Lesson 41 Illusions of pastoral peaceKey to CompositionSpecial Note: Pram this point in the course, while the Students' Book suggests a choice of two compositions, only one is chosen as a model.A possible answerPlan and ideas for compositionTitle: Give the countryIntroduction: Never understood city-lovers — city a place to visit, to go shopping, to see special exhibitions, etc. — not live inDevelopment: Advantages — living in country — quiet — more healthy — less traffic — fresh air — fresh food from farms or village shops — people polite and friendly. . .Disadvantages —living in city —noisy —dirty —stressful —people always in rush —rude, unfriendlyConclusion: Always a mystery why some country people say — like to live in city CompositionI have never understood city-lovers. For me a city is a place to visit for a few hours, to go shopping, to see special exhibitions, shows, plays and films. But it's not a place to live in, even though thousands do. Usually they are tied to the city by their jobs or perhaps even by family. There are so many advantages to living in the country. It is quiet and more healthy. There is far less traffic on the roads and the air is so much fresher. Instead of buying everything in packets from a supermarket, in the country we can always buy fresh food from farms or village shops every day — milk, fruit, fresh eggs, vegetables and meat. And we don't have to look at "Use by. . . " labels to see when we must use something by: we know that everything is fresh. And the people in the country are always so polite and friendly too — as long as you obey the unwritten rules of the countryside, that is.On the other hand, there are so many disadvantages to living in a town or city. The first thing most country people notice is the noise and dirt. It must be the traffic, but many country people find it difficult to breathe in the city. And it is stressful, too: people always seem to be in a rush, and they are so often rude and unfriendly.There are so many advantages to living in the country that it is a mystery to me why some country people say they would like to live the city. In fact, I just cannot understand how anyone can even consider living in the city. (282wards)Lesson 42 Modern cavemenKey to CompositionA possible answerPlan and ideas for composition ( a )Title: Caught in a caveIntroduction: Went out for day on beach — walked round headland — found deserted beach —marvellous day swimming, sunbathing, reading — late afternoon began to pack up Development: Took time — began to walk to headland — suddenly realized — tide coming in fast — walked faster — tide reached head-land rocksSaw cave in cliff — hoped to climb — went in — couldn't see way out — started back — tide coming in cave — found a "chimney" — climbed up — managed to reach the top of cliff Conclusion: Never so frightened in life — never do it againCompositionOne day last summer Rob, a friend of mine, decided to go out for a day on his own. He took a day off work and went to the beach. He walked round the headland a mile from the town and found a deserted beach. He couldn't believe it: there was no one else there. He spent a marvellous relaxing day there swimming, sunbathing and reading, and for the whole day he was the only one on the beach. Then late in the afternoon, he decided to pack up and go home.He took his time drying himself, changing and packing his things into the shoulder bag he had brought with him, and then began to walk towards the headland. As he was walking along the beach, he suddenly realized that the tide was coming in: it was coming in very fast, and he began to get a little worried. He walked faster, but soon the tide had reached the headland and there was no way that he could walk around.He looked round and saw a cave in the cliff. As he hoped to climb up inside it, he went in. Unfortunately, he just couldn't see a way out, so he started back. It was too late: the tide was coming in the cave and as he looked down from the point he had reached, the sea that was already covering the floor of the cave and beginning to rise up the chimney in the cave. He turned round and started climbing again —and eventually found a smaller chimney that he managed to climb up to reach the top of the cliff.He had never been so frightened in his life. He promised himself that he would never do it again. (292wards)Lesson 43 Fully insuredKey to CompositionA possible answerPlan and ideas for composition (a)Title: The sinking pie dishIntroduction: Dish —- anchored to side of canal after launch — eighteen feet long, six feet wide — sides about three feet highDevelopment: Number of teenagers — canal path — dish looked fascinating rs- great for party —climbed into dish — first thing —; slip-ping and sliding everywhere — all fell down in the bottom of the dishDancing to large portable radio — dish began to move — down one side — then down one end — teenagers moved to other end —started dipping — all slid into a pile - rim of dish reached level of water — water started to come in —teenagers couldn't climb back up to other end —water started pouring in Capsized — sank in seven feet of water — all teenagers safe Conclusion: Teenagers — not much damage, but — not held party on dish — wouldn't have sunk — insurance company wouldn't have had to pay to salvage itCompositionIt was the biggest pie dish in the world and, floating on the canal, looked very inviting. It had been anchored to the side of the canal after it had been launched and was as big as many of the boats on the canal. It was about eighteen feet long and about six feet wide, and the sides were about three feet high.When a number of teenage girls and boys came along the canal path early in the evening, they thought the dish looked fascinating. There were about ten of them and they all jumped or climbed into the dish one by one. The first thing that happened was that they started