Innovations coursebook upper intermediate

Page 1


To the sludent How do you learn a language? There is no easyanswerto this question. Peoplelearn series starts from the basisof natural languagesin many different ways. The lnlrorriliolrg conversationspeople haveevery day,then teachesyou the languageyou need to havesimilar conversationsin English. To make this processas interesting,motivating,and productive as possible,the Innoilttllcnc series: .

containsnumerousexamplesof the way grammarand vocabularyare naturallyused. You can learn a lot of usefulvocabularyfrom good grammar exercises,and good vocabularyactivitieswill give you practicewith the grammarof English.

.

introducesyou to many new featuresof spokengrammar and usefulidiomaticlanguage, followed by opportunitiesto practisethem in meaningfulcontexts. givingyou plenty to talk - and includesreadingtexts that are intriguingand challenging, think about.

. .

features'Learneradvice'pages,which will help you study better.

We hope you find lmcrrriloltt

as fun and interestingto learn from as we did to write!

Acknowledgements The authors and publishers would like to thank the following teachers for their valuable input on this material at various stages during production: and Continuing David Frank Barnes,TheBritish Instituteof Florence;RichardBooker,Schoolof Professional Education,Universityof Hong Kong;MichaelBowles,The British CouncihJohnCargill,TheBritish Councih Alex Chevrolle,EF EnglishFirst ;JoseOlavo de Amorim, Col6gio Bandeirantes;Audrey Don, Universidad British Schoolof Milan;FrankFarmer,Universidadde Quintana Roo, LatinadeAmerica;JohnEaglesham, Humphreys,The British CouncihMaria Helena Unidad Cozumel;KirstenHolt, St Giles Eastbourne;Pamela Primon lema,SociedadeBrasileirade Cultura InglesaSdo Paulo;BelginOgrek, Ozel Florya Koleji;Guy Perring,TheBritish CouncihMark Rendell,EF EnglishFirst;Mark Rossiter,American Universityof Dubai; Andre Joao Rypl,Cultura lnglesaPorto Alegre. In additionto those atThomson,and in particularJimmie,Andrew would like to thank Harry and Shirley Macu for her love and support,and Harry Dancey Walkley for beinggreat parentsand true internationalists, - a good friend made through teaching.

Hugh Dellar has taught EFL,ESPand EAP in Indonesiaand Britain,where he is now a teacher and teachertrainer at the University of Westminsten London. He trains both native-speakerand non-nativespeaker teachers.He has also givenpapersand teacher developmentworkshops all over the world. He would like to Maud Dunkeld, Andy thank the following people:Lisa- for just beingthere;his mum and dad,JulianSavage, Fairhurst,Nick Groom, Carole Patilla,SallyDalzell,Nick Barrett,Darryl Hocking,AndrewWalkley,Rob Batstone,lvor Timmis,ScottThornbury,ChrisWenger,Howard Middle,StuartTipping,MichaelLewis and JimmieHill for their help,support,inspirationand enthusiasmover the yearsandThierry Henry,Patrick Viera,Robert Pires,Curtis Mayfield,PharoahSanders,lain SinclairandWong Kar-Wei for bringingbeautyand joy to my rare moments of free time and for helpingme get through!! Darryl Hocking is a teacher and teacher-trainerin both ESOLand EABas well as a lecturer in art and design,atAuckland University of Technology,New Zealand.He specialisesin developingacademicliteracies programmesin art and designand has also worked in this area at Goldsmiths,Universityof London.He would like to thank Rosemary,Luciaand lsaac.


Conlents Unit I

Listening: The Brother from Hell! l0

Using Grommor

Tolking oboul people

Reoding: F u l l - t i m Jeo b !

Present tenses: l'm o journolistMy dod'sworkingin Monchester. l2

Friendr ernd relolives

Reoding: Surprisefor Jailbird Dad

l3

UsingVocobulory Describing people: good-looking, a bit dull ... Adjectives - positive or negative: tidy,messy...

Unit 2

g

Modifierszvery,reolly,o bit...

g ||

Using Grammor 14

14

Comparatives: not os ... os ...

t6

Comparing the present with the past: It wosn'tos hot os the lost time ...

t5

UsingVocabulory ldioms focus: like o houseon fire, Body idioms: coston orm ond a leg,keepo stroightfoce... Phrasal verbs with up: fill up, cheerup,mix up ... Talking about disasters: Everyone's been evacuated. ... Giving bad news: Oh, haven'tyou heord?...

Unit 3 Your inleresls

Listening: SoWhat ShallWeDo Tonight?

Unusuol inleresls

Reoding: lt's a Man'sWorld?

17 Ig |9

Using Grommar 22

Reoding; 26 AreYou a BagPerson? 74

Unit 4

|5

28

ZO

Agreeing?,me too,me neither...

23

Auxiliary verb practice: so do l, neitherom I ...

23

UsingYocabulory Free timez goingto see bonds,eotingout ...

20

Expressions of frequency: not os often os I usedtq how oftendo you ...

2l

How- questionsz how much,how long...

Zl

Expressions of (dis)interese not reollykeen,I reoilyloveit ... ldioms focus: not my cup of teo, rightup your street . ..

ZS

Expressions with thingz the thingis,for one thing...

Zs

23

Using Grommar The -ing form as a verb: He spendsoll his freetime singing.... 26 The -ing form as a noun z Mountoineering pretty con be dongerous. . .. 26 Would and 'd: I wouldif I could.I'd quitefiketo. ... 3| Using Vocabulory Yiofent or dangerous sports: boxing,bungeejumping...

Revlew: Units l-4

Unit 5 Big decisions

30

32 Listening; Forty a Day!

Using Grommor 40

Giving explanations with the past perfect continuous: I hodn't been getting on with my flatmotes,so I just decidedr needed a placeof my own....

37

Second conditionals: lf I hod o job like that,t'd go crozy....

39

Likely or unlikely (conditionals): lf I possmy exom. lf I won o lot of money...

39

Using Yocobulary

4

Tough decisions: decidingro get morried,decidingto chongejobs. .. Expressions: Whot o nightmore,

36

ldioms focus: pieceof cake,nothingto it .. . Taf king about jobs: surgeon,mechonk,builder...

37

36 3g

Decisions: wise,wrong...

39

How come? How come you'releovingeorty?...

4l


ll

Or

,tJ

Reoding The Cost of a Cigarette 43

UNTT O ftying

42

Using Grommar Gerunds and infinitives: I cleorlyrememberpostingyour lener. I must rememberto post your letter....

46

Using Vocobulory

Unit 7

44

enormous... Strong adiectives: disgustlng,

45

Smoking: o choinsmoker,o heovysmoker...

47

45

Using Grammor

Listening Thank Goodnesslt's Friday!

Your weekend

Ffying vocabularyz o boordingcard,an eight-hourflight ... Adjectives - strong comparatives: much worse,much nicer...

Four difrerent future forms: present simple

'll going I to / present continuous / 49

More ways of talking about the futurez I've gogl'm supposedto, 5I I mightbe ... UsingVocobulory Typicaf weekend activities: go out for o wokhove peopleround ... 48

Unit 8 Porty onimcrls

Reoding Raveto the Grave

54

lp,vlc,wc Unlts 5-8

52

ldioms focus: No rest for the wicked...

53

UsingYocobulory Parties: o dinnerporty,o birthdoyporty... o porty... Party collocations: breokup o party,goteuosh ... Party politics: left-wing, right-wing o low,tighten o low ... Talking about the law: introduce

54 54 58 58

60

Unit 9 Losl nighr

56

Collocations with gozl'm goingon o dote...

Listening: The Worst Disco in Town!

Using Grommor 66

64

Responding with auxiliary verbs: Oh,didyou?Oh,hoveyou?...

67

Not untiL' I didn't getin untilthree....

68

Linking ideas: lt wos so loud,I couldhardlyheor myselfthink....

69

Using Yocobulary

Unit rO lelotionships

70

Reoding ls She ReallyGoing Out with Him?

Lifestyle activities: I went to my eveningcloss....

64

Colfocations with gefi get up,getsomemoney...

65

Problem words: chotltokwoshlwosh-up...

65

Using Grommor 72

Appearances: looks(adj),lookslike o (n),looksos if (clause)...

70

Expressions with modals: I could'vetold you thot You might soy thot ogoin! ...

74

Using Yocabulory Descriptive adjectives: musculor,moture...

7|

I bet: I bet het studyingcomputing....

7|

Chat-up lines: Do you comehereoften?... Stages of a relationship

engaged,manied, separated ...

