Is it art?
Read, listen and talk aboutartandculture. Practiseadverbandadjectivecollocations,cleftsentencesandemphasis. Focus onevaluatingandexpressingpreferences.
Writeacompetitionentry.
VOCABULARY AND SPEAKING
2 Inpairs,readthedefinitionsandanswer
thequestions.
1 Inpairs,lookatpictures1–5.Findexample(s)of
thefollowing.
1anoilpainting
2astilllife 3alandscape
4awatercolour
5aportrait
are
a art n the creation of works thatprov
oking
ghtthou
or
e
beautiful, expressiv
(dictionary deﬁnition)
b
1
Art is silent poetry.
IT
(Simonedes, Ancient Greek
poet)
c Art is the means by which we communicate
N
what it feels like to be alive ...
(Anthony Gormley, English sculptor)
U
M
PL
E
1Whichdefinitiondoyouagreewith
most?Why?
2Whichofthepictures,inyourview,
arethebestexamplesofa‘workofart’?
Usetheadjectivesfromtheboxtojustify
youropinion.
accomplished enchanting evocative
exquisite intriguing inventive potent
provocative remarkable vivid
3
2
SA
The Old King by Georges Rouault
Leland, Michigan by Mark McMahon
16
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Small Round Table by Georges Braque
9/2/09 9:28:40 am
Is it art?
6 Make the sentences more emphatic by replacing the adverb and adjective with a stronger version.
More than one answer is possible.
3 Match adjectives 1–10 with their more emphatic
equivalents a–j.
BASE
6 happy
1 bad c
2 interesting c 7 tired
8 angry
3 difficult
c
9 nervous
4 sad
c
10 shocked
5 good
c
1Beksiński’s use of detail is pretty interesting.
2Her latest exhibition received very bad
reviews from the critics. She was really sad
about it.
3It’s a really good museum but there are too
many exhibits – I was extremely tired after
I’d seen it all!
4I was very happy to win a scholarship to art
college.
5It’s really difficult to make out what’s going on in this picture!
6They’ve put up the admission prices to the art gallery again. It makes me extremely angry.
c
c
c
c
c
STRONG
aterrified/petrified
bastonishing/fascinating/remarkable
c atrocious/pathetic/dire/appalling
dhorrified
eexhausted
f furious/livid
gimpossible
hmagnificent/marvellous/superb/exquisite
i miserable/heartbroken
j thrilled/delighted
Listen and underline the adjectives you hear from Exercise 3.
5
CD1.13 Listen again. Decide which adjectives are used
with the adverbs in the table.
IT
4
7 Work in pairs. How would you feel in these
situations? Use an adverb and an adjective.
1You were ‘top of the class’ in all your exams.
2Someone stole your mobile phone.
3You had to make a speech to a large
audience.
4You’d just spent twenty hours on a long-haul flight.
5Your best friend told you he/she was moving
to another country.
2_________
3_________
absolutely utterly simply totally
really pretty terribly
extremely
slightly
very
U
PL
1 _________
4
SA
M
8 What kind of art/artists do you like/dislike? Make sentences using the prompts from the box or your own ideas.
E
abase adjectives only
bstrong adjectives only
c both base and strong adjectives
N
CD1.13
amateur paintings the Old Masters still-life paintings modern art contemporary sculpture manga comics wall murals/graffiti Impressionism Surrealism abstract paintings
1I’m really into …
2I’ve always admired …
3… is/are really good/absolutely superb.
4I just can’t relate to …
5I’ve never understood the attraction of …
6… is/are really bad/really dire.
5
The Parliament, Sunset by Claude Monet
Automat by Edward Hopper
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9/2/09 9:28:42 am
PL
E
U
3
N
1
IT
A
SA
M
2
LISTENING AND SPEAKING
1 LookatphotoAandanswerthequestions.
1Whodoyouthinkthepeopleare?
2Wherearethey?Whatdoyouthinkthey
aredoing?
