Reading & Writing

STUDENT WORKSHEET
READING: THE THREE RS
The Three Rs of the Environment

People everywhere in the world produce a lot of rubbish but there is

not enough space and landfills are filling up quickly. If we want to
save our planet, then the so-called three Rs are essential for
learning how to deal with the waste we produce. The three Rs are
reduce, reuse, and recycle. Here are a number of tips on what you
can do to save the environment.

Reduce

A good place to start is by buying things that don‟t have a lot of

packaging. Then there are items you may not use very often, so
you might as well borrow them from someone instead of buying
them. Nowadays, newspapers can be read online so buying the
paper edition is not necessary. The same goes for emails and hence
it is usually not necessary to print them out. Generally, the use of
electricity can be greatly reduced by, for example, turning off lights
that are not used.

Reuse

When you go shopping, refuse plastic bags and bring a bag with you
instead. If you‟re not buying a lot, a bag is not necessary to begin
with. Reusable bags should be heavier and more durable. If you
prepare your lunch at home, put it in a plastic lunch box. I always
keep shoe boxes as they are great to store stuff. Many cities have
collection points for used clothes. If you have clothes that are still in
good shape, you can bring them to the collection points rather than
throwing them away.

Recycle

Recycling is a process that makes it possible to create new products

out of old ones. Paper, aluminum, glass and plastic can often be
recycled.

Glass has been used for thousands of years and is relatively easy to
recycle. Aluminium can be recycled quickly and easily. Paper is
recyclable but it cannot be recycled forever. The small fibres in
paper eventually become very weak so that they can‟t be recycled
into good paper anymore. Also, not every type of paper is recyclable
as some high-quality paper is too expensive to recycle.

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 Reading & Writing

A. Read the text quickly. What are the three Rs of the

environment?
B. Read the text again. Are the statements True, False or
Not Given?

Statements True, False or Not Given?

1. The author suggests lending
certain items rather than buying
them.

2. According to the author, shoe

boxes can be very useful to store
things.

3. Used clothes can be donated.

4. It‟s not possible to recycle

aluminum over and over again.

5. Empty plastic bottles are

relatively easy to recycle.

C. Complete the sentences with information from the text.

1. ……………………………………. are almost to full capacity.

2. If possible, try to buy items with little or no
……………………………………………………….
3. Bring your own bag but make sure it is ……………… and
………………….
4. It‟s a waste of paper if you print your ………………………
5. Many cities have …………………………….. where people can
take used garments that are then redistributed to people in
need.
6. There is a limit to how many times paper can be recycled
because it is made of ………………………………

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 Reading & Writing

Answer key:

A. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

B. 1. True 2. True 3. True 4. False 5. Not Given
C. 1. Landfills 2. packaging 3. heavy, durable 4. emails 5.
collection points [Link]

Original source: [Link]

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 Reading & Writing

READING: BULLYING

Student Worksheet

D. Read the four texts and decide which text each question
refers to – A, B, C or D.

Which text

1. shows how negative traits can become positive?

Text:
2. mentions further steps to end the problem discussed?
Text:
3. refers to a more modern variant of the problem mentioned?
Text:
4. gives reasons and consequences of bullying?
Text:
5. gives advice on how to deal with aggression?
Text:

E. Read the text again. Tick () the five statements from 1-8
below that are true according to the information given in
the four texts.

Statements ?
1. Cyberbullying is a modern form of bullying.
2. A number of celebrities are hardened by their negative
experience.
3. Bullying can have a negative influence on someone‟s
performance at school.
4. Christian Bale used to react violently to being bullied.
5. After having lost weight, Tyra Banks became successful.
6. Some comedic actors think they learned how to be funny
thanks to the problems they had with bullies.
7. Selena Gomez was bullied when she was a kid.
8. Lady Gaga set up a charity with her colleague Brittany
Snow to end bullying.

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 Reading & Writing

F. Complete the summary notes below with suitable words

or phrases from the texts.