Iend to: Men tend to eot more junk food thon women....

7l 73 75


Unit ll Telling slories

Listening Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow!

76

76

Using Grommor -ing clauses.' I wosjust stondingthere,mindingmy own business.... UsingYocobulary

Reoding: SpiderWoman

Hairstyfes: She'sgot curlyhoir....

Difficuh ro believe

Reoding Home Alone

83

Urban Myths

87

77

Sfang: Het o reollynicebloke....

T7

Different kinds of storieszbedtime story,thesomeold story .. .

78

Storytelling

7g gl

expressions: You'rejoking.Reolly?... ldiomatic comparisons: like clockwork,likeo log ... Exaggerating using idioms: I'm dyingfor o coffee....

Unit 12

19

I I

Using Grammor

82

Past simple and past continuous: I resignedfrom my job on Fridoy.. . I wos livingin ltoly when ...

84

Being vague: ... or something, ... or onythifrg, ... -ish ...

86

UsingVocobulary On the woy: As I woson my woy bockfrom France... Travel words: tip,tour, journey...

Review: Units 9-12

Unit 13 Old friends

85 85

88 Listening: LongTime,No See!

Using Grommor 93

Present perfect simple and present perfect continuous: Where on eorth hoveyou been?I've beenwaitingfor on hour....

96

Adverbs with the present perfect: I've neverbeento Siberio.... Present perfect collocations: l've beentrovelling. ...

94

I wish (with past perfect): I wish lU oskedfor her oddress....

94

92 Reoding Long Lost Friends

94 94

Using Yocobulary Expressions with pointz get the poin[ see the point,mokeo point... 95

Unit l4 Art

Reoding Art Attack

Using Grommar 100

98

Relative clauses: I went to thot new Motisse exhibition,whichwos reollynice....

102

UsingYocabulary Recommending: Youshouldgo ond seeit ... Describing paintingsz portroiglondscape,st/llife ... Oh,thot reminds me! Oh,thot remindsme! I must phone my mum tonighL...

Unir 15 Describing things

5

104

Listening Not Exactly Shakespeare!

99 99 102

Using Grommor | 06

Conjunctions: olthough,considering,in spiteof ... Negative questionsz Don'tyou likecheese?...

105 107

ldioms focus: deod tired,brondnew...

107

Comparing: lt wos o bit like... but not os good.... /l4ust for guessing: Oh,thot must'vebeenwonderful....

| 08 109


Unit 16 Film crnd television

Reoding TV Robocop: NotViolent Enough I 12 forViewers

I l0

Using Grammor ... Past perfect simple:TheW versionhad beencensored.

| |3

Mixed conditionals: lf it hodn't beenfor him,l would never hovegone....

| |5

Using Vocabulory

Reviewr Units 13-16

Unit 17 G or s ond c i l i e s

... Fifm types: sci.-f,onimoted, blockbuster

I l0

Asking questions about films: Who'sin it? ...

|||

Film vocabulary: bonned,dubbed,direaor...

lll

... Tefevision vocabulary: series,chonnel,digitol

I 14

Audiences: spectotors, congregotion, fans...

I 14

il6 Listening More Sleeping Policemen

Using Grommar l2l

120

Second conditionals for making suggestions: lt'd be better if the shopsstoyedopen loter....

122

The passive: fhe bonk hos beenturned into o videoshop....

124

ldioms focus: black sheep,wild goosechose...

| 25

Using Yocabulory ... Personal opinions: personolly, os for as l'm concerned ... Talking about cities: innercity,shontytowns,industrial

Unit 18 Annoying things

1 3 2 Reoding: with Economical theTruth!

lhe world of work

Reoding: We Can Work lt Out.

138

Review: Units l7-2O

t44

Tapescript

t48 t57 t59 t67

Grommor lntroduction Grommor Commentory Expression Organiser

Was/were going toz l thoughtit wos goingto be the holidayof o lifetime...

| 28

Using Yocabulory

Listening Now You're Talking! 133

unir 20

124

Using Grommor 126

176

Unit l9 Y our f ulur e

Reoding A Sticky Problem

| 23

| 36

Phrasaf verbs: put up with,go on obout ...

127

Complaining about things: to top the wholethingoff, the lost thingI need...

129

Expressions with bother: Sorryto botheryou ...

|3I

ldioms focus: a Cotch22 siuation,the tip of the iceberg...

|3|

Using Grommor Starting with whotzWhot I reallyneedto do is ...

134

lf expressions (to talk about future plans): lf oll goeswell...

''37

Using Yocabulary Plans for the future: woit ond see,cont reallysoy...

134

Collocations: my own county,whereI grewup ...

135

Using Grommor Future continuous: l'llbe meetingmy bossnext week....

143

139 Using Yocobulory V(ork or job? hord work,o dirty job ...

140

Questions about work: How are thingsatwork? ... The ideaf boss (describing your boss)z opproochoble, ... domineering

l4l 142


Describingpeople Think of three people you know - friends or family. Write their initials besidethree of the adiectivesor expressionsbelow. Then tell a partner about your choices. Tick the six adiectivesor expressionswhich best describe you. Then describe yoursetfto your partnen Age young

Hair

Height quite tall a bit on the short side

fair

in his/hertwenties

darkish

quite elderly youngerthan (s)he looks

completelywhite going grey

older than (s)he looks

losinghis hair almost bald

Looks good-looking not very good-looking

Weight a bit thin overweight on the plump side

Other lazy hard-working bad-tempered easy-going friendly moody energetic a bit of a fitnessfanatic

Personality amusing a bit dull conservative warm narrow-minded independent fun a bit of a workaholic religious musical sPorty creative very political a good senseof humour

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. f . When you're speakingyour own language, which adjectivesdo you use most to describepeople?

2. What featuresof a person's appearancedo you usuallynotice firstl

3. Are you happywith your own appearance? Why/why notl

t-isten to the descriptionsof fenny,Nick, Matt, and Kirsty. Decide who's who. Then work f, t7 in pairs, trying to remember as much as you can from the descriptionsyou heard. 3.

8


1 Talkingaboutpeople

Usirtg grarrrrrBr Modifiers The words used before adjectives or nouns to md<e a comment strongeri weaker, or more ecceptable are called modifiers. Add adjectives in the spaces to talk about people you know. + adiective l. verylreolly She'svery nice. He's reallybossy. I've got a friend who can be very . . . . at times, but usuallyshet really. . . .

2. guite+ adjective He'squite creative- he paintsand draws. My father'squite My teachercan be quite . . . . sometimes.

3 . o bit + negativeadjective

Speaking Do you agree with these statements? l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

nowadays. Jeansare a bit old-fashioned Tattoos are reallycool. Body-piercing is a bit too riskyfor me! Surfingthe net can be a bit of a bore. Long hair is very attractive. Vegetarianscan be a bit of a pain in the neck. Alcohol is very dangerous. Parentscan be a bit too protective.

Reell Englisht a painin the neck lf someoneis a pain in the neck,they are very annoying.You can also use it about a situation. Porking'sbecomeobsolutelyimpossiblein the town centre.lt's o reol poin in the neck.

He'sa bit boring. She'sa bit immature. I hav et o adm i t,I c a n b e a b i t . ... s o m eti mes. 4. o bit of o + negativenoun Shes a bit of a moaner.He'sa bit of a workaholic. My mum/dad isa bitof a ....

5 . o bit too + positiveadjective She'sa bit too nice,if you know whar I mean. I've got a friend who's very . In fact,I think he'sa bit too Tell your partner as much as you can about what you have written. For more information on modifiers,see G l.

Pronunciation A Listen to the stress and intonation of these I l'.r.-ples. Itl quite exoensive. (This meansit's expensive, but not too expensive.) It's quite expensive. (This meansyou think it reallyis expensive.) ff t:sten to these examples. Each is said in two I d aif.rent ways. Then try saying them yourself, so that the difference is clear. l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

I

I live quite near the office. She'squite nice. He'squite a good cook. We're quite h"ppy with the colour. He's quite friendly. I think they're quite conservative. The weather was quite good. lt's quite interesting.

Friendsand relatives Do you say the following in your language? A friend of a friend is a friend. A friend of an enemyis an enemy. An enemyof a friend is an enemy. An enemyof an enemyis a friend. Check you understand these useful expressions for talking about your friends and relatives. l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

I don't reallyknow John Baker.I only know him by sight. Mary'san old girlfriendof mine. We're old schoolfriends. He's her ex. This is my parrner^,Jean. Bill'sjust an acquaintance. I don't reallyknow him that well. She'smy sister-in-law. I don't know rhem,but I know of them. I'm his godson. My sisterand I are reallyclose.