2
Listen,checkyouranswerstoExercise1and
answerthequestions.
CD1.14
1Whatkindofphotoaretheylookingfor?
2Howmuchdoesdesigninfluenceyour
decisionwhethertobuyaproductornot?
3
CD1.15 Inpairs,lookatphotos1–3.Whichphotowould
bemost/leastsuitableandwhy?Usethephrasesto
helpyou.Thenlistenandcompareyourchoices.
+ reallystandsout
putsacrosstherightmessage tiesinwellwith…
–
comesacrossastoo…
mightputpeopleoff
difficulttomakeoutwhat… doesn’tgowith…
18
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9/2/09 9:28:51 am
Is it art?
4
CD1.15 StudySpeakOut.Thenlistenagainand
completetheboxwithphrasesa–f.Whichofthe
fourpeopleisgenerallynon-committal?
5
aIt’snothingoutoftheordinary.
bWhoamItojudge?
c It’sprettyappalling.
dIdolike…
eIt’sbyfarthebestone.
f There’sathought!
Meg Ilovethesephotos,Rich.
Rich They’rejustholidaysnapsreally.They
aren’tanythingtowritehomeabout.
Meg You’retoomodest!Ithinkthisissucha
fabulousphoto.Yourgirlfriend’s
reallyphotogenic!
Rich Itisn’tanythingtowritehomeabout. I’vetakenbetter.
Meg Youmusthaveareallygoodcamerato
takeshotslikethis.
Rich Well,Iusedatripodforthatone.
Otherwisetheycomeoutblurred.
Meg Haveyougotadigitalcamera?
Rich No,justatraditionalcamera.Itisn’t anythingtowritehomeabout.ButI developmyphotosmyself.
Meg Well,Ithinkyou’rebrilliant!
SPEAK OUT | Evaluating and expressing
preferences
Very positive
IT
It’sabsolutelysuperb/marvellous.*
It’ssimplywonderful.*
It’sbrilliant.
1
____________________
2
____________________
I’mabigfanof…**
I’vegota(real)softspotfor…**
6 Findandunderlineanywordsintheconversationin
Exercise5connectedwithphotography.
It’sabsolutelyatrocious.*
4
____________________
It’s(really)bad/terrible.
E
U
7 Workingroupsofthreeorfour.Readthesituation.
Thenlookatpage146andevaluateeachphotoin
turn,usingSpeakOuttohelpyou.
PL
Very negative
N
Unenthusiastic
It’s(pretty)mediocre.
3
____________________
It’sdefinitelynotasgoodas…
It’sabitsecondrate.
It’snotanythingtowritehomeabout.**
Itjustleavesmecold.**
It’snotapatchon…**(=not as good as)
M
Non-committal (avoidinggivingadirectjudgment)
____________________
Perhapsit’sanacquiredtaste?
6
____________________
It’snotbad,Isuppose.
Iknowwhatyoumean…**
Iunderstandwhereyou’recomingfrom.
SA
5
CD1.16 Listentotheconversation.Whichphraseis
overused?Replaceitwithsimilarphrasesfrom
SpeakOutoryourownideas.
*dramatic/emphatic
**informal
Mind the trap!
Yoursecondaryschoolisproducinga
brochurewhichitintendstosendoutto
prospectiveparents/pupils,showingthatthe
schoolisanattractiveplacetolearn.The
headteacherhasaskedyoutohelpdecide
onastrong,positivephotoimageforthe
cover.Choosethetwoimagesyouthink
makethebestimpression.
8 Inpairs,answerthequestions.
•Areyouinterestedinphotography/
makingvideos?
•Haveyougotacamera?Whatsorthave yougot?Doyouhaveanyspecialist
equipmentforit?
•Whatsortofthingsdoyoutendtotake
photosof?What,inyouropinion,makes
agoodphoto?
•Doyoueveruploadphotosorfilmstoshare
onInternetsites?Whataretheadvantages/
disadvantagesofthis?
