1. National or international?
International
2. Environment, politics, crime, covid-19?
Russia's army build up at the border of Ukraine.
3. Why does this topic concern you/is interesting to discuss about for you?
Because it is a potential trigger for a new world war and it is interesting how politicians are handling it and how it will play out.
Exercise 2
1. What is her cause for concern?
The thing she’s concerned about at the moment is the influence that video games may have on children.
2. Why does she have a personal interest?
She has personal interest because her younger brother, Craig, is becoming a video game addict.
3. How did Craig use to be?
Craig had many interests; he played football, he was learning judo, he went out on his bike with his friends. He was a happy, fun-loving boy.
4. What does research tell us about the addiction?
Research shows that children between the ages of two and five regularly play video games, and that by the age of eight, they spend an average of 25 minutes on them.
5. Do most children become addicts?
No, by their early teens, a small minority have become addicts, playing for at least 30 hours a week.
6. What concerns Dr Griffiths?
Dr Griffiths says that children may become so addicted that they stop doing homework, start playing truant, and even steal money in order to buy the games.
7. What other concerns does the girl have?
She worries that the violence in the games could cause children to become more violent and that sitting without exercise for so long is bad for your health.
Exercise 3
1. Look at the words that introduce each paragraph. Why are they used?
The thing I’m concerned about – introducing the topic
Let me explain why – introducing reasons for concern
Research shows that – introducing evidence to support reasons for concern
Finally – introducing conclusion
2. Find examples of the speaker talking from her own experience.
“You see, I have a younger brother, Craig, he’s 13 years old, and I’m afraid he’s becoming a video game addict. Just a few years ago, Craig had many interests; he played football, he was learning judo, he went out on his bike with his friends. He was a happy, fun-loving boy. Now he spends hours every day in front of a screen, in a virtual world, playing virtual games, usually violent ones, and he becomes really angry if our parents tell him to stop.”
“My brother isn’t violent, but he is certainly bad-tempered if he is stopped from playing.”
“Craig often plays five hours a day, and some days his thumbs are really painful and he can’t sleep because he is over-excited. His schoolwork is going from bad to worse.”
3. Find examples where she quotes research.
“Research shows that children between the ages of two and five regularly play video games, and that by the age of eight, they spend an average of 25 minutes on them.”
4. How does the girl conclude her talk?
She doesn’t agree with Dr Griffiths that more research is needed to conclude that video games cause problems.