Are there people in your life who fit the above descriptions?Who and what are they?Tell a partner about them.


1 Talkingaboutpeople

Lls'ier! irr Tell a partner as much as you can about your family.

The Brotherfrom Hell! Melanie: I can't remember. Do you take milkl Simon:

Please,but no sugar.Thanks.lt's weird, you know, but I've been to your house ( l) . . . , and I still haven't met your parents.

Melanie: Yes,they're out a lot. My dad works for the BBC and my mum's a, she does sort of (2) ... work for a company. You know,like an advertisingagency.They're both really busy.

A Simon and Melanie work | ? in the same office. Simon's popped in to Melanie's house after work for a cup of tea. As you listen to their conversation, try to answer these questions.

Simon:

Melanie: Do you think so? | find my dad (3) .. . dull,to be honest. He works late every day,even works some weekends, doesn't read, d o e s n t g oo u t .l m e a n , d o n t( 4 ) . . . ......,he's (5) ... nice,but I don't know, I just don't haveanything to say to him. I think (6) . . . , we just don't spend enough time together.

l. Do Melanieand Simonhaveany brothers and sisters?

Simon:

2. Do Melanieand Simonget on well with the other membersof their families?

Simon:

Listen again and try to fill in the gaps in the conversation in the next column.

Oh, they sound really interesting.

How old is he, then?

Melanie: About fifty-five,I think. I can never really remember. Oh, yeah.

Melanie: But my mum's lovely.She's(7) ..., a bit too nice though, sometimes,alwaystrying to look after me. She worries about me leavinghome. She's(8) . . . over-protective,if you know what I mean.I'm an (9) . . . , SO... Simon:

Oh, I didn't know that.

Melanie: What? You mean you can't tell!

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l . M elaniet hink sh e r m u m i s a b i t too nice.ls it oossibleto be too nicel Do you know anyonelike that? 2. Melanieis an only child.Do you know any only childrenlWhich would you prefer:to be an only child or to be one of ten or eleven? 3. Do you know anyonewho comes from a really big family? How many brothers and sisters did your parentshavelWhat about their parents?

Simon:

I dont know. I've never thought about it, I suppose.

Melanie: So,what about you? Have you tot any brothers or sisters yourself? Simon:

Yes,I've got one of each,( l0) .

Melanie: Oh right. Older or younger? Simon:

My sister'stwo or three years younger than me, but my brother's ( | l) . . . older. He's about forty now.

Melanie: Do you get on with them all right?You havent really talked about them very much. Simon:

Well, my brother,'not ( 12) . . . well, actually.He's different from me, (13) . . . old-fashioned, ( 14) . . . traditional. Well, actually,he's a bit, how can I (15) . . . , r i g h t - w i n g . Y o uk n o w - t h i n g s a r e n t w h a t they used to be, more police, death penalty - that kind of thing. H e ' s( 1 6 ) . . .fool,actually.

Melanie: Oh, well, it takes all sorts, I suppose. Simon:

But my sister, she's great. We ( 17) . . same kind of ( l8) .

. We've got the

Melanie: Just a pity about the brother from hell, eh? Simon:

Yes.Oh, but he's not that bad. We tet on all right, as long as you steer (19) . . . of certain topics. Anyway,you were telling me about your parents.

Melanie: Oh, there's not much to tell, actually.

Real English3 the brother from helt This meahsthat he is not a very pleasantperson.In fact,he is rather The kind of neighbourswho playloud musicin the middleof unpleasant. the night are the neighboursfrom hell! Other people'schildrencan be the childrenfrom hell!

10

i


1 T a l k r nagb o u tp e o p l e

U g i n gr r . a b u l a r1 1 | edlectives ltark each of the adjectives below P or N, depending on whether you think they are positive or negative. Use your dictionary if necessary. Then discuss your answers with your partner. l. Z 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

religious traditional quiet alkative tidy laid-back conservative ambitious

9. strict 1 0 .b u s i n e s s -m i nded I l. nice 1 2 .i n d i v i d u a l 1 3 .m e s s y 1 4 .l i b e ra l 15. hard-working 1 6 .s e n s i b l e

Underline the main stressed syllable in each tdjective. Look back at the adjectives used to describe people on page 8. Which is the most positive for you? Which is the most negative?

We often use more than one adjective to describe things or people. These adjectives are ofilen emphasised by using the same adverb before each adjective. It was reallycold and reallywindy. She'svery nice,very interesting. It was extremelylong and extremelyboring. We can use two different adjectives with a similar meaning. He'sa bit strange,a bit weird. He'sa bit old-fashioned, a bit rraditional. It was really scary,reallyfrightening. A Listen to the six sentences above, and practise I l saying them. Now talk about the pictures below using two adjectives and the same adverb. For example: What a bike! lt's really big and reallyfast.

Hd<e a list of the four most positive adjectives end the four most negative adjectives you can use about someone.

Positive

t. 2. 3. 4.

Negative

t. 2. 3. 4.

Compare your lists with a partner.

Judgingby appearances Work with a partner. Decide what you think these people are like. Use more than one adjective for each person. Begin: Helshe looks ... Underline the adjectives and adverbs which make this dialogue sound interesting. A: Didn't you go to Turkeylastsummer? B: No, we went to Thailand.lt was reallynice,really interesting. /r: Whereaboutsdid you go? B: Well, first we went to Bangkok,which was a bit too crowded,a bit too mad for me, so we went off to the islandsinstead,which were reallybeautiful,really relaxing. Now describe the following to your partner in a similar way.

t

l. 2. 3. 4. 5.

your l asthol i day the best placeyou've ever been to food from your country your best friend your home town

11


1 T a l k i n ag b o u tp e o p l e

iiaadirrg Discuss these questions with a partnea I. 2. 3. 4.

Do you haveany kids?lf so, how many? lf not, do you want anylWhy/why not? What's the best numberof childrento havel What's the best age to havethem at?

EveryEnglish-speaking child knowsthe nurseryrhyme aboutthe old womanwith lotsof children: Therewas an old woman who lived in a shoe. Shehad so many children she didn't know what to do. Nicola Pridhammust understandthe old 'woman's predicamentvery well. She's expectingher twentieth child and she'sonly forty!She and her husbandKevin alreadyhavetwelvesons and sevendaughters. KevinPridhamis a self-employed builder,but whathe earnsis not enoughto feedand clothetheirlargefamily. Everyweek their grocerybill comes to f400. They go throughthirty-fiveloavesof breadand twenty-five boxes of breakfastcerealper week.

ff, Now read this text about a family with more ld chilArenthan any of your parents- the Pridhams. As you read, underline anything that surprisesyou.

lf you havea child in Britaintoday,researchershave shownthat it will cost you almostf100 per weekwhen you takeintoconsideration food,clothes,pocketmoney and all the other expensesinvolvedin bringingup children. Beforethey are eighteenyou will have spent almost f100,000per child.This meansthat Nicolaand Kevin will haveto find two millionpounds!Youcan be fairly surethat the Pridhamchildrenwill be handingclothes down to each other and doing odd jobs to provide themselveswith pocketmoney.

Speaking Tell a partner what surprised you about the article above. Then discuss these questions. l. 2. 3. 4.

12

Do you know anyonewho's expectinga child at the momentl Do you know anyonewho's self-employed? What do they do? Did you ever get clothes handeddown to you? Do you think housewivesshould be paid by the state?Why/why not?


1 Talking aboutpeople

Grammarin context Complete these sentences using the present simple or present continuous. l*rc are four ways of talking about what you do br a living. l"m | rcrk | run I do

a journalist/ a civil servant/ out of work. in a factory I in lT / as a DJ. a guest house/ a restaurant. cleaningjobs / a lot of work for the BBC.

Cornplete these sentences with a suitable E b. The first two are done for you. l . | . . . . + 1 1 . . .s e l f - e m p l o y e d . L

He .. .ry9fF. . in advertising.

3. She. .

.. an architect.

1. You .

. .. for the government,dont you?

5. He ..

. . as a waiter at weekends.

6. 1....

inabank.

7. She.. 8. My dad

..abusinesswoman. . . . . unemployedar the momenl

9. M y br ot he r :... 10. I s om et im e s... I l.

He . .

lL

My mother . .. .

13. 1.... 11. She..

i n th e a rmy . . b a r w o rk .

