Dear students,
English level B2 involves the ability to understand the main ideas of complex texts. To this end, a series of articles of increasing complexity will be read, analysed and discussed in class starting April 10, 2019.
As an attachment to this message, you’ll find the first text. Read it carefully and complete the following exercises:
1. At the sentence level:
a. Identify unknown vocabulary. For example, make sure you understand the meaning of bitcoin, cypherpunk, black-marketeer, etc.
b. Recognise multiple adjective constructions such as “… cyber-libertarian bitcoin enthusiasts”. Analyse them.
2. At the paragraph level:
Identify discourse connectors at the beginning of paragraphs.
3. At the text level:
Single out the main ideas of the text.
Try to summarise the text in one short paragraph (4 lines, maybe).
Regards,
Lourdes Gonzalez-Valera
English 259MI Instructor