Reading and writing a review

• New lesson editor
• English
• Higher Education (non-degree)

Where do you usually buy your clothes?

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Definitions:

A.Clothing items produced quickly to follow short-term trends.

J. Items of clothing such as shirts, trousers, and dresses.

E. Artificial fibre made from plastic-based materials.

H. Natural fibre obtained from a plant and used in textiles.

I. The process of converting waste materials into reusable material.

G. Discarded material buried underground as waste.

F. Chemicals used to protect crops from insects and diseases.

B.Very small plastic particles often found in oceans and food chains.

D. Capable of breaking down naturally without harming the environment.

C. Burned at high temperatures until only ash remains.

Words:

1. Fast fashion

2. Garments

3. Polyester

4. Cotton

5. Recycle

6. Landfill

7. Pesticides

8. Microplastics

9.Biodegradable

10. Incinerated

Reading a Text 7: Fast Fashion
The term fast fashion refers to the fast turnaround time from the design stage to the selling of the garments on the shop floor. This process can take 14 -21 days as the retailers quickly change their lines because new clothes are produced constantly. Often the quality is poor and they fall apart too easily. Furthermore, as the price is so low, customers do not really value the items and so are less inclined to hold on to them.

The mass production of cheap clothes is having a detrimental effect on the environment. Most clothing is now made of polyester, whereas previously most was made of cotton and to a lesser extent wool. As of 2020, north of 75 million barrels of oil a year were consumed in the effort to produce this polyester. Polyester is non-biodegradable and can take anywhere from 20-200 years to break down and is one of the leading causes of micro plastics in oceans. When washed fibres are released into water courses, they enter the ocean, get ingested by fish and can end up in our food. Cotton is by no means innocent when it comes to the environment. It can take around 20,000 litres of water to produce 1kg of cotton. In addition, large amounts of pesticides are employed in its cultivation.

Reading a Text 7: Fast Fashion
Much of this fast fashion is worn for a short while and then discarded. Retailers can recycle clothes by breaking up the fibres and making new clothes from them. Despite these bold claims, only 1% is recycled in this way. Most is either sent to landfill, turned into industrial material, incinerated or sold in charity shops. Items not sold in these shops are shipped to countries such as Kenya and Ghana where they are sold in second-hand markets. However, these countries are flooded with unwanted clothes and many are simply thrown away.

The root of the problem is primarily the consumers. We buy far too many clothes that we simply do not need. We need to think about how we shop and be more mindful of what we buy, making smarter choices.

The text is about

A

□ recycling clothes

B

□ the impact of fashion industry

C

□ retailing

D

□ shopping advice

75,000,000 barrels of oil are used a year to make polyester.

1

True

2

False

What word means the same as burned?

What is the purpose of this text?

A

To entertain

B

To inform

C

To persuade

D

To instruct

What material requires artificial chemicals to grow?

Why are consumers more likely to discard their clothes?

The word ‘detrimental’ in the text could be replaced by the word?

A

unlucky

B

poor

C

unhelpful

D

harmful

Put these materials in order of the amount consumed in the fashion industry?

Cotton

Polyester

Wool

1

2

3

Most unwanted clothes are:

1

recycled

2

not recycled

The fish we can eat contain micro plastics and fibres.

1

True

2

False

Write about where you shop and what influences your choices:

What can we review?

Writing a Review

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

How do you write a review?

A review is a piece of writing that gives someone’s opinion of how good something is. This could be a book, film, show, product or an establishment.

When you write a review, you must consider the audience. If it is in a casual magazine, you can be more informal and chatty. If it is an article in a quality newspaper, you must be more formal and informative.

A review should:

• Entertain the reader.

• Inform the reader based on your own opinion.

• Advise the reader on whether it is a good product or service.

Read the review and answer the questions:

I had to coerce my wife to come out in the wind and rain to try the brand new contemporary Indian restaurant in Heath Road, Twickenham. We got there just after midday and, after squeezing past some procrastinating onlookers at the door, were the very first customers to set foot in this spotlessly clean establishment.

The design of Shiuli is chic with luminous lime washed walls and it is a wonderful suntrap. The dining space has a curated light design that creates a leisurely, intimate and relaxed atmosphere. It is adorned by artwork by a local artist and the tables and chairs are both sleek and stylish.

We were welcomed by the beaming proprietor Alfred, a master chef who originally hails from India. He guided us to our table where we were presented with a unique menu. There was a plethora of dishes to choose from, each a twist on Indian cuisine. The wine list, with an array of fine wines, was created by a celebrated sommelier with his own vineyard in Surrey. We went for a Muscadet.

We opted for starters, sides and mains together. With the grill out of action until the evening, we opted for a warm salad bowl consisting of tandoori broccoli, pickled mango, avocado and ancient grains, Amritsari fish (a street food classic), steamed momos and chicken biriyani (the chef’s “ultimate dish”).

