Module 4 · Reading & Listening Strands · Lesson 13
Reading Part 6 Across Texts
Cross-text multiple matching of opinion
Warm-up · Section 1
4 minGet talking
Take 'Remote work is broadly positive.' Climb the ladder — write it FOUR ways with progressively more C2 vocabulary.
(A) 'I'm largely sceptical of the trend.' (B) 'I see real reasons to doubt the trend.' Do these writers agree?
'The benefits are, of course, real — but they have been wildly overstated.' Is this writer FOR or AGAINST? What word tells you?
Grammar focus · Section 2
8 minOpinion-reporting structures
Quick rule
Part 6 tests whether you can MATCH paraphrases of opinions across writers. To read fast, you must know the grammar of opinions.
Examples
Frame + claim: 'It is widely held that REMOTE WORK BOOSTS PRODUCTIVITY.' (claim = caps)
'There is a compelling case for ABANDONING THE FIVE-DAY WEEK.'
'One might reasonably argue that THE ORIGINAL CRITICS HAVE BEEN VINDICATED.'
'Contrary to received wisdom, COMMUTING SOMETIMES HELPS, NOT HURTS, FOCUS.'
Quick check
Question 1.Strip the frame: 'It is increasingly recognised that the policy has failed.' The CLAIM is:
Question 2.Which is an opinion-REPORTING frame?
Question 3.'Contrary to popular belief, the trend has stalled.' This writer is:
Question 4.Paraphrase: 'remote work undermines team cohesion.' Which is CLOSEST?
Question 5.Which structure is FREQUENTLY used to BURY a personal opinion?
Vocabulary · Section 3
6 minWords & phrases to own
to share the view (that)
to agree with someone's stance
e.g. Hartley and Cole share the view that hybrid models are here to stay.
Use it now
Whose view did you share most strongly in last week's news?
↻ Recycled in reading match · speaking
to take issue with
to politely disagree
e.g. She takes issue with the claim that productivity has risen.
Use it now
What public claim would you TAKE ISSUE WITH this week?
↻ Recycled in reading · writing
to overstate (a case)
to claim more than the evidence supports
e.g. Critics have overstated the threat to office culture.
Use it now
Where do you see a case being OVERSTATED in your industry?
↻ Recycled in reading · model
to qualify (recycled L12)
to add a condition that limits a claim
e.g. I'd qualify that — it works in research, not in retail.
Use it now
Take a bold claim and qualify it in one sentence.
↻ Recycled in writing · speaking
broadly speaking
in general; with some exceptions
e.g. Broadly speaking, hybrid working has worked for knowledge workers.
Use it now
Make a 'broadly speaking' sentence about your country.
↻ Recycled in essay · speaking
on the contrary
to introduce an opposite view to one just stated
e.g. It hasn't improved morale. On the contrary, it has split teams.
Use it now
Write a one-sentence rebuttal using 'on the contrary'.
↻ Recycled in reading · speaking
Pair / group discussion
- Which of today's expressions do you actually USE in English? Which do you only RECOGNISE? Pick one to force into use today.
- When have you most recently had to QUALIFY a strong opinion someone tried to attribute to you?
Complete each stem about yourself
- I share the view that ______.…
- I'd take issue with the claim that ______.…
- Broadly speaking, ______, but ______.…
Rank & justify
Rank these from most to least diplomatic when disagreeing.
- I'd take issue with that.
- I disagree entirely.
- On the contrary.
- I'd qualify that.
Quick write (60 seconds)
Write ONE sentence that paraphrases 'remote work has been wildly overstated' using a different opinion frame and TWO of today's items.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3 minIntonation in stance
Stance phrases RISE at the qualifying word and FALL at the claim. 'I'd ↗QUALIFY that — ↘it works for small teams.' Drill aloud so listeners can hear your position WITHOUT replaying.
- I'd ↗QUALIFY that — ↘it works for small teams.
- BROADLY speaking, ↗yes, but ↘not in retail.
- ON the contrary, ↘the evidence points the other way.
- I'd take ↗ISSUE with that ↘entirely.
