WHAT IS TERRORISM?

Published: The Economist,  http://fringe.davesource.com/Fringe/Politics/Economist_Essay

Level of Difficulty: **

WATCH, LISTEN AND CONSIDER

·         What is terrorism? Definition, types, history and statistics

http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-terrorism-definition-history-types-statistics.html
What is terrorism? Definition, types and examples http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-terrorism-definition-history-types-examples.html

QUESTIONS

1.       In the introduction to the article, we are presented with a dilemma concerning terrorism. What is it?

2.       What conclusion can we draw from the examples stated in paragraph 3?

3.       What are the two main characteristics of terrorism?

4.       Of the examples stated in paragraph 5, which one is real terrorism?

5.       Can one always differentiate clearly between terrorism and guerrilla warfare? What is the problem?

6.       What would you call the following examples: The IRA bombing of a pub near London (70’s); the bombing of a bus containing, among others, soldiers returning from the front; Aum Shirinyo’s nerve gas bombing of the Tokyo underground; IRA bombing of the British barracks near Londonderry.

7.       The case of the men who shot up a white church congregation in South Africa is an example of………………………………………………………………………………………………………..(Be very specific)

8.       The Tamil Tiger bombing in Colombo and Dier Yassin are given as examples to prove that………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

9.       Give one example of diplomacy by terror.

10.   State one example of governments which are guilty of terrorism.

11.   The cases of Hiroshima, Nagazaki and the Allied bombing of Germany near the end of the war are given as examples proving that……………………………………………………………………………..

12.   The basic difference between the 19^th century anarchist and nihilist and the present day terrorist is that the former ………………………………………………………………………………………………..

13.   The activities of The IRA, ETA and The Shining Path may be contrasted with such events as the Tokyo metro nerve gassing, the Oklahoma city bombing and the activities of Algerian terrorists. The Three latter events are different in that ………………………………………………………..

14.   Read paragraphs 18 through 20 and find three similarities and one difference between a terrorist group and a government( i.e. an army)

15.   State two reasons why the British withdrew from India, Cyprus and Kenya.

16.   On reading paragraph 25, how would you rate a government’s chances of success in dealing with terrorists? What do you base your opinion on?

17.   What do the Baeder- Meinhof mob and Aum Shirinyo have in common?

WHAT IS TERRORISM / KEY

The text is a brilliant descriptive essay endeavoring to describe what terrorism is and isn’t. I, unfortunately, have no way of getting the soft copy to you so you are going to have to find it in the economist archive. This you can do by paying a nominal fee or enlisting the help of members of staff who are already members. Getting back to the task at hand, you should start with a discussion during which certain criteria will emerge. These criteria could be noted on the board for comparison with the views expressed in the text and further discussion. The vocabulary should be exploited while reading – something I like to do while reading through the text. Due to the way it is written, this text will never be outdated. It can be used with intermediate groups at the beginning of December which should give you some idea of its level of difficulty. It is important that you discuss the arguments in the text as you read as not everyone will agree with all of them and it is important that they learn to have civilized discussions and listen to each other. A writing task is not recommended at this stage of the year as the topic is too hard.

1.       Terrorism is not the simple, sharp edged bad guy phenomenon we all love to condemn.

2.       What act or person earns the label depends on who wants to apply it.

3.       Terrorism is indeed about terror; not just violence but its use to spread terror. And the violence is aimed specifically at civilians.

4.       Italy’s Red Brigade blew up a train in Bologna station killing 84 people.

5.       There are grey areas

6.       Terrorism, grey area, terrorism, guerrilla warfare.

7.       A terrorist act with a “good cause”.

8.       The terrorists’ ultimate success or failure doesn’t alter the truth.

9.       Iran, Libya, Carlos the Jackal, East Germany…

10.   Much of Latin America

11.   Armies of proud democracies can be guilty of terrorism too.

12.   Discriminate assassination was the typical weapon of the 19^th century anarchist and nihilist.

13.   Random terrorism

14.   Difference: the group is almost impossible to smash; similarities: personal devotion to a cause, both groups may include people who enjoy violence for its own sake; both are pursuing a policy they hope will succeed.