Bullying: Summary Notes

 Celebrities are often the victim of cyberbullying which means

constant (1) ………………………… through social media

 Some deal well with this perhaps because of being bullied as

a child

 Bullying can have an impact on schoolwork and (2)

…………………………, often psychological problems in later life

 T. Banks and M. Phelps were bullied because of their

appearance but ironically later thanked their
(3)…………………………. to it

 Ch. Bale and Ch. Rock didn‟t use (4) ………………………… in

response to their bullies

 S. Gomez and Rihanna became stronger because of the

experience

 Lady Gaga wants to give hope to her fans and B. Snow

started a (5) ………………………… to end bullying

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 Reading & Writing

Reading Text

BULLYING

A. Bullying is of all times, but a more recent phenomenon is

cyberbullying in which the bully uses email, text messages,
twitter and other social media or online forums to hurt the
victim. It is no surprise that celebrities who are constantly in
the public eye are cyberbullied relentlessly. Celebrities are
critized literally for every move they make. A lot of the
comments are about looks. Celebrities need to have a thick skin
to deal with this constant stream of criticism. Some seem to do
fine though. This may have to do with past experiences as
surprisingly many celebrities have been the victim of bullying
when they were young. Bullying is a serious problem to such an
extent that many children and teenagers are afraid to go to
school. The main reasons for becoming a victim of bullying are
appearance and social status. Bullies attack their victims
physically and psychologically. Bullying can have terrible effects
on its victims. Schoolwork may suffer, but also health. Research
suggests that victims may suffer from mental health problems
later in life such as depression, low self-esteem and anxiety.
This doesn‟t have to be the case though. Many famous people
have been bullied as a child and despite this experience have
become very successful.

B. We cited appearance as a major reason for being bullied.

Ironically, the exact reason for being bullied has made some
celebrities successful. Supermodel Tyra Banks for example was
made fun of for being so thin. This exact thin physique helped
her to have a very successful career as a model. Athlete Michael
Phelps was bullied in school for his long arms. Later he won
several medals at the Olympic Games and those long arms will
certainly not have been at his disadvantage.

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 Reading & Writing

C. Batman actor Christian Bale used to be beaten up a lot when he

was a kid. He feels that it has made him stronger. It was for him
a lesson for life. Christian didn’t hit back. Violence often
makes things worse as you don‟t know what the bully‟s response
will be. Using violence could in the end have brought him more
trouble. Holding the anger cannot be easy but perhaps humor
can be thrown in to fend the bully off. Comic actor Chris Rock for
example claims he developed his quick wit as a response to
being bullied.

D. Actor and singer Selena Gomez was bullied all the way
through elementary and middle school. She said that it was her
energy and focus that made her a target. Ultimately, the
experience has made her a stronger person. A similar story we
hear from colleague singer Rihanna. She also got bullied in
school but now she is even grateful as the teasing has made her
tough. Extravagant pop star Lady Gaga went even further as she
actively uses her experience of being bullied to reach out to her
fans and this way tries to give them hope. Singer and actor
Brittany Snow also used her negative experience for something
positive by setting up a non-profit organization that seeks to put
an end to bullying.

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 Reading & Writing

Teacher’s Notes

Answer key:

D. 1. B 2. D 3. A 4. A 5. B
E. True statements: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7
F. 1. criticism 2. health 3. success 4. violence 5. non-profit
organization

Original sources:

[Link]
who-survived-bullying_b_3367046.html

[Link]
ml

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 Reading & Writing

Happiness Report
Student worksheet

Aim: To practice Part 2B of the ISEII reading and writing

exam.

Reading Texts
Read the following texts about happiness and then perform
the writing task below.

Text A
How Happy Are You?
Take this Happiness Questionnaire to discover how happy you are.
Instructions:
Read the sentences about happiness then rate how much you agree
or disagree with each one by ticking the appropriate box. When you
have finished, add up your total points and read what your score
means.

Strongly Slightly Neither Slightly Strongly

disagree disagree agree nor agree agree
(1 (2 disagree (4 points) (5
point) points) (3 points) points)

I think that the world is a

good place
I feel that life is very
rewarding
I am very optimistic about
the future
I have warm feelings towards
almost everyone
I have a sense of purpose in
my life
I am satisfied about
everything in my life
I have happy memories of
the past
I feel pleased with the way I
am
I am always committed and
involved
I feel that I am in control of
my life

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 Reading & Writing

What your score means:

35 - 50 Your happiness levels are above average. You are

satisfied with most aspects of your life.

