Upper-Intermediate 1A

4 Ask students to read both extracts again and answer the

English – a global language questions.
Background Answers
Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in the USA in 1 They need to have a single language to avoid misunderstandings.
1951, and now lives in Britain. As well as writing books on 2 They both use English, although none of their members are native
the English language, he has also written a large number of speakers of English.
travel books, which are full of humorous anecdotes about the 3 Staff could not communicate in either German or Chinese.
people he has met on his travels. His books are well known 4 Neither of the country’s main languages was used in advertising at
and popular in Britain. the country’s main airport, only English.
5 It is a well-known organization in France, the country that has done
PRONUNCIATION the most to resist the spread of English.
lingua franca /ˌlɪŋɡwə ˈfræŋkə/ 6 He does it to highlight the huge number of Chinese students of
Pasteur /pæˈstɜː/ English.
7 330 million.
Randolph Quirk /ˈrændɒlf ˈkwɜːk/ 8 44.
Lincoln /ˈlɪnkən/ 9 1.6 billion/A third of the world’s population.
10 English is used in most scientific papers and many European business
Notes on the unit deals.
1 Ask students to do the quiz, either individually or in pairs,
then check their answers (upside down, below the quiz). What do you think?
2 Discuss the question as a class. Ask students to read the Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
extracts to check their answers.
PROJECT
Answer Students can do this as homework, but could also
The use of the English language (in aviation, between people of prepare it in class, working in pairs.
different non-English speaking nationalities, in Chinese schools, in
scientific papers).

3 Ask students to find the words in extract 1 and choose the

correct meanings.

Answers
1 lingua franca – shared language of communication
2 discourse – communication
3 founders – people who started it
4 wryly – ironically
5 billboards – large advertisements in the street
6 tongue – language
7 encroachment – gradual takeover
8 henceforth – from now on

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 1
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 1B
Multicultural Britain
Background
As discussed in the text, modern Britain is very multicultural,
although this is more obviously the case in some parts of the
country than others. Immigrants who have arrived in Britain
since the Second World War have tended to settle in the
major cities such as London, Manchester and Birmingham,
and rural areas of Britain remain much less multicultural
than the cities. Immigration, and the extent to which it
should be restricted, remains an important political subject
in Britain.
When immigrants began to arrive in Britain from India,
Pakistan and Bangladesh in the 1950s, many of them started
restaurants. For many Britons, this was their first opportunity
to taste food from other countries, and the highly-spiced
dishes on offer soon became popular with British diners.
Curry, mentioned in the text, is a general name for any spicy
dish of meat, fish or vegetables.
What do you think?
Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a
class. You could point out to students that in Britain the
debate over integration often centres on religious issues, with
questions such as: Should Muslim girls be allowed to wear
traditional clothing at school? Should children of other faiths
learn about Christmas traditions at school in Britain? Should
the government fund faith schools specifically for children of
other faiths in Britain?
Language is another issue, with questions such as: Should
the health service and other government departments fund
interpreters for immigrants who are unable to speak English?
Should immigrants to Britain be obliged to take a test in
English?
PROJECT
Students can do this as homework, but could also
prepare it in class, working in pairs.

Notes on the unit

1 Put students in pairs to discuss the questions, then have a
class discussion.
2 Ask students to do the quiz, either individually or in pairs.
3 Ask students to read the text quickly to check their
answers.

Answers
1b 2c 3b 4b 5a 6b 7c 8a

4 Ask students to read the text again and match the ethnic
groups to the reasons for immigration.

Answers
1d 2c 3b 4h 5a 6f 7g 8e

5 Ask students to find words in the text which match the

meanings.

Answers
1 diverse
2 races
3 settle
4 prejudice
5 famine
6 immigration
7 ethnic
8 flow
9 refugees
10 persecution
11 community
12 descended from

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 2
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 2A
Three Islands
Background
Alcatraz, USA
During its 29 years of operation as a penitentiary, there were
14 escape attempts from Alcatraz involving 36 men (two of
whom tried to escape twice); 23 were caught, six were shot
and killed during their attempt, and two drowned. Officially,
no inmate successfully escaped. There are, however, five
prisoners who are still listed as ‘missing and presumed
drowned’.
Ambergris Caye, Belize
Ambergris Caye, which is part of Belize, was under British
rule for many years and gained full independence in 1981.
Ambergris is an oily substance produced and discarded from
the intestines of sperm whales and is considered valuable for
its use in perfume-making. Ambergris Caye gets its name
from the many lumps of ambergris washed up on its beaches.
Due to its position, it was a popular hiding-out place for
pirates in the 1600s.
Shetland, Scotland
Shetland is the most northern group of all the Scottish
islands. It comprises 27 islands, most of which are
uninhabited. There are few trees on Shetland and the climate,
although harsh at times, is generally quite mild, considering
its extreme northerly location. In the summer, the sun barely
sets, but in winter it is quite dark. On clear winter nights, it is
possible to see the Northern Lights from the islands.
3 Ask students to find the words in the text and work out
their meanings.
Answers
A penitentiary – a prison (US); notorious – famous for something
bad; inmate – a prisoner; portrayed – shown in a book, film, etc.;
maritime – relating to the sea
B staggering – amazing, incredible; settlement – place where people
live; roam – explore; indigenous – born there; not altogether – not
very
C marine life – seabirds and animals; archaeological remains – ancient
artefacts found in the ground; heritage – historical legacy; annexed
– joined onto; off the beaten track – a place where not many
people go
What do you think?
Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
ROLEPLAY AND CLASS DISCUSSION
Roleplay
Put students into pairs to prepare their questions. Then
put students into different pairs to act out the dialogue.
Class discussion
Discuss the questions as a class, encouraging students
to express their opinions and to agree and disagree with
each other.

PRONUNCIATION
Alcatraz /ˈælkətræz/
Fisherman’s Wharf /ˈfɪʃəməns wɔːf/
Al Capone /ˈæl kəˈpəʊn/
Ambergris Caye /ˈæmbəɡriːs kiː/
Belize /bəˈliːz/
Caribbean /ˌkærɪˈbiːən/
Maya /ˈmaɪjə/
Shetland /ʃetlənd/
Jarlshof /ˈjɑːrlsɒf/
broch /brɒx/ or /brɒk/
Vikings /ˈvaɪkɪŋ/

Notes on the unit

1 Ask students to read the texts quickly. Discuss the
questions as a class.
2 Ask students to read the texts again and answer the
questions.

