Swap it!

Grammar, functions and vocabulary
UNIT 12
UNITS
11-12
Skills • Reading
Swap it!
Swapace.com is one of the most interesting new
websites on the Internet. It started in Australia
and now there are ‘communities’ in several other
countries round the world, including the USA,
Canada and the UK, but not yet in other European
countries. You probably know that Internet surfers
often use eBay to buy and sell things but Swapace
is very different. Joseph Renzi, from Sydney, is the
founder of the website. He began his career as a
seller on eBay before he started his website two
years ago. It now has more than 130,000 members
and an enormous 500 new registrations every day.
On Swapace people can buy and sell things but
they can also swap them. This is obviously cheaper
than buying things on commercial websites. People
swap all sorts of things from books to CDs to
clothes.‘The swapping side of the website has been
amazing. We have people swapping skills like
cooking for gardening
or babysitting services
as well as goods, and
the swapping is not just
within Australia, it’s
international,’ says Joseph.
Joseph Renzi
‘The most interesting thing, though,’ says Renzi, ‘is
the sense of community which is characteristic of the
website.’ One of the most remarkable things to come
from it was the public’s response after Hurricane Katrina
devastated New Orleans. ‘People gave away clothes
and food parcels to people in New Orleans, and more
recently there was a young single mum who needed
baby clothes and people simply donated them,’ he says.
So how does swapping
skills work? For example,
maybe you’re good at
gardening and you don’t
like cleaning your house.
So you go and work in
someone’s garden once
a week and they come
and clean your house.
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Skills and Culture
UNITS 11-12
Comprehension
1
Leggi il testo e abbina le domande alle
risposte.
Comprehension
1
What’s the name of the website?
2
Where did it start?
Vero o falso? Scrivi V o F negli spazi.
Correggi le frasi false. P
3
Which countries does it serve?
1
There’s a Swapace site for Italy.
4
Who started the website?
2
Swapace is very similar to eBay.
5
What’s it for?
3
6
What do people swap?
Lots of people become members of
Swapace every day.
4
Members of Swapace sometimes meet.
5
All Swapace members are good at
gardening.
6
Sometimes members of Swapace give
things to people who need them.
3
a In Australia.
b Things like books, CDs and also skills.
c Buying, selling or exchanging things.
d Swapace.com
e Australia, the USA, the UK and Canada.
f Joseph Renzi.
4
Rispondi alle domande.
1 What do we know about the founder of
Swapace?
Vocabulary
2
Comprehension
Trova le parole nel testo e cerchia la
traduzione corretta: a o b.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
swap it
including
sell
founder
ago
amazing
goods
within
remarkable
hurricane
parcels
needed
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
regalatelo
oltre
comprare
fondatore
fra
terribile
merci
all’interno di
belle
temporale
pacchi
voleva
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
scambiatelo
compresi
vendere
direttore
fa
incredibile
favori
oltre
notevoli
uragano
lettere
aveva
bisogno di
2 How do we know that Swapace is successful?
3 Give four examples of skills that people
swap.
4 What does Renzi find surprising about the
website?
5 What did Renzi think of people’s reaction to
the Katrina tragedy?
6 What other example of people’s generosity
does Renzi mention?
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Skills and Culture
UNITS 11-12
Skills • Listening
Comprehension
7
Comprehension
5
15 Ascolta Jane che chiede indicazioni
stradali. Cerchia l’alternativa corretta. P
1 Classic Jeans is in
a Church Street. b Park Street.
2 Jane is
a in a car.
Ascolta ancora una volta e scrivi sulla
cartina i nomi dei luoghi e le strade che
l’uomo nomina.
15
Dictation
8
16
Ascolta e scrivi sei frasi del dialogo.
1
b on foot.
3 On the way to the jeans shop you go past
a a cinema.
b a supermarket.
2
3
4
4 The Old Ship is
a a restaurant.
b a pub.
5
6
Comprehension
6
Culture
15 Riascolta e segui le istruzioni. Segna
sulla cartina dove si trova il negozio dei
jeans.
Macy’s Department Store a New York è il
negozio più grande del mondo. La Galleria
Vittorio Emanuele a Milano invece è la galleria di
negozi più antica del mondo.
7
6
4
3
PARK STREET
5
1
bank
X
2
Jane is here
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Skills and Culture
UNITS 11-12
Skills • Writing
9
Leggi l’e-mail di Emily che descrive la zona
dove abita alla sua amica Lisa. Sottolinea
l’alternativa corretta.
Hi Lisa!
You said you wanted to know about the place where I live.
Well, it’s a really nice place. Living in Richmond isn’t as
stressful 1as/than living in the centre of London but there’s
still lots to do. One of the 2most beautiful/beautifullest parts
of Richmond is the riverside. There’s the famous Richmond Bridge and the Petersham
Meadows. Near the bridge there are three cinemas, and there are lots of really
good restaurants and pubs. The 3more famous/most famous pub is The Orange
Tree, opposite Richmond Station. There’s a small theatre upstairs in the pub.
George Street is the main shopping street with all the usual high-street shops like
Tesco, Waitrose, Smiths, Boots and 4lots of/much clothes shops. Behind George
Street is Richmond Green and 5near/next the Green is Richmond Theatre. It’s a
beautiful old building with lots of interesting productions. Of course, there’s also a
good library in the town. It’s near the river next to the town hall.
The only problem with Richmond is that it’s very expensive to live there – in fact it’s
probably 6more/the most expensive part of London!
Anyway, that’s all for now. I hope to hear from you soon,
Best wishes,
Emily
10
Scrivi un’e-mail a un
amico (100–150 parole)
e descrivi la tua città.
Includi le seguenti
P
informazioni:
T
• una descrizione dei luoghi
più belli e dove si trovano
• attrezzature sportive
• cinema
• teatri
• edifici interessanti
• negozi
• ristoranti e bar
• costo della vita paragonato
a quello in altre città
Key (The Geography Quiz)
2 Beijing is more polluted than New
York. 3 The Amazon isn’t as long as
the Nile. 4 Italy is bigger than the
UK. 5 Kilimanjaro isn’t as high as
K2. 6 France is more crowded than
Spain.
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