UPPER-INTERMEDIATE 1

THE
SECRET
TO
SUCCESS

In the news
What stories have
you heard or read
recently about personal
achievements?
What do you think was
the secret to this
person’s success?

INSIDE PROJECT
Learn and use Read about and Identify and use Learn how
vocabulary related discuss views on language for to give a Explore and present
to success and what you need to be expressing contrast, successful ideas for improving
failure. successful. reason and purpose. presentation. an area of your
English.
 Aims

OUR WORLD
Learn about grit and identify views on what
can lead to personal success.
Learn and use nouns related to the topic of
being successful.
Give my own views about what qualities are
important for success.

Is there a secret to success?

However you define it, everyone tries to be successful and the better you get. They therefore have what Dr Carol
wants to find an easy way to achieve their goals. If you ask Dweck calls a ‘growth mindset’, which means that they
the internet what the secret to success is, you’ll get a long understand that intelligence isn’t something that’s fixed.
list of self-help websites trying to sell you the latest quick Instead, by challenging your brain to learn new and difficult
solution or ‘life hack’. If it were that easy though, why is things you can exercise it just like a muscle. It’s through this
success such a struggle for so many of us? Maybe the exercise that new connections and cells are made.
answer lies with Angela Duckworth, an ex-management
consultant turned teacher and psychologist, and now author DOES GRIT REALLY WORK?
of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. When Look into the lives of Michael Jordan and J. K. Rowling and
teaching, Duckworth became curious about the students she you’d probably say yes to this question. Apparently, at 15,
had who weren’t necessarily the smartest, but got far better Michael Jordan failed to get picked for his high school’s main
marks than some of those considered the best and brightest. basketball team, and a young and poor J. K. Rowling was
She wondered what it was about them that made them do so rejected by 12 publishing houses. We may never have seen
well if it wasn’t natural talent or intelligence. To answer this the best basketball player of his generation or read the
question, Duckworth studied both children and adults in adventures of Harry Potter if they hadn’t had the motivation
various settings, trying to predict who would be successful. and determination to succeed through grit. However, there
She found that no matter the person, from young soldiers are arguments against the concept of grit. Critics say that it
to salespeople, school teachers and spelling champions, puts the responsibility for success in the hands of the
one characteristic appeared again and again: grit. individual and ignores luck or things that can disadvantage
people, like social class, race or gender. The idea that people
WHAT IS GRIT? need effort, over and above luck or financial help, is perhaps
Defined as ‘perseverance and passion for long-term goals’, too simple. Unfortunately, then, grit doesn’t come easily and
grit is the ability to set objectives for the future and be is certainly not a quick solution for success. Putting yourself
motivated enough to complete them. You might think that in challenging situations, working hard to achieve your
naturally talented people have an advantage, but objectives and not giving up when you find something
Duckworth found that whatever the profession, it’s grit, difficult might not be a simple trick for success, but if
rather than natural talent, wealth or intelligence, that Duckworth is right, it might just be worth a try.
determines success. So, what qualities do ‘gritty’ people
have? Eleanor Roosevelt said ‘Do one thing every day that
scares you’, and gritty people do just that. They aren’t
‘I can accept failure,
afraid of failure; in fact, they tend to view failure as an
everyone fails at
opportunity to learn. In terms of language learning, gritty
something. But I can’t
people see mistakes as part of the process and aren’t
accept not trying’
scared of trying. You might’ve heard the expression
‘Practice makes perfect’, but people with grit don’t look for Michael Jordan
perfection. They practise because the more you practise,

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 1. PREPARE TO READ 2. READ THE ARTICLE
Do you agree with the statements? Write A (agree), D (disagree) or ? Read the article and decide to
(don’t know). Compare and justify your answers. what extent a ‘gritty’ person would
agree with the statements in
1. People have a certain amount of intelligence and can’t change it. activity 1.

