3b

Fashion debate
1 You are the host of the
TV chat show
Your guests will be:
Fashion editor: Chris/Christina Grant
Young person 1: David/Ruth Saunders
Young person 2: Alex/Amy Linneker
Clothes shop manager: Walter/Winona
Burton
Student: Patrick/Pamela Smart
Parent: Maurice/Mary Kudos
Prepare some questions to ask about the
topic of fashion, eg Is it good to follow
fashion? Do young people spend too much on
fashion? Do fashion magazines encourage
people to spend too much money?
Welcome your guests and ask them for their
opinions. You do not need to go through
asking for a speech from everyone. Try to
encourage a lively discussion (and maybe
some argument). Ask questions and then ask
people to respond to each other.
Here is some useful language for running
the programme:
A warm welcome to the programme.
Tonight were going to be discussing fashion.
Our guests tonight are
Were going to start by talking about a very
interesting question
What do you think?
Do you agree with what he/she just said?
Can we move
on to another
topic now?
Thats all weve
got time for
today.
Thanks very
much to our
guests.
Goodbye and
thanks for watching.

2 You are Chris/Christina Grant,

the editor of a fashion magazine
You believe that most people love fashion
and really want to know whats in and whats
out. People love to wear designer names; it
makes them feel special and important. Your
magazine performs an important service
showing people what is new and interesting.

Photocopiable

3 You are David/Ruth Saunders,

a young person
You love fashion. You spend all your spare money on
clothes and accessories, eg handbags, sunglasses, etc.
You think designer brands are the best. You never save
any money. Your wardrobe is full and many things have
only been worn once! You know this is crazy, but you
enjoy having a choice of what to wear when you go
out. Every few months you have to throw out clothes
and shoes to make room in your wardrobe.

4 You are Alex/Amy Linneker,

a young person
You never spend money on new brand-name designer
clothes. You think people are being manipulated by
advertisers. You get most of your clothes from cheap
shops or from second-hand places. Its possible to buy
last years clothes in perfect condition for a fraction of
the price of current fashions. You cant understand why
your friends waste their money.

5 You are Walter/Winona Burton, the

manager of a popular clothes shop
You think fashion is just fun you dont know why
people take it so seriously. Clothes help to express a
persons individual character. People are free to spend
money or not its their free choice. Your shop is
expensive, but the clothes are really good quality and
worth it.

6 You are Patrick/Pamela Smart,

a student
You think that students in your college prefer to spend
money on books and other things and not waste
it on the latest fashions. You believe that its more
important to find your own personal style rather than
just following trends. Magazines encourage people to
be too skinny and spend too much money. You dont
think this is right.

7 You are Maurice/Mary Kudos,

a parent
You think that fashion is fine, but young people are
encouraged to spend too much money on following
trends. Many clothes items are heavily advertised and
over-priced. You think people should be educated more
about spending money sensibly. You think the images
of skinny models in young peoples magazines
encourage men and women to have a false idea about
what they should look like. They are a bad example for
young people.

Straightforward Upper Intermediate Second edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012

3c Supermodel interview
Supermodel
You are an international supermodel. Choose your supermodel name:
then make notes in the table.

Where you were born and

your childhood
How you were discovered
Career highlights
What you are doing now
What you think about
current fashion and trends
Personal life (married?)
Future plans

FOLD

Reporter
You are a reporter. An international supermodel is visiting town and you have been given
permission to interview him/her. You have read lots of interviews with this supermodel but
you feel that no one has really got under the surface for an in-depth look at his/her life and
thoughts. You intend to do this!
Possible questions
Ask some introductory
questions

How are you?

What work are you doing now?
How is your life at the moment?

Ask about his/her life story

Where do you come from?

What was your childhood like?
What did you do before you were a supermodel?
How were you discovered?

Ask about his/her work

What do you enjoy about your work?

What are the difficulties?
Do you think its a good career for a young person?

Ask about his/her private

life

Are you married?

Who are you going out with now?
Is it difficult to keep your work and private life separate?

Ask about his/her opinions

What do you think about current fashion and trends?

Some supermodels get involved in charities. Do you think
this is a good idea?
Is it more difficult to be
a man or a woman in this
Macmillan
business?
Straightforward Upper Intermediate
Macmillan
Who is the most interesting
person you have ever met?

Ask about the future

Straightforward
Upper Intermediate
Is it possible
to be a supermodel
forever?
AW SFUI_AW3B(1)
What other things could you do?
What are your plans?
AW SFUI_AW3B(1)

End the interview

Congratulations on a great career!

What has the highlight of your career been?
Tim Kahane 2006
Thanks very much!