Answers
1C 2A 3A 4C 5A and B 6A 7B and C 8B and C 
9B  10A  11B  12A  13A and C  14B and C  15B and C

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 3
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 2B
6 Ask students to discuss and answer the questions in pairs
Eat Pray Love – Elizabeth Gilbert or groups, then as a class.
Background Answers
Elizabeth Gilbert (born 1969) is an American writer. She is 1 Physically strong with a robust constitution; an ability for languages;
married to José Nunes, or ‘Felipe’, the Brazilian man she met calm and confident in difficult situations; people who look similar to
in Bali and wrote about in her travel memoir, Eat Pray Love. the indigenous population.
She wrote several acclaimed books before Eat Pray Love and 2 She is very noticeable (her height, hair colour and complexion stand
also worked as a magazine journalist for GQ, Travel and out); she usually doesn’t do enough research before she travels; she
Leisure, and The New York Times Magazine among others. has a poor sense of direction and no knowledge of geography; she is
When Eat Pray Love came out, it stayed on The New York not a calm, cool traveller.
Times Best Seller List for over 200 weeks and has sold over 3 A chameleon physically blends in with any surroundings. A flamingo,
ten million copies. It was made into a Hollywood film on the other hand, is brightly coloured and obvious, which is how
starring Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem in 2010. she feels. In Dusseldorf, the people look like her – tall, blond, and
fair-skinned.
PRONUNCIATION 4 She stood out and attracted a lot of unwelcome attention and was
considered a strange and sometimes scary sight.
Elizabeth Gilbert /ˈɪlɪzəbeθ ˈɡɪlbɜːt/ 5 It would help her plan better and waste less time and money.
Indonesia /ˌɪndəˈniːʒə/ 6 She has a poor sense of place and direction, which means she often
Calcutta /kælˈkʌtə/ doesn’t know where she is and/or gets lost.
7 ‘Poker face’ means not showing any sign of emotion during a poker
Basque /bɑːsk/
game so as not to give other players any clue what cards you have.
Dusseldorf /ˈdʊsəlˌdɔːf/ Therefore, ‘miniature golf face’ is the opposite – showing all your
emotions, from joy to despair. Examples include: ‘I have never learnt
Notes on the unit how to arrange my face into that blank expression of competent
invisibility’, ‘When I’m excited or nervous, I look excited or nervous’,
1 Discuss the questions as a class. Tell students that a film ‘My face is a transmitter of my every thought’.
was made of the book which students might have seen,
though it may have had a different title in their country. 7 Ask students to read the additional extract and then
to write their own personal list of good and bad travel
Suggested answers qualities. Students can compare their ideas in pairs.
Photo 1: Indonesia, the photo depicts the lush farmland of Bali,
Indonesia What do you think?
Photo 2: India, the photo presents people travelling by train in India
Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
2 Ask students to read the definition. Discuss the questions
as a class. PROJECT
3 Ask students to read and complete the Factfile with the Students can do this as homework, but could also
missing words and phrases. prepare it in class, working in pairs. Students could then
read each other’s travel memoirs or Factfiles and choose
Answers the book they would like to read.
1 travel memoir
2 2006
3 Indonesia
4 One Woman’s Search for Everything
5 divorce
6 finding meaning in life

4 Ask students to read the extract and answer the questions.

Answers
1 The best qualities to have when travelling abroad.
2 Informal, honest, and funny.
3 Outgoing, excitable, self-deprecating.

5 Ask students to match the words and their meanings.

Answers
1b 2a 3e 4d 5c 6f 7g 8i 9h 10j 11l 12k

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 4
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 3A
Journalism in the 21st century 4 Ask students to read the extracts and answer the question.

Background Answer
Extract 3
In the last century, we’ve gone from reading newspapers,
which we either bought or borrowed, to accessing the news 5 Ask students to find the words in the extracts and match
online for free. On the way, we’ve listened to the news on the them with the meanings.
radio, we’ve watched it on TV, and we’ve gone from black and
white to full colour. Answers
We used to have to wait a few hours or even days to get the 1h 2l 3k 4b 5e 6a 7i 8j 9d 10f 11c 12g
latest news. Now, we can keep up to date at any time of the
day and night via our laptops and smartphones. News items 6 Ask students to read the extracts again and match them
take seconds to reach us, and anyone can become a citizen with the views.
journalist, spreading news as it happens.
Answers
In this lesson, students read about journalism in the 21st 1 Extract 3
century and how some of these changes are affecting the 2 Extract 2
quality of journalism today. 3 Extract 1
Dr Carl Jensen is an American university professor of 4 Extract 2
communications studies and a former journalist. 5 Extract 1
Bill Clinton (US president 1993–2001) was involved in an 6 Extract 2
extra marital affair with 22-year-old White House intern, 7 Extract 3
Monica Lewinsky. When the story came out, Clinton denied 8 Extract 2
it but in the end admitted it was true. The scandal is often
referred to as ‘Monicagate’ or ‘Lewinskygate’. What do you think?
H.L.Mencken (1880–1956) was a controversial American Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
journalist, writer, satirist, and critic.
PROJECT
Notes on the unit
Students can do this as homework, but could also
1 Discuss the questions as a class. prepare it in class, working in pairs.
2 Ask students to read the quotes and discuss them in pairs
or small groups. Help students with meaning if they are
having trouble (see notes below). Follow up with a class
discussion.
Notes
1 If you limit the freedom of the press, you risk losing
your freedom as a citizen.
2 If the press isn’t free, the journalism it produces will
definitely be bad journalism.
3 Press freedom means that the individual loses their
freedom or anonymity (e.g. celebrities and famous
people are no longer free to do anything without
journalists following them).
4 Journalism is less truthful than fiction (e.g. novels).
3 Before they read the extract, get students to list at least
three ways in which journalism has changed in the last
100 years. Then ask them to read the text and answer the
question.

Answer
It is more negative than positive:
It’s harder to distinguish between good and bad journalism.
We value journalism less because it’s free (e.g. on the Internet).
Because people aren’t prepared to pay for it, there has been a decline
in expensive journalism, like in-depth investigations.