2. For success, talent is more important than effort. grit

noun [u
] /ɡrɪt/
3. The harder you work at something, the better you become. hard w
persev or k ,
e r a n ce
4. Truly intelligent people don’t have to work hard. passio and
n that
achiev help yo
e goals u
despit in
5. Talent is something you’re born with. e obsta life,
along th cles
e way.
6. It’s important to set long-term goals.

7. You can’t learn anything from failing.

8. If something is difficult, it’s better to give up. My Practice 1

3. READ FOR 4. EXPLORE VOCABULARY

MORE DETAIL Check you know the meaning and pronunciation of these nouns used in the
Read the article again and answer article. All the nouns refer to things that may lead to success. Which do
the questions. you think are qualities that a person is born with? Which do you think are
factors related to circumstances?
1. Why did Angela Duckworth become
interested in grit? intelligence failure determination

2. According to the article, what passion opportunity effort

are the qualities that ‘gritty’
people share? perseverance perfection luck

3. What do critics say about the idea talent wealth motivation

of grit?

4. How do you think the author Pronunciation

of the article feels about success
and grit? Say each noun aloud. Mark the
stressed syllable.

intelligence My Practice 2

5. GIVE YOUR VIEWS

Discuss the questions. Report your ideas to the class.

1. Which three of the qualities or factors in activity 4 do you consider the most important for success?
2. What other qualities or factors do you think can lead to success?
3. Which of the qualities do you think you have? Which would you like to acquire or improve? Why?
4. Which of the qualities do you think are the hardest to acquire or improve? Why?

My Practice 3

Reflect
Write down three useful facts you learned today and three
useful words or expressions. Explain why they’re useful
for you.

© British Council | B2.1 01 | v1.2 3

 Aims

LANGUAGE
Understand different points of view as two young
people talk about grit, effort and success.

IN ACTION
Talk about my own opinion on grit, effort
and success.
Observe, analyse and practise language for
contrast, purpose and reason.
Learn expressions for success, failure and effort.

1. PREPARE TO LISTEN 4. GIVE YOUR VIEWS

Answer the questions. Ask and answer the questions.
1. To what extent do you agree that effort is more
1. What do you know about Angela Duckworth and what
important than opportunity?
she says about grit?
2. What effect do you think the advice ‘follow your dreams’
2. Which two of these factors do you think are most
has on people’s lives?
important for success in life?

• hard work • physical appearance 3. ‘To be successful at something, you first have to fail.’
Discuss and give examples from your own experience.
• clear objectives • financial situation
• talent • intelligence
• gender 5. TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
What do you know about these people? Match a name
(A–D) to each sentence.
1 2. LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION
A. Steve Jobs C. Malala Yousafzai
Listen to Kate and Ross discussing Angela Duckworth’s
talk about grit. Tick the factors in activity 1 that they B. J. K. Rowling D. Thomas Edison
mention.
1. Despite failing miserably at school and
university, he followed his dreams.

1 3. LISTEN FOR MORE DETAIL 2. Although she was rejected by 12 publishers,

she kept trying to sell her book.
Read the sentences and decide if they are true or false.
Write T or F. Listen to the conversation again and check 3. In order to make a breakthrough with the light
your answers. Correct the false statements. bulb, he spent hundreds of hours experimenting.
4. His company became hugely successful
1. Ross thinks that ‘follow your dreams’ is
because of his passion and enthusiasm.
good advice.
5. Due to her hard work and determination,
2. Kate says that scientists learn from failing.
she eventually became a literary sensation.
3. Ross thinks that people like Steve Jobs show
6. She got shot in the head. Nevertheless,
how easy it is to get rich.
she didn’t stop fighting for women’s rights
4. Ross says that black people who go to and access to education.
university have the same chance of getting
a job as white people who don’t complete
their high school education.
5. Kate believes that everyone should make
an effort, even if some people have
Thomas Edison

more opportunities.
6. Ross doesn’t think that it’s the individual’s
fault if he or she fails.
My Practice 4

