B2 C1 - Mediation Strategy Practice Spoken

Mediation Strategy Practice: Spoken
1 Paraphrasing
Using different words or expressions to explain ideas and concepts is known as
paraphrasing. There are various ways to achieve this.
• Present the information in a different order.
After a famous film was shot in the area, it became more popular with tourists. = The area has
become more popular with tourists because a famous film was shot there.
• Reduce the number of words used by simplifying and by using more general expressions.
The restaurant offers food from wide range of different counties and nationalities, including the
Middle East and Africa. = The restaurant serves many international dishes including Middle
Eastern and African food.
• Use synonyms and antonyms or change negative to positive and vice versa.
The market is always crowded. = The market is always busy. / The market is never quiet. /
The market always has a lot of shoppers.
• Change the active to the passive (or the passive to the active). Using the passive is a good way
to paraphrase an active sentence.
She called the police and told them about the problem. = The police were called and were told
about the problem.
• Use different parts of speech.
His ideas were too simple. = He simplified his ideas too much.
The engine design caused lots of problems. = The engine design was problematic.
• Use a combination of all these techniques.
Look at the example exam task and then complete the activities that follow.
Your friend has opened an Indian restaurant and wants you to record a radio advert for it. He’s sent
you an email with some information to include in the recording. Paraphrase the information and make
it sound more interesting.
English File fourth edition EOI Exam Power Pack: Intermedio B2 y Avanzado C1 Photocopiable © Oxford University Press 2022
A Complete the second sentence so that it paraphrases the first. There is usually more than one
possible answer.
1 The restaurant is very smart and formal, but it isn’t just a place for businesspeople, and in the evening
especially, the candles on the tables make it more relaxed and romantic.
With a formal but relaxed atmosphere, The Madras is ______________ or pleasure.
2 We serve delicious Indian food and have dishes from all over India as well as the Middle East
and Africa.
Our dishes include the best ______________.
3 Two of our chefs are Indian and one is from Somalia – they’re all fully trained and have professional
qualifications as well as many years of experience.
Our Indian and Somalian chefs are very experienced and ______________.
4 The owner, the chefs and the waiting staff are all very friendly at The Madras Restaurant.
Come to The Madras Restaurant and ______________ a warm welcome.
B Paraphrase these sentences. Use the strategies in the box to help you.
1 The restaurant is large and can seat more than 80 people, so we can cater for large groups, weddings
and parties as well as holiday celebrations.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2 The price range on the menu is between €15 and €25 for the main course, but there’s a good value
set menu of two courses for €15 from Monday to Thursday which keeps us full on weekdays.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3 We’re vegetarian friendly and have wide variety of vegan and gluten free dishes – a lot of Indian food
is traditionally vegetarian.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4 We’re on social media, and it’s possible to book a table online, but you can also contact us by phone
or email.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
C Now record your radio advert. Speak for about three minutes.
2 Identifying key information
You will often be required to select the most important information from a text or texts to
complete a task.
• Pay careful attention to the instruction. Read it several times and refer to it as you complete the task.
• Underline the key words in the instruction and find where they are reflected or repeated in the text(s).
Remember that they might be paraphrased or expressed differently.
• Very often there will be a lot of information that is not required – so don’t include this in your answer.
• Don’t guess what the task requires you to do. Always go back to the instruction if you are unsure.
Your friend is coming to visit you this summer. She’s just started cycling and running and wants to
do a physical challenge during her visit. Look at the information about some activities in your area.
Leave your friend a voice message with the most important information about the activities.
A Read the instructions and the information about the activities again. Underline any key words
and phrases.
B Complete each sentence with one key item of information from the text above.
1 If you do the Hill Valley Mountain Trail, you can …
2 The Lowland Cave Tour …
3 The Dalton 10k might be good for you because it …
4 You might like the Rowland River Bike Route as you …
C Send the voice message (as described in the task). Speak for about three minutes.
3 Expanding information
For many tasks you will be required to expand basic information by explaining it more fully.
• Expand notes and fragments into full sentences.
ID required – You’ll be required to provide ID. / You need to provide ID.
• Add more detail, even if this detail might seem obvious.
Keep your receipt – If you want to return any of the items you bought, you will have to present your receipt.
You are doing some work experience at a local school and they have asked you to supervise
(invigilate) an exam. Before you start you have to explain the rules to the exam candidates using the
posters on the walls.
A Complete the sentences using a word from the box. You may have to modify the word.
find remove require turn write
1 Can you please make sure that you have ______________ the label from your water bottle?
2 There should be no ______________ at all on your water bottles.
3 All phones and other devices should be ______________ off and in your bag at the front of the hall.
4 If you are ______________ to have an unauthorized device, this may mean you are disqualified from
your exam.
5 You are ______________ to write in either black or blue ink.
B Make the following elements of the instructions into full sentences. Use your own ideas where
necessary.
1 You must arrive on time so that …
2 If you talk or disturb other candidates, …
3 At all times please follow …
4 You must not pretend to be someone else, so …
5 If you have a problem with anything, …
6 Do not leave …
C Explain the rules (as described in the task). Speak for about three minutes.
4 Simplifying
You may be asked to simplify texts to make them easier for people to understand.
• Always start with an introduction to explain what you are going to say. This will help your listeners.
• Look for ways to shorten long sentences.
If you require any assistance, press the button above your seat to alert the assistant. = Press the
button to call the assistant.
• Simplify words that may be technical or hard for your intended audience to understand.
You are liable to pay tax on any income that you earn. = You will have to pay tax on what you earn.
• Use less complex grammar, for example make passive sentences active so they are easier to
understand.
All bags should be placed in the overhead locker = Put your bags in the overhead locker.
• Don’t include any unnecessary details.
Your cousin has hired a car. He’s signed the contract but doesn’t really understand it. He has emailed
the contract to you. Leave him a voicemail message and explain the main points from the contract so
he will understand.
A Add one or two words to complete the sentences.
1 When you pick up the vehicle, it will be in ______________.
2 You can ______________ the car on the 5th of July at 09.00.
3 You have to be ______________ to drive, so you need to have a licence.
4 The daily charge ______________ insurance.
5 You can’t charge passengers ______________.
6 You’re not allowed to use the vehicle to do ______________.
B Simplify the following sentences. Use the prompts to help.