The dishes, when they arrived, were infused with ancient wisdom. We devoured this smorgasbord of India at a leisurely pace. From the exotic spices of the biriyani to the piquant salad bowl, our palates were mesmerised.

We were delighted by Alfred’s altruistic offer of declining payment on account of the fact that it was an auspicious occasion and that we were his first customers.

Alfred has big plans for this newcomer on the local gourmet scene, and we wish him and his lovely staff all the best.

1. Did the reviewer’s wife want to come to the restaurant?

2.What is the restaurant’s name?

3.Where does the proprietor come from?

4.What is a sommelier?

5.What did they drink?

6.Why did they not order from the grill?

7.How many dishes did they order?

8.What does the word ‘piquant’ mean in the text?

9.Did they have to pay? Why/Why not?

10.How many paragraphs are there?

You have tried a new restaurant. Write a review about it.

Write about:

• where the restaurant is

• what the décor was like

• what the service was like

• what you liked/disliked about the food

• how expensive/cheap it was

Write using paragraphs. Write 100–150 words.

Write your plan here:

Zero Conditional

100% chance or habits — If you freeze water, it becomes ice.

If + present tense, present tense

Fill in the blanks with a zero conditional (some are negative):

1. If you __________ ice, it __________ (heat, melt).

2. If you __________ a healthy life, you __________ better (lead, feel).

3. If it __________, the ground __________ wet (rain, become).

4. Unless you __________ your plants, they eventually __________ (water, die).

5. If you __________ water to 100°C, it __________ (heat, boil).

6. If you __________ the colours blue and red, you __________ purple (mix, get).

7. Life on Earth __________ extinct if there __________ no oxygen (become, be).

8. If you __________ oil on top of water, it __________ (pour, float).

9. He always __________ trouble breathing if he __________ long distances (have, run).

10. If you __________ water every day in the desert, you __________ (consume, perish).

First Conditional

50% chance — If it snows, I will wear a coat.

If + present tense, will + infinitive

Fill in the blanks with a first conditional (some are negative):

1. If you __________ all your money, you __________ it (spend, regret).

2. I __________ from my position if I __________ a salary increase (resign, receive).

3. We __________ more pollution if we __________ (generate, drive).

4. Unless you __________ hard, you __________ (work, succeed).

5. Provided he __________, he __________ the exam (concentrate, pass).

6. His parents __________ furious if he __________ his room (be, clean).

7. If we __________, the environment __________ (recycle, suffer).

8. The environment __________ unless we __________ it (deteriorate, protect).

9. __________ you __________ if he __________ you to (visit, ask)?

10. I __________ my brand new shoes if it __________ too muddy outside (wear, be).

Second Conditional

0.1% chance / hypothetical

If I won the lottery, I would buy a car.

Form:

If + past tense, would + infinitive

NB: The verb form of “be” is “were” not “was”, whatever the subject.

Fill in the blanks with a 2nd conditional form (some are negative):

1. If I __________ a cat, I __________ all day long. (be, sleep)

2. He __________ far healthier if he __________ more. (be, exercise)

3. The company __________ more staff if it __________ more resources. (recruit, have)

4. She __________ her hair if her hairdryer __________ damaged. (dry, be)

5. If I __________ you, I __________ the door open at night. (be, leave)

6. The building __________ if water __________ the exterior walls. (collapse, penetrate)

7. It __________ catastrophic if the sea levels __________ on the island. (be, rise)

8. If he __________ on a desert island, he __________ on the beach all day. (reside, sunbathe)

9. What __________ you __________ if you __________ king for a day? (do, be)

10. If he __________ wealthier, he __________ a plot of land by the sea. (be, purchase)

Third Conditional

0% chance

If I had known, I would have come.

Form:

If + past perfect tense, would + have + past participle (PP)

Fill in the blanks with a 3rd conditional form (some are negative):

1. If I _______________ the weather was so dismal, I _______________ . (know, come)

2. She _______________ to a prestigious university if she _______________ the grades. (go, achieve)

3. If he _______________ a suit, he _______________ the job. (wear, get)

4. I _______________ for the position if I _______________ the organisation was financially unstable. (apply, know)

5. He _______________ ecstatic if he _______________ a gold medal. (be, win)

6. If Ken _______________ more diligent, he _______________ . (be, pass)

7. They _______________ over if they _______________ carefully. (fall, act)

8. If I _______________ my passport, I _______________ my flight. (forget, miss)

9. If she _______________ so much coffee last night, she _______________ much better. (drink, sleep)

10. Aidan _______________ the career ladder much more rapidly if he _______________ in his job. (climb, persevere)