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6. LOOK AT LANGUAGE 9. PRACTISE
Look at the linking words and expressions in bold in Read about Yusra Mardini.
activity 5 and consider how they’re used. Write

Yusra Mardini
each one in the correct box. 1. What do you know about
Yusra Mardini? What
To explain the To give a To talk about obstacles did she face? How
purpose reason contrast did she become successful?
2. Write ONE correct word in each gap.
despite Someone who I admire for her grit and
determination to succeed is the Syrian teenager
Yusra Mardini.
a. __________ having her home destroyed in the
Syrian civil war, Mardini didn’t give b. _________
her dreams of being an Olympic swimmer. In 2015,
she almost died crossing the Mediterranean in a
7. PRACTISE boat when it stopped working. c. __________ to
Sentences 1–6 in activity 5 have been rewritten with their ability to swim, Mardini and three others were
other linking words and expressions so they have able to help the boat to safety, after more than
the same meaning. Are the sentences grammatically three hours. d. __________ she’d left her home
correct ( ) or incorrect ( )? Correct the mistakes. and country behind, she continued to train in
Germany. As a e. _________ of her hard work, in
1. Though he failed miserably at school and 2016 she represented the Refugee Olympic
university, he followed his dreams. Athletes Team in the Rio Olympics and won the first
2. In spite of she was rejected by 12 publishers, she round of the 100 metres butterfly. Mardini is an
kept trying to sell her book. amazing example of someone who, against all the
odds, followed her f. __________ and succeeded.
3. He spent hundreds of hours experimenting so that
he could make a breakthrough with the light bulb.
4. His company became hugely successful thanks to
his passion and enthusiasm.
5. As a result her hard work and determination, she
eventually became a huge literary sensation.
6. Although getting shot in the head, she did not
give up the fight for women’s rights and access
to education.

My Practice 5 & 6

1 8. EXPLORE VOCABULARY
Listen to the conversation again and read the 10. SHARE IDEAS
audioscript. In your notebook, write expressions Kate
and Ross use related to failure, success and effort. Think about a famous person or someone you
know who has succeeded despite obstacles.

Failure Success Effort 1. What obstacles did this person face? How did she or he
become successful?

fail miserably 2. Write three sentences about this person, using the linking
expressions and vocabulary from activities 5 and 6.

My Practice 7 Reflect
Think about what you’ve studied in this magazine so far.
What do you need to improve? What did you do well?
What steps will you take to improve in this area?
© British Council | B2.1 01 | v1.2 5
 Aims

PROJECT
Learn about growth mindsets by watching a
presentation.
Observe and discuss what makes a successful
presentation.
Plan and give a presentation about strategies for
1. SHARE IDEAS learning English.

Talk about what makes a good presentation.

1. How important do you consider these aspects?
• the topic • clear signposting • voice
• interesting visuals/slides • body language • ability to involve the audience

2. What else do you think is important?

3. What are the differences between giving a face-to-face and an online presentation?

2. PREPARE TO WATCH
Look at the presentation slides and predict what the speaker will talk about. What do you already know about
growth mindsets? What do you want to know?

HOW TO LEARN BETTER WHICH IS YOU?

1 2
• What are fixed and growth mindsets?
• What happens in the brain when you learn?
• How can you learn from failing?
• How can you change the way you think?

3 4 X X
GROWTH
MINDSET
FIXED
MINDSET
X X
• Intelligence is developed • Intelligence is fixed

X X
• Values learning • Values looking smart
• Embraces challenges • Avoids challenges
• Effort leads to success • Effort is pointless
• Learns from others • Threatened by success

NEUROPLASTICITY
5 6

• Feel good about failure.

• Challenge yourself.
• I can’t … yet.

1 3. WATCH THE PRESENTATION

What does the presenter do well? What do you think she could improve? Think about the points you talked about
in activity 1.