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 5
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 3B
4 Ask students to find the words in the text which match
Notting Hill screenplay – Richard Curtis the meanings.
Background Answers
Richard Curtis (born 1956) is a British screenwriter, film 1 uncrushable
producer, and director. He is one of Britain’s most successful 2 gloomily
comedy screenwriters, known primarily for romantic comedy 3 ease
films. In addition to Notting Hill (1999), his most successful 4 subtle
films worldwide include Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), 5 browsing
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), Love, Actually (2003), and The 6 glimpse
Boat that Rocked (2009). He wrote and produced all of these. 7 tempting
He also wrote the script for Steven Spielberg’s War Horse 8 dazed
(2011) and Stephen Daldry’s Trash (2014).
Notting Hill starred Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts and won a 5 Ask students to read the information and discuss as a
BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award. class.
When it premiered in the US, it grossed over $27 million in
its opening weekend – an American record for a romantic Answer
comedy. The scene is short but a lot happens in it. There is a lot of movement –
three people leave, arrive, and leave again.
PRONUNCIATION The directions are clear and detailed. It’s also clear how the actors
should behave.
Notting Hill /ˌnɒtɪŋˈhɪl/ The dialogue is brief.
A lot happens. The thief’s appearance interrupts the main dialogue
Notes on the unit and moves it along faster. We see another side of William. Audience
attention is grabbed early by the arrival of Anna, the movie star.
1 Put students into pairs to discuss and answer the
questions, then have a class discussion.
2 Ask students to read the extract and answer the question. What do you think?
Discuss as a class, or first in pairs or groups, and then as a
Answer class. If any students have seen the film, ask them to share
It’s a romantic comedy and this is the first time that ‘boy meets girl’. this information with the class after all ideas have been
You can tell that William is in love from the stage directions: ‘He looks discussed. In the film, William and Anna bump into each
up casually. And sees something. His reaction is hard to read.’ Later other (literally!) by accident later the same day. He spills his
it says, ‘The most divine, subtle, beautiful woman on earth’. William drink over her. She needs to get changed, so he takes her back
presumably also holds this opinion. to his house. Afterwards, she surprises him with a kiss.
3 Ask students to read the extract again and discuss and PROJECT
answer the questions in pairs.
Students can do this as homework, but could also
Answers prepare it in class first, working in pairs. Then they
1 Owning a travel bookshop, William is likely to be interested in could act out their scenes at the beginning of the next
travel. He could be a dreamer. The bookshop is ‘chaotic’, so he might lesson.
not be well-organized. It doesn’t sound mass-market or profitable as
he has a ‘sole employee’, suggesting that he is not ambitious and is
more interested in doing something he loves.
2 The scene: Martin goes out. William is alone. Someone comes
in – a movie star. A thief comes in. William sees him trying to steal
something and stops him. The movie star is watching this. She buys
a book that William didn’t recommend. He gives her another for
free. She leaves. He doesn’t tell anyone about this encounter.
From the stage directions we learn: William is quiet, diffident, but
shows confidence regarding the thief and Anna’s book choice. Anna
is beautiful, very confident, and self-assured. Martin is optimistic
and enthusiastic. The thief is scruffy, unashamed and brazen.
3 William is polite and humorous. Anna is quite direct, mildly sarcastic,
and not easily impressed. The thief is cheeky and blatant. Martin is
kind.
4 It depicts an ordinary scene and everyday lives, but where people
deal with out-of-the-ordinary events – movie stars, thieves – and
how they react. Also, that it is a ‘boy meets girl’ story.

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 6
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 4A
Old Wives’ Tales
Background
Most countries around the world will have their own versions
of old wives’ tales. Some will be nonsense and others might
have some truth in them.
Here are some which are believed or known to be true:
• Sharing toothbrushes spreads disease.
• Cloves help sooth toothache.
• If you sleep on your back, you’re more likely to snore.
• Parsley helps get rid of bad breath.
• A warm glass of milk before bed helps you get to sleep.
And here are some which have been proved to be false:
• Hair and nails keep growing after death.
• We use only 10% of our brains.
• If you swallow chewing gum, it will take seven years to
digest it.
• Going out with wet hair will give you a cold.
• Sitting too close to the TV can damage your eyes.
6 Have a brief discussion about journalistic style in
general (often formal) and the style of the magazine
article students have just read (informal and chatty).
Ask students to work in pairs and read the article again,
looking for more examples of conversational techniques.
Answers
1 ‘let’s take a closer look’; ‘you’ll do well to eat them up anyway’;
‘whatever your granny might say’
2 ‘Ridiculous, of course!’; ‘Why?’
3 Informal words: ‘chomping’; ‘squidgy’; ‘granny’
Phrasal verbs: ‘pass down’; ‘come about’; ‘give up’; ‘get over’; ‘get
away with’; ‘nod off’; etc.
4 ‘clearly’; ‘oddly enough’; ‘luckily’
5 ‘This is such an annoying habit’
What do you think?
Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
PROJECT
Students can do this as homework, but could also
prepare it in class, working in pairs.

Notes on the unit

1 Ask students to guess which definition is correct. Then
ask them to read only the first paragraph of the article to
check.

Answer
B

2 Ask students to read the old wives’ tales and compare

them with similar tales from their country. Discuss as a
class and list the ones that are familiar.
3 Ask students to read the old wives’ tales in exercise 2
again. In pairs or small groups, ask them to decide if they
are true, false or partly true.
4 Ask students to read the article and see if they were right.

Answers
1F 2PT 3F 4T 5F 6T 7F 8F 9F 10T
11F 12F 13PT 14F

5 Ask students to look in the text and match the words to

make collocations, then match the collocations with their
definitions.

Answers
2 oddly enough, c
3 nutritious diet, g
4 almost unanimous, a
5 worth keeping off, f
6 detrimental effects, d
7 wide of the mark, h
8 spot on, b

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 7
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 4B
5 Ask students to read the extracts again and answer the
The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde questions.
Background Answers
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was an Irish playwright, poet, and 1 Coolly, in a matter-of-fact way – she starts taking notes.
author. He is known for his lively wit, and many quotations 2 She is probably not as naive as she may seem (she is already thinking
from his works are known by British people. Wilde spent two about book sales).
years in prison for his homosexuality, which was a crime in 3 Further compliments like ‘absolute perfection’.
Britain until the 1960s. After his release in 1897, he moved to 4 Possibly because she is not well educated and has not spent much
France and never returned to England or Ireland. His other time reading and writing.
works include the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and the 5 Of the adverbs ‘wildly’, ‘passionately’, ‘devotedly’ and ‘hopelessly’,
poem The Ballad of Reading Gaol, written while he was in she only finds the last one inappropriate. Also, as she is busy writing
prison. down every word he says, his stated love for her hardly seems
hopeless (at this stage).
PRONUNCIATION 6 She has always dreamt about falling in love with someone of that
Oscar Wilde /ˈɒskə ˈwaɪld/ name; she feels it inspires complete confidence.
Lady Bracknell /ˈleɪdi bræknəl/ 7 He is pretending not to be called Algernon, so talks hypothetically
about having a name other than Algernon – such as Ernest.
Algernon /ældʒənɒn/ 8 To ask him to change Algernon’s name to Ernest.
tragicomedy /ˈtrædʒɪˈkɒmədi/ 9 Algernon says his name is rather aristocratic and that it is the name
Cecily /ˈsesɪli/ of many bankrupt men, which is an unexpected link between the
Dr. Chasuble /ˈdɒktə(r) ˈtʃæzjʊbl/ nobility and poverty. Cecily asserts that Dr. Chasuble is extremely
knowledgeable because he is not a writer, implying that the two are
mutually exclusive.
Notes on the unit 10 ‘Darling’; ‘my dear child’; ‘my own dear, sweet, loving little darling’
1 Ask students to read the short extract and say whether
they think the play is a comedy, or a tragedy. What do you think?
Answer Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
A comedy.
PROJECT
2 Ask students to match the types of comedy to their Students can do this as homework, but could also
definitions. prepare it in class, working in pairs.
Answers
1d 2a 3b 4c

3 Ask students to read the background and the extract and

decide what type of comedy the play is.

