Engelsk for studieforberedende utdanningsprogram
VG1
UTGAVE 2
Citizens SF Digitaltvurderingseksemplar
INGEBORG ASPFORS-SVEEN · THERESE HOLM MONICA OPØIEN STENSRUD · DAVID WOODHOUSE
© CAPPELEN DAMM AS, Oslo 2025 Materialet i denne publikasjonen er omfattet av åndsverklovens bestemmelser. Uten særskilt avtale med Cappelen Damm AS er enhver eksemplarfremstilling og tilgjengeliggjøring bare tillatt i den utstrekning det er hjemlet i lov eller tillatt gjennom avtale med Kopinor, interesseorgan for rettighetshavere til åndsverk. Enhver bruk av hele eller deler av utgivelsen som input eller som treningskorpus i generative modeller som kan skape tekst, bilder, film, lyd eller annet innhold og uttrykk, er ikke tillatt uten særskilt avtale med rettighetshaverne. Bruk av utgivelsens materiale i strid med lov eller avtale kan føre til inndragning, erstatningsansvar og straff i form av bøter eller fengsel.
Design og sats: Welt, Erlend Askhov Omslagsdesign: Erlend Askhov / Jon Arne Berg
Forlagsredaktør/Bilderedaktør: Birger Nicolaysen
Repro: Narayana Press, Danmark Trykk: Livonia Print Sia, Latvia 2025
Utgave 2
Opplag 1
ISBN 978-82-02-83386-2
www.citizens.cdu.no
www.cdu.no
Preface
Welcome to Citizens SF, a textbook for the VG1 course in English. The book is divided into three main chapters that consist of two main parts each, and a fourth chapter designed to help you improve your English skills:
Chapter 1: Communication
1A: Checking in focuses on learning about and practising communication skills, while 1B: English Is Everywhere explores how English became a global language and how people around the world use English today.
Chapter 2: Challenges
Referring to this textbook using APA 7th
In a text:
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(Aspfors-Sveen et al., 2025, p. 000) 000 = the page number where the quote/information is found
In List of References:
Aspfors-Sveen, I., Holm, T., Stensrud, M.O., Woodhouse, D. (2025) Citizens SF Cappelen Damm
2A: Overcoming Obstacles looks at how facing personal challenges can help people grow and develop important life skills. 2B: Challenges across Borders concerns global challenges that we need to solve together and the importance of making better choices for our common future.
Chapter 3: Citizens
This chapter is about citizenship and democracy in different English-speaking countries. In 3A: Diversity and Democracy in the UK and the US, we invite you to compare aspects of life as citizens of these two nations and perhaps view them in a new light. 3B: Citizens of the World provides insight into the global reach of the English language, telling stories of life in Nigeria, New Zealand and India.
Chapter 4: Courses
This chapter is divided into courses on reading strategies, writing strategies, how to choose appropriate language and how to evaluate and make use of sources.
Before and after chapters 1–3 you get to work with key terms, focus points and tasks. These aim to prepare you for working with the chapter, and afterwards to reflect upon the texts and topics you have studied. In the “Dig deeper” section, you will find suggestions for topics to explore in greater depth. Following each main chapter, there is a Literary Interlude: a poem or short story that we hope will contribute to your analytical skills as well as to your enjoyment of reading literature.
Throughout the book there is a large variety of tasks designed to reinforce your English skills and your understanding of the topics covered. Some texts contain an Explore task which invites you to investigate a topic further on the book’s website at citizens.cdu.no. The website also contains interactive tasks for each text, listening material and much more.
Our hope is that Citizens SF will help you improve your English, and that you will find the learning experience both enjoyable and inspiring. We wish you the best of luck with your studies!
Kind regards, Ingeborg, Therese, Monica and David
Chapter 1: COMMUNICATION
Chapter 2: CHALLENGES
1:
2:
Chapter 3: CITIZENS
in
3: Democracy in the UK and the US
3B: Citizens of the World
Test Yourself!
MY STORY: Aisha from Nigeria
Nollywood: Nigeria’s Booming Film Industry
Who Says the Most Liveable City Is in the West? (Chibundu Onuzo)
I Was Forced to Come Out (Mdue)
New Zealand
MY STORY: Liam from New Zealand
Taika Waititi: Illuminating Indigenous Narratives
Kiwi Sports
Ko Tātou, Tātou: We Are One ( Jacinda Ardern)
Boys without Names (Kashmira Sheth)
The Digital Divide in India
MY STORY: Rahid from India
Bollywood: Bigger than Hollywood!
CHECKING OUT: Chapter 3
LITERARY
We Were Just Driving Around ( Jon
Chapter 4: COURSES
2.5
3.1
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Note:
Explore: learning paths containing texts, videos and tasks at citizens.cdu.no
Listening texts and recordings of reading texts: citizens.cdu.no
Challenging tasks are marked like this:
Grammar and language topics at citizens.cdu.no:
Nouns – A or an? – The – Adjectives and adverbs –Prepositions – There or it? – Pronouns – Some or any?
– Subject-verb agreement – Singular or plural? – -ing form – Irregular verbs – Auxiliary verbs – Questions and negations – Problematic words – Word order – Spelling – Punctuation – Sentences – Paragraphs and texts
Work with the following tasks. If you find them difficult, it is a good idea to work with the grammar topics at citizens.cdu.no.
�� These words are all nouns: table, conversation, app, relief, scarf, coffee shop. You probably know what a noun is, but do you know the difference between the plural forms of table and scarf ?
�� How do you explain the use of a and an in these sentences?
– Millions of children are left out of an increasingly connected world.
– Recently, he took a career aptitude test that determined he’d be well suited as a pharmacist.
�� Each sentence below contains an error involving an adjective or an adverb. Can you find the mistakes and correct them?
– Kevin Keegan was a greatly footballer.