15.   Weakness and a world view that said colonial empires had had their day.

16.   Not high; it could not usually zap the terrorists’ territory as it could that of a hostile state.

17.   They were nutters.

SUCKING CO2 FROM THE AIR WITH ARTIFICIAL TREES

SUCKING CO2 FROM THE AIR WITH ARTIFICIAL TREES

By: Gaia Vince

Published: 4 October 2012 http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20121004-fake-trees-to-clean-the-skies When searching for the article on the bbc website, don’t use all capital letters if the link doesn’t work. This, I have discovered, is what throws the search engines of magazines and similar publications. Google has no such shortcomings though and you should be able to find the article any which way you type it.

Level of Difficulty: **( This is due to the argumentative essay that follows)

BEFORE YOU READ

·         What causes the greenhouse effect?

·         How urgently do we need to find solutions to the problem?

·         What measures are currently being taken to deal with co2 emissions?

·         Can you envision any additional measures?

QUESTIONS

1.       What dilemma concerning co2 is expressed at the beginning of the text?

2.       What does the phrase “If it works” in paragraph 2 mean?

3.       The phrase “this balance” in the first sentence of paragraph 4 refers to the balance between: …………………………………, …………………………………………………… and ……………………………………………… You will need to tweak the text to get the answer to fit grammatically.

4.       What will the ultimate result of releasing more CO2 than plants can absorb be? Be specific.

5.       Why are animals and plants at a greater disadvantage as a result of climate change?

6.       Why is it better to find ways of removing CO2 from the atmosphere?

7.       What are the two current methods of lowering carbon emissions and what are their disadvantages?

8.       How exactly do Klaus Lackner’s artificial trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere?

9.       What four practical advantages do these fake trees have?

10.   What common name is given to the two naturally occurring ways of dealing with the CO2 collected?

11.   What is the common disadvantage of the above methods?

12.   What is the advantage of producing syngas from the CO2 collected? There are two answers, one obvious and one less so, find them both.

13.   Express in your own words as briefly as possible what the current disadvantage of Lackner’s system is.

14.   Read the last paragraph and decide whether the writer thinks Lackner’s system is viable or not.

WRITING TASK

Write an essay arguing in favor of Lackner’s system of removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

In your introduction: start by discussing the serious consequences of global warming and the need to reverse the trend. Then discuss briefly the two current methods employed to tackle the problem (planting trees and Scrubber devices) and state why they are inadequate. Then have your thesis statement where you advocate Lackner’s system.

In the first paragraph of your development: discuss the practical advantages. ( Leaves don’t need to be exposed to sunlight so they can overlap one another, removing the CO2 is easy, you rinse the leaves, CO2 produced in one part of the world can be removed in another. Remember to give examples)

In the second paragraph of your development: discuss efficiency.( These trees can remove one tone of CO2 a day; CO2 from the process could be used to make liquid fuel)

In the third paragraph of the development: introduce the major disadvantage – high initial cost – and refute it with the claim that it will be cheap in the long term and that we don’t really have much choice any longer.

In your conclusion: discuss the urgency of the problem and stress that we can no longer afford to sit on our hands. Assert that it is time to act and that artificial trees are a viable solution.

SUCKING CO2 FROM THE SKIES WITH ARTIFICIAL TREES

This wonderful text is all about an innovative solution to an ongoing problem. The beauty is that it lends itself to a wonderful argumentative essay which fits in with one of the standard ways of organizing such pieces of writing. So if you wish to tackle argumentative essays at a simple level, this is the reading task you want.

1.       CO2 only makes up a tiny fraction of the atmosphere but has a huge effect on the Earth’s temperature.

2.       If scientists can remove some of this greenhouse gas from the air.

3.       The CO2 we (metabolic life forms) emit, the CO2 photosynthetic organisms take in, the O2 photosynthetic organisms emit.

4.       A new balance at a hotter temperature.

5.       They may not have time to evolve to the new conditions.

6.       Because even if we stopped burning fossil fuels today, there is enough CO2 in the atmosphere that temperatures will continue to rise for a few hundred years.

