Episode 111 B

EPISODE 111
LEVEL B2

 

READING COMPREHENSION 

 

BLOGS                                                                                           

Why do people write blogs?

Ann – like many of my school friends, I used to spend hours every day writing a diary. But while they kept them hidden under their beds, I needed an audience, interaction and feedback ( information or statements of opinion about something, such as a new product, that can tell you if it is successful or liked) . So, I invented a few personalities, the details of which were far more interesting than mine and I posted (to leave an electronic message on a website) it all.

Dave – a year ago I was a professional minding my own business (to take care of someone or something). I created my own visual for my blog and before I knew it –doing weird stuff like trackbacks (sth to make certain that you know what is happening or has happened to someone or something). I had no idea what a trackback was, but I went from 40 hits (a request to use a web page on the internet that is then counted to calculate the number of people looking at the page) a day to close to a hundred overnight. 

Carol – I’m a lecturer and it’s refreshing (pleasantly different and interesting) to be able to step outside my academic interests and into a different world. One of the first lessons I learn is that the blogosphere ( all the blogs on the internet, and the people who write or read them) is a genuine community. After asking a question in a blog comment about what qualities are needed in a good blog, I soon got spot-on (exactly right) advice from a blogger I didn’t even know. Then I had an invitation to a local face-to-face blogger meet-up ( a meeting with sb), which was an amazing experience.

Debbie – I started my blog for a very practical reason. It was clear to me that blogs were going to become a useful tool in my future job as a journalist and I figured (to expect or think that something will happen) blogging as the quickest way get up to speed.

 

EXERCISE 1 

Answer the questions:

1. Who started the blog as a way of improving career prospects?- debbie
2. Who used personal diaries to turn them into a blog? -Ann
3. Who met another blogger? -Carol
4. For whom it was a discovery that a blogosphere is a real community? – Carol

 

ENGLISH IN USE  

Remember that in order to sound polite, you should use more indirect questions. When you build an indirect question, use a structure of a sentence.

 

EXERCISE 2 

1. Do you know ___________________________________?

(Where is she?)

2. I wonder _____________________________________.

(Where did he work in 1997?)

3. Could you tell me _______________________________?

(Has she been to Great Britain?) 

4. I’d like to know ________________________________.

(Can you help me?) 

5. Do you know ___________________________________?

(Where is the concert?) 

6. I’d like to know _________________________________.

(How much does it cost?)  

7. Can you tell us __________________________________?

(Where does he live?)

8. Do you think you could tell me _______________________?

(What is the best time to call her?)

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

BE AT ODDS WITH  STH = be in conflict

ON A NEED TO KNOW BASIS = so that sb is told only what they need to know and only when they need to know it 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

MULL STH OVER = spend time thinking carefully about a plan or proposal

GIVE SB AWAY = make known sth so that sb wants to keep secret

 

EXERCISE 3 

Fill each gap with the missing preposition.

1. Make sure your body language isn’t at odds ………….………..what you are saying.
2. I think he is mulling the ideas …………………..too much.
3. I hope you will not give…………… …………my secret.
4. I want all information on a need ………….………… know basis.

 

NEWS

BLOGGING

“Blogging is becoming more and more popular every day. Should you join the blogosphere? Take a look at this list to help you make your decision about blogging.

1. To Express Your Thoughts and Opinions –You have something to say, and blogs provide a place to say it and be heard.
2. To Market or Promote Something- Blogging is a great way to help market or promote yourself or your business, product or service.
3. To Help People- Many blogs are written to help people who may be going through similar situations that the blogger has experienced. Many parenting and health-related blogs are written for this purpose.
4. To Establish Yourself as an Expert- Blogs are wonderful tools to help bloggers establish themselves as experts in a field or topic. For example, if you’re trying to get a job in a specific field or hoping to publish a book on a specific topic, blogging can help legitimize your expertise and expand your online presence and platform.
5. To Connect with People Like You- Blogging brings like-minded people together. Starting a blog can help you find those people and share your opinions and thoughts.
6. To Make a Difference- Many blogs are issue-based meaning the blogger is trying to provide information to sway people’s thinking in a certain direction. Many political blogs and social issues blogs are written by bloggers who are trying to make a difference in their own ways.
7. To Stay Active or Knowledgeable in a Field or Topic- Since successful blogging is partially dependent on posting frequency and providing updated, fresh information, it’s a perfect way to help a blogger stay abreast of the events in a specific field or topic.
8. To Stay Connected with Friends and Family- The world has shrunk since the Internet has become more accessible. Blogs provide a simple way for family and friends to stay connected from different parts of the world by sharing stories, photos, videos and more.

 

GLOSSARY 

– to legitimize = to make something legal or acceptable
– establish sb as sb = to be in a successful position over a long period of time
– like-minded = having similar opinions or thinking
– sway people’s thinking  = to persuade someone to believe or do one thing rather than another
– stay abreast of = to make sure you know all the most recent facts about a subject or situation

 

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