6 © British Council | B2.1 01 | v1.2

 1 4. LOOK AT LANGUAGE 7. CREATE YOUR PRESENTATION
Watch the presentation again and write expressions Follow this five-step guide to create a short
the speaker uses to: presentation giving some useful ideas and strategies
• give structure to her presentation for improving in the area you chose.

• include the audience in her presentation STEP 1: Share ideas.

• clarify or give examples.
• What do you and other students
usually find difficult about the area you
Give chose? Make a list.
structure
to your • Select three of the main challenges.
presentation
• What solutions and strategies have
you found to help deal with these
challenges?

• How can you apply growth mindset

Involve the principles to this area?
audience

STEP 2: Plan your presentation.

STEP 3: Choose roles.

Clarify or give
examples

STEP 4: Prepare the presentation.

My Practice 8
STEP 5: Practise giving the presentation.

5. GIVE YOUR VIEWS

Talk with your classmates about improving the way you
learn English.
8. PRESENT YOUR IDEAS
1. How do you think you can apply growth mindset Watch each other’s presentations and give feedback.
principles to learning English? As you watch, think about the following questions:
2. Discuss one of these areas of English. What are the
1. How useful is the presentation?
challenges for you? Why would you like to improve this
skill or area? 2. How clear and organised is the content?
• reading • pronunciation 3. How engaged is the audience?
• writing • vocabulary 4. What do the presenters do well?
• listening • grammar
5. What could they do better?
• speaking

6. RESEARCH
Focus on one of the areas from
activity 5. Talk to people and
explore the internet to get ideas Reflect
about tips, strategies and activities
that could help you overcome some What are the main things you’ve learned from doing this
of the challenges you face. presentation?
Note down three things you’d like to work on to help you
give better presentations.

© British Council | B2.1 01 | v1.2 7

 MY CHOICE
CHOOSE YOUR NEXT STEPS
HIGH-ACHIEVING TEENS WHAT IS SUCCESS? SETTING GOALS

Success at any age is a remarkable What do you think of when you In this module, you’ve learned how
achievement, but even more so hear the word success? How would effort and hard work can help you
when the individuals are young. you define the word success? achieve your goals. One way of
From fashion and music to Which of these words do you making sure that your hard work
computers and even politics, associate with success? pays off is by making and sticking

affection
teenagers are making their mark to goals. What do you think is the
everywhere. What famous best way of setting goals? Do you
teenagers do you know? How are know what ‘SMART’ goals are?
they successful? What drawbacks
career fame Find out how to set effective

money
do you think there might be to
objectives, and decide on some
being young and famous?
friendship
personal goals for learning
Listen to a radio programme English.
about famous teenagers, and
find out about more successful family
teenagers.
happiness hobbies
travel
power
study

sport
status
Watch a video about the meaning
of success, and talk about what
success means to you.

REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

How well did I do?

I talked about what’s needed for success. I wrote about people who have succeeded in
spite of obstacles.
I used language for talking about personal
qualities. I gave a presentation about useful strategies
for improving English.

= I did this well. = I did this quite well. = I can’t do this yet.

What do I need to do next?

8 © British Council | B2.1 01 | v1.2

 Aims
Learn to identify specific information in
the text of an exam reading task.
Present a personal opinion clearly and
respectfully in your writing.