– My father tried to become a professional chef, but in fact he can’t cook very good.
– Personally, I think football and cooking are terrible boring.
�� Can you find the adjectives in these sentences? How do we use adjectives for comparison in English?
– The demand for water is greater than the supply.
– Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world.
�� In, at and on are some of the prepositions that we use for expressing time. Each of the sentences below contains a preposition error. Can you correct the mistakes?
– I will be there on six o’clock.
– He was always late for work in Thursdays.
��
“There is” and “it is” both mean “det er” in Norwegian. Can you explain why there or it is used in these sentences?
– There are many skyscrapers in New York City.
– There was so much to get used to.
– It is much colder in England than in Pakistan.
�� Look at the sentences below. Which possessive pronoun would you use?
– Jim was often tired at the evening. Digitaltvurderingseksemplar
– Being American is not about ( your/yours) passport.
– “This country is (my/mine)!” the crazy president shouted at the TV cameras.
�� Look at the following sentences. Can you detect a pattern for when to use some (or someone, somebody, something, somewhere, etc.), and when to use any (or anyone, anybody, anything, anywhere, etc.)?
– We listened to some British people talking about their lives on TV.
– There weren’t any Americans or Australians on the show.
– Have you ever talked to anyone from Britain yourself?
– Once I talked to some girls from Scotland, but they didn’t have anything interesting to say.
�� Sometimes it is difficult to know if a noun is singular (entall/eintal ) or plural ( flertall/fleirtal ). Which verb form do you think is correct in these sentences?
– American politics (is/are) very interesting.
– The news (is/are) not good, I’m afraid.
– Everyone (needs/need ) a friend sometimes.
– The prime minister’s trousers (was/were) far too tight.
Exam Preparation
“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”
alexander graham bell
The written exam in English currently consists of four different parts, designed to test different types of skills:
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part 1: reception – tests your listening and reading comprehension skills
part 2: mediation
– tests your ability to pass on information
part 3: interaction
– tests your ability to take part in a communication situation
part 4: written production
– tests your ability to produce a text suitable to a given purpose and target audience
At citizens.cdu.no you will find information about the four exam parts, examples of exam tasks, and useful tips for answering them. In addition, the website has a list of the tasks in this textbook that are particularly relevant for exam practice. To give you an idea, here are a few examples of such tasks:
part 1: reception part 2: mediation part 3: interaction part 4: written production
→ task 6, p. 20 → task 4, p. 23
task 5, p. 23
task 8, p. 55 → task 6, p. 136 → task 5, p. 35 → task 5, p. 45 → task 5, p. 78 → task 1, p. 171 → task 2, p. 176 → task 5, p. 75 → task 4D, p. 111 → task 1, p. 182 → task 2, p. 278 → task 3, p. 77 → task 7, p. 120 → tasks 1 and 2, p. 212 → task 4, p. 284 → task 5, p. 111 → task 7, p. 153
Notice also that the tasks in the margins of the texts are useful for practising reading comprehension. These tasks are marked with this symbol:
Moreover, you may practise for Part 1 of the exam by working with closed reading and listening comprehension tasks on the website. “Closed” means you do not write your own answers but choose from given answer options. Such tasks are included at citizens.cdu.no for many of the texts in this textbook.
Challenges 2 Digitaltvurderingseksemplar
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Focus
In this chapter, you will:
→ read about and reflect on important life skills
→ explore various global challenges and reflect on their importance in today’s world
→ reflect on how personal and global challenges affect people in the English-speaking world
→ practise expressing your opinion and using facts and examples to support your arguments
Describe & Reflect
A The illustrations show different situations that you will read about in this chapter. Which personal or global challenges do you think they illustrate?
B Which situation from the illustrations do you think is the most interesting to learn more about? Why?
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�� What is “self-love”, according to Wade Davis’s story? Why was John an important role model for Wade in this regard?
�� Do you think that “the narrow rules of being a man” still exist today? If so, what kind of rules are they? Find at least three examples.
�� What seems to be the purpose (see p. 308) of Wade Davis’s story? Do you think he wants to persuade an audience, to make the reader aware of something, or to entertain? Explain.
�� Wade Davis writes that loving yourself takes practice. How do you think young people can raise their self-esteem and learn to appreciate who they are? Why is this important?
2 Practise:
Vocabulary
Work in pairs:
�� Explain the meaning of these words from the text: forget – despise – unconsciously – secret – predominantly – internal – normal – authenticity – freedom – attempt – resemble – covet – exhibit – anger – narrow – suspect – daily – goal
�� Write and then act out a short dialogue where two characters use at least ten of the words in task 2A. The goal is to fit the words into the conversation in a way that makes sense. If you need help getting started, use one of these situations:
3 Compare
�� Both Wade Davis and Tara Westover (p. 79) write about their own experiences. What are some similarities and differences between their stories?
�� Both stories are set in the US. In your opinion, what can the two stories teach us about diversity in American society?
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→ Two old friends who used to be close meet at a par ty. They have not seen or heard from each other for a couple of years.
→ Two people who went on a blind date last week randomly meet at the grocery store.
�� In 2022, Jake Daniels was the first professional football player in England to come out publicly as gay since the 1990s. Read what he shared in an interview with Sky Sports and reflect on how his experiences compare to Wade Davis’s story:
“For a long time, I’ve thought I would have to hide my truth because I wanted to be, and now I am, a professional footballer. I asked myself if I should wait until I’ve retired to come out. No other player in the professional game here is out. However, I knew that would lead to a long time of lying and not being able to be myself or lead the life that I want to.”
4 Reflect & Compare
On the next page is an excerpt from the graphic novel Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, a series that tells the story of two British boys, Charlie and Nick, as they meet and fall in love. Study the pages and work with the tasks.
�� What happens in this part of the story?
