UNIT /02: HEALTH

IN THIS UNIT YOU WILL

LEARN HOW TO
• effectively answer 'advantages and disadvantages' ques�ions
• write topic and supporting sentences, developing
your ideas in each paragraph
• achieve a high score in Coherence
and Cohesion

I LEAD-IN I
� Complete the table with words and phrases from the box. Use a dictionary if necessary.

benefits pros on the downside positives drawbacks issues

negatives cons on the plus side problems on the upside

Advantages (synonyms/ paraphrases) Disadvantages (synonyms I paraphrases)

� Look at the list of ideas. In pairs or groups, brainstorm and make notes on
advantages and disadvantages for each, based on the subject of health.
It's a good idea to start the
Example: Doing contact sports planning of any Task 2
Advantages: excellent form of physical exercise; improves reactions and reflexes; writing by brainstorming
fighting sports teach you to defend yourself, often require strong focus, so good for ideas. Make a list of the
mental health things you can talk about
Disadvantages: easy to get injured; some contact sports actually intend to harm and then prioritise them in
order of importance. Decide
opponents; people con be killed
which to include and which
1 Living in a busy city
not, and then decide what
2 Increased life expectancy in many societies would be a logical sequence
for presenting these ideas.
I MAIN AND SUPPORTING IDEAS I © Good paragraphs in essays usually
begin with a topic sentence
� Use the phrases below to write topic sentences for your ideas from exercise 2. (expressing the main idea of the
1 One problem with ... is ... paragraph) which is then followed
by supporting ideas - explanations,
One problem with increased life expectancy is an ageing population
examples, etc. which 'support' or
that puts a strain on health care services. 'clarify' the idea of the topic
2 The main advantage of ... is ... sentence. Topic sentences should
3 The principle issue with ... is .. . introduce and establish the main
idea of each paragraph dearly and
4 One obvious negative effect of ... is ... simply. Avoid trying to write
5 Another disadvantage of ... is ... anything too complex or long. You
6 Overall, the benefits of ... outweigh the drawbacks because ... can go into more detail with your
supporting ideas.

� Read the topic sentence and the possible supporting ideas for it below.
Which two are not effective at developing the topic sentence idea further?
One obvious benefit of participating in a contact sport is the improvement in one's Think carefully about the kind
physical health and well-being. of supporting ideas you want
to follow your main idea and
1 Regularly taking part in a demanding and potentially
what their function s are.
dangerous activity leads to enhanced physical conditioning, as
well as improved speed of thought and reaction time.
2 Any physical exercise, however minimal, is bound to improve
fitness in some way, but studies show that boxing, in particular,
produces the fittest and sharpest athletes of any sport there is.
3 On the other hand, it is arguable that the potential dangers
involved in doing so - and injuries are inevitable, after all -
outweigh any benefits that may be felt or gained.
4 Despite the fact that there have been many accidents, and even
occasional fatalities, the vast majority of people who take part
gain a high level of fitness and rarely, if ever, suffer injury.
5 The healthier you are, the less likely you are to visit a doctor,
and this can only be a good thing as it is often difficult to get an
appointment to see a medical specialist.
6 Not only that, but the sometimes risky nature of sports such as
rugby or ice hockey also demand intense levels of
concentration that positively affect mental awareness.

� Match the four possible supporting ideas you identified in exercise 4

with their function (a-d} in relation to the topic sentence.

a It gives a specific supporting example.

b It uses a cause and effect argument to clarify the idea.
c It supports the topic sentence but shows a contrasting view
that looks at another side of the argument.
d It adds an additional point to strengthen the idea in the
topic sentence.

� Write two supporting sentences for this topic sentence.

Use two different functions.
One significant drawback is the fact that participating in contact
sports can cause injury and, in some extreme cases, death.
I COHERENCE AND COHESION I
� For this Task 2 'advantages and disadvantages' question, discuss with a partner The examiner will pay
in which order you could put the notes so that they form a logical paragraph. @ attention to how well you can
In terms of personal health and fitness, what are the advantages and disadvantages produce an essay that is
of living in a busy city? coherent (easy to follow and to
understand) and cohesive (the
• e.g. 250 gyms in my capital city
essay flows naturally and
• In cities - many gyms logically from one idea to the
• Traditional idea - rural life is healthier; not true next). It is therefore important
• Gyms part of larger chains, people can use any in city that your main and supporting
ideas are connected to form
paragraphs that are easy to
� The discourse markers in this paragraph are missing. Think about the function of the read and convey your ideas or
supporting ideas and then choose the discourse markers from the box that would fit
arguments clearly.
in each gap. There are three possibilities for each gap.

