NOTE TAKING: USING YOUR NOTES TO ASK QUESTIONS AND MAKE COMMENTS

Many professors in English-speaking countries expect you to ask questions and make comments during or after their lectures. In this way, information can be clarified and a variety of opinions can be introduced that increase the depth of the discussion and make it more interesting.

In Chapter 7, you practiced writing questions in the margins to remind you to clarify information that you did not understand. You can also use the margins to write comments that you would like to make. Here are some reasons you might want to ask a question or make a comment:

• You did not understand something the speaker said and want clarification.

• You would like additional information about some point of the lecture.

• You want to contribute additional information about a point of the lecture.

• You disagree with something the speaker said and want to discuss it.

• You agree with something the speaker said and want to express your support.

Even if you do not have a question or comment, it is a good idea to take notes on questions and comments of other students. You should also take notes on the lecturer’s response and any class discussion that follows. This will increase your knowledge and understanding of the topic.

1

Listen to Part One of the lecture and take notes on your own paper.

Write your questions and comments in the margins of the paper on which you take notes. Write at least one question and one comment.

3 ! Discuss your questions and comments with a partner.

LECTURE, PART TWO: Questions, answers, and comments

GUESSING VOCABULARY FROM CONTEXT

1 The following items contain important vocabulary from Part Two of the lecture. Work with a partner. Using the context and your knowledge of related words, take turns trying to guess the meanings of the words in bold.

1 People’s moods and opinions are difficult to understand through statistics.

2 This figure might reflect people’s concern about violent crime.

3 If you’ve suffered the loss of a loved one, your immediate response is to want revenge.

___ 4 This form of retribution is not the answer.

___ 5 The legal system is supposed to elevate us: it is set up so that it is better

than us.

6 Individually, we are flawed, but as a society we are strong.

7 In many ways, capital punishment is very arbitrary.

8 If you really believed in the death penalty as a punishment for a horrific crime. . .

9 Nobody would stand for that.

Work with your partner. Match the vocabulary terms with their definitions by writing the letter of each definition below in the blank next to the sentence containing the correct term in step 1. Check your answers in a dictionary if necessary, a punishment for the person who hurt you b terrible c number d not perfect e unfair f punishment g help us become better h accept, allow і feelings

Q NOTE TAKING: USING YOUR NOTES TO ASK QUESTIONS AND MAKE COMMENTS

Listen to Part Two of the lecture. You will hear five students address Mr. Stack. Take notes on their questions and comments and on Mr. Stack’s responses.

Compare your notes with your partner from Part One of the lecture. Were the questions and comments the students addressed to Mr. Stack similar to or different from yours?