20 – 34 Your happiness levels are average. There are some

aspects of your life that could be improved, but
generally you are happy.

0 - 19 Your happiness levels are below average. This does not

necessarily mean you are unhappy, but there could be
an imbalance in your life and particular areas may need
attention.

Text B

Results of the happiness survey at Burlesbrook University

Participants = 10 male and 10 female 3rd year Sociology

undergraduate students

Results of happiness survey

12

10

0
35-50 20-34 0-19

Male Female

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 Reading & Writing

Text C

Are men or women happier?

Rachel Definitely men. Women worry too much – about the way
(female) they look, what other people think of them, getting old.
Men don‟t bother about stuff like that.
Amy @Rachel – I agree. I often think I‟d be happier if I was a
(female) man!
Carlo I think men are happier. My girlfriend is always upset
(male) about something, and my mum and my sister aren‟t
much better.
Kaya I think women are happier. We are more focused and
(female) ambitious. We also make better use of our time.
Jon @Kaya – I‟d have to disagree with you. I think women
(male) are less happy precisely because they take on too much
and they don‟t know how to relax!
Divia I‟m not sure that‟s something men normally think about…
(male)

Text D

Are men or women happier?

According to a recent study, men are happier than woman. The

study compared the amount of time each sex spent relaxing with
the amount of time they spent worrying. The results showed that
women spend 2 hours per week more than men worrying, and men
spend 3 hours per week more relaxing.

However, a similar study carried out in the same month revealed

that women are happier. Women rated their happiness as an
average of 7 out of 10 compared to just 6.5 out of 10 for men. One
in five said that they were a 10 out of 10 in terms of happiness,
compared to one in eight of men.

The question that arises is whether more studies are needed, or

whether it is impossible for research to prove that one sex is
happier than the other.

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 Reading & Writing

Writing Task

Use the information from the 4 texts you have read to write a short
report (150-180 words) entitled:

A comparison of men and women’s happiness levels

Plan your report before you start writing. Think about what to
include and make some notes in this box:

Planning notes:

Now write your report of 150-180 words. Try to you your own
words as far as possible.

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 Reading & Writing

Writing an essay on the advantages and

disadvantages of using mobile phones
Student worksheet

You are going to do an activity which will help you prepare for ISE II
Writing 3. For this part of the exam you have to write an essay.
The topic of the essay is: MOBILE PHONES.

A. Introduction to the topic

a) What is the first word you think of when you see this word?
b) Tell your partner quietly what the word is. Tell your teacher
what your partner‟s word is.
c) Working with your group, think of some advantages (good
things), or disadvantages (bad things), about mobile phones.
Write down your best ideas. You should spend 10 minutes on
this activity. Think of 5 or more ideas.

Ideas

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

B. An essay question
Look at the essay question below:

Write an essay (150 – 180 words) for the school magazine

about the advantages and disadvantages of using mobile
phones. Give your opinion about whether there are more
advantages than disadvantages.

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 Reading & Writing

Answers to worksheet

E.

Advantages: A good point, a positive aspect, an argument in favour

of.

Disadvantages: A negative effect, the downside, a drawback, an

objection to, a negative aspect, a criticism of.

Model answer to essay question

There are a number of advantages to using mobile phones, in this

essay I will discuss both the advantages and the disadvantages and
give my opinion.

An argument in favour of using mobile phones is that you can

contact anyone at any time. A common example of this is when you
are going to be late and you can tell people about it so they are not
kept waiting. Another positive aspect is that we are all better
informed as we can check the internet whenever.

On the other hand, there are various drawbacks of using mobile

phones. One is that people can no longer have so much privacy, so,
they may be busy with something important but their phone rings
and disturbs everybody. A further objection is that people just use
them so much they become addicted, this is a problem.

In conclusion, there are both advantages and disadvantages to

using mobile phones. In my opinion the advantages outweigh the
disadvantages and they are absolutely vital for our lives today, we
simply could not live without them.

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