. . the occasionaldesignjob. a retired teacher.

onaboat. ..herown business.

Speaking Ask some other students in the classabout their jobs and/or their parents' jobs. Who has the most interesting job?The most stressful?The most unusual?

Grammardiscussion With a partner, discuss the difference in meaning between the verb forms in these sentences. la. My dad works for the BBC as a cameraman. lb. My dad'sworking in Manchesterthis month. 2a. | find my dad a bit dull. He's only interested in making money. 2b. I'm findingmy job a bit boring at the momenc 3a. He evenworks some weekends. 3b. He's working this weekend.He's finishingoff a specialreport. 4a. My mum is a reallynice person. 4b. She'sbeing reallynice at the moment.I wonder why! 5a. Do you tet on with them all right? 5b. Are you getting on with them OK again? In the examples aboye, underline the time expressions used with the present continuous.

l. He usually . . .(work) in the centre of town, but this week he ... (work) from home becausehe . . . (try) out a new computer link-up for the company.lt could be the thing of the future. 2. Don't you think John . . . (act) pretty strangelyat the moment?| mean,he ... (not be) normallythat quiet.Do you think he'sOK? 3. My dad . . . (run) his own business, but he's sick at the moment,so my older brother (look after) it for a while. I think they want him to take it over eventually. 4. You . . . (not talk) about your parentsa lot. ...(you not get on) w i th them ver y well? 5. He .. .(be) very left-wing.I think he

6;.

1::': ;l::iff:iiT::[:;::ilff'

actually. He .. . (be / still) annoyedwith me for forgetting his birthdaylast year.

Now complete these pairs of sentences with information which is true. 7. My.. My.. moment.

.works .isworking....

.....atthe

8. I get on very well with . I'm not gettingon yery well with the moment. 9. My.. . l i v e si n . . . My . . moment.

. i s l i vi ngi n .. .

. .. at

at t he

For more information on the present simple and present continuous,see G2.

Reol Englisht pretty The adjectivepretty meansbeautifulor artractive. As an adverb it means fairly. I'm pretty goodot bodminton. He's oaing prefty strongely. \s there an)th\ngyou're prettt good atl.

Famouspresenttenses These two famous quotations use the present simple. Which is your favourite? l. Freedomis the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. 2. Foreignershavesex lives;the Englishhavehot water bottles. Here are some famous sayings. When would you say them? 3. What goes up must come down. 4. An elephantnever forgets. 5. lt never rains,but it pours. 6. You'remakinga mountainout of a molehill.

13


iizaCirtu While Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Who are the most infamouscriminalsin your countrylTellyour partner as much as you can about them. 2. Can you think of any examplesof an infamous kidnappingl An infamousmurder?An infamous robbery?An infamousterrorist act?

You are now going to read about a son being reunited with his infamous father. When you have read the text, answer these questions. l. Why hasBronsonspentso long in prisonl 2. How did his son feel about meetinghim? 3. How realisticare their plansfor their future?

3. How would you feel if your parentswere involved i n c r im el

(urprise for JcrilfDird Dcrd a a a a o a a a a a a a a a a a a o a a a a a a a o o a a a a a o a a a a a a a a a a o o o a o There are many happy stories about children being reunitedwith the famousparentsthey did not know they had, but perhapsone of the most unusualis that of a twenty-five-year-oldchef from Liverpool, who was recentlyinformedof the fact that the fatherhe hadnever known wasactuallyone of Britain's mostdangerous men. Originally jailed for robbery and burglary, Charles Bronsonhasspenttwenty-twoof the lasttwenty-sixyears in prison.Much of this is because he hasrepeatedlytaken jail hostagesin and attackedfellow inmates.He is a man of incrediblephysicalstrengthand hasa terrible temper. He hasalreadycausedover half a million pounds'worth of damageto prisonpropeny andhashadto be movedto a specialsecureunit, costingthe taxpayerover f60,000a year. Twenty-fiveyearsago,he becamea father,whenhis son, Michael,wasborn. However,he split up with the boy's motherwhenhe begana prisonsentencethreeyea.rslater. Last year, though,an old friend managedto track down Bronson'sson in Liverpool.The newsthat his fatherwas the infamous'most dangerousman in Britain' obviously cameasa total shockto the son,who nevertheless decided to get in touch with his father.When Bronsonfirst heard from Michael,he said: 'I was on a missionof madness, now I'm on a missionof peace.All I wantto do now is get homeandhavea pint with my boy.'

14

Whenthe two men finally met in prison,Michaelsaidthat he got on like a houseon fire with his father.'I gavehim a greatbig hug.It wasvery nice to finally meethim after all theseyears.Peopleget the wrong impressionof him from the media.He's not as badas they makeout. He's actuallya very sensitiveand talentedguy.' Interestingly, the factsdo backup this claim,because aswell ashavinga reputationfor violence,Bronsonalsohasa reputationfor his cartoonsandpoetry. He's beenattemptingto havehis work published,but the prison authoritieshave stood in the way of any suchplan,because they don't wanthim to profit from his crimes. Michaelalsocommentedon the fact that he andhis father looked very similar, except for his dad's large bushy beard.Bronsonhimselfsaid:'I'm delightedto be back in touchwith my son.It's takentwenty-twoyearsto get him backinto my life.' When CharlesBronsonis eventuallyreleased,father and son want to open up a restaurant.Mike plansto be the chef - while Bronson intendsto be the securityon the door! Theseplans,however,may haveto be put on holdit seemsthat old habitsdie hard.Only last week,Bronson wasinvolvedin yet anotherviolent incidentand an early releaselooks increasinglyunlikely. If you would like to know more about Charles Bronson's amazing life, a biographyis currentlybeingwritten abouthim. You can readit with a clearconscience becauseany profits will be goingto charity.


2

3

Use two of the idioms to tell a partner about two people in your life.

Speaking

f*cuss

F r i e n d sa n d r e l a t r v e s

these questions with a partner.

Body idioms

t- Would you be interestedin readinga biographyof CharlesBronson?Why/why notl

The Real English note on page 9 explained a pain in the neck. Circle the correct word in the body idioms in these sentences.

L Do you think lockingpeopleup for a long time is a good idea?

3. \A/hateffect does prison haveon people?What about dreir familiesl

l. My car'son its lastfeet / legs.I'vealready started lookingfor a new one.

4- Can you think of any alternatives to prisonl

1

2. Haveyou seen Paula'snew laptopl I bet it cost her an arm and a l eg/ hand.

Vocabularycheck

Corrrplete these sentences with words from the text l- lf you haven'tmet someonefor fifty years,it can be a yery emotionaloccasionwhen you are

L lf you are found guiltyof breakinginto someone's home and stealingfrom them, you are guilty of

3 . Sometimesone country tries to put pressureon anothercountry by takingsome of its citizens . . . . S o m e t i m etsh e s e are killed;sometimes money hasto be paidfor their release. 1. lf you are famousfor somethingbad or evil,you are

3 . I'm under a lot of pressureat work. My bossis breathingdown my back/ neck all the time. 4. I'm afraidI'vejust put my foot / mourh in it. I'vejust saidsomethingto Kate without realisingshe and Petehavesplit up.

5. When Frankslippedon that bananaskin,I nearly laughedmy legs/ head off. 6. Yes,it was funny,wasn't itl I tried to keep a straightmouth I face,but it was impossible. 7. lf you'reworried about something, tell me - it's far better to ger it off your chest / back. 8. I can't even havea morning off. I'm up to my eyes/ nose in work. Can you translate the eight idioms above into your language?

5. lf you put your arms round someone,you are giving

Speaking

t h e ma . . . . 6. lf a beardis . . . . it meansthat it is large and v er y t hic k- l i k ea b u s h !

7. lf you can'tcarry out a plan immediatelybecauseof some problem,you haveto put the planon

When was the last time you ... a

a

a

put your foot in ir?why? What did you say? found it impossibleto keep a straight face? bought somethingthat cost an arm and a leg?

8. ff you give awaythe money you makefrom something to a good cause,the profits go to

UsirtEJ"-,1'cbdar 1 ldiomsfocus Michaelsaid he got on like a houseon fire with his father.

Complete the idioms in these sentences with momen( eye, wavelength and close.

t . We argueabout everything.We simplydon't see eye to...

.onanything.

2. T h e r e ' sn e v e r ad u l l

....in our house. There'salwayssomethinggoingon!

3 . I get on reallywell with my mum. We're really 4. It's incredible.Althoughmy gran is in her seventies, we reallyare on the same

15


2 Friends and relatives

Complete these dialoguesusing the adjectives in brackets in the comparative form.