�� Why do you think Nick feels that he “woke up” when he realised he was bisexual?
�� What does it mean to hide behind a mask? What advice would you give Nick to make it easier for him to open up to others?
�� What do the graphic elements (frames, captions, speech bubbles, etc.) add to the story?
�� How do Nick’s feelings compare to those expressed by Wade Davis in his essay?
5 Watch & Reflect
The Netflix series Heartstopper is based on the graphic novel. Watch episodes 1 and 2 and then talk about the following in pairs or groups:
�� What is your impression of Nick and Charlie? Who would you say is the main character?
�� The series follows Nick’s “coming out” journey. What seem to be his biggest challenges?
�� Charlie confides in one of his teachers, who is openly gay. How are such role models and mentors important for teenagers like Charlie?
�� Why is it important to have LGBTQ+ characters represented in TV series and films?
6 Practise:
Paragraph writing
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A topic sentence (see p. 311) is often the first sentence in a paragraph, which lets the reader know what the paragraph will be about. Write a paragraph starting with one of these topic sentences:
→ Building your self-confidence is more important than other life skills.
→ Teenagers can raise their self-esteem in many ways.
→ Having a strong sense of self-worth is especially important if you feel you are different from others.
�� Explore
Time for Love
When Sean Lionadh was twenty years old, he kissed his boyfriend in the park, and a passer-by told him “I’ve got nothing against gays, but do you have to do it in front of my kids?” Sean wrote the poem “Time for Love” in response, and you can work with it at citizens.cdu.no.
4 Practise:
Listening & reflecting Clean up your social media!
�� Go to citizens.cdu.no to listen to a text about job seekers who lost out on jobs because of what they posted on social media. Afterwards, work with the comprehension tasks online.
�� How relevant do you think the topic of cleaning up your social media is for you and your friends? Do you have much of an online presence that future employers can find, or do teenagers today use social media in a different way than the people in the texts? Give reasons for your answer.
5 Understand & Reflect
The American psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that growing up with social media has resulted in a “Generation Z mental health crisis”. Haidt has offered advice on how to fix the negative impact social media has on teenagers. Read his advice and work with the tasks.
1. NO SMARTPHONES BEFORE YEAR 10
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Parents should delay children’s entry into roundthe-clock internet access by giving only basic phones with limited apps and no internet browser before the age of 14.
2. NO SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE 16
Let children get through the most vulnerable period of brain development before connecting them to an avalanche of social comparison and algorithmically chosen influencers.
3. PHONE-FREE SCHOOLS
Schools must insist that students store their phones, smartwatches, and any other devices in phone lockers during the school day, as per the new non-statutory guidance issued by the UK government. That is the only way to free up their attention for one another and for their teachers.
4. FAR MORE UNSUPERVISED PLAY AND CHILDHOOD INDEPENDENCE
That is how children naturally develop social skills, overcome anxiety, and become self-governing young adults.
(Source: see p. 347)
�� When does Jonathan Haidt think that children can have full access to the internet?
�� Why does Haidt think that schools should be phone-free?
�� Which of these rules do you think would be the most important to improve teenagers’ mental health? Explain your opinion.
�� In your opinion, would teenagers be better off if their parents and teachers enforced these rules? Why, or why not?
6 Practise:
Paragraph writing
Practise writing well-structured paragraphs (see p. 311) by following the steps below.
�� Write a paragraph about positive or negative aspects of online connections.
�� Identify your topic sentence: which sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about? Try to make your topic sentence even more on point, so your main point is clear to the reader.
�� Supporting sentences can give explanations or reasons for what the topic sentence claims. Identify examples of this in your paragraph. Then, try to make these explanations or reasons even clearer.
�� Supporting sentences can also give examples of what the topic sentence says. Check whether you have given any examples from the texts in “Netizens”. If so, make sure the example is clearly connected to an explanation or reason. If you have not included an example, add a suitable example from text 1, 2, 3 or 4.
�� Linking words and phrases create connections between your sentences. Read the list of examples on p. 314 and add relevant linking words to your paragraph.
7 Create: Writing
Choose one task. Remember to give your text a title.
�� Write an opinion piece (p. 324) about the effects of being a digital citizen. Include examples from the texts you have been reading.
�� Go to citizens.cdu.no to find the song lyrics to “jealousy, jealousy” by Olivia Rodrigo. Then write a five-paragraph essay (p. 319) discussing how the theme(s) of this song relates to texts you have read or listened to in “Netizens”.
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�� Imagine that every smartphone in the world stopped working. In pairs or small groups, create a text about the first day in your lives after this catastrophic event. Examples of possible texts are a short story or a news article, a storyboard, a news bulletin on the radio or a radio play.
�� Explore
Ibelin or Ready Player One
The story about Mats (Text 3) was adapted into a highly acclaimed documentary film called Ibelin in 2024. Ready Player One is a film about virtual reality and gaming in a not-so-distant future. Go to citizens.cdu.no to find tasks for working with one of these films.
Olivia Rodrigo
Chapter 2
1 Review: Focus points
Evaluate your own work with chapter 2 by using the following scale to describe your level for each of the “I can” statements below:
Very well – Well – Needs some work – Needs lots of work
→ I can reflect on important life skills.
→ I can explore various global challenges and reflect on their importance in today’s world.
→ I can reflect on how personal and global challenges affect people in the English-speaking world.
→ I can express my opinions and use facts and examples to support my arguments.
2 Review: Texts
�� Complete a table like the one below about at least five of the texts that you have worked with in this chapter:
Text title I think this text has been included in "Challenges" because …
�� Imagine that you have thirty minutes to prepare for a group discussion about individual or global challenges today. To prepare for this discussion you can only use texts from this chapter. Which texts would you choose, and why? When you have chosen which texts to use, decide how you would prepare for the discussion; would you just read the texts, would you take notes, or do you have a different strategy?