1 The rented vehicle will not be operated by any other person other than the Renter.
Only you / drive / car
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2 The vehicle must be returned with the same level of fuel, ordinarily this is a full tank.
You / return car / full tank of fuel
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3 The Renter hereby agrees that he / she shall be held fully responsible for the first €500 deductible in
case of accident.
You / pay / first €500/ if / accident
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4 This deposit will be used in the event of loss of or damage to the vehicle or equipment during the term
of this car rental Agreement.
(Your deposit / used / pay/ damage / to vehicle)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5 In the absence of damage or loss, said deposit will be returned to the Renter.
(If / don’t damage vehicle / money back)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
C Leave the voicemail message for your cousin. Speak for about three minutes.
5 Summarizing
In some tasks you’ll need to express the main points of a long text or a set of texts.
• Break the text down into manageable chunks, look for the topic sentences that
paragraphs often start with and circle any key words that are in the text.
• Leave out any information that isn’t important, such as supporting detail, extra ideas or
unnecessary words.
• While you are writing your summary, remember to paraphrase. This can often help you to
shorten the text.
• Be careful not to add any details that aren’t in the text. You can’t use your own ideas or
write details that are not in the text.
Your English friend is just starting to learn another language. You found this article on the internet
about how to learn vocabulary. Leave your friend a voice message summarizing the main points of the
article.
A Circle the key phrases in each of the paragraphs above.
B Match each paragraph of the article to the correct summary.

1 ___ Don’t try to learn too much at once.
2 ___ Have an organized system for learning words.
3 ___ Review your new words often.
4 ___ Learn words that fit together.
5 ___ Read a lot.
6 ___ Learn words in groups.
7 ___ Use whatever techniques work for you.
8 ___ Repeat words as often as you can.
C Leave your friend the voice message. Speak for about three minutes.

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Mediation Strategy Practice: Spoken

find remove require turn write

B Simplify the following sentences. Use the prompts to help.

B Match each paragraph of the article to the correct summary.

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