Photocopiable

Straightforward Upper Intermediate Second edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012

Tim Kahane 2006

3d Slang bluff
A
Slang:
Example
sentence:

Meaning 1:
Meaning 2:
Meaning 3:

it fell off the back of a lorry

Hey! Do you want to buy some cheap

perfume? Very good value! It fell off the
back of a lorry!
stolen
slightly damaged
the latest thing

a piece of cake

Slang:
Example
He thought the exam would be quite
sentence: difficult but when the day came it was a
piece of cake.
Meaning 1:
cancelled
Meaning 2: very easy
Meaning 3:
really difficult

Slang:
Example
sentence:
Meaning 1:
Meaning 2:
Meaning 3:

Slang:
Example
sentence:
Meaning 1:
Meaning 2:
Meaning 3:

a bit parky

I wanted to go jogging today but its

a bit parky.
The paths are covered with weeds.
Everywhere is too crowded.
Its quite cold weather.

cheesed off

I was really cheesed off when I realized

she hadnt waited for me.
angry and disappointed
in love
smelly

Now do it yourself! Write the missing false definitions.

hand-me-downs

Slang:
Example
Im so sick of always wearing hand-me sentence: downs.
Meaning 1:
Meaning 2: clothes that have already been worn by
other people
Meaning 3:

veg out

/ ved at /
Slang:
Example
Ive been working all day. Now Im going to
sentence: veg out.
Meaning 1:
do nothing and completely relax
Meaning 2:
Meaning 3:

B
Slang:
Example
sentence:
Meaning 1:
Meaning 2:
Meaning 3:

Slang:
Example
sentence:
Meaning 1:
Meaning 2:
Meaning 3:

wicked

That party was really wicked last

night!
horrible
fantastic
terrifying

pig out

Were going to have a great evening. I plan

to really pig out!
eat far too much food
get very dirty
do lots of very naughty things

take the mickey out of someone

Slang:
Example
I think he likes her but shes always taking
sentence: the mickey out of him.
Meaning 1: repeatedly ask someone to buy drinks and
presents
Meaning 2: make a person look foolish
Meaning 3: kiss very quickly
Slang:
Example
sentence:
Meaning 1:
Meaning 2:
Meaning 3:

dish the dirt

Go on! Dish the dirt about Mary!

cook a meal for someone

throw away all their important things.
tell someone all the truth and gossip about
something interesting

Now do it yourself! Write the missing false definitions.

throw a sickie

Slang:
Example
He wanted to watch the football match so
sentence: he threw a sickie.
Meaning 1:
Meaning 2:
Meaning 3: pretend to be ill so that you can miss
work for a day
Photocopiable

rabbit on

Slang:
Example
He keeps rabbiting on about that new
sentence: sci-fi film.
Meaning 1:
Meaning 2: talk about something all the time until
everyone is completely bored
Meaning 3:

Straightforward Upper Intermediate Second edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012

3 video Skin deep

Length: 3.41 minutes

Language

Animals; adjectives; health

General information
This is an authentic extract from a television programme.
Dont try to understand every word you hear. Watch and
listen for specific information by completing these tasks.

Before you watch

1 Work in pairs. Complete the phrase beginnings 16
with the endings af.

1
2
3
4
5
6

the most elaborate

a willingness to endure pain
the ultimate display
of special importance for some
it can be a mark of anarchy
they provide social identity for

a
b
c
d
e
f

of dedication
those who find beauty skin deep
or a badge of group following
form of body adornment
but a simple act of creativity for others
for the sake of decoration

2 What are the phrases in exercise 1 describing?

While you watch

3 Watch the first part of the video to check your answers
to exercises 1 and 2.

4 Describe four of the tattoo designs that appear in

the first part of the video.

5 Complete the questions with the question words from

the box.

How manyWhenWhereWhichWhoWhy
1
a) Africa.
b) Indonesia.
c) Polynesia.
2

does the word tattoo come from?

did the Irezumi form of tattooing

originally identify?
a) Doctors.
b) Wizards.
c) Outcasts.

4
a) 100.
b) 1,000.
c) 10,000.

tattooists are there in Japan today?

5
a) Elaborate.
b) Temporary.
c) Permanent.

type of tattoos do Asian brides prefer?

6
did tattoos make a comeback?
a) In the 19th century.
b) In the 20th century.
c) In the 21st century.

6 Watch the video and choose the correct answers to the

questions in exercise 5.

After you watch

7 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.
1 Are tattoos common in your country?
2 Do you have or would you like to have a tattoo? Why or
why not?
3 Which of the tattoos from the video did you like most?
4 What would you say if your best friend told you they
wanted a tattoo?
Glossary
adornment n C/U decorations, or a single decoration
anarchy n U a situation in which people are behaving in a
way that ignores normal rules and laws, and are unable to
be controlled
badge n C something that represents a particular quality
or type of person
branding n U the use of advertising, design and other
methods to make people recognize and remember a
particular product
endure v suffer something difficult or unpleasant in a
patient way over a long period
outcast n C someone who other people will not accept as a
member of society or of a particular group or community

does the tribal branding take several

weeks?
a) Its painful.
b) Its complicated.
c) Its expensive.

Photocopiable

Straightforward Upper Intermediate Second edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012