9789127451582

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Level  Up

Christopher Jacklin  •   Desirée Kellerman

Use Level Up to help you with English homework, in class activities, and assignments. Present a perfect speech, write your first short story in English, and learn strategies to help you crush the national test – everything is possible with the help of Level Up ! In Level Up you can find information, example texts, tips, and practice questions on :

• • • • • •

Christopher Jacklin   •   Desirée Kellerman

Level Up

Level Up ENGLISH         HANDBOOK           7 – 9

Christopher  Jacklin Desirée Kellerman

Reading and listening strategies Speaking activities Writing tasks Digital skills National test preparation Language basics

ISBN 978-91-27-45158-2

9 789127 451582

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Dear Student If you are looking for a modern, English lifeline that you can bring with you to your English lessons to help level up your English language skills, and help you get that grade in English class that you’ve always wanted, then this is the book for you! In Level Up, you will find tips and tricks to help you with any task your English teacher throws at you. Level Up was made specifically for you, a student who is learning English, so it will help you to avoid common mistakes that most students your age make. You can find information, example texts, tips, and practice questions on :

• • • • • •

Reading and listening strategies Speaking activities Writing tasks Digital skills National test preparation Language basics

From your first day in year 7 to your last day of year 9, use Level Up to help you with English homework, in class activities, and assignments. Present a perfect speech, write your first short story in English, and learn strategies to help you crush the national test – everything is possible with the help of Level Up ! We hope that you enjoy using this book as much as we enjoyed writing it. All the best,

Christopher and Desirée

Additional material for this book can be found online. To access listening comprehension materials, audio files, online exercises and answer keys go to : nok.se/extramaterial

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Contents Reading Reading Strategies

Listening Listening Strategies

7 8 –14

15 16   –18

Listening comprehension  • 18

Speaking    19 Small Talk  • Interview Discussion Debate Speech Grades: Who needs ’em ?  •

Writing News Article  • Blog Post  • Formal Email  • Informative Text  • Review  • Instructions  • Argumentative Text  • Short Story

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20  –  23 24  –  25 26  –  27 28  –  31 32  –  38 36

39 40   –   41 42   –  43 44   –   45 46   –   47 48   –   49 50   –  51 52   –  53 54   –  58

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Digital Skills Finding Credible Sources Effective Online Research Using Wikipedia Correctly Digital Safety

Language

Preparing for Tests

You hear English in music and tv-series. You probably chat in English when you are gaming, or on social media. However, don’t forget about the formal language rules. You will need them when you want to say something really important.

learn learn

learn English ;; information speak information!!speak teaching noun is teaching noun adjective write hours hours

Verbs Adjectives Adverbs Pronouns Prepositions Conjunctions Language Rules

adjective write do do yes understand yes understand Word list pronouns up out pronouns -ish My notes out of of

Pronunciation

the the

60  –  61 62 63 64  –   66

67

General advice 68 Reading 69   –  70 Listening 71 Speaking 72  – 73 Writing 74

college nouns college.. nouns ??lesson lesson online online studying grammar studying grammarknowledge Language school Nouns school knowledge

an so

59

75 76    –   80 81  –   97 98    –  100 101  – 104 105  –  112 113   –  115 116   –  117 118   –  128 121  –122 129   –130 131–135

Online exercises

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Audio files online

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recognize känna igen

Reading Strategies Reading strategies are ways to get as much out of reading a text, as possible. Here are five reading skills you can practice. 1 2 3 4 5

Understand the language Find information Draw conclusions Read between the lines Recognize text types

Dear Ms. Andersson,

What is an extension ?

What is Victoria ’s essay about ?

How many days ’ extension does Victoria ask for?

What type of student is Victoria normally ?

I hope that you are well ! I am writing you today to ask for an    extension  on my   World War II  essay  . These past few weeks have been much more hectic than normal and I just have not been able to find the time to finish it. I have completed my first draft, which I could share with you if you would like, but I need a little more time to finish my final draft. My hope is that I could submit my essay  on Monday instead of Friday  ,  so that I could have an extra weekend to work.   It is unlike me to ask for an extension  , but I hope that by informing you a few days before the deadline I have shown you that it is not just because I left it to the last minute.   Last week, a few personal problems came up that I did not expect and they took up a lot of my time. However, I do understand that it is still my responsibility to properly manage my time. I know that you told the class at the beginning of the year that all of your deadlines are final, but I was hoping that you might make an exception this time. I would really like to do well on this assignment, as it means a lot to me, and the extra time would allow me to give you my best work.

