LESSON 5: WISHES AND WANTS

Lesson 1 Lesson 5

UNIT 6

WISHES AND WANTS

“A young man without ambition is an old man waiting to be.”

Steven Brust

– Comment on the quotation above. What is your greatest ambition? – Look at the phrases below and tell which of them you want. – to buy a house – to visit the UK – to start your own business – to be happy – to live by the sea – to become a rock star – to write a book – to go study abroad – to own a car – to get excellent marks and qualifications

READING

1. Are you an ambitious person? Is it a positive personality quality? What is “an ambition”? Read the article to find out. Do you agree with the author?

Other than academics, schools also help with the overall development of a person. Teenage years are the time of transition from childhood to adulthood and time to think about your future. In most cases, parents and other elders try to guide teenagers in choosing the career or courses to study at university. However, research show that it is much more important to have your own ambitions to be successful.

Ambition is the strong desire to achieve something, whether name, fame, money or status. This desire is strong enough to make an individual increase effort to fulfill goals, to achieve something which is right for you; as, for example, an ambition to rise to the top of your class in school, or a desire to excel in a game among peers; an ambition to improve your character or abilities; an ambition for advancement in your business, or an ambition to serve your country in political life.

However, many teenagers fail to succeed in life – even with potential – and some average individuals excel because they are ambitious enough to not only dream but also make the dream reality. Teens must realize the importance of ambition and understand that life is not just about sleeping, eating or waiting for the next Harry Potter movie! Having aims or dreams with no ambition is no good. Every school-leaving student should have a clear picture of what they want to do in life. It is not wise to remain confused for too long and waste valuable time. Try to keep ambitions realistic. If the desired results are achieved, fine. If not, do not feel depressed. Dreams do not come true overnight!

So, we decided to ask some young people about their ambitions:

Kelsey: I am very ambitious and I have a lot of dreams: I wish I succeeded and had a great life. I also always think about needy people in our world, that’s why I would like to be a doctor and build my own hospital where I could diagnose the sick for free. I am determined to help and relieve pain, to give a refuge where homeless, poor, ill or hard-up would feel in security. Charity work is the only way to support them and give the opportunity to have a normal life. I will not only provide them with material support but also emotional, like love and affection. I choose this humanitarian job because I would be close to people in need.

Mike: The most important thing for me is to be up to my family’s and my nation’s expectations, therefore I dream to be a doctor in nuclear physics because I love researches and inventions. I wish I were able to invent something which would bring benefits to the human race one day. Besides, I really hate any kind of inequality. I think that no one has the right to deprive people of living in the world without war. I hope to be able to make a difference, whatever small it is.

I finally think that’s very important for teenagers to dream because that encourages them to go on and not to give up.

Martha: Teenagers at my age have many dreams and a lot of ambitions. First, I would like to travel all over the world and discover different places because I enjoy making new friends and at the same time differences in their culture, style of life. Secondly, I would like to start up my own company, but I’m not sure what kind yet. And my last dream is to see the man I love, to talk to him for only one day, it would be enough for me. This person is David Beckham.

2. Decide whether the sentences about the text are true (T) or false (F).

1) According to the text, to succeed one should follow parents’ advice. 2) Ambitions are the wishes related to professional promotions only. 3) It is not enough to be talented to succeed. 4) Humanitarian job involves helping people. 5) Charity work means helping people with money or clothes.

3. Match the words in colour to their dedinitions.

1) to understand the situation, sometimes suddenly 2) worth a lot of money, very helpful or important 3) to make up something new, for example an organization 4) people of the same age or social position 5) a place of protection or shelter from danger or trouble 6) ability of something or somebody to develop, achieve or succeed 7) a process of change from one form or type to another 8) a feeling of liking or love 9) to do something better than you usually do it 10) when money or opportunities are not shared equally between groups in society 11) a helpful or good effect, an advantage 12) an improvement relating to a particular activity or area of knowledge

4. Do you think these young people have realistic ambitions? What are your ambitions?

VOCABULARY

5. Match the expressions with work to their meanings.

1) work 2) work out 3) freelance work 4) take on work 5) get down to work 6) get on with work 7) hand in work 8) set someone to work 9) workaholic 10) on a life’s work a) find a solution to a problem b) work for yourself selling your expertise to others c) start work d) continue working e) accept work f) make somebody work g) person obsessively addicted to work h) most important activity in life i) pass your work j) make better/improve

6. Fill them into the correct sentences.

1) Helping homeless people became his ____ . 2) Don’t worry, it will all ____ . 3) Do you work full-time? No, I do ____ , so I can work when I want. 4) Please ____ or you’ll never finish on time. 5) The teacher told the students to ____ or they would be in trouble! 6) I didn’t ____ on time so the teacher gave me a C instead of a B! 7) My father was a ____ – he always ____ too much ____ . 8) When Bob said he was bored, his mother ____ him ____ in the garden!

