sábado, 11 de diciembre de 2010

Homework for Monday 13/12/10

After yesterday's class discussion I think it's essential for you to learn how to make a point during an open class discusssion about a "hot topic" such as the air controllers wildcat strike in our country.

So, as homework, please follow these steps:


  • Step 2: Listening. You may need to install RealPlayer (it's for free). Click on the following link if you can't listen to the explanation about making a point: Install RealPlayer

  • Step 3: Listen again reading the script at the same time.

  • Step 4: Read the "Language for making a point" chart and take notes in your notebook of those expressions you want to learn and use in next Monday's class discussion. The chart offers 8 different expressions to make your point.

  • Step 5: In the "What have you learn?" section you can listen to a really short quiz (only 2 questions and the speaker gives you the answer!!). If you want to listen to it more than once feel free to do it. You can also use the script at the same time that you listen and take notes of any useful phrases that you want to add to your vocabulary.

  • Step 6: Arranging words: Rearrange the sentences so that they make sense.        For this last exercise (it's only 4 sentences so it's not very time-consuming... don't worry!)  you must defend the opinion that banning smoking from public places is a good idea.

  • Step 7: Leave a comment on this entry (or send me an email to theclassdiaries@gmail.com if you can't leave a comment) explaining your opinion about the following points: Do you think the plan to ban smoking in public places in Spain is a good idea?
    Small bars and restaurants that don't have a terrace may be forced to close and will lose their lifetime business. Do you think this will happen?
    Shouldn't people have the freedom to smoke if they want to?

Have a great weekend!
Teresa

6 comentarios:

  1. Pablo Antonio Torres AV1LX17
    In my view to ban smoking in public places is a good idea because it's good for society in general and for smokers sicks in particular: less spend in health, better enviromental places, etc. People that smoke is not conscious about their loss of freedom and the majority of smokers neither think in health of people around. ¿What do smokers get out from each cigarrette? The point is that only problems.

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  2. David Garcia said:

    To begin with, I'd like to say I'm not an smoker so it could seem I'm in favour of banning smoking in public places, to be honest, I don't mind. Nevertheless I would like to add that thousands of euros has been invested in small bars and restaurants after the last gouvernment decree some years ago which they were forced to fit out their places in order to separe smokers from the rest. My view is that now nobody is going to pay back this investment and small bars where don´t have an open area may be forced to close and, of course, they will lose much more money. From my personal point of view, I can asure this will not happen, the spanish hotel industry will do their best to avoid this decree or at least, to extend it.

    DAVID A1I17L

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  3. Hello,

    I am Juan José Encinar Agudelo and these are my comments:

    Do you think the plan to ban smoking in public places in Spain is a good idea?

    I think that, even though that tobacco is not healthy, as it causes many lung diseases such as cancer, the point is that everybody should be free to smoke in the street or in a park, or even in a restaurant if the owner of the restaurant allows him or her to smoke. In my opinion, people must know that smoking tobacco is not healthy, but they should have the possibility to smoke in public places if they want to.

    Small bars and restaurants that don't have a terrace may be forced to close and will lose their lifetime business. Do you think this will happen?

    The fact is, as one of my friends, who works in a restaurant says, that many people will prefer to buy something to eat or have dinner at home during weekends or after work because at home they will smoke. This is the view of many customers who actually spend many time smoking and having a drink at his restaurant.

    My view is that the first months after smoking is banned will be hard for restaurants, as they will lose many customers, but maybe people will get used to this new situation and will come back. Another point is the fact that now we are facing a very hard crisis, so many restaurants which now have difficulties won't survive with the new law.

    Shouldn't people have the freedom to smoke if they want to?

    In my opinion there are places where I see a matter of logic to ban smoking, like hospitals or malls. If the point is to ban smoking in restaurants, I strongly disagree:

    I think that the owners of the restaurants are the ones who must decide if they want to ban smoking in their business or not, and customers must decide if they want to get into a place where smoking is allowed or not.

    I am an ex-smoker and sometimes it irritates me when somebody smokes near me, but it's my decision to have friends who smoke and to go with them to bars or restaurants. The fact is that they must respect me, but I also must respect them and all together have to find the balance.


    See you on Monday,

    Juanjo

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  4. I'm Leticia Martín Montero - A1I17L - and I send you my comment about banning smoking from public places.

    In my opinion, the idea to ban smoking in public places it's not going to be as good as we can expect. I can assure you the most you ban to do something, the most people want to do it - especially young people! So my view is that if government ban smoking in public places, people will keep on smoking wherever they can and perhaps the tobacco use will be increased!
    Despite the fact that I'm not a smoker the point is, we live in a free country so people should have the freedom to smoke if they want in the same way they are allowed to take alcohol! I think the problem with the tobacco is similiar to the alcohol one: they are both soft drugs harmful to our health and alcohol is not forbidden in public places!

    In the other hand, I don't think small bars and restaurants will be forced to close beacuse if people want to go for lunch or dinner with friends, I hope the fact smoking is not allowed in the restaurant doesn't take them not to meet their friends! However, we can't forget that these kind of business will lose some of their customers because sometimes they will prefer to go to a restaurant with a terrace where they will be allow to smoke!

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  5. I'm José Antonio Huete Nieva and my opinion, about banning smoking in public places in Spain, is that it's a good idea not only for smokers, who will avoid serious deseases in the future, but for business owners and the rest of the people too. The fact is that acording to the surveys it's reducing the number of smokers every year, so more people will go to bars and restaurants where it's not allowed to smoke and owners won't lose their lifetime business. Despite the fact that I'm not a smoker the point is, people have the freedom to smoke but I have the right to stay in public places without taking smoke from others. Their freedom ends when my right begins. The fact is, many bar owners have fitted out their business to able a space for smokers though, actually in some cases, the two different spaces are not separated. In addition, if you went out with smokers you would always have to stay in smoking area as you were not going to separate into two groups so finally I would take smoke anyway.

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  6. Hello,

    I´m Javier Rodríguez.I think to ban smoking in public places is something necessary.For years so many people like kids, older people, sicks of asthma have suffer the tyranny of a part of the population. People who didn´t take care even of their own health.

    In my opinion, bars and restaurant aren´t going to lose customers. The fact is that in other countries the owners of this commerces have seen how their benefits have risen. And the point is that everybody could smoke whenever they want without disturb nobody who doesnt want to taste a cloud of smoke around his face

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