What type of text is this ?

Thank you very much for your time, and I look forward to your reply. Sincerely, Victoria R. 9 A

8  Reading

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1 Understand the language

What is an extension ?

In a foreign language, there are words and phrases that we don’t understand. To be able to understand a text with difficult words and phrases we can use several strategies. Look up the word in a dictionary In the text on page 8, Victoria uses the word extension. An EnglishSwedish dictionary tells us that it means “förlängning” or “mer tid”. An English explanation is “more time”. Ask a teacher or a partner If you don’t know what a word means, ask a teacher or a partner. It’s easier to remember the answer when you hear it from someone else. Guess what the word means Sometimes you can look at the sentence and guess what a word or phrase means. In the text on page 8, Victoria says that she wants to hand in her essay on Monday instead of on Friday, so she’s asking for more time. Ignore the word You don’t have to understand every word to understand a text, try to keep on reading. Only look up difficult words when you don’t understand the text anymore.

Let’s work ! 1. Look up what the word “submit” means. Find a translation or an English definition. 2. Ask a teacher or a partner what “first draft” means. Check if their answer is correct by using a dictionary or searching online. 3. Guess what “exception” means by looking at the sentence and the paragraph. Check if your guess was correct by comparing your guess to a partner ’ s guess or by using a dictionary. 4. Decide if “assignment” is an important word for you to understand the purpose of this text. Why do you need to understand this word or why don’ t you need to understand it? Discuss with a partner.

Reading  9

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demand kräva consider fundera över conclusion sammanfattning plot handling

Listening Strategies Listening strategies are ways to understand as much as possible when you listen. Here are some ways to prepare to listen, stay active while listening, and some specific things to listen out for. Different situations demand different strategies. Try to find the strategies that work best for you.

You may listen to conversations, announcements, news, weather forecasts, podcasts, fiction, etc.

Before you listen Guess what you will hear  :

• Read the heading. • Read the intro. • Look at any pictures. • Consider any information that tells you what genre you will listen to (a conversation, a speech, an instruction, etc.). • Ask your teacher : “ What are we going to listen to? ” What do you know about the topic ? • Think about what you already know about this topic. Make some notes or a mind-map.

• Think about why this topic is interesting or what you want to learn about it. • Think about the type of vocabulary that might be used. Take notes on tricky words that you know in your own language or in English. Look up tricky words that you don’t know in English. • If you know the genre, think about the structure. Will it have an introduction, a middle, and a conclusion or a more informal structure? Read any listening comprehension questions

• Listen for details such as names, numbers or dates • Listen for general things such as the main topic, the plot or the genre

16  Listening

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Stay active while listening

gestures gester clarification förtydligande

Take notes

• On things that will help you answer the listening comprehension questions. • On the things that you think seem the most important (main topic, main argument, main characters, etc.). • On specific details such as dates, names or numbers. Look at the person speaking • If you can see them, look at the person speaking. Pay attention to expressions and gestures. They are clues to what the person is saying .

Ask for clarification. Say : Could you repeat that  ?

• Ask questions about things you do not understand ( if this is OK with the person speaking ). Listen again

• If the audio is recorded, listen to it one more time. You can take notes on a different aspect of the speech this time. • Listen to one part of the speech that you don’t quite understand. • Listen to a certain passage at a lower speed to hear something more clearly.

Listen out for : • Answers to the listening comprehension questions. • Important details such as names, dates, numbers, etc. • Keywords. • Main topics or themes. These are often given in the introduction and the conclusion.

• Opinions and arguments. • Connections between two or more things such as oppositions, comparisons, things that change over time, etc.

• Repetitions. Important things are often said more than once, in different ways.

