Explore writing 2: A letter stating an opinion Read the three letters, which were written to The Guardian newspaper in response to an article there, and answer the questions. 1 What was the title of the original article? 2 When did it appear in the newspaper? 3 What is the name of the journalist who wrote the article? 4 The opinion expressed in the article was that A we should travel more. B we should travel less. 39 Our desire for unrestricted travel Simon Jenkins rightly criticises our arrogant assumption of the right to move around (Don’t blame the system for winter chaos. Stay at home, 23 December). But first-hand knowledge of other countries is vitally important, especially for young people forming their ideas of the world. The post-war generation explored other countries cheaply and with no additional carbon footprint by hitch-hiking. Now we use transport that is expensive, both in terms of money and carbon emissions. We could start to be more open about making our cars available to hitch-hikers. Hitch-hiking can be risky, but the dangers of our young people spending their lives on the sofa are probably worse. Alison Prince, Whiting Bay, Isle of Arran A Another aspect which Simon Jenkins (23 December) does not mention is the need to support local shops. When our washing machine broke down last week, we went down to our local electrical shop at 2 p.m. By 3 p.m. a new machine was delivered and installed. Contrast that with the service you get from big chain stores. Andy Semple, Cockermouth, Cumbria B Simon Jenkins gets lots of things right when he talks about our unsocial travel habits, but he misses out the most important observation. Flexible working forces people to commute long distances. In the past, we used to move to be near our jobs. But now no one has a job for life, so everyone commutes. What a mad world. We exploit the earth and the workers at the same time. Chris Jeynes, Guildford, Surrey C Which letter … 1 agrees with the opinion in the article and adds a reason to explain the present situation? 2 partially agrees with the opinion in the article and suggests a different way of doing things? 3 adds another point and makes a suggestion? Which letter ends … 1 by inviting readers to make a comparison? 2 with a strong personal comment? 3 with an evaluation and a preference? Write a short letter (around 120 words) to a newspaper in response to one of the articles you read in Unit 10 or to an article you have read recently. You should: ■■ give the details of the article (title, date, name of the journalist if you know it) ■■ state whether you agree with the writer ■■ add a new point and end your letter with a strong idea 1 Writing coach: A letter to the editor, p. 90/91. 40 a b 41 125 Language skills Extras Explore 10 In the news Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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