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CAE READINGS

  CAE READING PART 2 Which writer takes a similar view to writer A on the likely impact of voluntary work on local people’s lives? _______ expresses a different view from the others on why people do international voluntary work? _______ has the same opinion as writer A about the possible long-term effects on the volunteers? ________ shares writer C’s concern about who the volunteers tend to be? _________ Volunteer tourism Four academic writers discuss the topic of international voluntary work. A It is hard to argue that the actual contribution to development amounts to a great deal directly. Whilst volunteer tourists can get involved in building homes or schools, they have usually paid a significant fee for the opportunity to be involved in this work: money that, if donated to a local community directly, could potentially pay for a greater amount of labour than the individual volunteer could ever hope to provide. This is especially so in the case of gap years, in which the level of...
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counterarguments and refutations

  Readings skills counterarguments and refutations What is a counterargument? It is an idea that opposes the author's point of view.  Common words : some experts say, some people think, some critics claim.  Examples:  Some people believe that technology is making us more isolated. Many experts argue that strict regulations hinder economic growth. The common belief is that homeschooling limits socialization opportunities. Some critics claim that renewable energy sources are too expensive. Some educators believed that intelligence was solely determined by genetics. Refutations.  It tries to show that the counterargument is weak or incorrect.  Common words: on the contrary, however, but in fact.  Some people believe that technology is making us more isolated. On the contrary , technology has enabled us to stay connected with friends and family through social media, video calls, and instant messaging, fostering more frequent and meaningful interactions. M...
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WEIRD foods from around the world

Most cities around the world offer a great variety of delicious international food. However, there are a few dishes that for some reason never become popular outside their own countries ... read on to find out why! When you think of meat, you don't usually consider eating the nose of an animal, but if you are in northern Canada, you may be offered exactly that. Moose nose comes in a jelly with the addition of some onions and spices. Thankfully, the chef removes the hair before cooking it! In Mongolia, there's a popular drink called airag, and it is actually sour horse milk. Farmers stir and leave the milk until it becomes fizzy and then serve it in bowls. Is this making you thirsty? Probably not. There is a traditional cheese in Sardinia, Italy, called casu marzu. It is made of old pecorino cheese, which is left outside so that cheese flies can lay their eggs inside it. These then hatch into maggots, which live inside the cheese. Thankfully, you don't have to eat the maggot...
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A history of Brasília

On April 21, 1960, Brazil woke up to a new capital city. Its name was Brasilia and it was located on the center plateau of the country. The old capital, Rio de Janeiro, on the south-east coast of Brazil, was no longer suitable for the country's needs. The country needed a more centralized capital city for business and industry. Most cities develop slowly over hundreds or even thousands of years, but Brasília grew from a series of drawings to a complete city in only 41 months! The country's president, Juscelino Kubitschek, was so excited about the city, he officially opened it before it was finished! Brasilia was designed in the shape of an airplane. Its principal architect was Oscar Niemeyer, and its urban planner was Lúcio Costa. The city's design used four separate principles: there must be a quiet area for homes, a separate zone for business and industry, another area for sports and entertainment, and the movement of pedestrians must be separate from busy roads. Niemeyer...
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The state of the world

 If your view of the world comes from watching the news and reading newspapers, you could be forgiven for lying awake at night worrying about the future. Apparently, rising violence and population rates mean humans are both killing each other in ever larger numbers and being born at rates the world's resources can't sustain. To make matters worse, all the wealth is concentrated on a handful of people in the world's richest countries. People in low-income countries live in poverty while the West gets richer. Depressing, isn't it? But do the statistics support our negative world view or is the world actually improving? Let's take global population first. It's around 7 billion now, in line with figures predicted by the UN in 1958. By the year 2100, the same experts predict it will be around 11 billion. But did you know that 11 billion is probably as high as that number will get? The rate of increase will slow down in the second half of this century thanks to fallin...
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Sustainable supermarkets

Many of the major supermarket chains have come under fire with accusations of various unethical acts over the past decade. They've wasted tonnes of food, they've underpaid their suppliers and they've contributed to excessive plastic waste in their packaging, which has had its impact on our environment. But supermarkets and grocers are starting to sit up and take notice. In response to growing consumer backlash against the huge amounts of plastic waste generated by plastic packaging, some of the largest UK supermarkets have signed up to a pact promising to transform packaging and cut plastic wastage. In a pledge to reuse, recycle or compost all plastic wastage by 2025, supermarkets are now beginning to take some responsibility for the part they play in contributing to the damage to our environment, with one major supermarket announcing their plan to eliminate all plastic packaging in their own-brand products by 2023. In response to criticisms over food waste, some supermarke...
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Political manifestos

A – Rufus Loredo Westwend is a changing town. People come to Westwend to build a better and more prosperous future for themselves and their family. As your representative I pledge to: fight to improve public schooling for our children work to ensure that Westwend is connected more effectively: both its transport and digital connections listen to each and every citizen's problems and help them overcome them. Westwend needs someone who represents all of our communities and not only the wealthy, who puts people before politics and who keeps their promises. Let me be that person. B – Lona Williams My goal is to restore full services at our local hospital and create free parking for visitors. I pledge to provide better care for the elderly and the most vulnerable in our town. I will create jobs in Westwend by reducing taxes and red tape. Together we will help families overcome the high cost of living by tackling job insecurity and extending free childcare for working parents. I will fig...
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