Students Book

For your portfolio
Write
a Read the letter to a
newspaper (A) and the notes
made on it. Answer these
questions.
1 Were the notes written by
the same person who wrote
the letter?
2 What does the person who
wrote the notes think of the
letter?
3 What does the person who
wrote the notes think of
flash mobbing?
b Read the letter written to
the editor by the person who
made the notes (B). Which of
the notes made above has the
writer forgotten to consider
in their letter?
c Read the letter to the editor
below (C). Underline the
main points in the letter.
Decide whether you agree or
disagree with each of these
points. Make notes about
your own views.
d Write to the editor, saying what
you think about the letter.
1 This claim itself
is ridiculous –
no reason given!
A
Dear Sir,
2 What an
intolerant
view!
6 Yes, it is!
3 Don’t people
have the right
to decide for
themselves?
The claim that ash mobs are a form of art is clearly ridiculous.
Indeed, we should stop for a minute and ask ourselves if these
pathetic exhibitions should be banned altogether. Do people
have nothing better to do but waste their time turning up in
dozens at a sofa shop and asking in song for the price of the
same armchair, as customers and shop assistants in one shop
in the West End recently witnessed? Maybe I’m being oldfashioned
but I think that ash mobbing is not only a waste
of time, it is also potentially dangerous.What if someone gets
scared by a ash mob one day, overreacts, and then the whole
thing turns into a mini-riot? Surely no one will claim then that
that is art.
5 In fact this letter is
potentially dangerous
since it might lead people
to believe flash mobs are
something to be afraid of
and react against!
B
Dear Sir,
4 Yes, you
are!
I am writing with regard to the letter in your newspaper
concerning the fl ash mobs. I am concerned about the
biased tone of the letter, and I would like to express my
disagreement with it.
C
Dear Sir,
The tendency of young people today to fall for
whatever the commercial world wants to sell them is,
in my opinion, very worrying. Whether it is mobile
phones, MP4 players, the latest fashion or, dare I
say it, the internet itself – aren’t all these things just
crazes that cost money and do no good to young
people today? When we were young, things used
to be different. We had time for each other, we
would take the time to go for walks and enjoy the
countryside, and we would spend hours reading good
books. Where is the world going if the only things
young people are interested in are fads and electronic
communication?
All I can say is that I’m deeply concerned, and I
hope that parents and teachers soon become more
aware of all the dangers of the modern world, and
influence children to turn more towards the things
that really matter!
To begin with, the writer, without giving any reasons
whatsoever, dismisses the idea that fl ash mobbing could
be art. This in itself is a ridiculous view which I cannot
share at all. Flash mobbing is a perfect example of
playfulness and creativity, and I am grateful that there
are people who put time into coming up with such
provocative and ‘useless’ activities.
The writer also argues that fl ash mobs are a waste of
time. Although nobody should have to take part in fl ash
mobs unless they want to, we must accept that people
have the right to decide for themselves how to use their
time. The writer’s position is not only extremely
old-fashioned, it is also potentially dangerous. Whereas I
see no potential danger in people coming together for a
few minutes in public places to have fun and make others
think, I see a lot of danger in leading people to believe
that fl ash mobs are something we need to be afraid of.
I can only say – beware of such unfair and
narrow-minded views!
38
UNIT 4