READING AND WRITING - Let's think about it Read and do After reading Writing

READING AND WRITING

In this part you will :
    • skim
    • scan
    • analyze and synthesize
and you will:
    • write a letter of complaint

    ¾ Let’s think about it
    ¾ Read and do
    ¾ After reading
    ¾ Writing

Let’s think about it

   •     Answer the following questions;
         1. Which of the advertising media in the list below is the most
            influential in Algeria ?

Billboards‐ TV – the radio – magazines – the Internet ‐ newspapers
         2. To which item in the box below do you think businesses in
            our country appeal most to sell their goods and services ?

    environment – safety – price – tradition ‐ modernity
         3. Do you respond more positively to advertisements that
            appeal to your culture , to modernity – to price or to safety?
            Why?
         4. Do you think that advertisements always keep their
            promises?
         5. Have you ever been influenced by an advert and then been
            disappointed when you bought the product? Give examples.

       Read and do
   •     Read the text on the next page. Then do the activities that
         follow.

WINDERMERE WILDSIDE ADVENTURE HOLIDAYS

  Isn’t it time to take refreshing holidays with us at

A fortnight’s holiday with us will be an experience you’ll never forget. Every day
you’ll be able to choose from
a wide range of thrilling activities.             We certainly won’t !

       Only 2 activities offered each day

   •     Canoeing
   •     Rock‐climbing
   •     Wind surfing           on 8 days, neither wind surfing nor
   •     Sailing                sailing was offered
   •     Hiking

And to introduce you to the joys of group‐work, there will be:
   • One three‐day camping expedition - 3 days in the rain
   • Two problem‐solving activities – being shouted at by the rest of
       the group
‘But this is my holiday! Aren’t I allowed to relax? ’
Whenever you like, you can choose to take a day off and enjoy some of
the remarkable facilities at the residential centre, Wildside Hall:

                      Only facilities : table tennis, a pack of cards
   ‘Full’ Instead they put us in a youth hostel 7 miles away.
    • swimming pool
    • sauna
    • games room ( billiards, darts, table tennis)
    • video
    • library

‘ Won’t it be just like the army: dormitories and
canteen food ? ’       Yes,it was !
                       4 people in a room
Accommodation consists of comfortable double rooms, and our talented
kitchen staff prepare memorable and delicious meals using the very best
of the local produce.
                                                      Ugh!
 Perhaps true of Wildside Hall , but not of the hostel the hostel

 All this for only£380 inclusive per person for 13 days
Windermere Widside Adventure
Wildside Hall, Ambleside, Cumbria.

1. Circle the letter corresponding to the right answer.
      The text is:
      a. a letter of complaint
      b. an advertisement leaflet with handwritten notes
      c. a postcard
2. Which of the following statements are true or false ? Write true or
   false next to statements “a” and “b”.
      ‐ The person who wrote the notes:
        a. has been on the adventure holiday advertised. ….
        b. has enjoyed the adventure holiday. ……..
      ‐The notes are comments on:
        a. what accommodation, facilities, leisure activities and food
      were really like. ……..
        b. the prices which were not fair. ……..
3. Read the annotated advertisement carefully and complete the
   table below with the appropriate information.

Promises made in the          What it was really like
                  advertisement
 Accommodatio     Place: Wildside Hall          Place:Youth Hostel
 n                Type of                       Type of accommodation:
                  acommodation:…….              4 people in a room
                  ……………………
 Leisure          Number: 8                     Number : ……………
 activities       Activities offered:           Activities offered:
                  canoeing, rock‐climbing,      ……………………
                  wind‐surfing , sailing and    ……………………………………………
                  hiking.                       …….
 Facilities at    ‐ swimming pool               ‐ table tennis
 the              ‐…………………….                    ‐…………………….
 residential      ‐……………………
 centre           ‐……………………
                  ‐library
 Food             ‐ delicious meals using the   ‐ meals served were tasteless
                  very best of the local
                  produce

   4.The handwritten notes contain a number of exclamations. Thick
what you think each one
     expresses.
      a. “We certainly won’t ! ” expresses:
            surprise             joy         anger

        b. Ugh ! means that the meals served were:
             delicious        disgusting/unpleasant
             tasteless

After reading
 Read the annotated advertisement again, then complete the letter of
complaint below.

Dear Sir or Madam,
     I am writing to ……………………………. Adventure holiday I
have just had with your organization from the 12th to the 25th of
this month.
     My holiday with your company did not correspond to what I
……………………. .
 Firstly, the advert states that ………………………………………. But
in fact we were sent to …………………………. . We never …………..
because ……………………………. .
Secondly, the advert promises …………………………………….. of
activities. Unfortunately, …………………………………………
Thirdly, it says that accommodation …………………………….. and
that………………………..
are prepared …………………………………………… Actually
………………………………………….. .
    In general, our holiday ……………………………….. . As a result
of all these non-kept promises, I feel that a refund of at least
£190 would be appropriate. If you consider this refund
unjustifiable, I shall be obliged to refer the matter to the British
Tourist Board.

Yours faithfully,
     Joan and Peter Smith

Writing

   •     Write a holiday advert for your local travel agency.
       1. Use the advert on page 22 as a model. In order to
          sell your holiday include the following:

             •   a catchy slogan
             •   emphasis on low cost
             •   a promise of enjoyment
             •   accommodation
             •   traditional dishes
             •   reference to the local culture

       2. Review your draft paying attention to punctuation,
spelling mistakes, subject‐verb agreement, tenses and sentence
construction. Then write your final version.