3 Review: Persuasive speech
�� Pick a global challenge you think is important in today’s world, and write a persuasive speech (see p. 128) to convince your classmates of your opinion. You should consider how you could use ethos, pathos and logos (p. 335) in your attempt to persuade your audience, and you should use at least three rhetorical devices.
�� Give your speeches in small groups and provide each other with feedback on whether or not the speech comes across as persuasive.
4 Review: Key terms – Sentence
challenge!
�� In pairs, try the sentence challenge. Set a timer for six minutes and start writing all the sentences you can think of using the terms on pp. 62 and 100 (one term per sentence). The sentences must use the term correctly and it must make sense. Example: It is our responsibility to take care of the planet we live on.
�� When six minutes have passed, each student reads their sentences aloud. The other student listens carefully to ensure that the term is used correctly. If a sentence is unclear or uses the term incorrectly, the listener can challenge it, and then you must decide together whether the student who wrote it deserves a point or not.
You are awarded one point per correct sentence, and the student with the most points wins the game.
5 Dig deeper
See citizens.cdu.no for help on doing in-depth work.
CHAPTER 2A
LIST A
�� What are some important personal challenges people of your generation have to deal with? (Focus on one or two such challenges.)
�� How can people succeed in life despite having a health condition or disability?
�� What is critical thinking, and why is it an important skill for young people today?
�� How can gaming and/or social media use contribute to developing social skills and/ or English skills?
�� Sports play an important part in modern society and culture, but why are there so few openly LGBTQ+ persons in sports?
�� How will Artificial Intelligence change our lives in the future? (Focus on e.g. education, entertainment, travel, communication, working life, business, shopping, etc.)
�� How do LGBTQ+ rights compare in two different English-speaking countries? (Examples: the UK, South Africa, Canada, Uganda or Ireland.)
�� How does a film, a literary text or a piece of music (or a combination of these) deal with a personal challenge, for example mental health or physical health issues?
CHAPTER 2B
LIST A
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LIST B
Coping with pressure as a teenager – Social media use and teenagers’ well-being – Digital footprints – Online bullying/harassment –Sexual identity – The influence of YouTubers and TikTokers – LGBTQ+ representation in popular culture – Outsiders in a society
�� The news often focuses on crises. What evidence can you find that the world is improving in important ways?
�� Which conflict in the world is causing the largest movement of refugees at present, and what measures is the international community taking to deal with the situation?
�� Compare two English-speaking countries: How is the climate crisis affecting them?
�� There will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050. Why is this happening and what can it lead to?
�� How does a film, a literary text or a piece of music (or a combination of these) deal with a global challenge, for example the climate crisis or war?
�� Barbie: sexist doll or feminist icon?
�� How has immigration to the UK changed after Brexit?
�� Why is it important to be able to identify and expose fake news?
LIST B
Climate crisis effects in an English-speaking country (for example, bush fires in Australia, flooding disasters in the UK) – Migration: push and pull factors – Globalisation: pros and cons – Overpopulation – #MeToo – Gender equality in an English-speaking country – Overcoming cultural challenges – Media: the fourth pillar of democracy
A The text you are about to read is a short story. How is a short story different from other types of literary texts?
B The story’s setting (see p. 302) is the US in the 1940s. What do you think are the biggest differences between family life back then and today?
shirley jackson (1916–1965) was an American fiction writer. During her career she wrote six novels as well as more than 200 short stories. “Charles” was first published in 1948.
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kindergarten barnehage, førskole / barnehage, førskule to renounce å oppgi, å gi avkall på bibs overdel på overall (med seler) / overdel på overall (med selar) tot tass, smårolling to swagger å spankulere raucous hes, grov insolent frekk, uforskammet / frekk, uforskamma to take the name of the Lord in vain å misbruke Guds navn / å misbruke Guds namn elaborate overdrevent, utstudert / overdriven, utstudert to spank å rise, å gi juling fresh frekk, freidig to grin å glise
Charles
By Shirley Jackson
The day my son Laurie started kindergarten he renounced corduroy overalls with bibs and began wearing blue jeans with a belt; I watched him go off the first morning with the older girl next door, seeing clearly that an era of my life was ended, my sweet-voiced nursery-school tot replaced by a long-trousered, swaggering character who forgot to stop at the corner and wave goodbye to me.
He came running home the same way, the front door slamming open, his cap on the floor, and the voice suddenly become raucous shouting, “Isn’t anybody here ?”
At lunch he spoke insolently to his father, spilled his baby sister’s milk, and remarked that his teacher said we were not to take the name of the Lord in vain.
“How was school today?” I asked, elaborately casual.
“A ll right,” he said.
“Did you learn anything?” his father asked.
Laurie regarded his father coldly. “I didn’t learn nothing,” he said.
“A nything,” I said. “Didn’t learn anything.”
“The teacher spanked a boy, though,” Laurie said, addressing his bread and butter. “For being fresh,” he added, with his mouth full.
“What did he do?” I asked. “Who was it?”
Laurie thought. “It was Charles,” he said. “He was fresh. The teacher spanked him and made him stand in the corner. He was awfully fresh.”
“What did he do?” I asked again, but Laurie slid off his chair, took a cookie, and left, while his father was still saying, “See here, young man.”
The next day Laurie remarked at lunch, as soon as he sat down, “Well, Charles was bad again today.” He grinned enormously and said, “Today Charles hit the teacher.”
“Good heavens,” I said, mindful of the Lord’s name, “I suppose he got spanked again?”
“He sure did,” Laurie said. “Look up,” he said to his father. “What?” his father said, looking up. “Look down,” Laurie said. “Look at my thumb. Gee, you’re dumb.” He began to laugh insanely.
“Why did Charles hit the teacher?” I asked quickly.