Answer
A comedy of manners.

4 Ask students to find the words in the extracts which

match the meanings.

Answers
1 offend
2 frankly
3 does you great credit
4 pray
5 devotedly
6 pity
7 object to
8 chaps
9 bankruptcy
10 rector
11 rites
12 christening

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 8
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 5
3 Discuss the questions as a class. Ask students to refer to
Still I Rise – Maya Angelou the poem to check their answers.
Background Answers
Maya Angelou was born in St Louis, Missouri, one of the 1 The speaker is from the oppressed black minority. Although slavery
racially segregated southern states of the US, in 1928. She has and segregation have long been abolished, there is still racism and
published seven autobiographies, five collections of essays, hostility to contend with in everyday life.
and several books of poetry. She has also written plays, 2 White racists. The speaker is black and the accusations in the poem
movies, and television shows in her 50-year career. are clearly aimed at those who are oppressing the black minority,
In 1959, Dr Martin Luther King asked her to become the i.e. white racists.
northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership 3 Proud, strong, and uplifting.
Conference. He was assassinated on her birthday and she was 4 Slavery.
so devastated that she stopped celebrating it for many years. 5 You can overcome anything, and nothing will stop you if you are
From 1961, she lived abroad in Egypt and Ghana and met strong and have self-belief.
Malcolm X on his visits to Ghana. She corresponded with
4 Ask students to read the poem again to find examples.
him as his thinking evolved from the extreme radicalism
of his youth to his later more inclusive vision of society. Answers
She returned to the US in 1965 to help him set up the 1 metaphor – ‘I’m a black ocean’; ‘I am the dream and the hope of the
Organization of African American Unity. He was assassinated slave’
shortly afterwards. 2 simile – ‘like dust, I’ll rise’; ‘walk like I’ve got oil wells’; ‘just like
moons and like suns’; ‘like hopes springing high, I’ll rise’; ‘shoulders
PRONUNCIATION falling down like teardrops’; ‘laugh like I’ve got gold mines’; ‘like air,
Maya Angelou /ˈmaɪjə ˈændʒəluː/ I’ll rise’; ‘dance like I’ve got diamonds’
metaphor /ˈmetəfɔː/
simile /ˈsɪməli/ 5 Ask students to answer the questions in pairs.
Arkansas /ˈɑːrkənsɔː/ Answers
1 Images of nature: dust, moons, suns, tides, air and ocean. These give
Notes on the unit an effect of unstoppable, powerful forces which automatically rise
every day.
1 Refer students to the title of the poem and the photos and 2 These are man-made signs of wealth and success, which are used to
discuss the question as a class. Then ask students to read describe her confident and proud appearance and manner, i.e. she
the poem to check their ideas. behaves as if she were rich.
2 Ask students to find the words in the text which match 3 The main rhyming sound is /aɪ/ – ‘rise’, ‘lies’, ‘tides’, ‘eyes’, ‘cries’,
the meanings. ‘mines’, ‘surprise’, ‘thighs’, ‘wide’, ‘tide’. The rhyming scheme is not
fixed, but the repetition builds up into a rhythmical chant.
Answers 4 The rhythm changes in the last two verses, and the effect is that the
1 twisted poem seems to speed up and build up to a climax for the last three
2 trod repetitions of ‘I rise’.
3 sassiness
4 beset 6 Ask students to read and complete the text with the
5 springing missing words.
6 bowed
7 soulful Answers
8 haughtiness 1 celebrated 6 activist
9 awful 2 varied 7 movement
10 backyard 3 raised 8 change
11 welling 4 overcome 9 assassinated
12 swelling 5 disadvantaged 10 spokesperson
13 bear
14 wondrously
What do you think?
Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.

PROJECT
Students can do this as homework, but could also
prepare it in class, working in pairs.

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 9
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 6A
Teenagers at work
Background
It is very common for teenagers to work in the UK, USA,
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to earn pocket money
while they are at school and college. Common jobs include
babysitting, doing a paper round, working in shops as
sales assistants, in restaurants as waiters/waitresses, and as
lifeguards at their local swimming pools. Teenagers often
have Saturday jobs and work in the school holidays. They are
generally paid a minimum wage.
Child labour is a topic students are likely to be familiar with
in relation to developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin
America. They might be surprised, however, to find out how
many teenagers work in the USA and how often child labour
laws are broken there and in other developed countries.
Encourage them to find out about child labour laws in their
country and compare them to other parts of the world.
Notes on the unit
1 Ask students to choose suitable jobs for teenagers in pairs.
Then discuss as a class.
Suggested answer
All the jobs would be suitable for teens, although farming would
probably be limited to weeding, fruit and vegetable picking, mucking
out, etc. Teens wouldn’t be allowed to drive tractors or use machinery.
2 Have a brief discussion about child labour laws around
the world. Then ask students to read and complete the
text with the missing words.
Answers
1 owned
2 employed
3 hazardous
4 youth
5 employment
6 declared
7 limited
8 limits
9 exempt
10 chores
3 Ask students to discuss labour laws in small groups and
make notes about what they know. Then have a class
discussion.
Note: If you find that students don’t know much about the
labour laws in their country, encourage them to find out
about them for homework. Most countries have a website
listing all the relevant rules and regulations. You could
discuss them at the beginning of your next lesson.
Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide
© Copyright Oxford University Press
4 Ask students to read the extract and find two examples of
American labour laws being broken.
Answers
Fifteen-year-olds working twelve-hour shifts; a seventeen-year-old
operating an electric tomato dicer and/or the deep fryer machines
that should have been off-limits.
5 Ask students to look in the text and match the words to
make collocations, then guess their meaning from the
context.
Answers
1 feels groggy – feels tired
2 the morning shift – the working period before lunch
3 packets of condiments – tomato sauce, relish, etc. that are
individually packaged
4 takes orders – asks people what they want to eat
5 is wiped out – is exhausted
6 flops onto the living room couch – sits or lies down on the couch/
sofa
7 long past midnight – much later than midnight
8 bragged about his skill – boasted about how good he was at
something
6 Ask students to read the text again and answer the
questions.
Answers
1 ‘She’s wiped out. She comes through the front door, flops onto the
living room couch, and turns on the TV.’
2 It emphasizes the monotonous nature of the job.
3 ‘She takes orders and hands food to customers from breakfast
through lunch.’ – There is no mention of a break. ‘When she finally
walks home, after seven hours of standing at a cash register, her feet
hurt.’ – She hasn’t sat down for seven hours.
4 It emphasizes the fact that many teenagers can be reckless about
safety and need protecting from injuries.
What do you think?
Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
PROJECT
Students can prepare the list as homework, but could
also do it in class, working in pairs. They then discuss
them as a class, and come up with ten child labour
regulations they all agree on.
10
Upper-Intermediate 6B
5 Ask students to find the words in the extract that match
I Capture the Castle – Dodie Smith the definitions.
Background Answers
Dodie Smith (1896–1990) is most famous for her children’s 1 surge
novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, first published in 2 scorches
1956, and later made into a Disney animated film. She was a 3 fetching
British writer, but spent many years living in America. Her 4 bitter
most critically acclaimed work is the novel I Capture the 5 unreasonable
Castle, which she wrote in America and which was inspired
by her nostalgia for England. 6 Ask students to read the extract again and decide if the
sentences are true or false.
Notes on the unit
1 Ask students to read the biographical text and complete Answers
the Factfile about Dodie Smith. 1T 2T 3F 4F 5T 6T