Listening  17

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persuade övertyga recognize uppskatta confident trygg stage fright scenskräck breathing andning cue cards talarkort get stuck komma av sig

Speech Platform: Print, digital, audio, video, or live Authorship: Anyone, or an expert on the subject Listeners or readers: The general public, or a specific person or group that is interested in the topic

Purpose: To persuade, inform, inspire or to recognize a specific person Level of formality: Semi-formal or formal, depending on the topic Structure: Title, introduction, body, conclusion

You will come across many situations where you will need to speak in front of people. It could be presenting your work to your class, accepting an award, or celebrating a friend’s birthday. Of course, many of us don’t enjoy speaking in front of others. We get nervous and forget what we are supposed to say. Luckily, in this section, you will learn how to prepare for these situations, so you can feel confident and ready.

How to overcome stage fright • Practice your speech in front of a mirror many times. • Use your smartphone and record yourself, then watch the clip. • Give your speech to a small group of friends or your family. Ask for their feedback.

Delivering your speech

• Make eye contact with the audience. • Control your breathing – take a deep breath ! • Don’t read the speech, speak freely. Use cue cards to keep yourself on track.

• Speak clearly and not too fast. • Use your body language. • If you get stuck – move on.

32  Speaking

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Informative Speech Purpose The purpose of an informative speech is to inform your audience about a particular topic, for example : Great White Sharks.

general generell, allmängiltig spice up krydda visuals illustrationer attention uppmärksamhet anecdote händelse, historia

General speech structure Most speeches you write will follow the same structure. You will need : 1. an introduction where you tell your listeners what you will be speaking about 2. a minimum of three body paragraphs where you explain and give details about your topic 3. a conclusion where you wrap up your speech Spice things up Begin with a surprising fact, an object, or a picture. Adding visuals or audio to your presentation is a great way to keep the attention of your audience. YouTube clips, objects, or even just a picture that has to do with your speech make things more interesting.

Add visuals. Nothing is more boring than listening to someone simply list a bunch of facts !

Another great way to make your speech more interesting is by adding descriptions and personal anecdotes. You can also use rhetorical questions to get your audience more involved.

The largest white shark ever recorded measured 6.1 meters in length and weighed 1,905 kilograms.

Speaking  33

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persuade övertyga thesis tes, åsikt linking words sambandsord social circle umgänges krets safety säkerhets concerns frågor counter motrestate upprepa

Argumentative Text Platform : Print or digital newspapers, argumentative letters or emails, and online forums

Purpose : To take a clear position on a subject and persuade others that you are correct

Authorship : Journalist, member of the public, or an expert on the topic

Level of formality : Informal or formal

Readership : The general public

Structure : Title, introduction/ thesis, body (arguments for and against), conclusion

In an argumentative text you are expressing opinions about a topic and trying to persuade your reader to think like you. Normally, these texts have five paragraphs because there is an introduction, a conclusion, and a minimum of three arguments.

Capture your reader’s attention and hint at what your text will be about.

Introduce your thesis in your first sentence and explain the main points you are going to bring up later.

Argument 1 : Start to defend your thesis. Use real-world examples.

Social Media is Good for Teens Social media platforms are great tools for teenagers. They let teenagers keep in contact with friends, do research on school topics, and collaborate with others around the world. Many parents are scared that their kids spend too much time on social media and that it is causing them to become isolated from the world. In fact, research has shown that teens who spend the most time texting or messaging friends online, also spend the most time hanging out together in person  . It seems that talking on a social media app, like Kik, has actually increased teenagers’ willingness to speak face-to-face, instead of taking away from it. This is because it lets teens make and change plans easily and get to know each other faster.

52  Writing

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In addition, social media gives teens the chance to work with others around the world. With apps like Skype, Snapchat, and Instagram, the social circle of a teen is no longer limited to where they live.  For example , if a teen is the only one in their town that is interested in manga comics, they can Skype someone from Tokyo who shares their interest. Naturally, there are safety concerns when meeting people online . However, it is no different than meeting someone in person. Teens must be taught internet safety from a young age, just like they are taught not to take candy from strangers  .  Lastly ,  social media is a great tool for students in the classroom. Students can do endless amounts of research on a topic that would not be possible if it weren’t for social media platforms .  Moreover, they can easily access the information from anywhere, instead of needing to carry around a large textbook.  Of course, everything that students will find online won’t be true .    However ,  a few, brief lessons from a teacher on how to navigate the internet could easily solve this problem   . Social media is a great tool for today’s teenagers. It helps them with their social lives, and in school. It makes it easy for them to communicate with friends, work with others, and do research for school projects.  Teenagers are our future, and with the help of social media, the future looks bright  .

