Tables

Tables are great for organising words into groups. The examples above show a table organised by topic and one for opposites.

A for and against essay about the internet

Look at the essay and do the exercises to improve your writing skills.

Preparation

Complete the tips for writing a for and against essay with a word from the box.

disagree          formal          plan          reasons          opinions

1. You should give your _______________ on the topic.
2. Always give _______________ for your opinions.
3. You can agree, _______________ or discuss both sides of the statement.
4. The register used in an essay is usually quite _______________.
5. You need to _______________ your essay carefully before you start writing.

A more formal email

Look at the exam question and email and do the exercises to practise and improve your writing skills. 

Preparation

Circle True or False for these sentences.

1. You should use polite expressions and more formal grammatical structures. True   False
2. You don't have to include all the points mentioned in the question. True   False
3. You can use contractions in a formal email. True   False
4. You should avoid using conventional expressions for starting and finishing the email. True   False
5. You should use this style for a person you don't know. True   False

Writing about survey results

Look at the pie chart and text and do the exercises to improve your writing skills.

Preparation

Circle True or False for these sentences.

1. Your writing should have an introduction, main body and conclusion. True   False
2. You should include your opinion about the results of the survey. True   False
3. You should try to mention or summarise all the information given. True   False
4. You should use a variety of expressions for describing percentages and proportions. True   False
5. You don't have to use connectors or link ideas together. True   False
6. In your conclusion, you should focus on the most important figures or trends. True   False

Writing about a bar chart

Look at the bar chart, question and sample answer and do the exercises to improve your writing skills.

Preparation

Look at the chart below and circle the best answer to these questions.

1. How many years does the chart show information for?

    a. one   b. two   c. three

2. Who does the chart show information for?

    a. men only   b. women only   c. both men and women

3. How many men studied engineering in Australian universities in 2012?

    a. 6,000   b. 12,000   c. 14,000

Google Science Fair

Elif Bilgin is an up-and-coming scientist. Check out what she discovered about banana peel in this video. Well done, Elif!

Preparation

Exercises

1. Match the vocabulary with the correct definition and write a–h next to the numbers 1–8.
  1…….. starch                a. a liquid which can be used to make petrol, paraffin and diesel oil
  2…….. bioplastic            b. a mark showing damage on a fruit or vegetable
  3…….. to create             c. a carbohydrate found in vegetables, seeds and some fruits
  4…….. petroleum           d. the outer part of a banana
  5…….. a bruise             e. a type of plastic made from biological things such as plants
  6…….. banana peel          f. a small clear round dish
  7…….. the consequences   g. to make something new
  8…….. Petri dish              h. the outcome

2. Check your understanding: true or false
    Circle True or False for these sentences.
  1. Elif is sixteen years old and lives in Istanbul, Turkey.   True   False
  2. The Bosphorus is where Europe meets Asia.   True   False
  3. Petroleum-based plastics cause a small amount of pollution.   True   False
  4. Bioplastics are more expensive to make and recycle.   True   False
  5. Elif's project was to make plastic out of organic waste materials.   True   False
  6. She had to find equal-sized bananas which were all the same colour and didn't have any bruises.   True   False
  7. The process included dipping, boiling and frying the peel.   True   False
  8. The best part of the process was eating the banana cupcakes and banana splits.   True   False

Keys

1. 1. c 2. e 3. g 4. a 5. b 6. d 7. h 8. f 1.
2. 1. True 2. True 3. False 4. False 5. True 6. True 7. False 8. False

Transcript

Transcript for Google science fair Elif Bilgin:

My name is Elif, I’m sixteen years old and I live in Istanbul, Turkey. My favourite place to spend time is watching the view of the Bosphorus. It’s the point where Europe meets Asia and it’s beautiful. Istanbul is a city that never sleeps.

Because I live in a big city I face environmental problems like pollution on a daily basis. I found out that petroleum-based plastics are causing a vast amount of pollution and that bioplastic is a solution. It is cheaper to make, and recycles a waste material. Bioplastics can be made from potatoes because of the starch in them. So the aim of my project was to see if I could make plastic out of organic waste material. Bananas contain a lot of starch and are therefore a potential plastic material. I researched the current methods for creating bioplastics and I worked for two years developing my project. I had to seek out equal-sized bananas with no bruises and they all had to be of the same official colour index. I did encounter some strange looks when I was picking them!

The peel is something we throw away every day but little do we know that it could be put to much more use. The process includes dipping the peel in sodium metabisulphite solution, boiling and puréeing them. The paste is transferred to a Petri dish and baked. I had twelve attempts at making the plastic and all but the last two were unsuccessful. The best part of the process was the moment when I got my first successful result. The type of plastic I have created can have many uses, including cosmetic prosthetics and the insulation of cables. The method I designed is so simple, it’s possible to say you can actually make it at home. Anyone could use this plastic and our beautiful planet will be spared from the consequences of the production of plastics with petroleum derivatives. I can now say that I have perfected my recipe for banana cupcakes and I make an awesome banana split, and of course I’ve ended up eating a tonne of bananas!

Chinese New Year

Dragon dances, acrobats, fireworks, a parade ... London is buzzing with excitement at Chinese New Year. Find out what you can do to join in the excitement!

Preparation

The event

For London’s Chinese community (and everyone else who loves a party!), Chinese New Year is a huge event. Before Chinese New Year, people make sure their houses are clean and tidy, buy new clothes and have their hair cut, to bring good luck for the new year. London has the biggest celebrations outside of Asia. Hundreds of thousands of people go to watch the parade from the West End to Trafalgar Square, which includes Chinese acrobats, and traditional lion and dragon dances.