Comparatives:

t.

In the article that you read about Charles Bronson, his son, Michael, said that his dad is not as bad as the media make out. Make six more examples of sentences that use this structure. Match the sentence beginnings l-6 to the endings a-f.

t . I dont see my mum 2. I'm not as close to my older brother 3 . I don't get on as well with my sister 4. He's not as serious 5 . She'snot as old 6. We don't get on with them now as well

J J J -J J J

a. as she looks.

3. A: What's your new teacher like?ls he all rightl ... ... . as B: Y eah,he' sOK but he' snot . . our last one,Jane.I mean,he'sclearand . . . than Jane. everything,but he's We used to havea laughwith her. lt was just . . . with her.(good,serious,fun)

trafficl

c. as I am to my younger.

B: Yeah,it was awful!We thought it would be

d . as often as I see my dad. e . as we used to. as he seemswhen you first meet him.

Now complete these sentencesin ways that are true for you. 7. I'm not ascloseto my

What's their new flat like?ls it nicel . . . than their old Lovely,it's much one and it's not nearly (big,dark)

4. A: How was your journey?Was there much

b. as I do with my brother.

f.

2.

Did I hear you sayyou've got a new bike? What's it like? B: Brilliant!lt's I l00cc, so it's much than my old one. l'll take you out on it next week sometime,if you like.(powerful)

. . . . as I am to

. assomepeoplethink. 8. I'm not as.. . 9. I dont see.. .. asoftenasI usedto. 10. My dad'snot as . . . . as he mightseem. I l. . . . . isnt asold ashe/shelooks. Now explain what you have written to your partner. Have you ever got the wrong impression of someone when you first met them?

Comparingthe presentwith the past We often compare the present with the past. For example, we often compare recent experiences with past ones. Look at these examples: A: How's the new carl B: Great! Honestly,it's much easierto park than the old one, now we've got power steering. A: How was the holiday?Was the weather OK? B: Yeah,it was treat. lt was much better going in May. It wasn't as hot as the last time and there were fewer tourists about.

. . . taking the motorway than the way we came last time, but it was much . .. . We were stuck in this terrible traffic jam for about an hour. (quick,slow)

5. A: You went to LakeComo again,didnt you?Was it nice?

B: Yeah,it was OK, but it was a bit . than I remember it being.(touristy)

What do you think touristy means?


2

Pronunciation: The sound we call 'schwa'/ / is used for most rnstnessed vowel sounds. In the sentences betow, tfp stressed words or syllables are underlined. llost of the other syllables are unstressed. Try to sey this sentence stressing the underlined words. k's much better than it usedto be. Hqr

practise saying these sentences.

l- lt's better than my old one. L

1- lt's much more touristy than it usedto be. 5. lt's much cheaperthan it usedto be. 6- lt was quicker than last time. 7. lt wasnt as good as the last time we wenl 8. lt wasn't as good as I remembered. 9. lt's not as good as it used to be. fl tl

U s i n gIg:ailu Iar1 Michael's parents split up. There are lots of phrasal verbs with up. Complete the sentences below with the correct form of the verbs in the box. fiil

Now listen and check your pronunciation. Then tisten again and repeat the sentences.

What do you think it means in each of the sentences above? How many of the sentences above can you use to talk about things that are true for you? Compare with a partnen Who can use the most sentences?

Speaking Discuss these questions in groups of three. Try to use as much of the grammar from this unit as you can. Spend five minutes planning what you want to say first. l. How do you like the flat/houseyou're livingin now, comparedto placesyou lived in beforel 2. What's the best placeyou've ever lived in?Why? What made it so good? 3. ls your city better or worse than it used to be ten yearsagol In what way? 4. ls your country better or worse than it used to bel In what wayl 5. Can you think of anythingthat you found a bit disappointing the secondtime around- a place,a film, a book, a restaurant? For more information on comparatives.see G3.

cheer

mix

get

look

pick

t . lf the ticketsgo on saleat nine,we'd better . . . up early and be there by eight.

lt's better than it was before.

3- lti biggerthan the last one.

F r i e n d sa n d r e l a t i v e s

2. l'll . . .

you up in the car aroundsevenand we can go into town and havea bite to eat.

3 . You look reallysad!.

. .up! lt's not the

end of the world!

4. l'll just go to their websiteand . .

. up the

times of their flightsto Zurich.

5 . We can

... up with petrol beforewe

leave. I always .......... up Petewith his brother Ed. They look so similar.

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Can you think of three reasonswhy couplessplit up? 2. Can you think of three thingsyou could do to cheer yourselfupl 3. What kind of thingscan you look up?


F r i e n d sa n d r e l a t i v e s

2

T a l k i n ga b o u t d i s a s t e r s What do you think has happened in these pictures? With a partner, discuss in which picture each of the following is most likely to be said. l.

Everyone's been evacuated.

2 . lt all jus t happ e n e d so suddenly.

_l -J

3. My car'sbeentotallyturned upsidedown.

j

4. Everything's been smashedto pieces.

-J

5. Luckily,no one'sbeen hurt. 6. lt's balancedright on the edge. 7. Everything's gone up in flames. 8. lt's spreadvery quickly. 9. lt couldgo ar any minute. 10. lt destroyedeverythingin its path.

_t

-J -J -J _i -J

I l . lt ' s done m illio n so f p o u n d s w ' o rth o f d a ma ge.

I

12. They'restill trying to pur it out.

I

13. Our roof was blown off.

I

-J

Speaking Have there been any natural disasters in your country? When? What happened?

18


2 Friends and relatives

5 i Givinq bad news l

Real Englisht haveit put down

J

lf an animalis seriouslyill or badlyinjured,you take it to the vet and he puts it down.Another way of sayingthis is he puts it to sleep.

llotke how the highlighted expressions warn rlc other person that bad news is coming. :

I haven'tseen Mary for ages.How is she? & Oh, haven'tyou heardl Shewas made redundantlast month. Oh, that'sawful.She must'vebeen reallyupset. I

: Howl your motherl & Well, actually,she passedawaylast month. : Oh, I om sorry to hear that. ls your father all right? Oh yes,he seemsto be copingvery well.

: :

Can John make it to the partyl l'm afraid not. We're no longer together. Oh, I'm sorry about that. ls everythingOK?

lmagine you live in one of the places shown in the pictures on page 18. A friend has rung you, not knowing what has happened. Give them the bad news. For example: A

A Well, actually,it's like an inferno.Everything's on fire.

T h e b u s h. . . t r e e s. . . h o u s e s And are you all rightl For the time being,I think we are.

H.ke short dialogues by matching the questions l-f to the answers a-h.

t - Can you give me a lift home?

z

Do you think I could get that cameraback off 'ou sometimesoon?

3. Haveyou heard from Janrecendy? 1- ls your grandfatherany better? 5. So,has Peter had his resultsyet? 6- Are you feelingall right,Steve? 7. Hello,how are youl & I thought you had a dog. 1

-J -J J -J -J -J -l J

I'm afraid not. We're very worried about him. But then, he is ninety.

b. Oh, fine thanks.Well,actually, I think I'm gemingthe flu, so I'd stayawayif I were you. I don't know how to put this,but I think I lost it last night while I was out. I'm reallysorry, but I've searchedeverywhereand I can't find it. l'll 8et you another one. I'm extremely sorry. d We did. But unfortunately,it ran out into the street and was run over.I'm afraidwe had to haveit put down. e. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't.I lost my licence lastweek - had a bit too much to drink and tot stopped by the police! Well, actually,I haven't- not for about six months - we had a bit of an argumentlast year. Well, actually,no. I've just had some very bad news. h . Well,yes,I'm afraidhe has.He didn't pass-

so he'sgot to re-sit part of his examsin July. C" back and undertine the expressions used to introduce the bad news. Now listen and check your answers. Then work in pairs reading the dialogues.

A lJ

Hello,is that you,Jack?This is Ron in Sydney.

B: Hi, Ron,how are thingsdown under?

Now change partners. Think of five questions your friend might ask you about the terrible situation you are in.

t.

.........?

2.

. . . . . . . .I .

3.