• But → However, Nevertheless, Despite this, Although • And → Furthermore, In addition, Additionally, Also • So → As a result, Consequently, Therefore, Due to

Use linking words to connect paragraphs and sentences.

Argument 2 : Remember to provide supporting evidence = factual information from reliable sources.

Argument 3: Make it your strongest  !

Proving  counter   arguments  wrong is a great way to make your argument seem correct.

Restate your thesis and arguments. Close with a strong,  final   statement.

Do not start sentences with “but”, “and”, and “so”. Instead, use these linking words.

Let ’s work       *        Argumentative Text Rewrite the text above from the other perspective : Social Media is Bad for Teens

• Change your thesis to match the title. • Come up with three arguments for your thesis, and three arguments against that you can disprove (motbevisa). You may use some of the points that are mentioned in Social Media is Good for Teens, but you will need to change them to fit your text.

• Make sure you use linking words to connect your sentences and paragraphs.

Writing  53

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appropriate passande haunt förfölja option valmöjlighet potential möjlig forge förfalska purchase köpa reset återställa

Digital Safety In today’s world, it is so important that you act in an appropriate and safe manner online. If you’re not careful online, it could come back to haunt you in the future.   1 Protecting your identity Many websites, such as Facebook, allow you to add personal details to your profile including your phone number, address, age, gender, or where you go to school. Just because there is an option for it, doesn’t mean that you need to fill in your details. In fact, the less you have, the better. The more that a potential thief knows about you, the easier it is for them to take your identity. Whether that means creating a profile online, or forging documents in real life.

If the website doesn’t have an “s”, don’t use it  !

2 Shopping online If you are shopping online, make sure that the web shops you are buying from are credible. Credible online shops will have security software that is meant to keep your personal details secure. Another way to see if a website is secure, is to look at the URL. If a website starts with https://, the “s” stands for secure. Other sites that don’t have the same level of security could put your credit card details at risk. This means that someone could steal your payment information and purchase whatever they want with your money.   3 Check your privacy settings Go into the “Settings” of all of your social media accounts and make sure that the only people that have access to your account are your friends. There is really no reason to allow complete strangers to see your personal life, and it simply puts you at risk. Check your settings every couple of months, as companies such as Facebook and Twitter often update their privacy policies, which could reset your settings.

64  Digital Skills

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require kräva request be om inappropriate opassande publicly offentligt

Passwords are like underwear. Change your passwords often and never share them with anyone.

4 Passwords Most things that you do online require a password. To protect yourself, make sure that your passwords are strong. This means that they are not simple (“1234”) just to make them easy to remember. If it’s easy for you, it’s easy for someone else to guess it. Have a password that is personal to you. This way, it is stronger than a “simple” password, and is easy for you to remember. Lastly, use different passwords for different applications. This way, if one of your passwords is discovered, a thief cannot hack into all of your accounts.   5 Watch out for spam mail Spam emails are starting to look more and more credible. Whether it’s an email asking for your bank information (a bank would never ask via email), offering you a free trip to Paris, or if it’s a simple survey. If you did not request it, don’t answer it. In fact, don’t even open it if you are not 100% sure who sent it. Simply delete it, and move on.   6 Watch what you upload Whether it is a silly picture, rude comment, or link to something inappropriate, be careful with what you put online. The fact is, once you post it, it’s permanent. And, once you have posted it publicly, anyone in the world can find, copy it, share it, and use it how they want. The last thing you want is a future boss to find your comments bullying someone online when you were 14 years old.

Digital Skills  65

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develop utveckla improve förbättra scope omfattning multiple flera provide ge

Practice makes perfect  !

Speaking Before the test Go through the speaking cards of the old national test with a partner. Make sure that you can discuss each card and if you can’t, do a little research on the topic and develop some talking points. After, go back to the cards and try speaking about them again. Note any words that you needed to say in Swedish and find out what they are in English so that you improve your vocabulary. While you practice, if you are unsure of how to pronounce a certain word, look it up online or ask your teacher. Practice saying the word aloud ten times so that you become familiar with it.