“Because she tried to make him color with red crayons,” Laurie said. “Charles wanted to color with green crayons so he hit the teacher and she spanked him and said nobody play with Charles but everybody did.”
The third day – it was a Wednesday of the first week – Charles bounced a see-saw on to the head of a little girl and made her bleed, and the teacher made him stay inside all during recess. Thursday Charles had to stand in a corner during story-time because he kept pounding his feet on the floor. Friday Charles was deprived of black-board privileges because he threw chalk.
On Saturday I remarked to my husband, “Do you think kindergarten is too unsettling for Laurie? All this toughness and bad grammar, and this Charles boy sounds like such a bad influence.”
“It’ll be alright,” my husband said reassuringly. “Bound to be people like Charles in the world. Might as well meet them now as later.”
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On Monday Laurie came home late, full of news. “Charles,” he shouted as he came up the hill; I was waiting anxiously on the front steps. “Charles,” Laurie yelled all the way up the hill, “Charles was bad again.”
“Come right in,” I said, as soon as he came close enough. “Lunch is waiting.”
“You know what Charles did?” he demanded following me through the door.
see-saw vippehuske recess frikvarter to deprive of å ta fra / å ta frå black-board tavle privilege rettighet / rett
3 Digitaltvurderingseksemplar
Citizens
Focus
In this chapter, you will:
→ explore diversity among the populations of countries in the English-speaking world
→ compare important aspects of society in Britain and America
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→ reflect on what it is like to be a c itizen in three English-speaking countries
→ practise talking and writing about different types of formal and informal texts
Describe & Reflect
A Individually, choose one of the situations and write a short description of what you see.
B Read your description to a partner and listen to theirs. Guess what each is describing.
C Talk about the other illustrations. What do you recognise, and what is new to you?
Reflect
Imagine that you suddenly received a message from the government telling you that you no longer had the right to live in your country. This would mean that you could not go to school or work. You would have to pay in full for any medical treatment you might need. The government might even deport you one day; that is, force you to leave the country.
A Discuss with a classmate how you would react.
B What do you value highest about being a citizen of your country?
The scenario described above became a frightening reality for a large group of people who had lived many years in Britain. They had never thought of themselves as anything but British.
“I’ve paid taxes here all my life.”
judy griffith, 63
“There has still been no apology.”
anthony bryan, 60
“They messed up my life.” hubert howard, 61
“I am British; that’s all I can be.”
valerie baker, 66
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Joseph Bravo, a “Windrush child” from Leeds, is heartbroken after he missed his daughter’s wedding in Australia because he was denied a British passport.
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Losing Citizenship: The Windrush Scandal
During World War II (1939 –1945), thousands of buildings in Britain had been bombed, many homes were destroyed, and it all needed to be rebuilt. In the Caribbean, lots of young men and women had served in the British armed forces. This was because many Caribbean countries were still under British rule and not yet independent. After the war, some of these people answered adverts to come to Britain where there were many different jobs to do.
They boarded a ship called the Empire Windrush, which left the Caribbean to travel thousands of miles across the Atlantic. It was 22 June 1948 when the ship arrived at Tilbury Docks in Essex. This was the first time so many Caribbean people had come to live in Br itain. Many more arrived in the years that followed.
citizenship statsborgerskap/ statsborgarskap armed forces væpnede styrker / væpna styrkar
After arriving on the Windrush, some of the Caribbean immigrants were housed in deep air raid shelters from the Second World War.
Comparing the United Kingdom and the United States
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The texts that follow vary in content, style and genre, but they all compare the US and the UK. They explore the controversial issues of healthcare coverage and gun control, and the final text looks at how these two countries are run, their democracies. Despite having many common bonds, such as a shared history and language, you will see that life in these two countries can be very different.
While reading the texts, think about the positive and negative aspects of the topics that are explored. (Go to page 300 to learn how to take notes in a pros/cons table.)
Get Well Soon!
Healthcare in the UK and the US
The United Kingdom and the United States are similar in many ways. When it comes to healthcare, however, these countries are very different. Let us have a look at some of these differences.
The United Kingdom: The NHS
The most important thing to know about healthcare in the UK is the National Health Service, or NHS. This was started in 1948 after the Second World War. Keeping people healthy, no matter their income, was now one of the main priorities of the government, and all the political parties agreed on this. There have been changes over the years, but the NHS is still essentially the same as it was when it was founded: free and available to all. Waiting lists have increased in recent years but British people are still proud of the NHS.
The United States: Medicare/Medicaid or nothing
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In the US, there is no NHS. Instead, they have two government programs, Medicare and Medicaid. These were introduced in the 1960s. Medicare provides health coverage if you are 65+ or under 65 and have a disability, no matter your income. Medicaid provides health coverage if you have a very low income. This system has remained the same since it was started, except for the changes brought about by President Obama in 2009. This is when the “Affordable Care Act”, also known as Obamacare, was passed. This expanded Medicare and Medicaid to help more people. Most people, however, do not get free healthcare from the state as they do in the UK.
healthcare helsetjeneste, helsetilbud / helseteneste, helsetilbod income inntekt to found å grunnlegge, å etablere / å grunnleggje, å etablere health coverage helsedekning
a What is the National Health Service in the UK normally referred to as?
b What is the difference between Medicare/Medicaid and the NHS?
Democracy in the UK and the US
Because of their history, and the fact that English is a global language, the US and the UK are two of the most famous democracies in the world. However, they are far from perfect. This text puts these two countries up against each other in a fight for the title of “Anglo-American Democracy Champion”. This competition is about people power. The winner of each round will therefore be the country where people get the most influence on how their country is run.
campaign kamp, kampanje to prevail å seire / å sigre regardless uavhengig av, uten å ta hensyn til / uavhengig av, utan å ta omsyn til
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Round 1: Which country could call itself a democracy first? When it comes to giving both men and women the vote, the US beat the UK by several years. The campaign for women’s rights began earlier in the US, and key American figures like Susan B. Anthony inspired women’s rights campaigners in the UK. The tireless American women prevailed, and in 1920 they were given the same voting rights as men.
