Includes online workbook activation code.

Unit 1 PLACES (Academic Disciplines: Sociology / Urban Planning) Watch and Listen: The Grand Canal
Listenings: 1. A podcast about homes around the world -- 2. A profile of Stanley Park in Vancouver
Listening Skills: KEY SKILLS: Predicting content using visuals -- Distinguishing fact from opinion -- ADDITIONAL SKILLS: Understanding key vocabulary - Predicting content using visuals - Listening for main ideas - Listening for details - Taking notes - Synthesizing
Pronunciation for Listening: Vowel sounds /eɪ/, /ɑ/, /ɪ/, /ʌ/
Language Development: Review of the simple past -- Descriptive adjectives
Critical Thinking: Planning a presentation -- Evaluating opinions
Speaking: SPEAKING SKILLS: Signposting an opinion - Organizing information for a presentation -- PRONUNCIATION: Connecting speech
Speaking Task: Give a presentation about an interesting place
On Campus: LIFE SKILL: Campus resources

Unit 2 FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS (Academic Disciplines: Anthropology / Cultural Studies / Sociology)
Watch and Listen: Harbin's Ice Festival
Listenings: 1. Interviews about three cultural festivals -- 2.. A discussion about Thanksgiving in the U.S. and Canada
Listening Skills: KEY SKILLS: Taking notes - Listening for main ideas -- ADDITIONAL SKILLS: Understanding key vocabulary -- Predicting content using visuals - Listening for details - Recognizing examples - Synthesizing
Pronunciation for Listening: Word stress
Language Development: Gerunds and infinitives -- Collocations with go to, take, and have
Critical Thinking: Organizing ideas -- Analyzing and evaluating options
Speaking: SPEAKING SKILLS: Making suggestions -- Agreeing and disagreeing
Speaking Task: Choose a group of events from a festival and persuade your group to go to them
On Campus: COMMUNICATION SKILL: Starting and continuing a conversation

Unit 3 THE INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY (Academic Disciplines: Computer Science / Engineering) Watch and Listen: Fiber Optic Cables
Listenings: 1. A student radio program about developments in robotics -- 2. A news report about how computers affect memory
Listening Skills: KEY SKILL: Listening for reasons -- ADDITIONAL SKILLS: Understanding key vocabulary - Using your knowledge - Predicting content using visuals -- Listening for main ideas -- Listening for details -- Taking notes -- Synthesizing
Pronunciation for Listening: Consonant sounds /s/, /ʃ/, /ʈʃ/ -- Strong /æ/ and weak /ə/
Language Development: Can / be able to -- Vocabulary for technology
Critical Thinking: Evaluating and categorizing advantages and disadvantages
Speaking: SPEAKING SKILLS: Giving additional and contrasting information
Speaking Task: Present a report about a device or technology
On Campus: STUDY SKILL: Technology for learning

Unit 4 WEATHER AND CLIMATE (Academic Disciplines: Ecology / Environmental Studies / Psychology) Watch and Listen: The Impact of Oceans on Climate
Listenings: 1. A student discussion on how weather affects people's moods -- 2. A news report on global warming and its effects on rainforests
Listening Skills: KEY SKILLS: Predicting ideas from research -- ADDITIONAL SKILLS: Understanding key vocabulary - Using your knowledge - Predicting content using visuals - Listening for main ideas - Listening for details - Taking notes - Synthesizing
Pronunciation for Listening: Rising and falling intonation -- Vowel sounds /ɑ/ and /oʊ/
Language Development: Verb collocations -- Future forms
Critical Thinking: Evaluating effects
Speaking: SPEAKING SKILLS: Linking words to explain cause and effect
Speaking Task: Give a presentation about changes in the climate
On Campus: LIFE SKILL: Managing your time