Answers 7 Before students do the exercise, you might like to ask

1 1896 them what they understand about contrast as a literary
2 1990 device. Ask students to read the example and discuss it
3 British as a class. You might like to give some further examples
4 writer of contrast in book titles: The Hare and the Tortoise
5 The Hundred and One Dalmatians (Aesop’s Fables), The Beautiful and Damned (by F. Scott
6 I Capture the Castle Fitzgerald), War and Peace (by Leo Tolstoy). You could
7 Alec Beesley then ask them to think of a few more or make some up.
8 J.K.Rowling
Answers
2 Ask students to read the definitions and discuss how ‘I wrote my very best poem while sitting on the hen-house … I have
Dodie Smith creates a play on words in the title. decided my poetry is so bad that I mustn’t write any more of it.’
‘Although I am rather used to her … I know she is a beauty.’
Answer ‘She is nearly twenty-one and very bitter with life. I am seventeen,
One meaning is literal: I take control of the castle. The other meaning look younger, feel older.’
is more figurative: I describe/express the atmosphere of the castle; I ‘… our situation is really rather romantic – two girls in this strange and
put it into words. lonely house … she saw nothing romantic about being shut up in a
crumbling ruin surrounded by a sea of mud.’
3 Ask students to read the extract and decide which ‘… our home is an unreasonable place to live in. Yet I love it.’
meaning of capture the title conveys.
8 Ask students to discuss what effect the use of contrast has
Answer on the reader.
It conveys the more figurative meaning of ‘capturing’ the essence of
the castle – on the one hand romantic, on the other a cold, damp ruin. Answer
It creates irony and humour and emphasizes the differences between
4 Ask students to find the words in the extract and decide the characters (e.g. Rose is beautiful and bitter; Cassandra feels older,
what they refer to and what they have in common. implying that she thinks of herself as the wiser sister), and between
the fantasy and reality (Cassandra imagines the castle in spring – the
Answers reality is wet and cold). This is a particularly economical way of writing
depressing – the smell of the carbolic soap – a lot can be said in a few words.
drips – (of rainwater) from the roof
plopping – drips of rainwater from the roof What do you think?
drear – the view
dank – the garden Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
boggy – ploughed fields
leaden – sky (grey) PROJECT
drained (of all colour) – the twilight Students can do this as homework, but could also
crumbling – the castle/ruin prepare it in class, working in pairs.
The words describe a cold, grey, wet and rather dismal scene. Two are
onomatopoeic: ‘drip’, ‘plop’.

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 11
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 7
4 Ask students to read the sonnet again and answer the
A sonnet by William Shakespeare
Background
The plays of William Shakespeare are studied by all children
in British schools. His sonnets, which deal with themes such
as love, beauty, politics and morality, are also popular and can
be heard regularly on radio poetry programmes.
Sonnet structure
A couplet is a group of two lines and a quatrain is a group of
four lines. Iambic pentameter is a rhythm used in poetry, in
which each line consists of ten syllables made up of five pairs
of syllables. A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyme between
lines of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using
letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with
the same letter all rhyme with each other.
In the first line of the second stanza, the word ‘fixed’ should
be pronounced with two syllables /ˈfɪksəd/.
questions.
Answers
1 What love is: 2
What love is not: 1, 2, and 3
Narrator’s certainty: 4
2 It slows it down.
3 Love: ‘that looks’; ‘mark’ refers to a ‘sea-mark’. These were familiar
rocks that guided sailors, and, like modern-day lighthouses, they can
be said to ‘look’ down on the stormy seas and the ships on them.
4 ‘It is the star to every wandering barque’
5 Time: ‘within his bending sickle’s compass’; ‘love alters not with his
brief hours’. This is the traditional figure of Father Time, the old man
with a beard and a sickle. As the sickle was also used for reaping
crops when they are ready, he is also portrayed as the Grim Reaper,
the figure of Death who comes to take us when our time has come.
6 ‘sickle’s compass come’

PRONUNCIATION What do you think?

Shakespeare /ˈʃeɪkspɪə/ Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
Shakespearean /ˈʃeɪksˈpɪərɪən/
quatrain /ˈkwɒtreɪn/ PROJECT
couplet /ˈkʌplət/ Students can do this as homework, but could also
prepare it in class, working in pairs.
iambic pentameter /aɪˈæmbɪk penˈtæmɪtə/

Notes on the unit

1 Ask students to read the sonnet. Reiterate that they
needn’t worry if they don’t understand every word.
Discuss possible titles as a class.

Suggested answers
True love, What real love is, Love that lasts forever, etc.

2 Ask students to work in pairs to complete the text. Check

answers, and check understanding of quatrain, couplet,
iambic pentameter, and rhyme scheme (see ‘Background’
notes above).

Answers
1 fourteen
2 twelve
3 four
4 two
5 cdcd
6 gg
7 ten
8 five

3 Ask students to match the lines with their modern

equivalents.

Answers
1g 2e 3b 4h 5a 6f 7d 8c

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 12
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 8A
Conversation conventions 4 Ask students to read the text again and match the writers
with the points they make.
Background Answers
The focus of this lesson is on conversation conventions and 1C 2B 3E 4B 5A 6B 7D 8E
‘small talk’. Small talk is often seen as having little useful
purpose. However, it is an incredibly useful form of bonding
ritual. It has many different functions in helping to define What do you think?
the relationships between new acquaintances, colleagues, Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
business associates, friends, and family members.
The topics of small talk can differ between cultures. In PROJECT
the UK, for example, the weather is a common subject Students can do this as homework, but could also
for small talk. The text discusses various reasons why the prepare it in class, working in pairs.
weather is such a popular topic for small talk in Britain.
Other acceptable topics would be music, television, films,
and sport. These are all seen as relatively ‘safe’ topics. One
reason is that there will be some shared knowledge between
the speakers on these topics, which will help to avoid the
conversation becoming too one-sided. Taboo topics between
new acquaintances in the UK would include money, politics,
or the economy.
When to initiate small talk can also differ between cultures.
In the UK, it can be perfectly acceptable to start a business
meeting with small talk. However, it can be rare to see
strangers on a bus or train initiating any small talk.