Does this mean that the US wins this first round? Not quite. It was not until the Voting Rights Act in 1965 that African Americans all over the South got equal voting rights. This means that this first round must go to the UK, as in 1928 they were the first country to allow everybody to vote, regardless of gender or ethnic background.
Round 2: How often are there elections?
If we are going to find a winner here, we need to look at how often people can get involved in democracy and vote. In the US, there are general elections every two years. Election Day is on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The president is elected for four years, but the same general
Why did the United Kingdom win this first round?
Capitol Hill, the seat of the US Congress, Washington DC
election determines all seats in the House of Representatives in Congress (two-year terms), and one third of the seats in the Senate in Congress (six-year terms). Then there is an election two years into the presidential term, called a midterm election. Again, all seats in the House of Representatives are up for election, as well as one third of the Senate seats.
In the UK, however, it is a different story. There must be a General Election for Parliament at least every five years, but the party in charge gets to decide when it is to be held. Think about what this means for democracy: the party that is in charge can do things that are popular – for example, lower people’s taxes – and then call a General Election right after. This surely gives them an unfair advantage over the opposition parties. Unfair conduct means that we have to give this round to the US!
Round 3: How many people actually take part?
It is all very well having the right to vote, but can a country call itself a democracy if people do not actually use it? If Australia were involved here, they would win this round every time, as citizens there must vote and can be punished for not doing so. This is not the case in the US and the UK, however.
Looking at the statistics that show us how many people actually vote, or voter turnout, we can see a winner here: the US. The turnout in the 2024 Presidential election was 64%. This is higher than the 59% who voted in the 2024 general
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Why did the United States win the second round?
conduct oppførsel, atferd / oppførsel, åtferd
Citizens of the World
“No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime.”
KOFI ANNAN, FORMER SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Reflect →
Introduction
When we hear the term “The Englishspeaking world” it is easy to think about the US and the UK first. But English is in fact an official or administrative language in around 90 countries all around the world. In this chapter you will learn about some of the countries where English is spoken, meet people who have grown up there, and hear about some of the joys and challenges of being citizens of their country. The countries in focus are situated on three different continents: Nigeria in Africa, New Zealand in Oceania and India in Asia.
Indigenous people art/artwork heritage LGBTQ+ rights to come out
If you had to move to an Englishspeaking country (not the UK or the US), which would you choose, and why?
Consider the quote on this page: What is a good citizen, in your opinion?
What do you know about Nigeria, New Zealand and India from before?
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Sort the key terms into three categories: Terms I do not know, Terms I am familiar with, Terms I already know and use.
diversity/diverse child labour digital divide population/populous/populated
Māori
QUIZ: Test Yourself!
How much do you know about Nigeria, New Zealand and India? Take the quiz below, then read the texts in this chapter to find out how many correct answers you got.
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In which country …
�� can you find 1.4 billion people who call the country their home?
�� are the inhabitants also known as Kiwis?
�� is the film industry known as Nollywood located?
�� did the popular music style Afrobeats originate?
�� are cows considered sacred animals?
�� is the Indigenous population known as Māori ?
�� can you admire scenery from The Lord of the Rings films?
�� is Lahore the largest city?
�� can you admire the holy river Ganges, the Himalayas and the Taj Mahal?
The Taj Mahal
Nigeria
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Geography:
Nigeria is a country located on the western coast of Africa, bordering Niger, Chad, Benin and Cameroon. Nigeria’s climate is varied, with major rivers like the Niger and Benue flowing through its diverse landscapes. As of 2024, Nigeria’s population is approximately 227 million people, making it the most populous country in Africa. In 2050, Nigeria is expected to house almost 400 million people and become the third most populated country after India and China. The official languages are English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, and Nigeria is home to hundreds of different ethnic and linguistic groups.
Median age: 17
Population: 227 000 000
Life expectancy: 63.4 years
History:
The region now known as Nigeria has been home to many civilisations through time. In the wake of European contact, harbour towns grew along the coast and engaged in the transatlantic slave trade and other deep-sea trade. The United Kingdom gradually increased its control over Nigeria, and by 1903 the British had colonised the entire country. In 1960, however, Nigeria won its independence, and it soon became a republic. Internal conflicts, military rule and humanitarian crises plagued the country until a return to democracy in 1999. In the 2000s, the rise of groups like Boko Haram, especially in northern Nigeria, has spread fear due to their use of suicide bombs, kidnappings and massacres to further their cause. Furthermore, Amnesty International has expressed concern about human rights in Nigeria, pointing to the high levels of violence and the lack of freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights.
Economy:
Since the late 1960s, the country has been a major oil producer. In addition, Nigeria’s manufacturing sector produces a substantial proportion of goods and services for the West African region. Agriculture also employs a significant portion of the population. Despite its potential, Nigeria faces challenges such as high inflation, unemployment and poverty. Around 38% of the population live below the poverty line, existing on less than two US dollars a day.
Fun facts:
twins: Nigeria is the twins capital of the world, particularly the town of Igbo-Ora, known for its high birthrate of twins.
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jollof rice: This is Nigeria’s national dish. In order to prepare it, rice is cooked in a rich tomato sauce so that it absorbs all the flavours. The most common ingredients found in jollof rice include rice, tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, salt and pepper.
buttterflies: Nigeria is home to more than 1000 different species of butterflies, and new species are still being discovered
Geography:
India is the world’s seventh-largest country. It has a diverse landscape that includes the holy river Ganges and the Himalayas, a mighty mountain range on India’s northern border, where India shares boundaries with China, Bhutan and Nepal. India is home to a staggering 1.4 billion people, making it the world’s most populous country. Urbanisation is on the rise, with 36% of Indians residing in cities.