Colloquialidiomsandexpressionscanmakeyour
languagemorelivelyandareoftenagoodwayto
makeyourpointforcefully/directly,butinarather
light-heartedway.
Idon’tthinkanyofthesephotosareanything to
write home about.
(Alight-heartedbutforcefulwaytosayI don’t think
they’re very good.)
However,colloquialidioms/expressionsquicklylose
theirimpactiftheyareoverused.
19
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9/2/09 9:28:52 am
READING AND VOCABULARY
6 Come Together Match 1–10 with a–j to make
collocations. How do you say them in your language?
1 In pairs, look at the photos from two exhibitions on
pages 21–22 and choose adjectives from the box to
describe them. Justify your choice.
1 (be) on c
2 (have) low c
3 pose c
4 evoke c
5 a lucrative c
6 keenly c
7 out of c
8 pander to c
9 needless c
10 a resounding c
creepy disconcerting disturbing eye-catching lifelike sickening
2 Read the first paragraph of the reviews on pages 21–22 and try and predict the answers to
questions 1–3.
1What are the sculptures made of?
2What does the reviewer find particularly
shocking or surprising?
3How does the reviewer feel about the
exhibition overall?
7 Complete the sentences with the correct collocations from Exercise 6.
CD1.17 Work in pairs. Read your text, check your
answers to Exercise 2, and exchange information
with your partner.
4 In pairs, decide which exhibition sentences 1–9 refer to: A, B or both.
c
U
N
Student A, read text A on page 21.
Student B, read text B on page 22.
c
E
1The exhibits are the work of one person. 2The exhibition has already been shown in several countries. 3People have been looking forward to this
exhibition for a long time. 4The reviewer wasn’t very excited before he went to the exhibition. 5The reviewer thinks the exhibition’s promo material might mislead the public.
6There were a lot of people present when the reviewer was visiting. 7The reviewer felt uncomfortable when looking at the sculptures. 8The reviewer’s reaction was different from the reaction of many of those around him. 9The exhibition deserves to be a success. 1 Sometimes it’s better to _________ – that way, you’re less likely to be disappointed.
2 Not all of the exhibits are _________ – some of them are in storage, because the museum is fairly small.
3 I always knew that the concert was going to be terrible. And _________ it was!
4 After the success of the last album, the release of the band’s new album this month is _________ .
5 The show was _________ with both audiences and the critics.
6 His scruffy clothes seemed _________ a prestigious awards ceremony.
7 She gave up _________ in accountancy to take up painting.
8 It was a masterful performance – despite her character’s tragic flaws she managed to _________ from the audience.
9 The film seems to _________ : is the price of popularity worth paying?
10 Reality TV shows seem to _________ the public’s _________ for instant celebrity.
IT
3
aexpectations
banticipated
c career
dsomebody’s taste
ekeeping with
f to say
gthe question
hdisplay
i sympathy
j success
SA
M
PL
c
5 Find words or expressions in the texts for definitions 1–10.
1 to bend your knees and lower yourself so you are close to the ground (A)
2 in a way that shows a lack of energy and enthusiasm (A)
3 to make something seem small by comparison (A)
4 a small line in the skin (usually caused by old age) (A)
5 making you realise that you are not as important/special as you thought (A)
6 a crowd/large group (B)
7 harmless (B)
8 not brave (B)
9 to bend your back and shoulders into a rounded shape (B)
10 worried (B)
c
c
c
c
c
c
8 In pairs, answer the questions.
1Which of the two exhibitions do you think
you’d enjoy more? Why?
2Do you agree with the reviewer’s opinion
that the Bodyworks exhibition cannot be
regarded as art? Why?/Why not?
3Do you think it’s right to use real animals/
human body parts for art/education?
4What controversial exhibitions or art
installations have you come across? What’s
your opinion of them?
