Fecha de vigencia

Marzo 2021
Guía de Inglés Segundo
Medio

Name: __________________________________________________
Grade: 10th_______
Date: ____________________________________
Teacher: Miss Daniela Zamora

PART 1
Read a travel guide about Bangkok to practise and improve your reading skills.

Before reading
Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation task
Match the definitions (a–f) with the vocabulary (1–6).

Vocabulary Definition
1. …… polluted a. real or normal for a place, not specially for tourists
2. …… noodles b. dirty from traffic or chemicals
3. …… alternative c. fast
4. …… authentic d. another way to do something
5. …… express e. a table where food or other things are sold in a market
6. …… a stand f. a long, thin food made from flour, water and eggs

Read the text.

A travel guide

Whether you’re travelling to the islands or the mountains of Thailand, you’re likely to
spend at least one night in its capital city on the way. Bangkok might be noisy and
polluted but it’s also an exciting city with plenty of things to see and do. Why not
make it a longer stay?

Where to stay
The Khao San Road was a famous traveller spot even before Leonardo di Caprio’s
character in the film The Beach stayed there. But it’s noisy, not very pretty and not
very Thai. For something more authentic, Phra Kanong offers an alternative place to
stay, with its fantastic street markets where everyday Bangkok people eat, work and
live. It’s not as convenient for the main tourist sites, but it has a Skytrain station so you
can be at the Grand Palace in 20 minutes.
How to get around
Bangkok’s traffic can be a nightmare. Sure, you can easily take a taxi – if you want to
spend hours stuck in traffic jams – but there are two much better ways to get around
the city. To explore the temples and historical sites, catch an express boat river taxi or a
longtail boat along the Chao Phraya river and the canals. For the modern part of the
city, the Skytrain is a fast, cheap way to travel from the river to the shopping malls and
nightlife of Sukhumvit, and the famous Chatuchak street market.

Where to eat
The simple answer is: everywhere! Thai street food is among the best in the world, and
for around $5 you can eat a filling and delicious meal. Some food stands have little
plastic seats where you can sit and eat and they cook the same dish over and over, like
fried chicken on rice or Pad Thai noodles. Head for Chinatown – Yaowarat Street – and
choose whatever looks most interesting from the many excellent Chinese and Thai
restaurants and food stands.

What to do
After you’ve seen the main sites like the Giant Buddha at the temple of Wat Pho and
the spectacular Grand Palace, and shopped at Chatuchak market, check out the snake
farm and watch the live snake show. You can even touch a snake yourself if you want
to!

Task 1
Match the Bangkok landmarks and places with the descriptions.
Wat Pho Khao San Road Sukhumvit
Yaowarat Street Phra Kanong Chao Phraya

1. ………………………………………… a place that you might see in the film The Beach
2. ………………………………………… a place where local Thai people go
3. ………………………………………… an alternative route through the city
4. ………………………………………… a place to go for shopping and bars
5. ………………………………………… a place to go for food
6. ………………………………………… an important sightseeing spot
 Task 2
Are the sentences true or false? Write the answer.
1. One night is enough time to see Bangkok. __________
2. Khao San Road is an authentic Thai area of the city. __________
3. Phra Kanong is further away from the main tourist sites than Khao San
Road is. __________
4. The river boat taxis often get stuck in traffic too. __________
5. Taking the Skytrain is a faster way to see the city than going by taxi. __________
6. You need to choose where to eat carefully, as not everywhere is good. __________

Part 2
Read about the sharing economy to practise and improve your reading skills.

Before reading
Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation task
Match the definitions (a–h) with the vocabulary (1–8).

Vocabulary Definitions

1. …… to facilitate a. not used a lot or enough

2. …… inconsistent b. something you own that has value if sold
3. …… underutilised c. to make a process or action easier
4. …… lucrative d. to make money quickly
5. …… to make a quick buck e. to not want to do something because it’s too much
trouble
6. …… to not bother with something f. something that can make you a lot of money
7. …… consumerist society g. something that keeps and is not always the same
8. …… an asset h. a society where people who love owning things and are
always buying new goods
 The sharing economy

If we look around us at the things we have purchased at some point in our lives, we
would no doubt notice that not everything we own is being put to good use: the thick
woollen coat which we thought looked trendy despite the fact that we live in a
tropical country, the smartphone that got put away when we bought ourselves the
newest model, the car that only gets used at the weekends, or even the guest room in
our house that somehow got turned into a storeroom.

Those underutilised items may seem useless to some, but could be an asset to others.
With the advent of the internet, online communities have figured out a way to
generate profit from the sharing of those underused assets. Using websites and social
media groups that facilitate the buying and selling of second-hand goods, it is now
easier than ever for peer-to-peer
sharing activities to take place. And this is known as the sharing economy.

These democratised online platforms are providing a chance for people to make a
quick buck or two. To give an example, busy parents previously might not have
bothered with setting up a stall at the local market or car boot sale to sell their
children’s old equipment, but with online marketplaces, parents are now able to sell
on those hardly worn baby clothes that their children have outgrown and the
expensive pushchairs and baby equipment they have invested in, so as to put some
cash back into their pockets.

Businesses have also caught on to the profitability of the sharing economy and are
seeking to gain from making use of those underutilised resources. A business model
that has rapidly risen in popularity sees companies providing an online platform that
puts customers in contact with those who can provide a particular product or service.
Companies like Airbnb act as a middleman for people to cash in on their unused
rooms and houses and let them out as
lucrative accommodation. Another example is Uber, which encourages people to use
their own personal cars as taxis to make some extra cash in their free time.

This move towards a sharing economy is not without criticisms. Unlike businesses,
unregulated individuals do not have to follow certain regulations and this can lead to
poorer and inconsistent quality of goods and services and a higher risk of fraud.
Nevertheless, in the consumerist society we live in today, the increased opportunities
to sell on our unwanted and underused goods can lead to a lesser impact on our
environment.
Task 1
Circle the best answer.

1. The sharing economy does not involve …

a. people selling their used things to others.
b. people offering their services to others.
c. businesses selling their goods to people.
d. businesses acting as a middleman for people who want to sell a product and
people who want to buy it.

2. People can now sell things more easily because …

a. people nowadays buy more things.
b. businesses want to buy the things they don’t use.
c. there are now more marker stalls and car boot sales.
d. there are now online platforms where they can meet people who want to buy their
goods and services.

3. Parents might want to sell their baby clothes and baby equipment because …
a. they want to make back some of the money some of the money they spent on
those baby purchases.
b. they don’t like the baby items they have bought.
c. the baby clothes and equipment are old and worn out.
d. they need the money for other investments.

4. Which of these is something that the author says we might underutilise?

a. A thick coat in a cold country
b. The latest smartphone
c. Clothes our babies don’t or can’t wear any more
d. The storeroom in our house

5. It might be a problem for unregulated individuals to sell to others because …

a. they have to follow certain regulations.
b. what they sell might be of a lower quality.
c. they don’t have a business licence.
d. they like to criticise their buyers.

6. What might be a good title for this article?

a. The consumerist society
b. Parents who need money
c. The rise of the sharing economy
d. Why we buy things we don’t need
Task 2
Are the sentences true or false?

1. We don’t always use everything we buy. _________

2. By offering our goods and services online, we can make a profit. _________
3. Things that are useless to you will also be useless to others. _________
4. Businesses have realized that they can make money by buying people’s unwanted
goods. _________
5. Airbnb is a company that sells people’s unwanted houses. _________
6. The chance to buy other people’s unwanted goods can lead to a greener lifestyle.
_________