[WRITING | LESSON 11]
LESSON 11. CONVINCING PEOPLE
EXAM READING 1 | Categorize information
Which section mentions the writer’s
uncertainty about what he ought to be doing? 1 D
amazement at the skill of the surfers? 2
awareness of how eager his instructor is to share his knowledge? 3
surprise at the way the surfers behave at a certain point? 4
negative comparison of himself with an experienced surfer? 5
excitement at the opportunity to try out an activity? 6
concern about his ability to remember unfamiliar information? 7
recognition of a widely-accepted rule amongst surfers? 8
reason for being involved in an activity? 9
observation of surfers practicing a particular move? 10
Surfing
Journalist Dean Jones learns how to surf with champion Danny Waite
(1) A. In a bid to produce an article for the sports magazine (35) C. The surfers paddle out on their boards until they
I work on, I'm learning to surf, and that's how I find reach an area beyond the breaking waves where the
myself standing on a rocky headland with 19-year-old water's calmer. I notice that they don't immediately
surf champion, Danny Waite. jump into action but sit around on their boards with their
(5) ‘There's no denying the ocean is a powerful force of legs dangling into the water. Rather than looking in the
nature,’ says Danny thoughtfully, as we stand (40) direction the waves are travelling- as I would have
overlooking Blacksands Bay in one of the country's expected -they appear to be looking out to sea.
prime surfing spots. ‘You've got to respect it, but if you 'They're watching the waves come in,' explains Danny,
follow a few basic rules, there's little to fear.’ That's 'to decide where the best place is to take off from.'
(10) easy for him to say, having spent his youth with a When the decision's been made, the surfers paddle their
surfboard glued to his feet, while I haven't even pulled (45) way from the waiting zone to what's known as the line-
on a wetsuit before. up. 'Surfers must know their place,' Danny continues.
‘First, you need to stand and observe the surf for a 'The surfer positioned closest to the breaking wave gets
while,’ he tells me from our vantage point above the to ride it.' 'Dropping in', or attempting to ride a wave
(15) bay. I stare blankly, then ask what it is I'm meant to be before it's your turn, is, I become aware, to be avoided at
looking out for. ‘The waves,’ he says. ‘How they're (50) all costs.
breaking, what the patterns are as they approach the D. Eventually a surfer will find himself first in line, and
beach.’ lt all sounds rather technical to me. that's where the real fun starts. Surfing is all about
B. That's only the start of it. Warming to his role of timing; being ready to catch the wave at just the right
(20) teacher, Danny launches into an enthusiastic account of moment. Having observed the waves in the waiting
things I've never heard of: 'surf plans', 'rip currents' and (55) zone, a surfer should have a good idea of where the
'wave sets'. There's no stopping him as I desperately wave will break and when to get to his feet.
will my already-overwhelmed brain to hold on to this The surfers I can see today are advanced and pop up to a
vital information. standing position on their boards with ease. I watch in
(25) Once a surfer has figured out how he's going to enter awe as they ride the waves, expertly zigzagging their
the waves, Danny informs me, he paddles out on his (60) way towards the beach, harnessing the power of the
board, lying flat against it, and using his hands to 'swim' rushing water. it's thrilling to watch and, though I'm not
through the water, before leaping to his feet and riding sure of how I'll perform myself, I'm full of inspiration.
the wave. 'Ready to give it a go?' asks Danny. I nod readily, and
(30) I watch surfers limbering up in preparation, stretching (64) we head towards the beach.
and jumping from their stomachs to their feet on their
boards. Then they're off, racing to the sea and heading
towards what seem to me to be pretty fearsome breakers
(34) - huge waves rolling and crashing towards the shore.
EXAM READING 2 | Gapped text
Are you fighting an urge to reach for some chocolate right now? Then, let it melt in your mind, not in your mouth.
According to recent research, imagining eating a specific food reduces your interest in that food, so you eat less of it.