THE SECRET TO SUCCESS

STUDY SKILLS
1. SHARE IDEAS 3. READ AN ARTICLE
Discuss the questions with a partner. Read the article. What is the connection between ancient animals and
today’s students?
1. In what everyday situations might
you scan a text?
2. Have you ever made comments on
any websites? What were your
comments about?
Adapt to Succeed
READING
The idea of success is changing. Good grades are no longer enough;
universities and employers are looking for people with so-called ‘21st
2. PREPARE TO READ century skills’. As well as teaching maths, science and languages,
schools now prepare students to understand the digital world, think
When you scan a text, you look critically, be creative and adapt to unpredictable situations. The first
through it quickly in order to find and last of these are especially important, as new technology forces
a piece of information or to get our brains to adapt faster than ever before. But how can someone
a general idea of what a text improve their adaptability? Perhaps they can take inspiration from the
contains. Scanning helps you to animal kingdom …
answer questions quickly during
an exam.
The Horseshoe Crab
Look at the article and read the One animal clearly understands that sea, which keeps them safe from
title and the introductory text in adaptability is the secret to success, and underwater predators. Horseshoe crabs
the orange box. Tick five words that is the horseshoe crab, which has lived can spend time on land because of
you would expect to find in the on Earth for 445 million years. (The first specially-adapted gills, which allow them to
humans appeared just 200,000 years ago.) breathe as long as the gills stay wet. Finally,
article. Then get into pairs and
These crabs have survived three Ice Ages, their unusual blue blood can identify and
explain your choices to a partner. asteroids and the ‘Great Dying’, which was fight bacteria.
a period of massive environmental change Like the horseshoe crab, the best thing we
1. artist that killed 96 per cent of sea creatures. can do in a challenging situation is adapt.
2. computers That’s why these horseshoe crabs are For example, if you have to speak in public
often called ‘living dinosaurs’. but it makes you nervous, you can
3. dinosaurs On paper, the continued success of the research and practise techniques that
4. eggs species doesn’t make sense. Horseshoe professional speakers use to stay calm.
STUDY SKILLS

crabs move slowly, making them easy to Just like the horseshoe crab, adapt to your
5. failure catch, and they can’t bite. How have they surroundings – the more adjusted to your
survived for so long? The answer is that environment you are, the more
6. hospital
they have adapted. comfortable you will feel.
7. spiders Horseshoe crabs live in shallow, dirty water
8. training in which they struggle to see. However,
their ten eyes have developed to cope with
9. universities this challenging habitat. The crabs have
learned to lay eggs on the beach, not in the
10. war

© British Council | B2.1 SS 01 | v1.0 9

 The Duck-Billed Platypus
No one is sure how old the duck-billed poison, just like snakes, spiders and starfish Lessons for Us
platypus is. Fossils suggest that compared do. It’s hardly surprising the animal caused
What can we learn from the horseshoe
to the horseshoe crab it’s a young species, such confusion with its strange mix of
crab and the duck-billed platypus?
but compared to humans it’s ancient. characteristics!
In short: their success comes from their
However, it’s one of the most divergent The strength of the platypus is its flexibility. ability to change. When they faced
animals on the planet. For years, confused When it was first threatened by marsupials a problem, they adapted their behaviour
scientists have asked, ‘How can this (the group of animals that includes the instead of giving up. Consider how this
creature exist?’ And now we know: over modern-day kangaroo), it hid underwater. might be applied to your life. A poor
time, the platypus made a series of By slowly learning to swim, it avoided grade helps you understand your weak
behavioural and biological changes in order attack. After that, it developed an extra areas, so don’t treat it as a failure.
to survive. layer of hair to keep its body dry and warm The important thing is to reflect on why
Science says it’s a mammal since it has in the sea. it happened, making notes for future
warm blood and hair, and feeds milk to Like the platypus hiding under the sea, you improvement, so you don’t make the
its babies. But it also shares characteristics can change your behaviour in order to same mistake again.
with reptiles and birds, such as laying eggs, succeed. For example, if you find it hard to
and it can stay underwater for two minutes The horseshoe crab and the platypus
concentrate in long lectures, try a new
by closing its eyes, nose and ears. Its bill learned the lessons of adaptability
note-taking technique, or record the lecture
– which is soft and not like a duck’s at all over millions of years. You won’t have
and listen again at home in shorter sections.
– uses an electric current to find food in the quite that long – but the next time
sea. In addition, the male platypus produces you meet a challenge, remember these
prehistoric animals!