Lesson 1 Lesson 5

UNIT 6

Lesson 1 Lesson 5

UNIT 6

GRAMMAR

GRAMMAR BANK

WISH AND IF ONLY

These are both used to talk about regrets – things that we would like to change either about the past or the present. When we talk about present regrets, both wish and if only are followed by the Past Simple tense. The past tense emphasises that we are talking about something “unreal”. If only I didn’t have so much homework I could go to the concert tonight. (She has a lot of homework and she can’t go to the concert) I wish you didn’t live so far away. I wish I knew what to do. Both wish and if only are followed by the Past Perfect tense when we talk about past regrets. I wish I’d studied harder when I was at school. (He didn’t study hard when he was at school) I wish I hadn’t eaten all that chocolate. I feel sick. If only I’d known you were coming. We use wish + would to talk about something in the present that we would like to change and something that we find annoying or irritating. I wish you wouldn’t borrow my clothes without asking. I wish it would rain. The garden really needs some water. I wish you’d give up smoking. it’s really bad for you. NOTE! We can only use wish + would to talk about things we can’t change. So I wish I wouldn’t eat so much chocolate is not possible, we say: I wish I didn’t eat so much chocolate. OR I wish I hadn’t eaten so much chocolate. We use wish + could to express a wish for a present situation to be different. I wish I would could use a computer well. I wish I would could tell her about it.

7. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Refer to the

Grammar Bank above if necessary.

1) I don’t have enough time for hobbies. I wish ____. 2) I didn’t take notice of my teacher and failed the exam. If only I ____. 3) I want to become a lawyer. I wish ___. 4) I can’t find a job that I enjoy and I’d really like to. I wish ____. 5) I’m very unhappy that I have to get up early every morning. If only____. 6) I didn’t call Nick, so he didn’t come to my birthday party. If only I ____. 7) I was rude to my friend and it offended her. I wish I ____. 8) I am so lazy and so disorganized. I wish I ____. 9) I’m not good at sports. If only____. 10) I find it so difficult to make friends. I wish I ____.

8. Complete these people’s complaints, using would/ wouldn’t.

1) A zoo keeper: “I wish people _______(feed) the animals.” 2) A teacher: “I wish my students _____(do) their homework on time.” 3) A hotel chambermaid: “If only guests ______ (clean) the bath after they’ve used it.” 4) A park keeper: “I wish people_______ (pick) the flowers.” 5) A street cleaner: “If only people_______ (take) their litter home.” 6) A boss: “If only my employee ________(act) very rudely in front of me.” 7) An employee: “I wish my boss _________ (shout) at me.” 8) A parent: “If only my child ________(be) more hard-working and responsible. 9) A child: “I wish my parents ________(let) spend more time with friends. 10) A student: “I wish my school ________ (be) 2 days a week instead of 5.

LISTENING

9. Listen to the recording and complete the following sentences with the suitable words. Do you think the man was lucky that day?

Today I had a bad day at work. I was 1) ____ because I 2) ____ the bus. I missed an important 3) _____ and my boss was 4) ____. I also forgot to 5) _____ an important 6) ____ because I took the wrong 7)____. On my way to my boss’s office I got 8)____. Then I 9)_____ the coffee on my shirt by 10) ___. In his office I 11) _____ on a phone cord and fell. Later I told my 12) ____ that the boss was in a 13) ____. I did an 14) ____ of the boss and made 15) _____ of him. When I 16) ______ around the boss was 17) _____ me. He heard everything. He 18) ___ me 19) ____ his office and he 20) _____ me. 21) ____ my way home I went to my favourite 22) ____ for a salami sandwich. But they had 23) ____ salami! It was the worst 24) ____.

10. Write sentences using I wish/If only about everything that went wrong in Bill’s day.

For example: If only he would have set his alarm, he would have been on time to work.

SPEAKING

11. Put your own wishes in the empty bubbles, starting with I wish or

If only. Discuss them with your partner.

Lesson 1 Lesson 5

UNIT 6

WRITING

12. Make a list of the different things the following people typically want from life.

For example: Small children wish they spent more time with parents. ✓ small children ✓ single adults ✓ teenagers ✓ married adults ✓ young ✓ senior citizens