9 Work in groups of three or four. Look at page 146 and come to a decision.
20
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9/2/09 9:28:54 am
VISUAL ART ARTS
REVIEW A
★★★★★
What struck me first as I entered the
packed gallery was the size of the
subjects – either much larger or
much smaller than human scale.
A five-metre-high boy crouches in
the middle of the room. Two tiny
old women, who seem to be
gossiping about other visitors in
the gallery, stand at one side. An
enormous woman lies listlessly in
a gigantic bed, dwarfing the
spectators. It felt like something out
of Gulliver’s Travels.
15
20
25
E
U
Jonathan Pritchard
visits an exhibition
of gigantic
sculptures – and
finds himself feeling
sorry for them.
10
What is particularly successful about
this exhibition is the sympathy this
realism evokes. Several of the
sculptures have facial expressions of
discomfort, as if they don’t like being
stared at too closely. At times I had
the rather disconcerting feeling that
they wanted to be left alone. I was a
voyeur in a room full of fragile
people. It was strangely humbling.
IT
Sculptures by
Ron Mueck
National Gallery, London
5
However close you get to them,
the detail is breathtaking – indeed,
such is Mueck’s skill that I often
forgot that these sculptures are
made of silicon and polyester. You
can see veins running beneath the
skin, wrinkles and uneven skin
tones. Each hair is individually
implanted. And as we gaze at the
pimples and skin rashes –
perfectly crafted imperfections –
the effect is both convincing and
disturbing. What Mueck has done
is to pose the question: aren’t we
also ‘perfectly crafted’, despite
our imperfections?
N
GULLIVER’S
TRAVELS
The sculptor Ron Mueck spent
fifteen years making puppets for
kids’ TV programmes such as the
Muppets and Fraggle Rock. But
there’s nothing cute about his hyperrealistic sculpture show, currently on
display at the National Gallery
following a tour of several European
capitals. To be honest, after reading
the gallery’s promotional material
(‘amazing lifelike sculptures of the
human body’) my expectations were
decidedly low. But I came away
mesmerised by Mueck’s
remarkable talent and surprised at
my own emotional reaction.
30
40
45
50
55
60
PL
But it is the lifelike quality of his
figures that is perhaps most shocking.
Mueck may have turned his back on
a lucrative career in the TV industry
but he has more than proved he is
an intelligent, thought-provoking
artist.
35
SA
M
1
2
21
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9/2/09 9:29:01 am
ARTS VISUAL ART
REVIEW B
Bodyworks, which has attracted
some eight million visitors to date
across the world, has just opened
at the Atlantis Gallery in East
London. The throngs of excitable
teenagers queuing up outside
seemed to confirm that this is
probably one of the most keenly
anticipated exhibitions in London
this year. In their glossy brochure,
the creators of the exhibition claim
that it is ‘a celebration of the beauty
of the human body at work’.
Innocuous though this sounds,
Bodyworks is definitely not for the
faint-hearted.
The main part of the exhibition
features twenty-six human corpses
which have had their skin removed
and have then been injected with
plastic. A man with his brain
completely exposed sits hunched
over a chessboard. A woman – who
has been sliced in half but with a full
head of hair – seems to swim
through the air. Anonymous figures,
dressed only in a thin layer of
muscles, play football or perform
tricks on skateboards.
No matter what you say about the
educational value of the show – and
yes, I do feel differently about
smoking and drinking after seeing
blackened lungs and pickled livers –
I couldn’t help feeling that these
exhibits were wholly out of keeping
with an art gallery. Instead, what the
authors of this exhibition have done
is to pander to our taste for cheap
sensation. I felt as if I was attending
a Victorian freak show. Needless to
say, Bodyworks is bound to be a
resounding success. It left me with
a bad taste in my mouth.
20
35
40
45
50
25
55
E
A new sculpture
exhibition asks us to look
at the human body in a
new light – but
Jonathan Pritchard
wonders whether it’s
art at all.