READING continued

4. READ FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Tips Complete the summary with words from the article.
●● When you’re reading for specific The horseshoe crab is a living 1. . Over millions of years, it
information, look for key words in has adapted to survive, for example by learning to lay 2.
the question. They will help you
on the beach rather than underwater. The duck-billed platypus has also
to locate the answer in the text.
adapted its behaviour over time, for example by starting to produce poison
●● Multiple choice questions can be like snakes, starfish and 3. do. We can learn from these
tricky. It’s not enough to think animals and change our own behaviour in challenging situations. If you get
you know the right answer – a bad grade, don’t consider it a 4. but a chance to learn.
check that the other answers
This skill of adaptability is essential for higher study at 5. ,
are wrong.
and also in the workplace.

5. READ FOR MORE DETAIL

1. Read the article again and choose the correct answer.
1. Which 21st century skill is not mentioned in the article? 3. What does the writer say about horseshoe crabs?
a. creativity a. They are challenging to catch.
b. flexibility b. They lay their eggs on land.
c. digital literacy c. They are dangerous to humans.
d. leadership d. They cannot see underwater.
STUDY SKILLS

2. What happened during the ‘Great Dying’? 4. According to the article, which sentence is true about the
duck-billed platypus?
a. The Earth was hit by an asteroid.
b. The first dinosaurs appeared. a. It is neither a mammal nor a reptile.
c. The third Ice Age began. b. It is more poisonous than most snakes.
d. The Earth’s climate changed. c. It has two layers of hair on its body.
d. It has no similarities with a duck.

10 © British Council | B2.1 SS 01 | v1.0

 READING continued
2. Read the article again and write the answers.
1. Four 21st century skills now taught in schools: 4. How long a platypus can stay underwater:

2. The name of the event that killed nearly all sea animals: 5. The secret of the two animals’ success:

3. The number of eyes a horseshoe crab has:

My Practice 1

WRITING

6. PREPARE TO WRITE 7. WRITE A PARAGRAPH PRESENTING

YOUR PERSONAL OPINION
When we present a personal opinion in writing, it’s
important to be clear and respectful. If we are not Tips
clear, the reader will either lose interest or believe the Follow these tips when giving your
opinion must be wrong. If we are not respectful, the personal opinion:
reader may refuse to engage with our opinion at all.
●● be specific ●● give reasons for
opinions
1. Read Lessons for Us in the article again. Identify two
●● keep your opinion short
facts and three opinions. Write them in the chart.
●● offer solutions to
●● use neutral language
problems
Fact Opinion

Write a paragraph giving your personal opinion.

The 21st century skills are known as ‘the Four Cs’. In your
opinion, which is the most important skill for school and
work?
communication collaboration
creativity critical thinking

2. Read the paragraph and decide if the sentences are

My Practice 2
true or false. Write T or F.
An endangered species is a type of organism that is
threatened by extinction. Species become endangered
for many different reasons. Not helping endangered
species is not a good idea because we have to take care of
8. SHARE AND DISCUSS
our planet. We have to help endangered species to survive. Exchange your paragraph with a partner. Read one
All animals are beautiful and have the right to live. another’s paragraphs and check if your partner
1. The writer is specific. covered the points in the Tips Box above.

2. The writer keeps opinions short.

My Practice 3
3. The writer does not use neutral language.
4. The writer uses emotional adjectives.
5. The writer gives reasons.
6. The writer offers solution to problems.
STUDY SKILLS

Reflect
Do you agree that adaptability is the secret to success? Why or why not?
Why do you think it might be helpful to scan a text first, before reading
the entire text?
Did you find it challenging to keep your opinion clear and respectful
in writing? Why?

© British Council | B2.1 SS 01 | v1.0 11

 MY NOTES
Write your notes here to review what you have learned.

REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

How well did I do?

I identified specific information in a I presented a personal opinion clearly

reading text. and respectfully.

= I did this well. = I did this quite well. = I can’t do this yet.

What do I need to do next?

STUDY SKILLS

12 © British Council | B2.1 SS 01 | v1.0