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Median age: 28
Population: 1 4 54 000 000 Life expectancy: 67.3 years
History:
India’s history dates back many thousands of years. During this time, there were many powerful Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms. From 1858 to 1947, India was part of the British Empire and was ruled from London. This period is known as the British Raj. In 1947, India won its freedom but was divided into two countries – India and Pakistan – in a violent process known as Partition. In 1950, India got its own constitution which made it a secular (non-religious), democratic republic with a president as head of state. It is the world’s largest democracy. Sadly, its Muslim minority has faced prejudice and persecution. In addition, India has a problematic caste system that separates people into different castes, or social classes. This system was made illegal shortly after India’s independence, but it is still practised in several places in India. This makes life hard for those who are seen as “untouchables”, the lowest social class in the caste system.
Economy:
Agriculture contributes 18% to India’s GDP, although over 80% of India’s farmers grow food just for themselves and their families. The IT sector is an important part of the Indian economy and has experienced huge growth since the 1990s. This is partly thanks to an educated workforce with English-language skills. Even so, the country has a high unemployment rate. Approximately 9% of the population – or 129 million people – lives below the poverty line, having only around two dollars a day to live on.
Fun facts:
rain: The village of Mawsynram holds the Guinness World Record for being the wettest inhabited place on Earth. It receives an astonishing 11,873 millilitres of rain during its six-month monsoon season. Don’t forget your umbrella!
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holi festival: Holi is a Hindu festival that celebrates spring, love and new life. Some families hold religious ceremonies, but for many Holi is more a time for fun. It is known as “the festival of colours”, and it includes dancing, singing and throwing of powder paint and coloured water.
sacred cows: In India, cows roam freely on city streets, protected by their own set of rules in the Constitution. Killing a cow is a crime, so if you’re used to hamburgers, you’ll need to adjust your diet!
CHILD LABOUR
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Have you recently bought a football? Something embroidered? Chocolate? Clothes? If so, there is a chance you have purchased something made by child labour. Child labour is so widespread in the production of goods and services from so many countries that it can be an enormous challenge to avoid it.
For many families in the world, having children who work is necessary to bring in enough money to keep the family going. In Pakistan, for example, nearly one fifth of the population live below the poverty line. Therefore, families often have to send their children to work.
This child labour has consequences. The United Nations has discovered that teenagers are more likely to have accidents than older workers are. According to UNICEF, more than 160 million children, who should be at school, are working instead. Half of these children have to do dangerous jobs. This means that many children are killed or injured while at work.
There are many reasons why young people are more likely to be injured at work than older workers. Firstly, young people often feel that they cannot say no when they are asked to do a job. In addition, many young workers have to work with dangerous chemicals, especially in farming. A third reason is that these young workers are often migrants (see p. 145) who do not understand safety instructions in the local language.
Recent numbers show that global progress to end child labour has stalled during the last years. Population growth and extreme poverty are among the reasons for this development. Additionally, as a result of school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic, children who were already in the labour force began working longer hours or under worse conditions than before. Furthermore, to compensate for job and income losses among poor families, even more children were forced into the worst forms of child labour.
On the other hand, a number of signs reveal that things are getting better. There are more schools in the world now, which means that more young people can get an education instead of working. In addition, more countries are making laws against child labour. However, there is still a long way to go.
Child labour – defined as any type of employment of children under age 14 – is illegal in India, and the Indian government has signed up to the UN’s goal of eliminating child labour in all its forms by 2025. Even so, the world’s most populated country has millions of child labourers. Some of the places where children in India work include mines, farms, food stalls, fisheries, domestic service and garment factories. Many children move to the big cities to find work.
(Sources: see p. 347)
Glossary: see p. 346
Top left: Child labourer working in a mosquito net factory (India).
Bottom left: Young girls boil silk cocoons in a factory (India).
Top right: Young African girl carrying water from local well.
Below right: Ten-year old boy cleaning car windows at an intersection (Bolivia).
Courses 4
“Using reading strategies is really helpful. Skimming lets me get the main idea of the text, scanning helps me find information quickly, and close reading helps me understand difficult texts.”
adnan (16)
“I’ve learned the difference between formal and informal language, so now I’m able to choose the right style for different purposes and situations.” alessia (16)
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“When I’m writing, knowing who my target audience is helps me make my text as clear as possible.”
lisa (17)
“Once I understood the importance of topic sentences, writing wellstructured paragraphs became much easier.”
alfred (16)
“Using reliable sources and referring to them correctly are new skills I’ve learned. My reference lists used to be a copy-paste of the Google search I did, but now it’s a whole different ballgame.”
oliver (17)
“Knowing something about rhetorical appeals makes it easier for me to persuade others and recognise when someone is trying to influence me.”
mari (16)
Focus
When working with this chapter you will learn to ...
→ use different strategies to improve your language and communication skills
→ express yourself clearly depending on the purpose, target audience and situation
→ review and improve your work using knowledge of text types and text structure
→ understand and analyse both fictional and factual texts
→ think critically about how reliable different sources are and how to refer to sources you use
Reading Strategies
“Read, read, read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read!”
william
faulkner, american author
1.1
Reading Factual Texts
Key terms
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Purpose: Why you are reading
Factual texts, also called non-fiction texts, may: – inform t he reader about a topic (examples: textbook text, news article) – instruct t he reader on how to do something (examples: manual from IKEA, recipe) – persuade the reader to believe or do something (examples: opinion piece, advertisement)
Knowing why you are reading a text – your purpose – will help you decide how you are going to approach the text. This means choosing a reading strategy. Are you expected to answer questions from the text? Are you supposed to write a summary? Are you going to discuss something with your classmates? Once you know the purpose, it is easier to decide what to focus on in the text.