15
IT
★★★★★
10
30
N
Bodyworks
Atlantis Gallery, Brick Lane
5
U
OUR OWN
FLESH AND
BLOOD
I began to feel that these models,
by losing their skin, had also lost
their humanity. I found no warmth
or sympathy here – in fact, at times
it all felt as if it was the work of a
sociopathic medical school student.
What perhaps depressed me the
most were the crowds of excited
schoolchildren (most of the visitors
here seem to be of school age) who
didn’t seem perturbed by these
sculptures in the slightest. In fact,
they seemed delighted.
2
SA
M
PL
1
22
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9/2/09 9:29:08 am
Is it art?
GRAMMAR
1 Which sentences, a or b, sound more memorable/dramatic?
4 Rewrite the sentences so that the meaning stays the same. Use the words in capital letters.
1The level of detail is very impressive.
2The spectators’ reaction was odd.
3The price of the tickets shocked me.
4He made lifelike sculptures for the rest of his career.
5The exhibition ends in mid-October.
6She established her reputation
in Paris.
7The fact he is unknown surprises me.
8She’s created her own style
of painting.
WHAT
IT
WHAT
DID
THAT
THAT
WHAT
DONE
IT
5 Find sentences in texts A and B on pages 21–22 with
a similar meaning to sentences 1–5. Which versions
are more emphatic? How would you say them in your language?
N
1It makes no difference how close you get.
_________________________________________
2Although this sounds innocuous, …
_________________________________________
3… who did not seem perturbed by these
sculptures at all.
_________________________________________ 4It makes no difference what you say …
_________________________________________
5I feel different about smoking now.
_________________________________________
U
1aAs I entered the packed gallery the size of the subjects struck me first.
bWhat struck me first as I entered the packed gallery was the size of the subjects.
2aThe sympathy that this realism evokes is particularly successful.
bWhat is particularly successful … is the sympathy this realism evokes.
3aThe crowds of excited schoolchildren depressed me the most.
bWhat depressed me the most were (was) the crowds of excited schoolchildren.
4aThe most shocking thing is the lifelike quality of his figures.
bIt is the lifelike quality of his figures that/which is … most shocking.
5aThe authors have pandered to our taste for cheap sensation.
bWhat the authors have done is (to) pander to our taste for cheap sensation.
Work it out
E
2 Look at the underlined words in the b sentences in
Exercise 1. Answer the questions.
M
PL
1Which verb always comes later in the
sentence after What …/It is …?
2 Which sentence requires a relative pronoun
later in the sentence?
3In sentence 5, which other auxiliary verb is
added to emphasise the verb?
SA
➤ Check it out page 154
Mind the trap!
With cleft sentences with It + be + time/place expressions, we use that, not when/where, as the
relative pronoun.
It was yesterday that (NOT when) I spoke to her.
It’s in London that (NOT where) the show opened.
3 Rewrite the sentences using the prompts.
1The mayor opened an exhibition of Gerry’s
paintings at the Liddell Gallery last week.
aWhat the mayor opened …
bWhat the mayor did …
c It was at the …
dIt was last week …
eIt was the mayor …
2Jonathan Pritchard wrote a scathing review of
Gerry’s exhibition in the Express last Friday.
aWhat Jonathan wrote …
bIt was in the Express …
c What was scathing …
dIt was last Friday …
6 Add words or phrases from the box or use them to
replace other words to make the sentences more
emphatic.
though it do however no matter did in the slightest
1It makes no difference what they think – I know you’re very talented.
2I know you don’t believe me but I really
wanted to come with you.
3It makes no difference how late you arrive
– you must phone us.
4I generally don’t like silent films – although I
really like Charlie Chaplin.
5She wasn’t interested at all in what we were
saying to her.
6Although it seems hard, this exercise isn’t
impossible.
7 Complete the sentences to make them true for you.
Compare your answers with a partner.