slipping and sliding everywhere and all fell down in the bottom of the dish because it was so smooth. They all laughed a lot.Then one of them turned on the large portable radio that he had brought with him and some of them started dancing. (At least there was no one near the canal to complain about the noise. ) Suddenly the dish began to move in the water. It went down one side, and then down one end, and the teenagers moved to the other end. Then it started dipping that end and they all slid into a pile. At that point the rim of the dish reached the level of the water. Once that happened, the teenagers couldn't climb back up to the other end, and the water started pouring in. It capsized in minutes and sank in seven feet of water. Fortunately they all managed to swim to the bank and were safe.The teenagers may not have done much damage, but if they hadn't held their party on the dish, it wouldn't have sunk and the insur-ance company wouldn't have had to pay to salvage it from the canal. . (306wards)Lesson 44 Speed and comfortKey to CompositionA possible answerPlan and ideas for composition(b)Title: The disadvantages of travelling by airIntroduction: All forms of travel — advantages and disavantages — flying has many advantages (e.g. speed) — but many disadvantagesDevelopment: Booking — different airlines, different prices — then the real time — e. g. for a 2-hour flight — time to get to airport, checking in, etc. — at other end, customs, passport control, waiting for luggage, etc.On flight itself — squashed in — sitting next to strangers — airline food — two small toilets for hundreds of people — noise of engines and air-conditioning system.For some people — constant sense of danger — will we arrive safely? — will any of the engines fail?. . .Conclusion: So many disadvantages — rather by road or sea — but millions will go on flying Composition?All forms of travel have advantages and disadvantages. Flying has many advantages that regular international travellers will tell you about, but it has many disadvantages.When you travel by train, you turn up at the railway station, buy a ticket to your destination, go onto the platform and get on the train when it arrives. With travelling by air, booking itself is a major problem. Immediately you are faced with choices because different airlines offer the same flights for different prices. Personally I never know which to choose.And then there's the real time. When they tell you that it is a two-hour flight, add at least five hours to that. Remember first of all that you have to get to the airport (by car, bus, coach or train). Then you have to check in —usually at least an hour before take-off —go through customsand-passport control, and then wait in the departure lounge (bored out of your mind!) until your flight is called. Boarding takes at least half an hour, and then you sit in the aircraft waiting to take off. At the other end, after your flight, again you are sub-jected to customs and passport control before waiting for your luggage before you catch your transport from the airport to your real destination.On the flight itself you are squashed in, often sitting next to strangers who might have strange or bad habits, such as an irritating cough. They always give you a meal, but airline food often tastes like plastic and there is rarely any choice. Three are just two small toilets for hundreds of people and there is the constant drone of engines and the' hum of the air-conditioning system.For some travellers, too, there is a constant sense of danger: Will we arrive safely? — Will any of the engines fail? — What if there's a mad hijacker on board? —Flying has many disadvantages but millions will still go on flying. (329wards)Lesson 45 The power of the pressKey to CompositionA possible answerPlan and ideas for compositionTitle: From football pools to fameIntroduction: "Rags to riches"- not quite right for John — but not far wrongDevelopment: His life ordinary —lacked excitement—25 —no sport —no girlfriend —didn't drive — bicycle instead — led ordinary — but happyFriend suggested he do the football pools — way of winning a lot of money — if predictions correspond to real football scores— win lots of money — he won a million — bought a new car, big house — met a girl — married her—started ar-guing -r got a divorce — now alone again — a sad millionaire.Conclusion: Lesson of story: never listen to friend's advice — now sad millionaire — but gives lots to charityCompositionThere is a well-known expression in English to describe rising from poverty to a state of being very rich or wealthy; it's called going "from rags to riches". It doesn't usually mean that a person has been living in rags and then becomes extremely rich. The expression is not quite right to describe what happened to John, but not far wrong.John's life had been very ordinary and certainly lacked excitement. He was 25 years old, but he didn't take part in any sport, he didn't have a girlfriend and he didn't drive a car. Instead he went everywhere on his bicycle. In fact he led a pretty boring life, but he was happy.Then one day a friend suggested he do the football pools. (In England this is a way of winning a lot of money. If your prediction! correspond to real football scores, you can win lots of money. ) John did the football pools and won a million pounds. He went mad with the money. He bought a new car and a big house. And then he met a girl and married her. It was all too quick. Very soon they started arguing and soon they got a divorce. Now John is alone again, and living in his big house as a sad millionaire.The lesson of the story is this: never listen to the advice of a friend. If John had never done the football pools, he would never have become a sad millionaire. On the other hand, he is now ableto give a lot of money to charity — to help people less fortunate than himself. (271wards)。