Unit 5 SPORTS AND COMPETITION (Academic Disciplines: Sports Management / Sports Science) Watch and Listen: Kasparov versus Deep Blue
Listenings: 1. A student presentation on unusual sports -- 2. A discussion about money in sports
Listening Skills: KEY SKILL: Listening for bias - Supporting opinions -- ADDITIONAL SKILLS: Understanding key vocabulary - Listening for main ideas - Listening for details - Listening for opinion - Taking notes - Synthesizing
Pronunciation for Listening: Making corrections
Language Development: Factual and future real conditionals -- Adverbs of degree
Critical Thinking: Analyzing reasons and supporting evidence -- Using a persuasion map
Speaking: SPEAKING SKILLS: Presenting a point - Asking for and giving clarification
Speaking Task: Have a discussion about money in sports. Discuss reasons for and against athletes being paid extremely large amounts of money.
On Campus: COMMUNICATION SKILL: Asking for information

Unit 6 BUSINESS (Academic Disciplines: Business / Marketing)
Watch and Listen: Food at Coffee Shops
Listenings: 1. A conversation between a business student and a professor about a project -- 2. A conversation between a business owner and a consultant
Listening Skills: KEY SKILL: Listening for numbers -- ADDITIONAL SKILLS: Understanding key vocabulary - Using your knowledge - Listening for details - Listening for reaction - Making inferences - Taking notes -- Synthesizing
Pronunciation for Listening: Pronouncing numbers
Language Development: Comparatives and superlatives -- Phrasal verbs
Critical Thinking: Using problems and solution charts -- Analyzing and evaluating problems and possible solutions
Speaking: SPEAKING SKILL: Giving advice
Speaking Task: Give advice to a failing business.
On Campus: COMMUNICATION SKILL: Working in groups

Unit 7 PEOPLE (Academic Disciplines: Psychology / Sociology)
Watch and Listen: Trash Artists
Listenings: 1. A student presentation on creative people -- 2. A student conversation about a project
Listening Skills: KEY SKILL: Listening for attitude -- ADDITIONAL SKILLS: Understanding key vocabulary - Using your knowledge - Listening for main ideas - Listening for details - Taking notes - Synthesizing
Pronunciation for Listening; Intonation for emotion and interest
Language Development: Vocabulary for problems and solutions -- Future unreal conditionals
Critical Thinking: Analyzing a problem -- Evaluating possible solutions to a problem -- Using a problem and solution chart Speaking: SPEAKING SKILLS: Turn-taking -- Showing levels of agreement
Speaking Task: Give a presentation about a remarkable person and his or her work.
On Campus: PRESENTATION SKILL: Giving presentations

Unit 8 THE UNIVERSE (Academic Disciplines: Astronomy / Engineering)
Watch and Listen: Empire of the Sun
Listenings: 1. A radio program about space travel -- 2. A discussion on funding for space exploration
Listening Skills: KEY SKILL: Understanding meaning from context -- ADDITIONAL SKILLS: Understanding key vocabulary - Predicting content using visuals - Listening for details - Listening to an introduction - Taking notes - Synthesizing
Pronunciation for Listening: Words with easily confused sounds
Language Development: Vocabulary for problems and solutions -- Future unreal conditionals Critical Thinking: Analyzing a problem -- Evaluating possible solutions to a problem -- Using a problem and solution chart
Speaking: SPEAKING SKILLS: Turn-taking -- Showing levels of agreement
Speaking Task: Discuss how to get children interested in space exploration.
On Campus: STUDY SKILL: Reviewing for exams

"Paired skills course focusing on critical thinking, academic skills, and language students need most. Prism is a five-level (A1 to C1), American English paired-skills course (Reading/Writing and Listening/Speaking), created for students who need to develop a range of academic skills. This Level 4 (C1) Listening and Speaking Student's Book prepares students for college classes by developing their listening, speaking, critical thinking, and pronunciation skills, including pronunciation for listening. Special sections teach how to be a successful college student, and the accompanying video program sets the stage for each unit's topic. Inside the book is a single-use code for the online workbook. This provides automatically graded extra practice and works on PCs and Macs." (Publisher's Website)