7.       Growing plants that absorb a lot of CO2 and store it / we need land to grow food for an increasing population; Carbon capture and storage/ Removing the gas takes a lot of energy and is expensive.

8.       The leaves are coated in a resin that contains sodium bicarbonate which pulls carbon out of the air and stores it as bicarbonate.

9.       They don’ need to be exposed to sunlight for photosynthesis so they can be much more closely spaced and overlapped; Lackner’s trees can remove one tone of CO2 a day; If mass produced they would cost around 20.000dollars;CO2 produced in an American city can be removed in Oman.

10.   Carbon Dioxide Absorption Processes

11.   They are on geological time scales. This means they take a very long time.

12.   It can be readily turned into hydrocarbon fuels such as methanol or diesel; It can be used to make fuels for transport vehicles.

13.   Cost or price

14.   Yes

THE AUTONOMOUS LANGUAGE LEARNER AT WORK

THE FIRST SUGGESTION:

1.        Select a topic that you are interested in like slavery in the modern world, women’s rights or war for example.

2.       Access ted.com and  print your topic into the search section.

3.       When you have discovered the videos related to your chosen topic, grab a pen and paper

4.       Listen to each video at least twice. If you are intermediate and above in terms of level, listen first without the script and make notes; then listen again this time with the script and check your notes. If you are a pre intermediate student reverse the process. If you feel you need to listen three times, that is fine too.

5.       Gather your notes together and write them up in the form of an essay.

6.       Access grammarly.com and copy paste your essay on to the site. Then select academic essay and hit “check your essay”.

7.       When you have a list of your mistakes, go back to your essay and try and locate them yourself.

8.       Finally, take your essay to any of the writing centers or your teachers for a final correction.

Note to the teacher: this procedure could be used as a project as well in which case the students should be requested to hand in their notes  and the links to the videos they watched as well.

THE SECOND SUGGESTION

1.       Access imdbfree.com and select a category that interests you like war films for example

2.       Select a couple of films in your chosen category and watch them with English subtitles.

3.       Then write an essay comparing and contrasting the films and their handling of war for example.

4.       Last of all, access grammarly.com and follow the procedure outlined in steps 6, 7 8 in the first suggestion.

Note to the teacher: this procedure could used to write essays in class or as a project. In the case of the latter, students should be required to state their choice of category and specific films beforehand to prevent large groups watching the same films.

THE THIRD SUGGESTION

1.       Access theproproom.blogspot.com and select an appropriate level of reading activity. If you are an intermediate or pre intermediate student, this would be “Level of difficulty*”; if you are an advanced student, it would be “Level of difficulty**” to start with. Level one is lower intermediate in terms of level so should be manageable for pre intermediate students as well. If you are a remedial student and failed reading, you follow the same procedure advanced students do. If you passed reading start with “Level of difficulty ***”.

2.       Select a reading task that looks interesting

3.       Locate the text by googling the title and the author’s name and get a printout.

4.       Read the text carefully once, looking up key words on dictionary.com, which you need to download onto your laptops and telephones, and guessing the meanings of other words.

5.       Now try and answer the questions. While doing so, write out the answers; do not just underline.

6.       When you have completed the questions, check your answers. If there is anything you don’t understand, bring it to the writing centers or ask your teacher.

7.       Now access ted.com and search for related videos using key words in the text. For instance, if you have just completed work on “War Against Girls”, search for videos related to women’s rights; if you have just completed work on “How to Die”, search for humane end of life practices.

8.       Watch and take notes on the videos as outlined in the first suggestion.

9.       Now return to the blog and do the writing task.

10.   When you have completed your essay or paragraph, follow the procedure outlined in steps 6, 7 and 8 in the first suggestion.

Warning: it is important that all this be done at one sitting to enable flow of information from the reading to the listening and from both to the writing task. A delay would mean that a valuable learning opportunity has been wasted.

THE FOURTH SUGGESTION (INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED AND REMEDIAL)

1. Access the following website:  pagebypagebooks.com, classicshorts.com or americanliterature.com and select a writer. Roald Dahl or Edgar Allen Poe for example.
2. You may select a novel, a single story, a couple of stories by the same writer or a couple of stories discussing the same theme by different writers.
3. After reading the story or stories you have selected, write a reaction essay, a comparison or an opinion essay concerning the ideas in the story.
4. Lastly, follow the procedure outlined in steps 6, 7 and 8 in the first suggestion.

