Assignment C, Part 2.1 - Authentic text
Select an authentic text* for this class:
A mixed nationality general English class of 15 Advanced C1-C2 adults (9 women, 6 men, ages 20-40
years) living /studying in an English speaking country.
4 have university places for the next academic year and want to improve their fluency in preparation. 2
are married to people from the host country – one is at home with a young child and the other works in a
restaurant. 4 are work colleagues who have been sent by their company to work in this country for a
year. The other 5 have come on short term visits specifically to improve their English.
*An authentic text is one which was originally aimed at native or proficient English speakers, and was
not designed as a piece of language teaching material.
Do not use material found on educational websites. You must demonstrate your own ability
to find and exploit authentic materials.
The text should be 500 - 700 words long. (4-5 minutes for listening texts).
In this document provide a copy of the reading text or a transcript of the listening text you have chosen.
Ensure the text is referenced, and if you have selected a listening text or video, provide a link.
If you choose a reading text, you can shorten and/or adapt it slightly. Please supply a copy of the
original and your adapted version. In section b) of the essay briefly explain the decisions you've made
about changing the text.
Highlight 12 vocabulary items (words or phrases) which it would be useful to pre-teach.
Air Pollution Robs Us of Our Smarts and Our Lungs
BY SARAH GIBBENS
AUGUST 31, 2018
Breathing in dirty air damages our lungs, but new research is showing it might change
how we think, too.
A study published earlier this week in the Proceedings for the National Academy of
Sciences found that long-term exposure to particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and
nitrogen dioxide led to cognitive declines in study participants as they aged. Less-
educated men were particularly impacted and had low verbal and math test scores.
Scientists and health officials are still working to discern exactly how air
pollutants interact with the brain.
“We speculate that air pollution probably puts greater damage on the white matter in the
brain, which is associated with language ability,” says Xin Zhang, a study author and
researcher at Beijing Normal University's school of statistics.
Select an authentic text* for this class:
A mixed nationality general English class of 15 Advanced C1-C2 adults (9 women, 6 men, ages 20-40
years) living /studying in an English speaking country.
4 have university places for the next academic year and want to improve their fluency in preparation. 2
are married to people from the host country – one is at home with a young child and the other works in a
restaurant. 4 are work colleagues who have been sent by their company to work in this country for a
year. The other 5 have come on short term visits specifically to improve their English.
*An authentic text is one which was originally aimed at native or proficient English speakers, and was
not designed as a piece of language teaching material.
Do not use material found on educational websites. You must demonstrate your own ability
to find and exploit authentic materials.
The text should be 500 - 700 words long. (4-5 minutes for listening texts).
In this document provide a copy of the reading text or a transcript of the listening text you have chosen.
Ensure the text is referenced, and if you have selected a listening text or video, provide a link.
If you choose a reading text, you can shorten and/or adapt it slightly. Please supply a copy of the
original and your adapted version. In section b) of the essay briefly explain the decisions you've made
about changing the text.
Highlight 12 vocabulary items (words or phrases) which it would be useful to pre-teach.
Air Pollution Robs Us of Our Smarts and Our Lungs
BY SARAH GIBBENS
AUGUST 31, 2018
Breathing in dirty air damages our lungs, but new research is showing it might change
how we think, too.
A study published earlier this week in the Proceedings for the National Academy of
Sciences found that long-term exposure to particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and
nitrogen dioxide led to cognitive declines in study participants as they aged. Less-
educated men were particularly impacted and had low verbal and math test scores.
Scientists and health officials are still working to discern exactly how air
pollutants interact with the brain.
“We speculate that air pollution probably puts greater damage on the white matter in the
brain, which is associated with language ability,” says Xin Zhang, a study author and
researcher at Beijing Normal University's school of statistics.