This reaction to repeated exposure to food - being less interested in something because you've experienced it too much - is
called habituation and it's well known to occur while eating. 11 ……C……………
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[WRITING | LESSON 11]
But the new research is the first to show that habituation can occur solely via the power of the mind. 12. ……A…… This
research suggests that may not be the best strategy,' said study leader Carey Morewedge, a psychologist at Carnegie Mellon
University in Pittsburgh.
‘If you just think about the food itself- how it tastes, smells, and looks- that will increase your appetite,’ he continued . ‘This
research suggests that it might be better, actually, to force yourself to repeatedly think about tasting, swallowing and chewing
the food you want in order to reduce your cravings. What's more, the technique only works with the specific food you've
imagined,’ he added. 13 ……E ……………
Morewedge and his colleagues conducted five experiments, all of which revealed that people who repeatedly imagined
eating bread or cream would eat less of that food than people who pictured themselves eating the food fewer times, eating a
different food, or not eating at all. In one experiment, for instance, 51 subjects were divided into three groups. One group
was asked to imagine inserting 30 coins into a laundry washing machine and then eating three chocolates. 14 …… G……
Another group was asked to imagine inserting three coins into a laundry machine and then eating 30 chocolates. Lastly, a
control group imagined just inserting 33 coins into the machine - with no chocolates.
All participants then ate freely from bowls containing the same amount of chocolate each. 15…B……… The results showed
that the group that had imagined eating 30 chocolates each ate fewer of the chocolates than both the control group and the
group that imagined eating three chocolates.
The study is part of a new area of research looking into the triggers that make us eat more than we actually need, Morewedge
noted. 16 ……F…… Recent research suggests that psychological factors, such as habituation or the size of a plate, also
influence how much a person eats. The new study, Morewedge said, may lead to new behavioural techniques for people
looking to eat more healthily, or exert control over other habits.
A A lot of people who want to stop eating certain foods E For instance, visualising yourself eating chocolate
that they know are bad for them try to avoid thinking wouldn't prevent you from eating lots of cheese.
about the foods they really want.
B When they said they had finished, these were taken F Physical, digestive cues- that full stomach feeling- are
away and weighed. only part of what tells us that we've finished a meal.
C A tenth bite, for example, is desired less than the first G This requires the same motor skil ls as eating small
bite, according to the study authors. chocolates from a packet, the study says.
D Indeed, this is what most of us think when faced with
foods we really like, but think we shouldn't eat.
WRITING | Provide concrete examples
An argument contains a claim, a reason, and evidence.
“Parents should be given guaranteed parental leave upon the birth or introduction of a new child. Guaranteed parental leave
allows parents more time to acclimate to their new role, responsibilities and lifestyle (GENERAL), which can have a positive
impact on their professional performance. (SIMPLIFICATION) Caring for a newborn involves following unpredictable
sleeping patterns and strict dietary regimen, which consumes both physical and mental power of working parents. In this
case, even if the employees are demanded to work, they will not be able to fulfill working responsibilities satisfactorily.
Without this provision of off-time, parents will risk compromising their work-life balance and work productivity.”
→ What does the example prove?
→ How does the author prove it?
→ Can you think of another way to provide evidence?
Characteristics of “evidence”
● evidence usually comes after the topic sentence or the explanation (reason) of the topic sentence
● evidence must be specific, they must answer, to their best ability, the Wh-questions: when, who, what,
● evidence can come in various forms:
○ authority: using another person’s viewpoints, saying, assertions, or claims
Animal experimentation is immoral because the procedures can cause extreme pain on the body of innocent living
organisms. The renowned political activist George Bernard Shaw once said “Do not do unto others what you don’t want
others to do unto you.” This philosophy can be applied to animal experimentation, which goes against the human’s moral
code of not hurting others.