.........1 I I

Now role play a similar conyersation to the one you've just had. This time, use a different picture and the questions above.


tJiirt7 tr.AIrdar 1 Which of the following do you like doing in your free time? Mark each one in this way: O

if you do it often

S

if you do it sometimes

N

if you never do it

_J J J J J -J J _J J J J J -J J

listeningto classical music goingto see bands goingc l u b b i n g playingan instrument reading working out at a gym watchingvideos goingto art exhibitions goingto an eveningclass playinga sport eatingout goinground junk shops

l. rl

playingcomputergames

h-s

t'ai chi or somethinglike that

i Real Englishr junk Junkis stuff of little valuewhic you consideruseless, for example,old furniture,books, CDs, or other thingsyou have no use for.

Use your dictionary to translate any yocabulary you are unsure of. Find out what you have in common with your partner.

20

ll, t


3 Yourrnterests

2

Not as often as I used to

A Listen to June,a bus driver, talking about how tl stre spendsher free time. As you listen, cnplete the time expressionsshe uses below.

questions How- questions are useful for asking for more information. How much did it cost? How long did it take youl How difficultwas itl Make how- questions by adding an adverb, an adjective, or a quantity word like much to these questions. l.

A

How . . did it take you to learnto playthe guitar as well as thatl B: About ten years.I started when I was really young,though.

2. A

How . . is your work from your homel B: About an hour'sdrive,I think.

3. A : H ow .. di d you move here? B: Oh, agesago.In fact,I've forgotten how long! 4.

l. L 3, 45. 6. 7. 8.

Not all t hat . All the Not as .. a s I' d l i k eto . A bout ..fo rtn i g h t. .. I can. 4... . . . . . o f t i m e sa y e a r . Hardly Notasoftenasl.. ......to.

Practise saying the eight expressions above.

A

H ow .. doesdi nnerusuallycost you? B: lt varies,but I supposeabout tB or t9.

5. .A: So how .. haveyou been learning E ngl i shl B: EversinceI can remember.I startedwhen I was really reallyyoung.

6. .\, H ow .. canyou speakC hinese? B: I guessI'm OK, but I could be better. 7.

,ri.

H ow .. i s i t to l earnC hi n ese? B: Some people sayit's the most difficult languageto learn as a foreigner.

8. ;\ How . . do you go away,then? B: Everycoupleof months,I suppose, providingI've got the money.

3 i How often do you ...? Ask and answer with a partner. When you answer, try to use some of the expressions in Exercise 2. H ow of t en do y o u ... l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. I l. 12.

haveyour hair cutl get up early on Saturdays? see your parents/grandparentsl cook in the eveningsl work in the evenings? seeyour best friend? havefriendsround for dinnerl read in Englishl watch films in Englishl buy presentsfor friends? go awayfor the weekend? go to the cinemal

9. A : H ow

.. peopl edo you needin a

team? B: Usuallyit's eleven,but you can also playwith five.

t 0 . A: How

. . are you about your examsl B: Very! But I'm trying not to think about them too much!

Now write questions you would like to ask a partner. Then work in pairs to find the answers. l. Howmuch

.........1

2. Howoften

.........?

3. Howlongago

......1

4. Howfaraway

......?

5. Howdifficult

....... ?

6 . H o w e a s .y

. . . . . . . . .?

7. Howmany

.........1

21


3 Yourinterests

L . i ' [? t t ! ft g

So what shall we do tonight?

Speaking Dan: Discuss these questions with a partner.

Helena: Well, I'd quite like to see a film, or, I don't know see if there'sany good bandsaround,if you're into bands.

l. Do you havemuch in common with the rest of your familyl What interestsdo you share?

Dan:

2. Do you think men and women tend to be interestedin different kindsof things?

Dan:

3. ls it best to marry someone who... . sharesall your interests? . sharesnone of your interests? . sharesa few of your interests, but hassome of their own? 4. ls there somethingyou would really like to be able to do, but havenot yet had the opportunity to do?

So what do you feel like doing tonight?Any ideasl

Yes,that'san idea.(l) ..

musicdo you like,then?

Helena: Oh, all sorts, really,you know,a lot of pop and I quite like blues and iazz and (2) Oh, reallylI'm more into dancemusicmyself,so maybe...

Helena: Well, (3) . . , we could alwaysgo and see a film. I like realb/scarythings. Dan:

What?You mean like Holloween?

Helena: Yes,that kind of thing,and I also (4) . . action movies, you know,car chases,gulS,bombs,anythingthat's fast and exciting. Dan:

Oh, right.Tobe honestwith you, I'm not really(5) .. violentfilms.

Helena: You'rekidding!And I thought this was goingto be the perfect relationship! Dan:

(6) .. ! But it doesnt sound like we'vegot all that much in common,really,does it?

Helena:Oh come on, there must be somethingwe can do! Dan:

Let me think. Well, I supposewe (7)

. . go clubbing.

Helena: What? Somewherelike Paradox? Dan and Helena have only iur. started going out together. They are not finding it easy to decide what to do with their evening. Cover the conversation. As you listen, try to decide which of these statements is the most accurate.

A ll

l. They havenothingin common. 2. They havelots in common. 3. They havelessin common than they think! Listen again and complete the gaps in the conversation.

Dan:

ls that the new placethat's just opened?

Helena: Yes,just last week. Right,so (8) Dan:

Helena: No, (9) Dan:

. . going clubbing,thenl

OK. Why notl Do you go much yourself? . . , actually.A couple of times a year,I guess.

Oh, me too now,but I ( l0) . . a lot more when I was younger- almost every weekend. The thing was,though,it just got to me after a while, stayingout dancingall night and then havingto go to work ( | l) . . in the morning.I'm gettinga bit too old for it now.

Helena: Oh, well, that'sthat off the menu,then! So,what shallwe do then? Dan:

l don' t know .(12). .get a vi deoand a curry,andhave a nice quiet eveningin in front of the telly?

Helena: Oh, you'vegot to be joking!We're not in our gravesyet. I mean, that'sthe kind of thing my parentsare probablydoing ( | 3) . . ! Look, it's not what I'd normallydo on a Mondaynight,but let'sgive clubbinga go! lt might be a laugh.

Recll Englisht The thingwas... This is a naturalway to add extra detailsor an explanation. The thing is ... introducesa problem,an excuse,or a difficultyof some kind.

Speaking Do you and your friends eyer have problems trying to decide what to do in the evenings? At what age are you too old to go clubbing? Twenty-five? Thirty? Forty? Never?


3 Yourinterests

U g i n g'laca!,ular1 | | Agreeing f n

share someone's interests, we can say:

: I really love classicalmusic. & Really?What's your favouritepiece? So do l. Who's your favouritecomposerl Me too! EspeciallyMozart.

or or

When we agree with a negative idea, we say: s I dont reallylike classical music. & Neither do l. or Me neither.

Without really, these statements would sound quite strong and even rude. Make short dialogues by matching the statements l-6 to the responses a-f.

2 | Grammarin context

tlorrP.

l - A I reallylove Mexicanfood. B: So do l. / Me too. / So havel. lt's great,isnt itl L { : I don't reallylike much modern fashion. B: Neither do l. / Me neither./ Me too. lt's dreadful. 3- A: I'm not reallykeen on big Hollywood movies. B: Neither do l. / Neither am l. / Me neither.They're so predictable. 1- A: I've seenall the Bond films. B: So havel. / Neither havel. / Me too. Someare better than others. 5- A: ld love to go to Africa sometime. B: So do l. / So would l. / Me too. lt soundsamazing. 6- A: I hate most classical music. B: Me too. / Me neither./ So do l. lt doesn'tdo anythingfor me, I'm afraid.

Auxiliaryverb practice lJse So + auxiliary + I or Neither + auxiliary + I b agree with the following. I prefer coffeewithout milk. I dont like thingsthat are too sweet. I'm goingto stay in tonight and do nothing. I've just booked my summer holiday. I nevergo abroad. I'd love to meet someonereallyfamous. I was born in Australia. I can't stand sea water. For

on

-J J fun,that's what I really like doing. 3 . I'm really interestedin politics. J 4. f'm reallyinto older music,you know,before 1967. J 5 . My favouritekind of thingsare comicsand cartoons. J 6. I'm reallyinto roller-blading. lt's a bit like roller-skating. J l. I love nearlyall winter sports.

