Cover of the textbook Outcomes Advanced - Student's Book

The key answer of exercise 1

The key to exercise solutions in chapter 12 - A remarkable life for the textbook Outcomes Advanced - Student's Book with authors Carol Nuttall and Amanda French from National Geographic Learning

Question

Work in pairs. Check you understand the words and phrases in bold in the sentences. Then discuss the positive / negative effects that each situation might have on someone’s life.

Answer

  1. If you have a sheltered upbringing, you’re protected from outside influences and the big bad world. Plus side: a nice, safe childhood away from harm and hurt. Downside: may end up being a bit naive and vulnerable as not very streetwise.
  2. If you’re from a deprived background, you grew up without many of the things people associate with a comfortable life. Downside: may not have had many chances in life; may be embittered and damaged. Plus side: streetwise, may well be tough and driven.
  3. If you had to flee your country, you left it quickly because of danger. A military coup is when the army takes control of the country. Downside: maybe lost everything, had to apply for asylum elsewhere, maybe experienced discrimination. Plus side: tough and driven, may have a network of others from the country around the world – the diaspora community.
  4. Radical politics are politics geared towards big social change of some kind. Plus side: may well still be engaged and interested, or may have put it all behind him and now be very mellow and content. Downside: may have been arrested or beaten-up, may be bitter and disillusioned now.
  5. Evacuated means ‘helped to leave a city or building or other place because it wasn’t safe’. Plus side: missed bombing and destruction, survived the war. Downside: maybe never get to go back, may have been separated from family, may have been a refugee.
  6. People who saw active service served in the army, air force or navy during the war and fought. Plus side: survived, maybe got rewarded for this in some way, maybe has close relationships with ex-soldiers, maybe learned discipline, etc. Downside: may have seen or done some awful things, may be suffering post-traumatic stress disorder or have psychological damage.
  7. To do something from scratch means ‘starting from nothing’. Plus side: must be very determined, will have control over own destiny more, must have developed many skills. Downside: less job security, may have to work longer hours.
  8. A broken home is where the parents divorce or separate and the children then grow up with only one parent. Downside: psychological damage, anger and bitterness, insecurity, need for therapy, lack of certain role models. Plus side: very close to at least one parent, may be more driven.
  9. A close-knit community is where everyone knows everyone else and they all do things together. Plus side: everyone watches out for you, may well help you. Downside: hostile to strangers, nosy, no privacy.
  10. A privileged background means ‘coming from a very wealthy family’. Plus side: probably had good education, has lots of connections, may well be ambitious and perform well socially. Downside: may lack drive or ambition or focus, not streetwise or tough. Maybe a bit naive.
  11. Winning a scholarship means ‘being awarded an amount of money by an organisation to go and study somewhere’. Plus side: get to study somewhere maybe you wouldn’t otherwise be able to, get a better education and qualification, more opportunities, broaden social circle, etc. Downside: may feel out of place or conscious of lack of money.
  12. If you’re orphaned, both your parents die and you become an orphan. Downside: grow up in care or with foster families, traumatised, may end up separated from brothers or sisters, etc. Plus side: may be more driven.