THE FIFTH SUGGESTION (ADVANCED SECOND TERM AND ANYONE WHO PASSES THE PROFICIENCY, DURING THE SUMMER OR ALONG WITH COURSE WORK IN INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS)

1. Access coursera.org and select a field of study that interests you.
2. Select a course and apply for it. The courses are completely free
3. You will get all your material, tests and projects online and be expected to hold up your side of the bargain.
4. The advantage is that you will not only practice your English but also broaden your horizons and learn subject specific vocabulary.

Note to the student: use the suggestions listed here as guidelines to discover additional ways to improve your language skills.

WILL WE EVER... PASS THE TURING TEST FOR COPMPUTERS?

By: John Pavlus

Published: BBC Future; May 16 2012; http://www.bbc.com It is suggested you access the bbc website, click future, and enter the title in the search section; failing thet, just google the title and the ariter's name

Level of Difficulty:* One word of warning: don’t make this the first task in this file that you tackle
Note to the student: Listen and take notes on the following before you tacvkle the reading task. The links have been contributed by my friend and fellow teacher Nick O'Gara
http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2012/mar/19/turing-problem/
http://www.radiolab.org/2011/may/31/

BEFORE YOU READ

Will we ever be able to create computers that think in the way we understand it? Discuss

QUESTIONS

1. What must a person do to pass the Touring test?
2. For what two reasons do computers fail the Touring test? Be brief.
3. What does it doesn’t mean in the sentence “Except it doesn’t”?
4. The views concerning computers that think in the 1960’s fail when there is some sort of ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. What is the example of the purpose of the book? Use your own words.
6. What quality of speech do chatbots share?
7. ALICE probably won the Loebner prize because the conversation it had with the judges was …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
8. What does “This subcognitive information refer to?
9. What exactly is the Achilles heel of a disembodied program?
10. What exactly does the phrase “But that may soon change” mean?
11. In order to have a realistic conversation a computer would not only have to accumulate ……………………………………………………….. but also ………………………………………………………………
12. Read the last paragraph of the text. Does E Dijkstra believe that computers will ever be able to think or not?

WRITING TASK

Write an essay or a paragraph discussing your views concerning computers that can think. Before doing so, check out some relevant videos on ted.com, voanews.com or YouTube

WILL WE EVER PASS THE TOURING TEST FOR COMPUTERS KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

This little gem also comes from that wonderful section Future on the BBC website. It is riveting, topical, has a wow factor and is simple to boot. It should fly in my view.

1. Not mistake the computer for a human.
2. The mushy parameters of the test itself (The rest is not necessary as it is et off with dash marks that function like a parenthesis. However, it is not wrong to include it. You could practice shortening answers though).
3. Intelligence doesn’t emerge.
4. Ambiguity
5. Possible answer: to try and explain why computers can’t think
6. Statelessness
7. Vacuous (Don’t say human; that is the purpose of the competition. What human quality helped ALICE win)
8. Associative sensory experiences
9. It doesn’t have a history of embodied experiences
10. Computers may soon have a history of embodied experiences; OR computers may lose or get rid of their Achilles heel.
11. All the sights, sounds and sensory experiences; analyze and correlate them.
12. He doesn’t 

IS OUR POLITICAL VIEW REALLY ENCODED IN OUR GENES?

By: Tom Stafford

Published: December 4, 2012; BBC FUTURE;http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20121204-is-politics-really-in-our-genes

Level of Difficulty:* However, I do have a warning: try this reading task after you have done the others in this section as it is a tiny bit harder.

BEFORE YOU READ

1.       In your view, what factors influence a person’s political opinions?

2.       Which of the factors you listed is the greatest influence in your view?

NOW WATCH THE VIDEO
Nature Vs Nurture | How Are Political Beliefs Formed?
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEHKb2bvv5A

QUESTIONS

1.       What are the conventional factors that are believed to shape our political views?

2.       The fact that there is a field of study called genopolitics proves that ………………………………..

3.       What does “This” refer to in the phrase “This began with a pivotal study?

4.       What surprising finding was made in the studies involving identical twins in relation to inherited political opinions?