1I know you don’t believe me but I do …
2Although I like …, what I don’t like is/are …
3No matter how often I …, I can never …
4What I hate about … is that …
5What I’ve never understood is why …
6Hard though it was, I still managed to …
23
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WRITING AND LISTENING
1 Lookatthephotosoftheartist,CezaryBodzianowski.
Whatdoyouthinkhisartinvolves?
2
CD1.18 Readthenotes.Thenlistenandcomplete
thegapswithawordorphrase.
CLOSING CEREMONY – SPEECH
N
E
•
U
– Broadest definition: a type of art
2
performed 1_________ and _________
– But performance art is also provocative/
radical/ 3_________
4
– It makes us look afresh at our _________
Cezary Bodzianowski
5
– Studied at Academy of _________ in
Warsaw, Poland
– Spent 6_________ at Art Academy in
Antwerp, Belgium
– Has performed in cities in both
7
_________ and the USA since early 90s
8
– _________ performances take place in
hometown (Łódź, Poland)
IT
• Introductory comments
• What is performance art?
PL
3 Readthecompetitionrulesandthecompetitionentry.Whatistheauthor’smainreasonfor nominatingCezaryfortheprize?
M
COMPETITION!
Making a difference
SA
Can you think of someone who has had a positive effect on people you know in your town or the area
where you live? Someone who perhaps isn’t even aware that they enrich the lives of so many people?
Our panel of judges is waiting for your nominations. Write and tell us in about 250 words what makes
this person such a positive influence. The three most convincing entries will be published in a future
issue and there will be prizes for the winning authors – and the people they nominated too.
___________________________
MASTER OF THE ABSURD
24
cks at your window
y for school. Somebody shyly kno
read
ing
gett
’re
you
and
ning
It’s early mor
floor of a block of flats. You
because you live on the eighth
you
s
rise
surp
s
Thi
.
side
out
from
e, standing at the top of a
rtly dressed man with a briefcas
peer out the window to see a sma
cking on the windows of your
es you ‘good morning’ before kno
hydraulic crane. He politely wish
neighbours upstairs.
stall is empty, except for
l on the busy street market. The
Afterwards you spot him by a stal
selling is puddles in the
y
all
als that what he is actu
reve
tion
rva
obse
l
efu
Car
.
list
a price
name (the biggest one, Giglio,
with its own beautiful Italian
one
each
k,
par
car
ng
uri
hbo
neig
et or in the park from a tram
re you see him — at the supermark
costs five zloties). No matter whe
ary.
something absolutely extraordin
window — he is sure to be doing
d to perform his gentle art at
man theatre. Cezary has been aske
streets of my hometown,
This is Cezary Bodzianowski, a onets
place to stage his even is the
te
ouri
fav
his
but
ope
Eur
ss
festivals acro
need cheering up.
ndly city but sometimes it does
´ in Poland. It’s a vibrant, frie
Lódz,
your prize, I know that
would be a worthy recipient of
Although I believe that Cezary
ng to communicate with
tryi
n
whe
he does. He is happiest
t
wha
nge
cha
not
ld
wou
ning
win
remarkable performances (and
n. When you manage to catch his
ordinary people in his hometow
of our daily rituals and the
are reminded of the absurdity
most people here never do) you
beauty of everyday life.
M02A_SUCC_SB_ADVGLB_2952_U02.ind24 24
9/2/09 9:29:13 am
Is it art?
8 Workinpairsandfollowtheinstructions.
4 Inpairs,answerthequestions.
1Isperformanceart(including‘living
statues’,mimeartists,buskers)popular
whereyoulive?
2Doyouthinktheybringsomethingpositiveto
everydaylife?Why?/Whynot?
3Isitrighttoconsidersuchthingsasart?
•Readthefirstsentencesofsomeotherentries
(1–5)tothecompetitionfromExercise3.
•Matchthetextswithcontextsa–g.
Sometimesmorethanoneanswerispossible.
