U8: Exercise 3. Listen and complete the notes.

Write ONE WORD ONLY for

each answer.

Graffiti – past and present

The beginning

 drawings in caves thousands of years ago

 Romans and Greeks used it to show strong feelings or 1 ___________ opinions

Graffiti today

 usually against the law

 often done in 2 ____________ , when nobody is around

Changes

 3 ______________ and materials very different

 must be done quickly
 plans may include lots of information and the drawings may be 4 _____________
 often for sale
 cities have street celebrations and 5 ____________ , which well-known artists may attend

Globalisation

 new graffiti quickly spread by the internet

A cause for disagreement

 seen by some as unattractive but by others as 6 _______________ artwork

 people visit and buy it in galleries

Hello. I’m here today to talk to you about the history of graffiti and how it’s become a
global phenomenon. Whilst I’m sure many of you consider graffiti unique to modern-day
society, it may surprise you to know that it actually dates back millennia.

OK, so, first I’ll begin by telling you a bit about its origins. As I’ve touched on previously,
some of the first examples of wall art appeared in caves in prehistoric times. Later, Romans
and Greeks wrote poems and other writing and symbols on the walls of buildings to express
emotions or political views, and it can be argued that this is still the same today.

Right, now, moving to modern graffiti. As I said, street artists – as they are sometimes
called – still use walls to spread their thoughts and ideas. The act, which is often carried out
on our streets illegally, is typically undertaken when the streets are deserted and in
darkness. However, there are subtle differences between the messages of the past and
present, which we’ll consider next.

Of course, there have been significant changes in the materials and tools available to the
artist – there weren’t, for example, cans of spray paint available in Roman times. As a
result, graffiti today must be carefully considered and completed rapidly. Designs and
artwork, which can be both detailed and vibrant, are becoming extremely commercial.

These days, we find pieces being sold in galleries worldwide for increasingly large
 amounts. Indeed, many cities regularly hold street art parties and even festivals, where
famous artists are invited to design and paint huge murals.

Moving on to the effects of an increase in world trade, the advent of the internet means
messages are spread at the touch of a button. New art, appearing, for example, in the UK,
can be seen within seconds anywhere in the world wherever there is either an internet
connection or mobile coverage.

Finally, I’d like to talk about the controversy surrounding modern-day graffiti. Is it art or
vandalism, and who decides? What one person sees as an ugly, offensive and disrespectful
act of vandalism, carried out by an empty-headed criminal who has no thought for others, is
a beautiful work of art in the eyes of another, worthy of becoming a tourist attraction or
being sold in a gallery.

OK, so, we’ve covered the main areas I wanted to discuss. Are there any questions?

U8: Exercise 4. Read the information. Then listen and complete the summary.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

The skills used for summary completion questions are like those for note completion.
However, the summary will typically be in the form of one short paragraph with a single
heading.

Quickly read the paragraph and try to predict the missing words. Remember: the phrases
surrounding the gaps will be paraphrases of the words used in the recording.

Art and culture

Both have existed together throughout history. Artists have great skill in showing originality and 1
_____________ . Global and local culture provides the ideas for art. This includes things you can hear,
see and also the 2 _____________ arts. Art gives us information about the past, when things weren’t 3
______________ down. We know something about prehistoric society because of primitive art
discovered in 4 ______________ . Today, stories continue to 5 ______________ our interest, even
though art is more commercial.

So, I’ve talked a bit about the history of graffiti, which I hope has been of interest. But,
before we come to the end of the lecture, I’d like to talk about the idea of art and culture.

Through the ages, art and culture have coexisted. Artists, who are adept at expressing
creativity and imagination, are ‘fed’ by the culture by which they are surrounded, both
globally and locally. What I mean is, art takes inspiration from what’s happening in society
at the time. Art, which I use to refer to a diverse range of human activities (auditory, visual
and performing), provides us with a historical record. Without this, much of what happened
before the introduction of the written word would have been lost. We are aware, for
example, that the knowledge gained about what life was like thousands of years ago from
the primitive drawings found in caves would simply not have been revealed without art. Of
course, art today is more technical and, as you’ve already heard me discuss, commercial.
However, it still manages to tell its stories in a way that can capture our attention and fill us
with wonder.
U8: Exercise 6. Listen and complete the notes. Write NO MORE THAN TWO
WORDS for each answer.

