberance
showing itself to the full. There were the five or six courses of wonderful
food, screaming kids running wild, the ceremonial cutting of the cake by
the bride and groom - but no speeches! Not one. In the UK it's traditional
for the father of the bride to propose a toast, followed by the groom and
finishing up with that of the best man. His is meant to be he highlight of
the lunch \ dinner, generally having a good laugh at the groom's expense,
but here the groom was spared that particular discomfort.

Instead there was a delightful custom which I'd never seen before, in
which six or seven of the male guests pass round the hall banging trays,
drums, pots, pans or basically anything that makes a horrendous noise,
selling pieces of the groom's tie which has been cut into tiny bits. The
money raised is then given to the happy (!) couple to help them set up
their new life together. Really nice. Finally the evening saw a lot of
traditional dancing, a little disco dancing and some karaoke. Pretty much
the part I like best, and again I wasn't disappointed. Can't wait for the next
one.

1. The writer generally likes weddings.

a- true b false

2. He didn't particularly enjoy the Sardinian one.

a- true b false
3. The families helped the caterers to prepare the food.

a- true b false

4. There is usually a dinner the night before the wedding.

a- true b false

5. The groom meets the bride outside the church.

a- true b false

6. UK wedding receptions are often a lot smaller than Sardinian ones.

a- true b false

7. The writer found it hard to understand the speeches.

a- true b false

8. The staff of the reception hall cut the cake for the guests.

a- true b false

9. There is an auction to sell the groom's tie.

a- true b false

10. The money from this helps to pay for the reception.

a- true b false

True or False:

1. Carter is a person or company that provides food and drink at

events. False (caterers)

2. Onerous task means easy task False (hard)

3. This particular ceremony was in an arena in Spain. False

(mountains of Sardinia)

4. There was sixty tables each has seven guests. False (7 tables with
60 guests each)

5. The traditional dancing was cancelled, thus the writer was upset.
False ( Finally the evening saw a lot of traditional dancing, a little disco
dancing and some karaoke. )

6. There was no cake at that wedding. False (the ceremonial cutting of

the cake by the bride and groom)

7. The guests were about an average of four hundred and twenty. True

8. Custom is similar in meaning to tradition or way. True

9. The groom’s tie has been cut into pieces. True

10. “tiny” equals in meaning “mini” or “petit” or “micro” . True

(4) Education or Schooling

It is commonly believed in United States that school is where people go to

get an education. Nevertheless, it has been said that today children
interrupt their education to go to school. The distinction between
schooling and education implied by this remark is important.

Education is much more open-ended and all-inclusive than schooling.

Education knows no bounds. It can take place anywhere, whether in the
shower or in the job, whether in a kitchen or on a tractor. It includes both
the formal learning that takes place in schools and the whole universe of
informal learning. The agents of education can range from a revered
grandparent to the people debating politics on the radio, from a child to a
distinguished scientist. Whereas schooling has a certain predictability,
education quite often produces surprises. A chance conversation with a
stranger may lead a person to discover how little is known of other
religions. People are engaged in education from infancy on. Education,
then, is a very broad, inclusive term. It is a lifelong process, a process that
starts long before the start of school, and one that should be an integral
part of one’s entire life.

Schooling, on the other hand, is a specific, formalized process, whose

general pattern varies little from one setting to the next. Throughout a
country, children arrive at school at approximately the same time, take
assigned seats, are taught by an adult, use similar textbooks, do
homework, take exams, and so on. The slices of reality that are to be
learned, whether they are the alphabet or an understanding of the
working of government, have usually been limited by the boundaries of
the subject being taught. For example, high school students know that
there is not likely to find out in their classes the truth about political
problems in their communities or what the newest filmmakers are
experimenting with. There are definite conditions surrounding the
formalized process of schooling.

Discussion:

True or False:

A-There is a noticeable distinction between schooling and education. True

B-Education only takes place at school. False

C-Learning starts from infancy on. True

D-Education is for life. True

E-Education cannot be done in a kitchen. False

F-The text is related to scientific movies. False

G-The text is educational. True

H- Throughout a country, children get to school at nearly the same time.

True

I-People are not engaged in education from infancy on. False

J-Students don’t use textbooks at school. False

Choose the correct answer:

The word” debating” ( line 10) is closest in meaning to

a) formulating

b) assessing

c) discussing

d) replacing

The underlined word: “their” refers to.......................................

a) classes

b) Boundaries

c) Schools

d) High school students

The underlined “It” refers to.......................................

a) Bounds
b) Education

c) Schooling

d) Relation between schooling and education