What is more By way of example For instance

Consequently Because of this As a result
Discourse markers are words and phrases used to
For example In addition to this Moreover communicate certain language functions. For example,
On the other hand is a discourse marker to introduce a
One positive aspect of city life is that there are generally a contrasting point or idea. Using a variety of them in
large number of fitness complexes available for members of writing is particularly important for constructing solid
the public to join, and most cater for the requirements of all arguments and paragraphs, and improves your
Coherence and Cohesion score.
their customers, whether those be for running machines, for
weight training and so on. 1 , in my city
alone there are somewhere in the region of 200 individual
facilities, allowing residents the opportunity to stay healthy
wherever they live or work. 2 , these
gyms are often part of larger chains, and it is convenient for
their members to be able to visit a range of locations if they
wish to do so. 3 , although living in
rural areas is traditionally assumed to be better for one's
health, the sheer quantity of available facilities in modern
cities means that this stereotype is changing.

� Read a candidate's paragraph and answer the questions.

One of the advantages of living in a city is that there are many gym
facilities. For example, in my capital city there are more than 250
gyms. What this means is that there is a lot of choice available to the
public. Furthermore, these gyms are often part of larger chains
because people can visit any gym, in any location, in any city, meaning that
there are options for everybody regardless of their lifestyle. Despite this, people usually
believe that rural life is better for your health. This is because the traditional belief is
that living in the countryside means that you do more exercise. However, the increasing You can also lose marks for
number of gym memberships in cities does mean that this attitude is slowly changing. misusing or overusing
discourse markers. Not
l Does the paragraph have a clear topic sentence? If so, what is it? every sentence needs one.
2 Do the ideas follow logically from one another? Consider whether the
3 What function (example, cause and effect, addition or contrast) does each have of meaning of your sentence/
the underlined discourse markers have? paragraph is affected
without them. If your
4 Which discourse marker is incorrectly used? Can you suggest an alternative?
meaning is clear, perhaps it
5 Which discourse marl<er(s) could be omitted without impeding the logical flow is not necessary to use one.
of ideas?

40
[!g Look at the essay question and the three introductions below. What are
the strengths and weaknesses of each one?
Your introductory paragraph for
Many countries offer a free health care system to their citizens rather than relying on this kind of essay should:
private health care. • clearly state the situation/
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having a free system, and give context and question that you
your opinion. will discuss in the body of the
essay in a way that sounds
A In many countries, basic health care provision for the population is funded and engaging to the reader
maintained by the state, yet for many others only private care is available. This • not simply repeat the words in
raises the question of why some countries choose one system over the other. the question, but paraphrase
What are the pros and cons of offering free healthcare? the ideas into your own words
• give your position clearly at
B Basic health care is a basic human right, but having a free system has both upsides the beginning of the essay
and downsides. In this essay I will discuss them, including the ideas of how such a becaus� this is a key part of
system is essential for poorer elements of society and the problems of paying for the question.
and maintaining a system like this. Overall, I think the advantages outweigh the
disadvantages.
C Some countries offer a free health care system and others rely on private health
care. What are the advantages and disadvantages of free health care and what is my
opinion on it?

[iTiD Read these conclusions for the essay question in exercise 10 and, in pairs, discuss
the questions below.
Your concluding
A In conclusion, there are many advantages and disadvantages to having a free health paragraph should
care system. · briefly summarise
B Overall, the advantages of offering free health care outweigh the disadvantages. what you have said in
Whilst there clearly is a financial cost to governments and taxpayers, the fact that the body of your essay
everybody has access to health care regardless of their financial situation easily and state your own
position on the
justifies this cost.
question.
C In summary, weighing up both sides of the argument, I would say that although
providing free health care does have some downsides, particularly financial ones
for the country in question, the fact that no one in that society has to worry about
medical bills more than justifies having it.
1 Which conclusion(s) do you prefer? Give reasons.
2 Are there any discourse markers or other phrases in them that you could use in your
own conclusions? Underline them.

EXAM SKILLS]
� Answer the Writing Task 2 below.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
In many countries around the world, life expectancy is increasing.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this situation and give your own opinion.
Write at least 250 words.

UNIT 02 / WRITING
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