Unit 4 — “We are a Family” › Reading and writing
Reading and writing : Produce a written message
- التمييز بين الوقائع والآراء في نصّ (facts · opinions)، والتعرّف على أفعال الرأي (believe · think · suppose)
- التمييز بين الأسئلة المرجعيّة وأسئلة الاستنتاج (reference · inference questions)
- الردّ على نصّ: الموافقة أو المعارضة، والإعجاب أو عدمه، والعبرة المستخلصة
- كتابة مقال نقديّ عن فيلم أو كتاب (a review article) في خمس فقرات
- عبارات إبداء الرأي (In my opinion · I think that …)
- الماضي البسيط والمبني للمجهول (it was written by · it is set in)
- الأفعال الناقصة للنصح should · ought to
1. Before reading — our feelings
2. Read
Diana died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997 together with her companion, Dodi Fayed, and their chauffeur. The accident happened as their car was being pursued by paparazzi photographers on motorcycles. Her violent and tragic death shocked the British nation and caused the introduction of tougher privacy laws. Diana's funeral proved to be the biggest British televised event in history. A record 31.5 million people — three quarters of British adults — watched the ceremony. The BBC's coverage of the funeral was broadcast in 185 countries. In 1999 the official investigation into the crash concluded that no one involved should face criminal charges. But the controversy over her death still goes on: a lot of people think that she was assassinated.
3. Facts and opinions
Texts contain statements of fact and statements of opinion. A fact can be checked: « James Thurber is a 20th-century American writer. » An opinion is what someone thinks: « He believes that traditional fairy tales can be adapted to modern times. » Opinions are often introduced by verbs such as believe, think, suppose. Sometimes nothing announces them, and you have to work out whether a statement is a fact or an opinion.
Task 1 — Find three facts and one opinion in the text. Which verb introduces the opinion? Which words show the writer's own judgement?Task 1 — Find three facts and one opinion in the text. Which verb introduces the opinion? Which words show the writer's own judgement?استخرج ثلاث وقائع ورأيا واحدا. ما الفعل الذي يُدخل الرأي؟ وما الكلمات التي تكشف حكم الكاتب؟
- Facts: Diana died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997 · 31.5 million people watched the ceremony · in 1999 the official investigation concluded that no one should face criminal charges.
- An opinion: « a lot of people think that she was assassinated » — the verb think introduces it, and the writer reports it without making it his own.
- The writer's judgement: « her violent and tragic death » — adjectives that evaluate, not facts that can be counted.
A good test: could you check it in a newspaper of the time, or a record? Then it is a fact. If it depends on who is speaking, it is an opinion.
4. Reference questions and inference questions
There are two types of comprehension questions. In reference questions, the answer is explicitly stated in the text. In inference questions, the answer is not directly stated: you must infer it from the facts and the reasoning of the text — often in the light of your own experience of life. You must learn to « read between the lines ».
Task 2 — Which questions are reference questions, and which are inference questions? A. When did Diana die? · B. Why did the accident happen? · C. Why was Diana's funeral the biggest televised event in British history? · D. What does the last sentence suggest about the official investigation?Task 2 — Which questions are reference questions, and which are inference questions? A. When did Diana die? · B. Why did the accident happen? · C. Why was Diana's funeral the biggest televised event in British history? · D. What does the last sentence suggest about the official investigation?أيّ الأسئلة مرجعيّ وأيّها استنتاجيّ؟ علّل.
- A — reference. The answer is in the text: on 31 August 1997.
- B — reference. « The accident happened as their car was being pursued by paparazzi photographers on motorcycles. »
- C — inference. The text gives the figures, not the reason: we infer that she was loved by millions of people.
- D — inference. The text does not say it directly, but « the controversy over her death still goes on »: many people do not accept the conclusion of the investigation.
5. Responding to a text
After reading a text, you must also respond to it. Ask yourself some questions: How are the opinions expressed in the text? Do I agree or disagree with them? Why? Do I like this text or not? Why? What lessons for life, if any, does it contain?
Q: What is pride? A: Pride does not consist in showing off, boasting and swaggering at the slightest occasion. For me, pride is basically a sense of dignity and self-respect.
Task 3 — Respond to this answer. Is it a fact or an opinion? How is it expressed? Do you agree with it?Task 3 — Respond to this answer. Is it a fact or an opinion? How is it expressed? Do you agree with it?ردّ على هذا الجواب : أواقعة هو أم رأي؟ كيف عُبّر عنه؟ وهل توافقه؟
It is an opinion: « For me, pride is basically a sense of dignity and self-respect. » The writer first says what pride is not, then gives his own definition. A possible response: I quite agree. Showing off is only vanity; real pride is respecting yourself — and others. That is a lesson for life.
6. Write — a review article of a film or a book
A review is a written message that mixes the two things you have learnt to separate: facts about the film or the book, and your opinion of it. Choose a film or a book — ideally a recent comedy, tragedy or love story — and write five paragraphs.
| Paragraph | What it says | Useful sentences |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Introduction | the theme and the storyline | The book is about … · The film is about … |
| 2. Development | the characters, the setting, the action | It was written by … · It was directed by … · It is set in … · The main characters are … |
| 3. Your viewpoint | what you think of it, and why | The story is excellent … · The acting is not very good … |
| 4. Likes and dislikes | what you liked and didn't like | The thing I liked best about it was … · The thing I didn't like much was … |
| 5. Conclusion | a recommendation | You should … · You shouldn't … · You ought to … |
Write a review article of a film or a book of your choice for your classmates, following the five paragraphs of the plan. Separate clearly the facts (paragraphs 1 and 2) from your opinion (paragraphs 3 to 5), and justify every opinion.
A model reviewA model reviewمقال نقديّ نموذجيّ.
The Old Man and the Sea — a review The book is about an old fisherman's fight against a giant fish — and against his own weakness. It was written by Ernest Hemingway and published in 1952. It is set in a small fishing village in Cuba. The main character is Santiago, an old fisherman who has caught nothing for eighty-four days. At last, far out at sea, he hooks a giant marlin and fights it for days; but on the way back, sharks attack his catch. In my opinion, the story is excellent: it is simple, but every page is full of courage and hope. The thing I liked best about it was the old man's dignity: he loses his fish, but not his pride. The thing I didn't like much was the slow beginning. You should read it: it is short, and it teaches that « a man can be destroyed but not defeated ».
Check the model with the plan: the theme first; then the facts — author, date, setting, characters, action; then the opinion (in my opinion …), the likes and dislikes, and a recommendation with should.
الصفحة 1/5
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