The rise of selfies

What are they?
photographs of yourself using a 1 _____________ mobile device

How are they used?

photos shared online with those we are perhaps 2 _____________ with

Not real
Our appearance may be 3 _________________ .

The form of the person we present may be 4 _________________ .

Dangers
Problems with how we see ourselves could result in low 5 __________________ .

Consider why we feel the need to present ourselves differently.

While pausing to take photos, we might not see what’s happening around us.

Positives
Being able to record something as soon as it happens is 6 ________________ .

A person’s individual 7 _______________ can be saved.

I’m here today to talk about the phenomenon that is the selfie. Loved by many and hated by
some, the rise of taking and sharing self-portraits on social media appears to be here to stay
– at least for now. But why are they so popular? Well, let’s start by defining what we mean
by ‘selfie’. Put simply, it is the taking of one’s own photograph, usually at arm’s-length,
with a handheld mobile device. The basic concept is to capture the moment in real time.
Think of it as sharing memories immediately.

This takes me to the second point I’d like to make, and that is what we do with selfies.
Well, the usual idea is that they are shared with thousands of others, some of whom we may
be unfamiliar with, using social media via the internet.

Now, moving to the distortion of reality. Of course, the action or sharing generally occurs
after our looks have been digitally enhanced using a photo-editing tool. We’ve all taken a
selfie and made small changes, haven’t we? Perhaps our eyes were too small or we wanted
to hide a spot. Maybe our teeth needed to be a little whiter. And so, we may present a
version of ourselves that is slightly false – the person we would prefer to look like. This
sounds perfectly innocent, but there are potential risks, which I’ll discuss next.

Firstly, as we compare our selfies with those of others, we may question our self-image –
from which, we may see a drop in self-esteem. Secondly, we must ask ourselves why we
feel the need to present a slightly unreal version of ourselves to the world. And finally,
whilst we stop and pose momentarily, either as our dinner arrives or whilst walking around
a museum, we might like to ask ourselves if we are going to miss what is going on in the
real world.

But enough of the dangers. Let’s end by focusing on the benefits, and there are many. As I
mentioned initially, the selfie allows us to record what is happening as it happens, and that
 really is quite remarkable. Just think, we can keep safe a piece of our own personal history,
which we can choose to share with whomever we wish, whenever we want. Whether we get
tired of selfies remains to be seen, but they have found their place in our society – not to
mention in our dictionaries!

U8: Exercise 7. Listen and complete the summary. Write ONE WORD ONLY
for each answer.

Selfie safety

For people who want to take the perfect selfie, there have been a number of dangerous 1
_______________ of people putting themselves at risk when trying to get into the right position. It has
been necessary to have safety 2 _______________ in some countries to help people take selfies without
harming themselves. The connection between self-interest and selfies is generally 3 _______________ . It
would be beneficial if societies thought about the bodily dangers and issued 4 ______________ on taking
selfies safely. Then, people could keep enjoying them and their success would continue.

So, assuming that selfies, as a cultural phenomenon, are here to stay, let’s end
by giving some consideration to selfie safety, by which I mean physical rather
than mental.

People who have wished to take the ultimate selfie have sometimes found
themselves in trouble. When we think of people facing physical danger, there
have been several instances when, in our search for the perfect angle or the
right light, the sheer act of taking a self-portrait has become life-threatening –
for example, leaning over a cliff edge or walking in the middle of the road. A
number of countries have even had to run campaigns, which both highlight
these dangers and issue recommendations on how to take selfies in a safe and
non-life-threatening manner.

Therefore, whilst the association between self-admiration and selfies is more

commonly criticised, it may pay us to focus on examining the physical dangers
and introduce guidelines on when and how to take selfies. Then, they can
continue to be enjoyed and thrive in our societies.