For each of these statements only two responses -t cor?ect. Cross out the incorrect one in each

l. L 3. 1. 5. 6. 7. 8.

lf we do not share someone's interests, we often soften the way we express this. Notice how really is used in these examples: A: I reallylove classical musicand opera. B: Oh, do you?I'm not reallyvery keenon it myself. or It's not reallymy kind of thing,I'm afraid. or I don't reallylike thingslike that.

see

2. Going out with a crowd of friends and having

a. Oh, it's not really my kind of thing,I'm afraid.I don't really understandwhat makesall the partiesdifferent. They all seem the sameto me! b. Really?I'm not reallyvery keen on them, myself.I once broke my leg skiingand it put me off - for life! c. Are you? lt's not reallymy kind of thing.I'm always worried I might get hurt. d. I don't really like things like that myself.I dont see the point of them. I prefer a good novel - the longer the better! e. Are you? I'm not reallythat keen on anythingbefore | 980. f , Do you? lt's not really my kind of thing,I'm afraid. I prefer to go out with just one or maybetwo people. I hate crowds. Now listen and notice how att the responses ff f d Si". extra information. Go back and underline all uses of really. All the language in this course is carefully chosen to help you to learn useful natural English. Complete these collocations from the exercise above. l. 2. 3. 4.

winter..... 5. have..... 6. i n t e r e s t e d . . . . . p o l i t i c s7 . l t ' sn o t m y . . . . . o f t h i n g .8 .

get..... c l a s s i c. a. .l. . l d o n ' t s e et h e . . . . . o f i t . lt.....me off.....life.

Reol Englisht What kind of fitmsare you into? lf you are into something,you are very interestedin at. She\ reollyinto heolthfood. Heb into okernotivemedicine. Tell your partner about somethingyou're reallyinto.

Do you like doing these activities or not? Discuss with a partner using expressions from this page. Explain why. golf surfing

snorkelling football

cycling skiing

tennis singing

23


3 Yourinterests

.

i'-7rrl':(,?l -

-

?

d

.

.

.

:

Are you a bag person?

)

Look at the examples below of two people talking about hobbies and interests they had in the past, but don't have any m or e. S peak er l: I u s e dto c o l l e c t canswhen I was younger,like coke cans.I livednear the sea and I'd find them on the beach. I grew out of it after a while and I can't rememberwhat happened to all the cans. Speaker 2: I usedto havea train set when I was younger,but I just lost interestin it once I got into music. Think of two hobbies you used to have when you were younger. Tell your partner as much as you can about them. Try to use the following:

Come on, admit it! You can't resistclassycarrier bags.You have some cheapand nastybagsfrom the localsupermarketwhich you put your rubbishin. But somewhereat homeyou'vegot a collection of bagsthat you wouldn't part with for the world. An Armani bag? A Guccione? Or maybe it's that one from the Duty-FreeShop at Kuala Lumpur Airport? They prove that you're the sort of person y o u ' d l i k et o b e . Recently,a London gallery held an exhibitionto celebratethe carrierbag. They askedthirty top artistsand designersto designa carrierbag for thirty shopswhich took part in the exhibition.The becauseit seemswe are all secret show was a tremendoussuccess carrier bag collectors.Some people go into expensivedesigner shopsand buy the cheapestthing - just to get one of their bags. Others don't even bother buying anything.They just ask straight out for a free bag for their collection.lt seemsthat it's not the bag we want. lt's what it represents.That's why we throw away our boring Tescoand Marks and Spencerbags, but make sure our Harrodsor LouisVuitton onesremainin perfectcondition.

l . I us edt o c olle c t when I was younger.I kept them I g r e wo u t in a .. of it when I was yearsold. 2. I usedto play I was younger.

. . when

I

trl -.

When we ask about people's interests and hobbies, we often ask the question:

u &

What do you do when you'renot or working/studyingl What do you do in your free tim e/ s par e t im el

EI

U

It sounds a bit strange if you ask: W hat ar e y our h o b b i e s ?

f r Now read the text about I ?' collecting.

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partnen l. 2. 3. 4.

24

Which is your most treasuredcarrier bag?Where did it come from? What makesa classycarrier bag? Do you collect anythingelsewhich might seem strangeto other people? Do you ever wear any designerclotheslWhy/why notl


3 Yourinterests

Llsln vof,abulary

Expressions with Complete the sentences below with the expressions in the box.

i r l ldioms focus Ccnplete the idioms in the sentences below with & words in the box.

a

a

-counting

c uP .

t_ I must admit,I dont reallylike this kind of music. hi not really my . .

of tea.

L lf you're into action movies,you reallyshouldgo and see Explosiye Device.lt should be right up your

3. You like Disneymovies!| can't believeit! Oh well, eachto their .

+

My favouritekind of food is cheese- blue cheese. I know it's an acquired You'reinto techno musiclWell,there'sno . . for taste,I suppose.

Dletch the idioms l-5 above to their meanings .d. 1

Different people like differentthings.(two idioms)

b. I don't really like that kind of thing. c- I'm sure you'd like it. d. lt's somethingyou learn to like gradually.

it's just not the done thing it's just one of those things

.

the thing is

.

one thing after another

.

t dont know the first rhingabout

for one thing

t . I've had such a dreadfulday.lt's just been . . sinceI got up.

2. I don't know why you're askingme. . cars. Ask Mark.

3 . A: I'm sorry to hear you'velost your job. B: Yes,well,. all see it coming.

, I guess.We could

4. Whateveryou do when you'rein Indonesia, don't use your left handto offer or take things. 5 . I ' d l o v et o c o m ew i t h y o u ,b u t , . ......., I've alreadyagreedto go out with Samantha. 6. A: So why don't you like him,thenl B: Well, . . , you cant trust anythinghe says,and for another,he'sa bit of a show-off Thing/things is a useful word in English. Find three more thing expressions you like in a dictionary. Tell your partner what you have chosen and why.

Speaking Ask and answer these questions with a partner. Try to use some of the idioms in Exercise I above when responding.

Speaking Are any of the following just not the done thing in your country? Discuss with a partner.

l. What kind of food do you like? 2. What kind of thingsdo you usuallydo at the weekend? 3. What kind of musicare you into? 4. What kind of things do you like watchingon TVI 5. What kind of films are you into? 6. What kind of thingsdo you like doing in class? 7. What kind of restaurantsdo you like goingto? 8. What kind of thingsdo you like reading?

L 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

usingyour left handto passthings burpingafter dinner startingto eat before everybodyelse blowingyour nose in public askinghow much someoneearns women smoking livingtogether before you're married

Think of three things you don't know the first thing about. See if anybody in the class can teach you a bit about them!

25


Go back and underline the time expressionsin the sentences l-8. Then decide if these time expressionsfit best into pattern a or b. Tell a partner which of these things you enjoy doing. a a a a o a a a a a a o a o a a

planningyour summer holidays playingthe piano/violin/guitar helpinghomelesspeople raisingmoney for sick animals collectingthings (e.g.stamps,phonecards,etc.) goingfolk dancing going to the theatre studyinga foreign language going campingor youth hostelling going abroad surfingthe net gardeningor visitinggardens mountaineeringor hill-walking reading paintingor drawing singingor acting

Complete these sentences with the ideas aboye. l. No wonder John'seyesare so sore.He spendshis whole lif e. . 2. This Frenchfriend of mine'sjust got backfrom NewYork where he spent most of the winter . . at a school in Brooklyn. 3. Kevinfeelsvery stronglyabout animalrights. He spendsa lot of time . 4. Pedro wants to be the next Pavarotti.He spendsall his free time . 5. His mother really lovesher plantsand flowers. Shespendsall her time .

I

6. I've spent ages. ., and I'm finallyoff in three days.Two weeks in the sun! 7. Bill hasjust splashedout f 100on these new boots. You know he goes .. nearly every weekend,dont you? 8. Marie works with poor people in the inner city. She spendsevery Saturdaynight at a hostel in the city centre. Did you notice the two different kinds of -ing patterns in the sentences l-8 above? a. I go ...1n9+ time expression b. I spend+ time expression+...-ing

26

whenever I can most of my evenings all my Saturdaymornings as often as I can

all my life half my life quite often onTuesdays

Now complete these sentences about your own interests. 9. lgo. 10. I go .

..almosteyeryweek. . . quite a lot in the summer.

I l. I spendmost Sundays 12. I sometimesfeel like I spendhalf my life

Tell a partner what you have written.

The -ing form as a noun We can use the -ing form to talk about an activity which is the subject of a sentence. Mountaineeringcan be pretq/ dangerous. Use your own ideas and the ideas in Exercise I to complete these sentences in pairs. For example, the answer to number one might be ballroom dancing. What do you think? l.

. . . is all right for old people,but not for people in their twenties.

2. I know ... can be very dangerous, but there's no need to ban it, just becausesome people get killed every winter. 3.

. . . aroundthe Greek islandsin the summer is great fun.

4.

. . . is all right if you'vegot the time and the money.

