Teacher notes · B2 · Reading, language and transfer

A Map Is Not a Border

Objective: Kurgusal ticaret ağında bağımlılık, pazarlık gücü ve alternatif maliyetleri incele.

Editorial level target: Fluenty editorial target: 450–600 words, connected argument, qualification, inference and comparison of evidence. Vocabulary, syntax and task demand also shape the B2 target; this is not an official CEFR word-count rule. Actual passage count: 544 words.

Suggested sequence

  1. 2 minutes: use the warm-up to establish a reading purpose; ask learners to predict, not guess the correct answer.
  2. 5 minutes: first read for the overall situation or argument. Second read for details; ask learners to point to paragraph evidence.
  3. 5 minutes: complete the comprehension items. Reveal one explanation at a time and distinguish a wrong interpretation from an unsupported claim.
  4. 4 minutes: use the vocabulary items in fresh sentences. Invite learners to explain why the word fits.
  5. 4 minutes: complete controlled sentence practice before opening model responses. Discuss alternative wordings.
  6. 5 minutes: speak, then write independently. For pairs, ask each learner to paraphrase the other’s position before responding.

Comprehension answers and evidence

  1. Recorded trade from the previous year, not every exchange or future plan. — paragraph 1: The second paragraph states its source and limits.
  2. The report does not compare each port’s cost or capacity. — paragraph 2: The text calls the claim plausible but missing comparative evidence.
  3. Who pays if local production costs more. — paragraph 2: The association asks who bears the costs and notes local production may cost more.
  4. Agreement about control and cost sharing. — paragraph 3: The text identifies governance and financing terms.
  5. Exposure measures a trade link; vulnerability includes consequences and response time. — paragraph 4: The seventh paragraph defines each and explains a large figure is not enough.
  6. Trade and domestic alternatives can each bring benefits and costs. — paragraph 5: The conclusion rejects both absolute claims and asks for specific evidence.

Vocabulary key

  1. capacity — the amount something can produce or handle. The report does not compare each port’s capacity.
  2. subsidise — give financial support to reduce a cost. Governments might subsidise selected production.
  3. vulnerability — how badly an exposed system could be affected. Assess the consequences and response time: vulnerability.

Controlled practice and alternatives

  1. Complete with a cautious reporting verb: “The report ___ recorded trade, but it does not predict policy.”
    Accept: describes; documents; records
    Model: The report describes recorded trade, but it does not predict policy.
    These verbs accurately attribute information to a document.
  2. Rewrite as a qualified inference: “A large trade figure proves political weakness.”
    Accept: A large trade figure may indicate exposure, but it does not by itself prove political weakness.; A large trade figure could suggest exposure; further evidence is needed to assess vulnerability.
    Model: A large trade figure may indicate exposure, but it does not by itself prove political weakness.
    A defensible inference separates exposure from a stronger political conclusion.

Open production: guidance

All countries, organisations and trade figures are fictional or omitted. This is a reasoning exercise, not current-affairs reporting. Accept a preference for any approach if the learner distinguishes exposure, dependence and vulnerability and acknowledges a cost.

Accept a different position or example if it is coherent, relevant and preserves the task facts. Do not treat the model as the only valid answer. Evaluate language form, clarity and task fulfilment separately. This activity is not a CEFR test.

Next step

Ask the learner to restate the main information or argument without looking at the text. Then use the same language purpose in a new setting.

Open learner activity