Skimming: Looking for clues
We use this strategy when we look for the main points in a factual text or a news article, for example. When skimming, we search for clues to what the text is about, focusing on getting an overview, not on details.
Stage 1: Identifying the instruction verb(s)
Example of task instruction:
Characters in films and literature often deal with global challenges, for example migration, discrimination, climate change or gender inequality. Write a text that discusses and compares how two or more characters in English-language films and/or literary texts you have studied have had to deal with the effects of one or more global challenges. Refer to examples from the films/texts in your answer.
In this example, the instruction verbs “discuss”, “compare” and "refer to" mean that you must:
→ write about the topic from different angles in a balanced manner (discussion)
→ present similarities and differences (comparison)
→ make use of the sources (films and/or literature) you have chosen (references)
Stage 2: Understanding the task instruction
After having identified the instruction verbs, you must find out what else the task requires from you by asking:
→ What is the topic in question?
The topic is the impact of one or more global challenges on characters in films and literature.
→ What is the purpose of your text?
The purpose is to discuss and compare how two or more characters deal with the effects of the identified global challenge(s).
→ Who is the target audience for your text?
The target audience is probably your teacher or another examiner since no audience is specified.
→ Which text type are you going to write? Examples could be a five-paragraph essay (p. 319) or an opinion piece (p. 324).
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The most suitable text type here would be a fiveparagraph essay, because it allows for a structured discussion and comparison of characters dealing with complex global challenges.
→ Will you need to use any sources to be able to complete the task?
The instruction requires examples from films or texts you have studied.
Stage 3: Creating a draft outline
Put the information from stages 1–2 into a draft outline. Some students find mind maps or Venn diagrams useful (see p. 300), while others prefer to use a table as in the example that follows.
Task instruction:
Some people argue that English has become too dominant and that small languages like Norwegian are under threat. Write a text in which you reflect on the influence of English on Norwegian and whether you think this is a positive or a negative development.
Topic sentence
Thesis statement
Linking words and phrases “Bridges” between paragraphs
Title
Body paragraph 1
Solving the Climate Crisis: A Shared Responsibility
By Emma Pedersen, 1STB
The climate crisis is a serious global problem that needs quick action, or the effects will be terrible. Our planet faces huge problems because of global warming and climate change. Therefore, it makes sense to look at the views of people who understand how important this issue is. This text will discuss three quotes that highlight the need for action, responsibility and change in order to combat the climate crisis. One view of dealing with the climate crisis focuses on individual responsibility.
Katie Miller’s quote shows that what we do as individuals really matters. For example, she points out that reducing waste requires a lot of time and effort from everyone. In fact, being a “zero waster” means making careful choices, like cutting down on single-use plastics and regularly composting and recycling. By following sustainable practices, people help create a healthier planet. In this way, Katie focuses on what each of us can do, rather than waiting for experts to come up with an easy solution.
Kurt Vonnegut comments on this idea of an easy solution in his quote. While scientific progress is important, he warns against blindly depending on costly and currently unavailable science and technology. Instead, people need to understand that the climate crisis calls for many different approaches. Perhaps looking at things differently, like Vonnegut seems to have done, is needed to make change happen and face our shared responsibilities.
Bill Nye’s perspective is helpful when it comes to understanding how serious this issue is and that fixing it is our responsibility. He brings a personal angle to the climate crisis, comparing Earth to our home and our house. As owners, not just renters, we have a duty to take care of our planet. Also, by calling Earth our house, he encourages us to treat it carefully, just as we would our own living space. In fact, he says, there is no other place to go if our house is destroyed. This view is important for encouraging people to keep the fight against climate change going.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these quotes address the topic of the climate crisis by focusing on our shared responsibility to do something about it. Katie Miller shows us that we can reduce the resources we use if we are willing to change. Furthermore, Kurt Vonnegut suggests that we should work on solutions ourselves, instead of waiting for someone else to do it. Finally, Bill Nye reminds us that this planet is our only home. Therefore, we need to take care of it. Looking back, Katie Miller’s quote is perhaps the most helpful, as it gives practical advice we can all follow. In addition, it is honest about the change that is needed, without making the issue seem easier than it is.
The thesis statement or thesis question
The thesis statement/question can do two things: it can express what you want to explain, or it can present your main claim for the essay or the question your essay will discuss. This gives the reader an understanding of the purpose of your essay, and it helps you to keep a clear focus. The rest of your essay will explain the issue, and then discuss the thesis statement or answer the thesis question.
Your thesis statement/question should be clear and concise and have a scope that is possible to cover in a five-paragraph essay. Here are some examples of thesis questions/statements if the focus of the essay is on explaining or describing something:
→ What are some of the main contributing factors to climate change?
→ Gun control is an issue that provokes strong feelings among Americans.
Here are some examples of thesis questions/statements if the focus of the essay is on arguing a side or discussing a topic:
→ Should English be made compulsory in all three years of Norwegian upper secondary school?
→ Too many tests and grades affect the mental health of Norwegian teenagers.
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TASK
Write one possible thesis statement and one possible thesis question for each of the task instructions below. The instructions are very open, and it is up to you to narrow them down by formulating suitable thesis questions/ statements.
Example: Wr ite a five-paragraph essay that explores and discusses the effects of gaming on young people.
Thesis statement : Video games are harmful to young people because they teach them violence as a means of solving problems.
Thesis question: Can video games increase young people’s English skills in ways that will benefit them at school?
A Write a five-paragraph essay that explores and discusses some of the possible effects of social media on teenagers.
B “Politicians should do more to stop climate change.” Write a five-paragraph essay that explains and discusses this statement.
C Write a five-paragraph essay that explores how fake news might be a threat to democracy and reflects upon what could be done to fight the spread of fake news.