○ example: accounts of what happened or is happening; NOTE: must answer some of the Wh-questions:
what, where, when, how, who, why, etc.; must be explained and commented on
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[WRITING | LESSON 11]
Zoos offer various entertainment activities that can generate a lot of income to the local regions. In developing South
African
territories, for instance, the exhibition of wild, endangered animals attract millions of biology enthusiasts every year, the
money which sustains these underdeveloped regions.
○ statistics: using numbers or conclusions from relevant research, articles, magazines, surveys. NOTE:
statistics do not speak for themselves; must be explained and commented on; must be explained with logic
Children often learn behaviors from the adults around them subconsciously. To illustrate, a survey by Harvard University
lecturers indicates that around 50% of children who are brought up by aggressive parents often use aggression to solve
their problems later in life. This number is indicative of the long-lasting consequences wrong parenting can have.
How to provide examples for your claim?
ACTIVITY 1| Provide example for these claims
1) Integrating mandatory volunteering projects into the curriculum ensures the all-round development of transferable
skills.
a) Teaching for the disadvantaged children, for instance, helps form children’s pedagogical skills, which can
define future careers.
b) A survey by the Humanities Department at Oxford University, for example, indicated that 65% of the
students currently in leadership positions had had previous voluntary experiences.
2) Most of the cultural values and ideals promoted by the leading mainstream media are of Western origin.
a. Social media connects users across space and time, allowing them to find like-minded communities and participate in
public life in ways that they never have before. Furthermore, social media romotes our varied world's interconnection.
b.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
3) The spread of global English has little, if any, influence on non-English-speakers’ mother tongue proficiency.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
4) Availability of affordable medical service is a mark of the social and economic development of a country.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
5) Writing a message without considering the intended reader will lower the communication effectiveness.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
6) Traditional costumes are of cultural and social importance but might not suit every circumstance.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
7) Journalists have to succumb to either commercial or political pressure, distorting facts and misleading the public.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
8) However, people should meanwhile admit that advertising has every now and then contributed to consumers’
unplanned purchase.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
9) Education meanwhile allows them to keep in contact with the community, an opportunity that prisoners are normally
deprived of.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
10) In fact, non-verbal messages sometimes tell people more than verbal messages do.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Linking words for giving examples
○ for example
○ for instance
○ to illustrate
○ as an illustration
○ to give a clear example
○ take, for example,
○ such as
○ namely
Note that the linking words do not need to be at the start of the sentence. You can use them more flexibly by changing their
location
● Global warming should be taken more seriously as it can result in a number of disastrous consequences. To give a
clear example, the melting polar ice caps have not caused a loss of habitat for polar bears but are also threatening
seas levels worldwide.
● More and more women are choosing to start a family later in life. 20% of women giving birth to their first child, for
instance, are over the age of 30 in the UK.
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[WRITING | LESSON 11]
● Crimes should not have the same punishment. Minor crimes, such as pick pocketing and traffic offences, should not
have the same penalty as major crimes, namely murder and manslaughter.
What goes after an example?
● Give “without” scenario
“Parents should take responsibility for teaching their children right and wrong. If, for example, they see their child using bad
language, they should spend time explaining to their child the serious consequences that can result from this type of
behaviour. Without this type of parental guidance, children are much more likely to have poor social skills and demonstrate
criminal tendencies later in life.”
● Increase in scope
“In addition to widening their experience, the study of history helps students develop qualities of perception and judgments.
Students are increasingly capable of analysing and comparing conflicting views. All these improvements can foster a
student’s intellectual independence, sharpness and maturity.”
● Explain the relation of the example to the current point
“More and more people are leading sedentary lifestyles due to work conditions. Take for example office workers in the UK
who spend at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week sitting in front of their computers. This unhealthy work schedule does not
allow employees to exercise or even be motivated to get out of their desk.”
ACTIVITY 2 | Add another sentence to the sentences in ACTIVITY 1
1. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
6. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
7. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
8. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
9. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
10. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
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