5.       The purpose of the example of the mp3 player is to show that …………………………………. (Use your own words)

6.       Behavior, according to the text, is determined by the complicated relationship involving ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

7.       What does “That” refer to in the phrase “That would be ridiculous”?

8.       Believing that there is a simple, direct genetic basis for political belief would be illogical because of the following three reasons: ………………………………………………………………………… (You will need to tweak the text)

9.       The writer lists three examples: political opinions, personality traits and common health conditions. What do these examples have in common?

10.   What does “This” refer to in the phrase “This implies that people whose basic emotional responses to threats are more pronounced…”?

11.   What was the conclusion that differences in emotional processes may influence political beliefs based on?

12.   Based on your understanding of the text, how could the link between genes and political opinions be best described?

WRITING TASK

Write an essay or a paragraph discussing the factors that influence political opinions based on your own views and what you learnt from the text. Before doing so, seek out a related video on YouTube, ted.com or voanews.com and make notes. You can consider the following points as guidelines:

·         Environmental factors ( the family, neighborhood, friends, school, career, partners and the like)

·         Inborn inclinations ( personality and genetic factors; use the text)

IS OUR POLITICAL VIEW REALLY ENCODED IN OUR GENES KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

BBC future is, I have discovered, a treasure trove of rather straight forward but fascinating little texts and this is one of them. I can see it leading to some interesting discussion. If you wish, you could ditch the writing task and have them write a summary – provided you help that is; at this level, it would be tough.

1.       Our upbringing, career, friends and partners.

2.       The idea that political opinions have a genetic basis is widely accepted. Dash marks work like parentheses so that part of the sentence does not need to be included though it is not wrong if you do

3.       The idea that political views have a genetic component.

4.       The position people occupy on a scale from liberal to conservative is heritable.

5.       Possible answer: there is really very little information in the DNA

6.       Your genes, the proteins they create and your environment.

7.       A gene controlling how people answer questions about their political beliefs.

8.       The gene would have had to lies dormant for millions of years (this is enough although writing the rest would not be wrong); how could such a gene evolve before the invention of democracy; what would it do before voting became common.

9.       They have no sole genetic cause. The fact that they are things we are most interested in measuring is also a common point but considering the topic this answer would be illogical on its own. However, if you wrote both that would be fine but unnecessarily long.

10.   The fact that American volunteers who started to seat most when they heard a sudden noise were also more likely to support capital punishment and the Iraq war.

11.   The differences in brain structure between liberals and conservatives. This is enough. To see why, refer back to question 2.

12.   Political opinions are believed to develop differently in people with different basic biology.

JAPAN AND BLOOD TYPES: DOES IT DETERMINE PERSONALITY?

JAPAN AND BLOOD TYPES: DOES IT DETERMINE PERSONALITY?

By:  Ruth Evans

Published: BBC News; Magazine; November5, 2012;http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20170787

Level of Difficulty: *

Note to the Student: Take notes as you read of the main points in the text
NOW WATCH THE VIDEO
  Blood types’ personalities comics  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62w-uR9-6po

QUESTIONS

1.       Why do Japanese people frequently inquire about a person’s blood group?

2.       What proof can you offer of the widely held belief in the connection between blood groups and personality?

3.       Why can scientists not seem to be able to dispel the belief in blood groups?

4.       For what purposes did two military powers use the information concerning blood types?

5.       The fact that Masaiko Nomi and his son’s books were so widely acclaimed comes as a little bit of a surprise because …………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6.       Why exactly did Ryu Matsumoto resign?

7.       What completely unique form of prejudice and discrimination can be observed in Japan?

8.       What personal question banned in Japan would be perfectly acceptable anywhere else in the world?

9.       The fact that many people in Turkey have a blood group of B disproves the idea that………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

10.   What is the function of the last sentence of the text? Explain and justify your answer.

JAPAN AND BLOOD TYPES: DOES IT DETERMINE PERSONALITY?