Reading · Section 5
8 minFour writers on the four-day week
C1 cross-text mock · Part 6
Four writers on the four-day week
Four short pieces, four writers, one debate. Compare and contrast: who agrees with whom, and where they part company?
WRITER A — The Economist's View It is widely accepted that the four-day-week trials have produced striking results. Productivity has, broadly speaking, held steady or risen. The case for a permanent shift is, in my view, compelling — and the burden of proof has shifted to the sceptics. Those who continue to take issue with the trend are increasingly arguing from instinct rather than evidence.
WRITER B — The HR Director's View I share the view that the headline figures are striking. But I would qualify what the trials prove. The pilot schemes have been disproportionately concentrated in knowledge work; they tell us very little about retail, hospitality and shift-based industries. To extrapolate from the trials to a national policy would be to overstate the case considerably.
WRITER C — The Sceptical Columnist's View On the contrary, the trials prove almost nothing. A self-selecting group of progressive employers reported flattering results to researchers funded by the campaign. Reliable, controlled evidence remains thin on the ground. I do not deny the appeal — who would not want more weekends? — but appeal is not evidence.
WRITER D — The Worker's View I worked under a trial for nine months. Broadly speaking, my team got the same volume of work done in four days as in five — but the four days were harder. The 'productivity gain' is real; what is not always reported is that the intensity of the four days rose sharply. I share the view that the trial worked, but I take issue with the implication that it cost nothing.
Question 1.Which writer is MOST openly sceptical of the trials?
Question 2.Writers A and D share the view that…
Question 3.Which writer takes issue with extrapolating from the trials to a NATIONAL policy?
Question 4.Whose view does WRITER C contradict MOST DIRECTLY?
Question 5.Which writer makes a point about the INTENSITY of the working days that no one else raises?
Question 6.Writers B and C share the view that…
Listening · Section 6
8 minFour speakers on the same trial
Notes
Pre-listen briefing
- ▸SPEAKER 1 — Megan (f, Northern English / Manchester)
- ▸SPEAKER 2 — Niamh (f, Irish / Dublin)
- ▸SPEAKER 3 — Jack (m, Australian / Sydney)
- ▸SPEAKER 4 — Tane (m, NZ / Auckland)
- ▸Task: for each speaker, decide which of the four written writers (A–D) they MOST agree with.
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Scrub the bar or use ± 5 s to jump.
Show transcript
Megan (f, Northern English):Honestly, after nine months I'd say it worked — but the four days were harder. We got the volume through, no question, but you couldn't take your foot off the pedal at any point. I share the view that productivity held up. I just don't think it was free.
Niamh (f, Irish):I'd take issue with the headlines, to be perfectly honest. The trials were almost entirely in knowledge work, and the firms that volunteered were the ones already running well. Extrapolating to retail or hospitality would, in my view, overstate the case considerably.
Jack (m, Australian):Look, on the contrary — I think the case is now compelling. Productivity steady or up, burnout down, retention up. The sceptics are running out of arguments that aren't instinct dressed up as caution.
Tane (m, NZ):Broadly speaking, the trials prove very little. A self-selecting group of progressive employers, friendly researchers, a flattering write-up. I'd want controlled, reliable evidence before I'd recommend it as national policy. Until we have that, the appeal is real, but the evidence isn't.
Question 1.Speaker 1 (Megan) most agrees with…
Question 2.Speaker 2 (Niamh) most agrees with…
Question 3.Speaker 3 (Jack) most agrees with…
Question 4.Speaker 4 (Tane) most agrees with…
Question 5.Which TWO speakers most strongly DISAGREE with each other?
Visual stimulus · Section 7
3 minHow a Part 6 page looks
Four short texts, labelled A–D, presented as a single page. Your job is paraphrase matching: 'Which writer shares the view that…?' / 'Which writer takes a different view from the other three on…?'
Discuss in pairs
Skim each text first; then match the questions paraphrase-by-paraphrase.
Exam skills · Section 8
3 minReading Part 6 — cross-text multiple matching
Strategy
- 1.(1 min) Skim all 4 for each writer's overall stance.
- 2.(1 min/question) For each question, identify the OPINION in the trigger writer first.
- 3.PARAPHRASE that opinion in your head (or in the margin).