PRONUNCIATION
Benjamin Orlove /ˈbendʒəmɪn ˈɔː lʌv/

Notes on the unit

1 Discuss the questions as a class.

Answers
Small talk: polite conversation about ordinary or unimportant subjects,
especially at social occasions.
Topics: students’ own answers

2 Ask students to speculate why British people talk about

the weather so much. Ask them to read the text to check
their answers.

Answers
Reasons given in the text: 2, 5, 6

3 Ask students to look in the text and match the words to

make collocations, then match the collocations with their
definitions.

Answers
2 natural reserve, d
3 miss the point, i
4 global warming, b
5 weather patterns, j
6 cultural identity, g
7 daily routine, h
8 deeply embedded, a
9 come to light, f
10 diary keeping, c

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 13
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 8B
6 Ask students to find the archaic forms in the poem to
Composed Upon Westminster Bridge – match the modern equivalents.
William Wordsworth
Answers
Background beautiful – fair; does – doth; to – unto; never – ne’er; glides – glideth
William Wordsworth is one of the most popular and widely-
read British poets. Westminster Bridge is one of the many 7 Ask students to read the poem again and answer the
bridges across the River Thames in central London, close to questions.
the Houses of Parliament. The Lake District, so-called for its
Answers
landscape of lakes, rivers and mountains, is in the north-west
1 ABBA, ABBA, CDC, CDC.
of England and is a popular destination for people wanting to
2 The notion that a city can be more beautiful than the natural world.
go walking in the countryside.
3 Someone lacking the ability to appreciate beauty and splendour.
4 Between the splendour associated with majesty and the very human
PRONUNCIATION associations of touching, reflecting the poet’s outlook.
Wordsworth /wɜːdzwɜːθ/ 5 By not stating the subject until the fourth line.
ballad /ˈbæləd/ 6 ‘Majesty’, ‘splendour’, ‘mighty’; we associate these words with
limerick /ˈlɪmərɪk/ royalty.
7 ‘Doth like a garment wear’; to compare the aura that envelopes the
elegy /ˈelədʒi/ city to an item of clothing.
8 ‘Majesty’, ‘bare’, ‘steep’, ‘houses seem asleep’, ‘that mighty heart’
Notes on the unit 9 That it took him by surprise; ‘Dear God!’
1 Refer students to the photographs and discuss the 10 The use of ‘to show’ with ‘Earth’; ‘garment’ and ‘wear’ with ‘City’;
questions as a class. ‘his’ with ‘sun’; ‘his own sweet will’ with ‘river’; ‘ houses seem asleep’;
‘that mighty heart is lying still’.
2 Ask students to read the text and answer the question.

Answer What do you think?

The Lake District in Cumbria: a beautiful area of lakes, rivers, and Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
mountains.
PROJECT
3 Ask students to read the text again and complete it with
the missing words and numbers. Students can do this as homework, but could also
prepare it in class, working in pairs.
Answers
1 1770
2 eight
3 Cambridge
4 Switzerland
5 France
6 1793
7 Romantic
8 1802
9 Coleridge
10 financial
11 Dorothy
12 1850

4 Ask students to match the sentence halves describing

different types of poetry.

Answers
1d 2e 3a 4c 5b

5 Ask students to read the poem and answer the questions.

Answers
1 sonnet
2 morning

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 14
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 9
Tiger mothers and turbo-charged fathers 4 Ask students to find the words in the article and match
them with the meanings.
Background Answers
The majority of British children go to state schools, free of 1c 2f 3e 4a 5j 6h 7b 8i 9g 10d
charge. They start nursery school at the age of three, primary
school at four or five, and secondary school at eleven. 5 Ask students to read the statements and decide in pairs if
Most secondary schools are comprehensive schools. This they are true or false according to the Eton housemaster.
means that they are all-inclusive – children of all abilities can
attend, and they don’t have to pass an entrance exam to get Answers
in. 1F 2T 3F 4T 5F 6F 7T 8T
Although the vast majority are comprehensives, there are
some selective state secondary schools. They are called What do you think?
grammar schools, and you have to pass an exam called the Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
‘Eleven Plus’ to get in. They are very academic and hard to
get into. At present, there are fewer than 200 such schools in PROJECT
the UK.
Divide the class into three groups: A, B, and C.
There is a small percentage (around 8%) of children who
aren’t educated in the state sector. They go to fee-paying Give each group a role: A are pushy parents, B are school
private schools. In other words, parents or guardians have to teachers, and C are grandparents.
pay for their children to go there. This is called the private Allow each group some time to prepare what they are
(or independent) sector. Children go to pre-prep schools going to say, then put students in groups of three: an A,
from the age of two or three. At the age of seven, they go to B, and C student in each group.
a prep school (short for preparatory school), where they are Ask students to discuss how to bring up happy,
prepared for the ‘Common Entrance’ exam, which they will successful children and make a list of five top tips.
need to pass in order to get into a private secondary school. Remind them to express their opinions according to
This can be a day school or a boarding school (where you live their roles.
during term time). Private boarding schools are often called Compare the top tips of each group as a class.
public schools and are the most expensive and exclusive
in the country. Eton College is one of the oldest and most
famous public schools in the world. Prince William and
Prince Harry both went there.
As the birth rate in cities like London has risen, there are
more children than places available in private schools. As a
result, getting into private schools has become increasingly
competitive. This has resulted in entrance exams even for
pre-prep schools and parents increasingly ‘hot-housing’ their
children to get them into the schools of their choice.

PRONUNCIATION
Eton College /i:tn ˈkɒlɪdʒ/

Notes on the unit

1 Ask students to do the quiz, either individually or in pairs,
then check their answers (upside down, below the quiz).
2 Ask students to make a list of similarities and differences
between the education system in Britain and their
country. Discuss as a class.
3 Ask students to read the headline and expressions in the
box and make predictions about the article. Discuss in
small groups or as a class. Then ask students to read the
article and see if they were right.