This another easy yet interesting little gem. As text, it lends itself very nicely to summary practice as there are a lot of specific examples that should be left out and some generalizations that should be included. When first writing summaries, it is hard to decide what to include so this reading task might be a good place to start. Alternatively, you could ditch the summary and give them 30 minutes to complete the questions. In either case, it is a riveting topic. It certainly woke me up at two in the morning while I was browsing.

1. Because a person’s blood group is popularly believed to determine temperament and personality.
2. The four books sold more than5 million copies; morning television shows, newspapers and magazines…
3. Because Japanese people enjoy finding little differences that distinguish people. OR: Linking blood groups to personality (it) provides a simple framework to divide people up into easily recognizable groups.
4. To further ideas of racial supremacy; to train better soldiers (respectively)
5. They had no medical background.
6. Because a bad tempered encounter with local officials was televised. He didn’t’ resign because of his blood group; that was the excuse he made.
7. Bura-hara or blood type harassment. Blood type craze won't do because the question requires something negative.
8. What is your blood type?
9. B types are more prone to polytheism.
10. The concluding statement. It goes beyond the text. It is much more genral.

RESEARCH AND VIDEO BASED ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES ESSAY: ONLINE RECRUITING

Gone are the days when all recruitment was done with pen and paper and face to face. Although interviews still exist for some candidates at the end of a long a grueling process, most of the selection and elimination process now takes place online. Before looking at the points and starting your research, access bbc.com/youngandjobless on the BBC website; watch the video, read and take notes. Advocates of this new trend claim it has the following advantages:

1.       Online recruiting helps in reducing the volume in the beginning.

2.       The system is fairer as individuals use their judgment and could be subjective.

3.       Recruiting agencies keep the data enabling people to be offered a different job that they didn’t apply for later on.

However the system does have its disadvantages too:

1.       The quality of applications is going down. People send in hundreds of applications and cut corners while doing so.

2.       People sometimes copy paste parts of good applications so finding really good ones is hard

3.       Hundreds of people applying for the same job; hard to get noticed.

In the conclusion, you might like to suggest some solutions:

1.       Think about what you want and target companies that provide the kind of job you want.

2.       Don’t send exactly the same CV, cover letter and answers to every company; tailor your answers.

3.       Check the job offer and use the key words in the job advertisement. Computers are programmed to eliminate by key word

4.       Take rejection on the chin and be persistent.

5.       Don’t aim for the top job at the start; take any reasonable job.
       Finally: Refer to my second blog, The Essay Archive, for sample essays: https://theessayarchive.blogspot.com.tr/  

HOW TO DEVISE PASSWORDS THAT DRIVE HACKERS AWAY

By: Nicole Perlroth

Published: The New York Times; November2, 2012; http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/technology/personaltech/how-to-devise-passwords-that-drive-hackers-away.html?pagewanted=all

Level of Difficulty: *

Time Limit: 30 min if you are an intermediate student; longer if you are pre intermediate

BEFORE YOU READ

1.       What security software have you got on your computer? Would you like to have more? If so, what?

2.       What are the best ways to protect against hacking?

NOW WATCH THE VIDEO  
HOW TO : Make the Best Password Ever! (And Memorable)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PXjhhcWS04

QUESTIONS

1.       What is the root cause of the writer’s obsession with security online?

2.       Although his friends thought some of the measures the writer took just right / a little excessive ( select), she turned out to be right / wrong (select) because……………………. Use your own words.

3.       A popular program used by hackers is called ……………………………………………………………………

4.       Why are words out of a dictionary a bad choice as far as passwords go?

5.       What is the advantage of having a passphrase rather that a password?

6.       You can only say you are unable to remember your password if you have…………………………. To create it.

7.       How safe are LastPass, SplashData and AgileBits according to the text? How do you know?

8.       The two reasons why you should have illogical answers to straightforward questions on your email account are ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

9.       What is the advantage of using different browsers for different activities?

10.   What is tenminutemail.com?

WRITING TASK

Write a paragraph describing how to best protect your email account. Before you do so, seek out a related video on ted.com, listen and take notes. Begin you paragraph as follows:

Internet security has become an ever increasing problem with developments in technology. Software companies and individuals are involved in fierce competition to outwit each other. However, there are some simple measures that individuals can take to safeguard their email accounts...