- 4.Scan the other 3 writers for the SAME opinion expressed differently.
- 5.Reject look-alikes — same topic ≠ same opinion.
Example
Q: 'Which writer shares the view that productivity gains are real?' Trigger (Writer A): 'productivity has held steady or risen'. Paraphrase: gains are real. Writer D: 'The productivity gain is real' — match. Writer C: 'the trials prove almost nothing' — opposite. Writer B: 'I share the view that headline figures are striking' — qualified, but does NOT confirm gains are real for ALL sectors. D is the clearest match.
Practice · Section 9
7 minFill in the blank
Question 1.I'd ____ issue with the claim that the trials prove anything.
Question 2.Broadly ____, the policy has worked in knowledge sectors.
Question 3.It hasn't reduced burnout. On the ____ — it has shifted it elsewhere.
Question 4.Critics have ____ the threat to team cohesion.
Question 5.I ____ the view that hybrid models are now permanent.
Question 6.I'd ____ that claim by noting our sector is unusual.
Writing · Section 10
4 minPut it in writing
Your task
Pick THREE of the four written writers (A, B, C, D). Paraphrase each writer's CORE stance in ONE sentence (~25 words each), using a DIFFERENT opinion-reporting structure each time and at least one item from today's vocab list.
- • Three sentences, three different opinion-reporting structures.
- • Each sentence ≤ 28 words.
- • Use at least 2 different items from today's vocab list across the three.
Before you submit
- ☐ Each paraphrase captures the CLAIM, not the frame.
- ☐ Three structures genuinely different (not three variants of 'X argues that…').
- ☐ Vocab used naturally, not stuffed.
Show model answer
(A) It is now widely held that the four-day-week trials have produced compelling, if narrow, evidence in favour of permanent change. (C) On the contrary, the sceptics argue, the trials prove almost nothing: the data is thin, the firms self-selecting and the researchers sympathetic. (D) Broadly speaking, the worker's view holds that the gains are real but achieved through significantly higher intensity across the four days.
Speaking · Section 11
6 minMake it a real conversation
Where do YOU stand? In groups of 3, 5 minutes. Each person picks the writer (A–D) closest to their own stance and DEFENDS it for 60 seconds, using at least 2 items from today's vocab. The other two then probe with one question each.
Each person opens with ONE writer; the group discusses all four positions.
Whose view of the four-day week is closest to YOURS — and why?
Writer A — Economist
Compelling case, sceptics out of arguments.
Writer B — HR Director
Evidence is real but narrow; don't extrapolate.
Writer C — Sceptic
Self-selecting trials, thin evidence, appeal ≠ proof.
Writer D — Worker
Gains real, but cost is rising intensity.
Useful phrases
- I'd say I share the view of Writer ___ because…
- I'd take issue with Writer ___ on the point that…
- Broadly speaking, my position is…
- On the contrary — what they overstate is…
- I'd qualify Writer ___'s claim by adding…
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Stretches. ~22 min total
Homework · Section 12
Take-homeTake it home
Find FOUR short opinion pieces online on the same topic (climate policy, AI in education, remote work, your choice). For EACH pair (A vs B, A vs C, A vs D, B vs C, B vs D, C vs D), write ONE sentence stating whether they agree or disagree, and on WHAT specific point.
Take YOUR essay from Lesson 12. Add ONE 'on the contrary' sentence that anticipates a counter-argument and rebuts it.
Find a podcast with 3+ guests on a single topic. For each guest, write ONE sentence summarising their stance using a DIFFERENT opinion-reporting frame.
Build a 'cross-match cheat-sheet': 8 paraphrase pairs you have invented (e.g. 'has held steady' ↔ 'has not declined'). Aim for genuinely C1 paraphrases, not synonyms.
Recap · Section 13
Wrap-upWhat you've learned
- Part 6 tests paraphrase detection across writers — match opinions, not topics.
- Strip the opinion-reporting frame; only the core claim matters for matching.
- Listening Part 4 mirrors the same skill across four voices. Same drill, different medium.
- Today's lexis (take issue with, share the view, on the contrary, overstate, qualify, broadly speaking) is now spiral — it returns in Lesson 14's gapped text and the next review lab.