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 15
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 10A
Binge-drinking Britain 4 Ask students to find the words in the text and guess their
meaning from the context.
Background Answers
Binge-drinking, especially among teenagers, is a serious 1 a name used to describe something
problem in the UK. Excessive drinking leads to fights, 2 new
accidents and health problems, all of which are expensive for 3 invented
the country. 4 tradition
Throughout the UK the sale of alcohol is restricted. Shops 5 out of control behaviour
must have a special licence to sell alcoholic drinks, and pubs, 6 results of past events
cafés and restaurants require a licence to serve alcohol to 7 created
customers. The hours during which alcohol can be sold are 8 intelligent
also restricted. These strict ‘licensing laws’ were brought in 9 introduce
during the 19th century, partly as a result of pressure from 10 becoming more similar
Temperance Societies, which were established by religious 11 drinking
groups in response to the growing problem of drunkenness 12 showing signs of
and alcoholism among working-class people. In recent years,
the licensing laws have been relaxed in the hope that fewer 5 Ask students to read the text again and decide whether
restrictions and a more relaxed attitude towards alcohol the statements are true, false or not stated in the text.
might lead to a reduction in binge-drinking.
The ‘male-dominated boozer’ mentioned in the text is a Answers
1F 2F 3NS 4T 5T 6F 7F 8NS 9F 10F
reference to the traditional British pub (‘booze’ is an informal
word for ‘alcohol’). Until the 1960s, pubs were very male-
dominated, and women rarely went into a pub if they were What do you think?
not accompanied by a man. Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
PRONUNCIATION PROJECT
binge-drinking /bɪndʒ ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ/ Students can do this as homework, but could also
lager louts /ˈlɑːɡə laʊts/ prepare it in class, working in pairs.

Notes on the unit

1 Discuss the questions as a class.
2 Ask students to read the text and decide what type of text
it is.

Answer
B

3 Ask students to look in the text and match the words to

make collocations, then match the collocations with their
definitions.

Answers
2 aggressive outbursts, k
3 road rage, b
4 loose boundaries, j
5 rapid expansion, d
6 licensed premises, h
7 cultural ambivalence, a
8 disinhibited behaviours, f
9 first-rate incentive, i
10 male-dominated boozer, l
11 drunken swill, c
12 vertical drinking establishments, g

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 16
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 10B
The War of the Worlds – H.G. Wells
Background
H.G.Wells (1866–1946) was an English writer best known
for his works of science fiction. He was born in Kent, in
the south of England, and when, at the age of 12, he was
bedridden with a broken leg, he developed a love of reading
novels, which later developed into a desire to write. Wells
studied science at university and was also interested in
politics, becoming a member of the socialist Fabian Society.
His best-known works include The War of the Worlds, The
Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The First Men in the
Moon. His works are still widely read, and there have been
film and TV adaptations of several of his novels.
PRONUNCIATION
Martian /ˈmɑːʃn/
Notes on the unit
1 Discuss the questions as a class.
2 Ask students to speculate on what kind of aliens they
expect to find in the novel. Ask them to read the extract
to check their answers.
3 Ask students to match the groups of words with their
meanings.
Answers
1e 2d 3b 4h 5c 6g 7a 8f
4 Ask students to answer the questions, either individually
or in pairs.
Answers
1 By describing it little by little, keeping the reader guessing.
2 They vary, sometimes very short and sometimes quite long. This
changes the pace and helps to increase the tension felt by the
reader, who doesn’t know what to expect next.
3 a) ‘glistened like wet leather’
b) ‘like the fall of a great mass of leather’
4 It creates the impression of an eyewitness account, giving the reader
the feeling of being present at the vital moments, and able to
imagine the fear he/she would feel.
Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide
© Copyright Oxford University Press
5 Ask students to read the extract again and answer the
questions.
Answers
1 He assumed they would resemble humans.
2 They were like snakes; in Greek mythology, the Gorgons had snakes
for hair.
3 He moved back from the edge of the pit, but kept his eyes fixed on
the creature.
4 Gravity on Earth was greater than on the alien’s planet.
5 The look in its (huge) eyes.
6 He couldn’t stop looking at the aliens, rather than watching where
he was going.
7 The sound of a scream.
8 He was too afraid.
What do you think?
Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
You might like to read the following quote to the class, from
Chapter 1 of The War of the Worlds, which suggests that
Wells feels that humans can be taken as a model for how a
technologically superior race might behave aggressively and
destructively towards a less developed one:
‘And before we judge them [the Martians] too harshly, we
must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our
own species has wrought, not only upon animals, such as
the vanished bison and the Dodo, but upon its own inferior
races. The Tasmanians, in spite of their human likeness, were
entirely swept out of existence in a war of extermination
waged by European immigrants, in the space of 50 years.
Are we such apostles of mercy as to complain if the Martians
warred in the same spirit?’
PROJECT
Students could do the task for homework, or could do
the research for homework and then write the account
in class, working in pairs.
17
Upper-Intermediate 11A
Inventions
Background
Boiling water to produce mechanical motion goes back
about 2,000 years. First, the Greeks experimented with
various rudimentary devices, then the Turks, Italians, and
Spanish followed suit. The first commercial steam-powered
device was a water pump, developed in England in 1698 by
Thomas Savery. Thomas Newcomen’s engine was based on
technologies discovered by Savery.
Although James Watt is credited with the first commercial
engine, his low-pressure version was quickly superseded by
a high-pressure one, which Watt vigorously fought against to
protect his commercial interests, claiming it was unsafe.
Samuel Morse made a reasonable living as a portrait
painter, artist, and teacher. After his first wife’s death, he
painstakingly worked on his invention as well, although
it took a long time for it to become recognized for what it
was. He had to work hard for recognition, funding, and
investment. He finally received a patent for it when he was
56, after 25 years.
The take-up of electricity was slow over the first ten years
due to the high installation costs, but as the price came down,
Thomas Edison gained three million customers over the
following ten years. However, Edison’s direct current (DC)
system of electricity was superseded by the Westinghouse
Electric Company’s more powerful alternating current (AC)
system, designed by Nickola Tesla. Although Edison fought
the new system, claiming it was unsafe for household use, the
more efficient AC system is the one we use today.
PRONUNCIATION
Thomas Newcomen /tɒməs njuːkʌmən/
James Watt /dʒeɪms wɒt/
Samuel Morse /ˈsæmjuːwel mɔːs/
William Cooke /ˈwɪljəm kʊk/
Charles Wheatstone /tʃɑːls ˈwiːtstəʊn /
Thomas Edison /ˈtɒməs ˈɛdɪsən/
Joseph Swann /dʒəʊsəf swɒn/
Notes on the unit
1 Students discuss the question in pairs, then as a class.
Possible answers
bicycle, car, computer, television
2 Discuss the question as a class, then ask students to read
the texts quickly to check their ideas.
Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide
© Copyright Oxford University Press
3 Ask students to read the text again and find what the
years refer to.
Answers
1845: Samuel Morse formed a company to install telegraph lines from
New York to other cities.
1769: James Watt received a patent for his steam engine.
1837: William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone patented their telegraph
device.
1825: Morse started work on a system of long-distance communication.
1876: Joseph Swann patented an incandescent lamp.
1879: Thomas Edison filed a patent for his light bulb.
1712: Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine appeared.
1847: Morse received a patent for his single-wire telegraph device.
4 Ask students to find the words in the texts and match
them with the meanings.
Answers
1h 2c 3d 4e 5a 6b 7i 8f 9j 10g
5 Ask students to find the phrases in the text and work out
their meanings.
Answers
1 attempt to do something for the first time
2 make future development easier for something or somebody
3 work together on a common enterprise or project
6 Ask students to look at the texts again and answer the
questions.
Answers
1A  2B  3A, C  4A, B, and C  5 Morse  6 Edison
7 Morse and Edison  8 Watt and Morse  9 Morse
What do you think?
Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
Students might be interested to learn that in a vote by
listeners to BBC Radio, the bicycle was voted the number one
invention.
PROJECT
Students can do this as homework, but could also
prepare it in class, working in pairs. You might like to
display students’ texts on the classroom wall and then
ask students to have a class vote for the top invention of
all time.
18
Upper-Intermediate 11B
6 Ask students to find the phrases in the text and work out
Life of Pi – Yann Martel their meanings.
Background Answers
Yann Martel (born 1963) is a French-Canadian author best 1 rationally, objectively
known for his novel Life of Pi, which won the prestigious 2 as safe as it could be, given the circumstances
Man Booker Prize for literature in 2002. Although his first 3 (deal with) the problem immediately before you panic, and not
language is French, he writes in English. He was born in worry yet about the next problem
Spain and grew up in Costa Rica, France, Mexico, and 4 noise from the seawater entering the ship
Canada. As an adult, Martel spent over a year in India and 5 do something as carefully as you can
also read different religious texts and castaway stories. All of
this formed the basis of Life of Pi – his most successful novel 7 Ask students to read the extract again and discuss the
to date, selling over ten million copies worldwide. questions in pairs.
The novel was made into a film in 2012 by award-winning
director Ang Lee. At the 2013 Oscars, the film won four Answers
awards, including Best Director and Best Visual Effects. 1 After the ship is wrecked and before the boy gets on the lifeboat.
At this point, only the tiger and zebra are on board.
PRONUNCIATION 2 He didn’t feel or think much at all. The rational part of his brain
switched off and he instinctively did what he could to survive.
Yann Martel /jæn mɑːˈtel/
3 He put the pole of the oar through the ring and positioned himself
Pi /paɪ/ inside the ring with his arms and legs round the oar. Now the ring
was helping him hold onto the oar.
Notes on the unit 4 The darkness melted away from the sky. The rain stopped.
5 He needed to get out of the water. He was cold, uncomfortable and
1 Discuss the questions as a class. You could mention that couldn’t see anything. He wanted to look for other signs of life from
this is the back-cover blurb of the book. If any students the shipwreck.
have read the book or seen the film, you might like to ask 6 He worked out that the tiger wouldn’t see him because it was
them what they thought of it. looking at the zebra at the other end of the boat. Also, from what
2 Ask students to read the review and answer the questions. he knew of tigers, the sound of the storm and the fact that he was
wet would allow him to climb on board unnoticed by the tiger.
Answers 7 Pi has a strong instinct for survival. He is tough, resourceful, and
Positive. intelligent. He assesses his possibilities quickly and accurately. Above
A fable is a type of story. all, he is brave and will take a calculated risk.
3 Ask students to match the story types to the definitions. 9 Ask students to answer the question based on what they
read in exercise 8.
Answers
1b 2a 3c 4d Answer
They decide to believe the animal version because otherwise Pi would
4 Ask students to read the extract and answer the questions. be a murderer and cannibal, and they find that too horrible to believe.
There is no evidence for either story.
Answers
One person is mentioned – a boy.
A zebra, some sharks, and a tiger named Richard Parker. What do you think?
Discuss as a class, or first in pairs or groups, and then as a class.
5 Ask students to find words in the extract which match the
meanings. If you believe the more unbelievable tale with the animals,
it shows that you perhaps have a more trusting, optimistic
Answers nature than the more rational, cynical nature required for
1 orphaned assuming the only-human version of the story is possible.
2 oar
3 prospects PROJECT
4 lifebuoy Students could do this as homework, but could also
5 awkward prepare it in class, working in pairs.
6 the elements
7 prowl
8 lunge
9 flotsam
10 tarpaulin

