[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 A
amazement at the skill of the surfers? 2 D
awareness of how eager his instructor is to share his knowledge? 3 B
surprise at the way the surfers behave at a certain point? 4 C
negative comparison of himself with an experienced surfer? 5 A
excitement at the opportunity to try out an activity? 6 D
concern about his ability to remember unfamiliar information? 7 B
recognition of a widely-accepted rule amongst surfers? 8 C
reason for being involved in an activity? 9 A
observation of surfers practicing a particular move? 10 B 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 I (35) C. The surfers paddle out on their boards until they reach
work on, I'm learning to surf, and that's how I find myself
an area beyond the breaking waves where the water's
standing on a rocky headland with 19-year-old surf
calmer. I notice that they don't immediately jump into champion, Danny Waite.
action but sit around on their boards with their legs
(5) ‘There's no denying the ocean is a powerful force of
dangling into the water. Rather than looking in the
nature,’ says Danny thoughtfully, as we stand overlooking (40) direction the waves are travelling- as I would have
Blacksands Bay in one of the country's prime surfing
expected -they appear to be looking out to sea.
spots. ‘You've got to respect it, but if you follow a few
'They're watching the waves come in,' explains Danny, 'to
basic rules, there's little to fear.’ That's easy for him to say,
decide where the best place is to take off from.' When the
(10) having spent his youth with a surfboard glued to his feet,
decision's been made, the surfers paddle their way from
while I haven't even pulled on a wetsuit before.
(45) the waiting zone to what's known as the line-up. 'Surfers
‘First, you need to stand and observe the surf for a while,’
must know their place,' Danny continues. 'The surfer
he tells me from our vantage point above the bay. I stare
positioned closest to the breaking wave gets to ride it.'
blankly, then ask what it is I'm meant to be looking out
'Dropping in', or attempting to ride a wave before it's your
(15) for. ‘The waves,’ he says. ‘How they're breaking, what the
turn, is, I become aware, to be avoided at all costs.
patterns are as they approach the beach.’ lt all sounds (50) D. Eventually a surfer will find himself first in line, and rather technical to me.
that's where the real fun starts. Surfing is all about timing;
B. That's only the start of it. Warming to his role of
being ready to catch the wave at just the right moment.
teacher, Danny launches into an enthusiastic account of
Having observed the waves in the waiting zone, a surfer
(20) things I've never heard of: 'surf plans', 'rip currents' and
should have a good idea of where the wave will break and
'wave sets'. There's no stopping him as I desperately will (55) when to get to his feet.
my already-overwhelmed brain to hold on to this vital
The surfers I can see today are advanced and pop up to a information.
standing position on their boards with ease. I watch in
Once a surfer has figured out how he's going to enter the
awe as they ride the waves, expertly zigzagging their way
(25) waves, Danny informs me, he paddles out on his board,
towards the beach, harnessing the power of the rushing
lying flat against it, and using his hands to 'swim' through (60) water. it's thrilling to watch and, though I'm not sure of
the water, before leaping to his feet and riding the wave.
how I'll perform myself, I'm full of inspiration.
I watch surfers limbering up in preparation, stretching
'Ready to give it a go?' asks Danny. I nod readily, and we
and jumping from their stomachs to their feet on their head towards the beach.
(30) boards. Then they're off, racing to the sea and heading (64)
towards what seem to me to be pretty fearsome breakers
- huge waves rolling and crashing towards the shore. (34)
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 that
E For instance, visualising yourself eating chocolate
they know are bad for them try to avoid thinking about the
wouldn't prevent you from eating lots of cheese. foods they really want.
B When they said they had finished, these were taken away
F Physical, digestive cues- that full stomach feeling- are only and weighed.
part of what tells us that we've finished a meal.
C A tenth bite, for example, is desired less than the first bite, G This requires the same motor skills as eating small
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, which can have a
positive impact on their professional performance. 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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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.
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3) The spread of global English has little, if any, influence on non-English-speakers’ mother tongue proficiency.
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4) Availability of affordable medical service is a mark of the social and economic development of a country.
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5) Writing a message without considering the intended reader will lower the communication effectiveness.
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6) Traditional costumes are of cultural and social importance but might not suit every circumstance.
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7) Journalists have to succumb to either commercial or political pressure, distorting facts and misleading the public.
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8) However, people should meanwhile admit that advertising has every now and then contributed to consumers’ unplanned purchase.
To give a clear example, most children adore sweets and cakes. When they go shopping with their parents and see a
realistic advertisement that stimulates their appetite, they will ask for buying the snack immediately. There are
hardly any parents who will refuse that.
9) Education meanwhile allows them to keep in contact with the community, an opportunity that prisoners are normally deprived of.
In Vietnamese's non-custodial reform, for instance, the convicted person will be handed over to where he works or
studies for supervision and education. It means that he could still learn and labor as the others.
10) In fact, non-verbal messages sometimes tell people more than verbal messages do.
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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.
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● 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.
● 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?
● G ive “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.” ● I ncrease 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.”
● E xplain 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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