Szilvás Izabella:

Exam-Fright Killer
50 Advanced Topics

Private Edition, 2005

FOREWORD

WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR?

Exam-Fright Killer was written for learners of “English as a foreign language”, for students who are preparing for language exams, and whose command of English is at levels from intermediate upwards. I do hope, however, that a wider range of people will find this book worth reading: advanced users who wish to read brief summaries of everyday topics.

WHAT IS THIS BOOK ABOUT?

Exam-Fright Killer consists of fifty topics that advanced students of English are likely to encounter when taking language exams.

In choosing the topics I have tried to select issues of general interest which may be set as discussion topics and as reading or writing tasks, both at the Hungarian advanced level national examination and at the international examinations popular with Hungarian candidates: ECL, ELC, Pitman, and Trinity.

When selecting what to include, I have also attempted to focus on issues that are not covered in detail in coursebooks commonly used in Hungary. I am fully aware that you may rightly feel dissatisfied with my present choices because scores of important topics, such as fashion, shopping, design, elections or mobile phones, have been ignored. In the revised edition I will try to make up for this limited selection.

My aim with this book is to provide basic, general, background information on a range of subjects frequently discussed in the papers and on radio and television programmes. “Basic” is a key word here: rather than analysing issues in-depth, I strive to provide short-cut, “in a nutshell” discussions of matters of concern. “General” must also be underlined. Although I make frequent references to British and American institutions, laws, customs and habits, this book is not a cultural reader, but a rough outline of the general aspects of everyday issues. Another essential goal of this book is to help learners with the target vocabulary necessary to understand, speak or write about these topics. I have paid particular attention to commonly cited arguments for and against issues that are surrounded by considerable controversy. Both sides of such cases are presented, summarising frequently expressed bodies of opinion, in table form.

As this book is a kind of schoolbook for instruction and practice, containing a lot of essential advanced vocabulary of the topics covered, it can be put to a variety of uses. The information can be utilised when students are asked to give a short talk, debate an issue, perform a reading comprehension task, or write an argumentative essay. The topics can contribute to a broadening of students’ general knowledge and to improving their command of English.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I hope that you enjoy reading this book and that you find it helpful. I look forward to hearing about what you think of the format and content of these fifty advanced topics. I welcome your remarks, suggestions and (moderate amounts of) criticism via electronic mail, at examfright50@yahoo.com. Orders for purchasing Exam-Fright Killer can be placed at the same e-mail address.

Izabella Szilvás

Contents and Excerpts (pdf, 121 kbytes)