1. How long should my essay be?
2. Can I write an essay if I’ve only read the topic?
3. How should I approach essay writing? What should I do first?
4. Is it a good idea to think of questions I want to answer in my essay?
5. Do I need to take preliminary notes, make a first draft or just write the final essay?
Ex. 5.16 Some steps to better essay writing. Read the ideas below for planning and drafting a piece of writing. Which do you find most useful?
| 1. Preparing and gathering information | Give yourself a time limit to brainstorm all the topics you might include, and to check information. Get as much information as you can on paper (a quick search on the Internet may help you here). Don’t worry too much about the organization at this point – you can always change things later. |
| 2. Structuring | Think about the order in which you will present the information in your essay. If possible, check with another student or your teacher to see if they think your order is clear and logical. |
| 3. First draft and feedback | Write a first draft, giving yourself a time limit to complete the essay. Show your first draft to your teacher or another student. Ask them to tell you about things that are unclear, or if there are any important mistakes. Or read the draft yourself. Are there better words or phrases you could use to express your ideas? |
| 4. Final draft | Use the feedback to prepare the final draft. Then proofread your essay (check it for simple errors, spelling mistakes, etc). If you are happy with what you have written, you have finished! |
Ex. 5.17 Study the diagram below and expand on it using the ideas of your own and the ones in exercise 5.16.
Ex. 5.18 Essay Writing
Use the diagrams below to write a four-paragraph essay of 250-300 words about soil health, soil composition, soil animals and soil formation:
| Listening |
Ex. 5.19 Listen to the interview with a member of the environmental group the Green Belt Movement. For statements 1 to 5, choose one letter A, B or C to complete the sentences:
1. Ben indicates __________ as one of the biggest environmental problems in Kenya.
A. deforestation
B. loss of soil
C. lack of cultivated land
2. According to Ben, the animals which change their habitat __________
A. are threatened by people.
B. tend to leave their hunting areas.
C. may be dangerous for the people around forest areas.
3. Ben mentions the charcoal production as __________
A. an easy way to enrich the soil.
B. the business in which most Kenyans are involved.
C. the main reason of deforestation.
4. Ben describes Wangari Maathai as the woman who __________
A. helps her people to live in new environment.
B. invented safari parks.
C. started ecotourism business.
5. Ben assures that the BBC Wildlife channel documentaries are __________
A. a cliché.
B. accurate.
C. focused on soil conservation issues.
Ex. 5.20 Listen to the interview again and answer the questions below:
1) Why is there great concern about wildlife and the future of the National Parks in Kenya?
2) What’s happening to the people who live around the forest area?
3) What actually causes deforestation?
4) What is being done to solve the environmental problems?
5) What are visitors not allowed to do in National parks?
| Project work |