During the test Understand the scope of the task: There are two different types of questions that you will need to answer. They are usually very similar, but you need to make sure that you answer them each correctly. The questions that you need to answer may have multiple parts. For example :

More people should eat vegetarian. Agree? Disagree? Explain why and give examples. What do your friends think? Notice how you need to provide two answers here. First, if you agree or disagree (and why), and if your friends would agree or disagree.

Don’t switch to Swedish  !

Speaking around a word: If you forget a certain word in English, don’t switch to Swedish. Try your best to describe the word you are looking for in English. This will show that you can use strategies to help express yourself in English, and it gives your partner a chance to provide you with the word if they know it. For example: If you can’t remember the word “porcupine” or “ hedgehog  ”, you could say :

“small animal with spikes”, “small prickly animal”, “the cute animal that you can’t touch because it will stab you”.

72  Preparing for Tests

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If you are stuck : There is a chance that you get a topic that you don’t know anything about. If that happens, don’t panic. Remember, you are having a conversation with someone else and they might know a lot about that subject, so ask. For example :

be stuck komma av sig benefit fördel

“Oh, I don’t really know a lot about living in the city because I have lived in the country my whole life. What about you?” Then, based on what your partner says about the topic, add to what they have said :

“Well, I lived in an apartment downtown for a few years. It was pretty small, and we could always hear our neighbors arguing.” You could continue :

“Hmm, well that is one benefit of living in the country then! My closest neighbor is a ten-minute walk away. What did you like about living in the city?” And so on …

However, there may be a time where neither you, nor your partner have much to say about a topic. In that case, say what you can about it and move on to the next card. There are plenty of topics to choose from and your teachers are not grading you on your knowledge of the world, but how well you can communicate in English.

Preparing for Tests  73

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Verbs  verb Verbs tell us what is going on or what somebody is doing, thinking or saying. They can also express a state of being. We communicate in three different time frames (tenses): the present, the past and the future.

Verbs show when events take place : NOW, in the PAST or in the FUTURE.

Simple present  I play the piano on Tuesdays. Jag spelar piano på tisdagar. Present continuous I am playing the piano right now. Jag spelar piano nu. Simple past I played the piano when I was young. Jag spelade piano när jag var ung. Past continuous I was playing the piano while she sang. Jag spelade piano medan hon sjöng. Present perfect I have played the piano once. Jag har spelat piano en gång. Past perfect I had played the piano before I started playing the guitar. Jag hade spelat piano innan jag började spela gitarr. Future I will play the piano. / I am going to play the piano at the concert. Jag ska spela piano. / Jag kommer att spela piano vid konserten.

Simple present tense ▶ We use the simple present tense about things that are always true,

We say: I play the piano on Tuesdays, because it’s a habit.

like habits or general knowledge.

The Earth is round. I go to soccer practice on Wednesdays. She likes the color brown.

Verbs  81

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Prepositions  prepositioner We use prepositions to say where something is and when something happened. The most common prepositions are on, at and in. on The keys are on the table.    /  Are you on time? Nycklarna ligger på bordet. / Är du i tid?

at I will meet you at 3 pm.    /    I will meet you at the mall. Jag möter dig klockan 15. /    Jag möter dig i gallerian.

in My dress is in the closet.    /    The test is in three hours. Min klänning är i garderoben. /    Provet är om två timmar.

Prepositions of place ▶ W e use prepositions of place to say where something is.

Some common prepositions of place

below  / under above  / over

betweeen  / in the middle of

into

through

behind

beside  /next to  /to the right of

in front of

out of

across

up

down

around

Prepositions  113

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Level  Up

Christopher Jacklin  •   Desirée Kellerman

Use Level Up to help you with English homework, in class activities, and assignments. Present a perfect speech, write your first short story in English, and learn strategies to help you crush the national test – everything is possible with the help of Level Up ! In Level Up you can find information, example texts, tips, and practice questions on :

• • • • • •

Christopher Jacklin   •   Desirée Kellerman

Level Up

Level Up ENGLISH         HANDBOOK           7 – 9

Christopher  Jacklin Desirée Kellerman

Reading and listening strategies Speaking activities Writing tasks Digital skills National test preparation Language basics

ISBN 978-91-27-45158-2

9 789127 451582

Level up_omslag.indd Alla sidor

2018-07-16 16:17


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