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 19
© Copyright Oxford University Press
Upper-Intermediate 12
6 Ask students to read and complete the text with the
The Call – Charlotte Mew missing words.
Background Answers
Although London-born poet Charlotte Mew (1869–1928) 1 schizophrenia
isn’t very well-known today, she was highly esteemed during 2 poverty
her lifetime by poets like Siegfried Sassoon, Ezra Pound, and 3 inconsolable
Thomas Hardy. Her output was small but compelling and 4 suicide
original, with themes of disillusionment, loneliness, doubt, 5 acclaimed
and mental illness dominating her work. Mew had a short, 6 generation
sad life. She never married, but lived in the family home with
her sister and her mother, and was always short of money. 7 Ask students to work in groups to discuss if and how their
She was an eccentric sight, a diminutive figure always dressed interpretations of the poem have changed.
in men’s clothes (it is likely that she was a lesbian). She ended 8 Students can write their own interpretation of The Call in
her life at the age of 58. pairs in the lesson or individually for homework.
Notes on the unit What do you think?
1 Ask students not to read The Call yet, but to look at the Discuss as a class, or first in pairs/groups, and then as a class.
pictures illustrating the poem. Discuss them as a class.
Then get students to make notes predicting what the
PROJECT
poem is about under the headings.
Students can do this as homework, but could also
Possible answers prepare it in class, working in pairs.
Setting: an old house in the country, at night in winter.
Characters: two people (a couple, friends, siblings); a visitor, someone
with bad news, an intruder, or a ghost.
Story: something happens to make the two people leave the warm fire
and walk out into the night – bad news, maybe.
Atmosphere: lonely, ominous, mysterious.

2 Ask students to read the poem and match the illustrations

with lines from the poem. Discuss as a class.

Answers
a lines 1–2
b line 8
c lines 15–16
d lines 19–25

3 Ask students to find the words in the poem which match

the definitions.

Answers
1d 2f 3b 4e 5a 6c

4 Before students read the interpretations, ask students

what they think the poem is about. Then ask them to read
the three possible interpretations of the poem and match
them to the titles.

Answers
1C 2B 3A

5 Ask students which interpretation they like best and why.

Headway Culture and Literature Companion for the Fourth edition  Upper-Intermediate Teacher’s Guide 20
© Copyright Oxford University Press