•Whichpeopleintheirhometownhavethey
chosentowriteabout?
•Decidewhichentryyouthinksoundsmost
intriguing.
5 Findandunderlinesentencesinthecompetition
entrywherethewriter:
6 Inpairs,answerthequestions.
1Isthestyleofthewritingformal,neutral
orinformal?
1___
academic serious intriguing enthusiastic
2
2___
It’s 7.30 in the morning and Mrs Miller is starting
to prepare the dozens of lunches that she will later
deliver to the town’s elderly and housebound. When
I leave for school I can already smell the delicious
aroma of vegetable soup wafting from next door’s
kitchen.
U
3Generally,whatothertypeofwritingdoesthe
competitionentryremindyouof?
aa‘forandagainst’essay
banewspaper/magazinearticle
c astory
They say that a good teacher makes a world of difference.
When Mrs Kennedy became our form-tutor two years ago, I
had no idea just how true this saying was. It’s funny how this
absent-minded and sometimes rather bad-tempered History
teacher has made such a positive impact on the lives of …
N
2Whichadjectivesdoyouthinkdescribethe
tone?Explainwhy.
IT
aafewwordsabouttheplacewhereyoulive
bdescriptionofhis/herpersonality
c adescriptionofhis/herappearance
dhowthewritergottoknowthisperson
ehis/hertypical/dailyroutine
f somethingmemorablethepersononcedid/said
gaquotationorsaying
1recountsananecdotedescribingan
event/aperson
2ispersuasive
3presentsfactualinformation
E
4Doesthewriterofthecompetitionentry
introducehimself/herself?
PL
5Inwhichparagraphdoesthewritergivehis/
hermainreasonswhyCezaryshouldwin?
M
7 StudyTrainYourBrainandcheckyouranswers
toExercise6.
TRAIN YOUR BRAIN | Writing skills
SA
Competition entry
• Itissimilartoamagazinearticle.Feelfreetoadda
titletoyourwork.Thestyleshouldbeneutral– neithertooformalnorinformal.
• Likeanarticle,itcanbeamixtureofanecdote/ description,factandpersonalopinion.Ifpossible, thetoneshouldbeenthusiastic,intriguingandgently
persuasivetoattractthejudges’attention.
• Itshouldbefuntoreadandmemorable.Trytobegin
itwithsomethingintriguingsuchasaninteresting
quotation,anengaginganecdote,somedescription.
• Don’tintroduceyourselfifitisn’tnecessary–
250wordsisonlyjustenoughtomakeyour
mainpoints!
• Writenomorethanfourparagraphs.
• Ifyouarenominatingyourselforsomeoneelsefora
prize,mentioninthelastparagraphthemainreason
whyyou/yoursubjectisworthyofwinning.
3___
3
‘Rangers or Celtic?’ I’ll never forget Stephen Caldwell’s
first words to me when I sat down at the empty desk
next to him, a new boy on my first day at a new school.
Back then, nobody could have known how difficult life
would be for Stephen nor how much of an inﬂuence he
would have on us all.
4___
4
Bingley has never been a particularly well-off place but
when the last textile factory finally closed down four years
ago, the town seemed to lose its soul. Politicians of every
colour and persuasion tried – and failed – to put things right.
It was around this time that Lynda King became the local
Youth Club leader.
5___
5
Balding, overweight and with a cauliflower ear, Archie
MacGowan cuts a rather unprepossessing figure. But life
in my hometown would be very much poorer without
Archie, who has been captain of Queenzieburn Rugby
Club since 2002 …
9 Whichpersonwouldyouchoosetowriteaboutfor
thecompetitioninExercise3?Choosefromthe
ideasinExercise8oryourown.
10 Whatwouldbeanintriguingcontextforthefirst
paragraph?Choosefromcontextsa–ginExercise8.
Whichoftheseideasmightworkbetterlater?
11 Writeyourcompetitionentry.UseTrainYourBrain
tohelpyou.
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