End your paragraph as follows:  As can be seen, with a little bit of know how one can make one’s email account very much safer.

HOW TO DEVISE PASSWORDS THAT DRIVE HACKERS AWAY KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

I was overjoyed when I found this simple yet interesting text on the New York Times website; no mean feat I can assure you. Such texts are very thin on the ground. Yet this text has it all: lexical simplicity, a wow factor and the kind of style that enabled me to write questions. I am sure your students will love it and come up with other bright ideas. This activity turned into what I like to call “a detailed search reading” or “a nasty search reading”; you know like some of those curve balls you sometimes get on tests. Enjoy…

1.       Writing about cyber security

2.       Excessive, right, he was hacked.

3.       John The Ripper

4.       Because hackers will often test passwords from a dictionary or aggregated fro breaches

5.       The longer you password, the harder it is to crack.

6.       Randomly jammed on the keyboard

7.       Not very safe because the password still lives on the computer…. ; hackers demonstrated how easily….

8.       There are a limited set of answers to questions like this; most answers can be found on the internet.

9.       That way, if your browser catches an infection when…, your bank account isn’t necessarily compromised.

10.   It is a site that offers throw-away e-mail addresses.

HOW TO LOOK AND ACT LIKE A LEADER

By: Joann S. Lublin

Published: The Wall Street Journal; August 11, 2011; wsj.com; alternatively, just google the article and the writer’s name.

Level of Difficulty: ** This an easy level ** but too hard for a level*

WATCH, LISTEN AND CONSIDER

      ·         Want to sound like a leader? Start by saying your name right

       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02EJ1IdC6tE

·         Look, think and act like a leader  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCi8hlOrBf8

QUESTIONS

1.       What is meant by the term “executive presence” or “the aura of leadership”? It means that………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2.       How did her new clothes and hair style impact on Ms. Sharitt’s career?

3.       Ms. Sharitt developed presence according to the text. Why is presence so much more important in the modern world?

4.       For what reason did both Intel Corp and Morgan Stanley encourage some of their staff to attend “command presence workshops”?

5.       The staff members who attend the workshops walk away with the ability to …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

6.       How could keeping a diary including workplace observations help develop one’s own executive presence?

7.       Jason Bernstein’s problem was that he was too ……………………………………………………………

8.       Jason Bernstein was given various pieces of advice one of which was avoiding nodding when agreeing. What was the reason for this latter piece of advice?

9.       What resulted in Ms. Christie “toning down her strong delivery”?

10.   What does “The insight” in the phrase “The insight inspired Ms. Hudnel to propose the presence workshop” refer to?

WRITING TASK

Write a definition essay describing a successful business executive based on the information in the text and any additional listening you do on ted.com. Use the points below:

·          Appearance: dressing appropriately, grooming and make up

·         Personality traits such as being decisive, self confident, strategic and assertive; i.e., should have executive presence

In you conclusion you might suggest a few ways to acquire the characteristics above:

·         Pinpointing strengths and weaknesses

·         A journal based on work place observations

·         Formal assistance from a coach or course

HOW TO LOOK AND ACT LIKE A LEADER KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

It always makes me triumphant when I find a relatively easy text which lends itself to questions and a good writing task to boot. The more difficult texts are plentiful; not so texts like this little beauty so I hope you find it useful. It is a sort of easy level** but too hard for level* I thought.

1.       Savvy executives know the part, act the part and look the part.

2.       Faster acceptance of her ideas by senior management

3.       Because you have less time to make that lasting impression.

4.       Because the staff needed extra help selling their ideas within the company is the best answer because the program addresses a problem. To teach ambitious staffers about executive presence implies it was a top down policy decision not a response to a problem.

5.       Present affectively

6.       One could imitate the behavior that feels comfortable and natural.

7.       Easy-going

8.       Nodding is in some ways a gesture of deference

9.       Soliciting associate’s reaction following her presentations.

10.   The fact that many Intel women  only seek her counsel after a presentation has not gone well.