5.

. .. is more usefulthan learningChineseunless,of course,you happento be Chinese!

6. 7.

. .. is a very worthwhile thing to do. . . . is something I've alwayswanted to do, but I've just never had the time.

8.

... is all right for women,but not for men.

Now compare your ideas with your classmates.


4

beil

English3 atright/ al right

\

lr British Englishsome people write alright as one rord. Others write it as two. Writing it as one word -nds to be more informal.In this course it is always rrrnren as two words.

3

All right

t

Are you feelingall right now? l'm reallynervousabout makingthe speech. ls everythingall right,sir?

1. ls your coffeeall right?

Shallwe take the car? 5" Justlistento that wind. I hate flyingin weather

lik et his ! 7 . ls it all right if I borrow your video for the

weekend?

Make short dialogues using the words in brackets and the pattern you have just seen. Then practise the dialogues with a partner. l. ''i. I'm reallyinterestedin boxing. B: (watch it / box yourselQ No way!You'dnevercatchme in the ring! No, I just love watchingit.

2.

;fr&e short dialogues by matching the questions c comments | -7 to the responses a-9. Each Cdogue contains a different use of all right.

')

U n u s u a lr n t e r e s i s

-J -J J -J -J J J

t- Well,actually, it's a bit cold.

Yes,thanks.The room's perfect.

I reallyloveAmericanfootball. B: (watch I play) "' Oh, I'm in a team. We playevery Sunday.

3. "

I reallylove Chinesefood. B: (go to Chineserestaurants/ make it yourself)

come round sometime. 4. ;t I'm reallyinto art. B: (go to galleriesi paintyourself) No, I wish I could paint.I just like goinground gal l eri es. I'm very interestedin culture. (youth culture/ Beethovenand thingslike that)

Yes,thanks.I'm much better. Yes,all right.lt'll be quickerthan the train. e. Yes,sure - so long as you're carefulwith it.

Well,all sorts.Fashion, music,dance,clothes, anything,really.

Don't worry, it'll be all right on the night. goingto be all right. 5- Now, calm down. Everything's Practise reading out the dialogues with a partner. Then cover the responses a-g. Your partner will read out the questions and comments l-7. See if you can remember the exact responses.

4 | More -ingforms in use Good listeners check they understand what is being said to them. This encourages the speaker to give more information. You might have to interrupt to do this. Look at the following yery u s ef ul' c hec k in g ' te c h n i q u e .

Whatl Do you meanjust listeningto it or actuallyplayingan instrument? Both, really.I playthe drums in a band at weekendsand I've got pilesof CDs at home.

27


4 U n u s u ai n l terests

i'-?ading

It's a man's world?

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l . Do y ou t hink m e n a n d w o me n are treated equallyin your society?Why/why not? 2. Shouldwomen be allowedto do exactlythe samesports and jobs as m enl

Beforeyou You are going to read an article about the way in which women's position in British society has and hasn't! - changed. To help you understand the text better, here are a few definitions: .

A licencegivesyou permissionto do something.

.

lf somethingis a spectacle, it is strangeor interestingto watch.

.

lf you counter an argument,you give the opposite view.

.

lf you are unstable,you are not mentallyfit.

.

lf you commit suicide,you kill yourself.

While you A Now read the article and I I unaerline any examptes of discrimination mentioned.

ot the last thirty yearu,we've been told that the war of the sexesis over that women now have equal rights with men.To try to prove this, J-and I some have pointed to the way in which women have reached the highest offices. Mrs Thatcher, for example, led Britain for thirteen years, whilst many other countries have also recently elected their first female leaders. l-

In the traditionallymale-dominatedworld of sport, women have also made great progress.In kick-boxing, for instance,two young Scottishwomen have forced their way into the British team. whilst many conseruative commentators may disapprove,Kate Kearney and TeresaDewan are proud of the fact that they can not only take on men, but can even beat them. ,\^/e usually give them a good fight' said reresa, 'but a man never likes to be beaten by a woman. They usuallygo off in a huff afterwards.You should see their faces!' However, several recent news stories have highlighted the fact that women are still being discriminatedagainst in all areas of life. A suruey last year showed that on averagewomen earn 300/olessthan men and that in many companies,there is still a glassceiling,preventingwomen from getting the top iobs.As if this wasn't bad enough, evidencealso suggeststhat women do more than their fair shareof the work in the home. Women today have the burden of having to go out and fight for their rights in the workplaceand are then still expectedto come home and cook and clean. Sadly,despite the successof women like the Scottishkick-boxers,sexism is also still alive and well in sport. The unofficialworld women's lightweight boxing champion,Jane Crouch,is today waiting to hear whether the British Boxing Board of Control GBBO will allow her to continue her career:The BBBC is deciding whether women boxerswill be allowed to box officiallyor whether they will have to remain in the shadowyworld of unofficialboxing. Miss Crouch could expect to earn around â‚Ź100,000 a year if she is given a licence. However, there has been much opposition to the spectacte of women in the boxing ring. There was laughter at the BBBC inquiry this week when it was suggestedthat women should not be licensedto box becausethey were biologicallyand emotionallyunstable. To counter these arguments, Miss Crouch's lawyer, Dinah Rose, said ,\A/e sarcastically: are all taking a hell of a risk allowing women to pilot aeroplanes,aren't we? Perhapsall women airline pilots should be tested to see if they suffer from emotional instability.' 'l

would certainly want research on that, if I were responsible for them,' replied Adrian Blackson,the BBBc's chief medical officer. And perhaps we should alsosay that only men are stableenough to look after children,'Miss Roseasked, to which Mr Blacksoncould only respond by saying, That's an interestingquestion.' Miss Rosewent on to suggest that it was men who were more likely to be unstable,to commit violent crimes or commit suicide.Mr Blacksontold the inquiry that until further researchhad been done, the BBBCshould not allow Miss Crouch to box.

28


4

Speaking

Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Do y ou t hink a n yo f th e th i n g sme n ti o n e di n the ar t ic lehapp e ni n y o u r c o u n try ? 2. Do y ou t hink th e re i s d i s c ri m i n a ti oang a i n stany groupsof people(other than women) in your society?

5 I Comprehension check Now answer these questions about the text. l. How do male kick-boxersreactwhen they are beatenby womenl 2. What's stoppingwomen from gettingtop jobs in c om panies ?

Vocabulary c h e c k Complete these sentences with words from the text. l . A sportspersonw ho w i ns a very i mportant competitionis the 2. The placewhere boxingmatchestake placeis called boxing 3. lf you saysomethingwhich is the oppositeof what you believe,becauseyou want to mock or insult someone,you sayit . . . . 4. lf you studysomethingin detailto gainnew knowledgeabout it, you do . . . . on it. Now complete these sentences with words from the text.

3. What does BBBCstandfor?

5. Y ou can expectto ...

4. Does Dinah Rosebelievethat women makebad pilot s ?

6. There'sa lot of srte.

. f30,000 ayea r . . . . . to the proposedlandfill

7. I think we're . . . . a big risk if we don't go to the doctor immediately. 8. lf you commit a violent to prisonfor a long time.

. . . . , you shouldgo

29


4

U n t - r s l ailn t e r e s t s

( " J

J

t

'

.

e J

J lt'-7. !' -. .

')'

Boxingjoke f . P r ac t is e t elli n g th i s j o k e i n p a i rs . T h i n k a bout 0y'which words to stress and where to pause. Who tells the joke better, you or your partner? When I was a kid,we couldn'taffordaTV so one day, m y dad dr illeda h o l e th ro u g hth e w a l l ,w h i c h m e ant we could look into the housenext door. After that, we usedto watch the boxingand the wrestlingevery night . . . until we finallyrealisedthat the neighbours didn't havea TV either.

V i o l e n to r d a n g e r o u s ? Make sure you understand what these sports are. Are they violent, dangerous, or both?

snowboarding wrestling c anoeing sky-diving

b u n g e ej u m p i n g water-skiing horse-racing kick-boxing hang-gliding

climbing skiing canyonrnS football s c u b a -d i v i ng

Now talk about the activities above using these structures: I ' d q u i t el i k et o . . . I wouldn' t. . . ev eni f y o u p a i dme ! I' d b e s c a re do f ... Why do you think so many people like sports like boxing or bullfighting? Have you got any dangerous interests?

+

30

f :\


4 Unusual interests Here are three common expressions with U and wouldn't:

Tb responses a-e use would, wouldn't or the crEacted form U. Make short dialogues by rEdring the sentences l-5 to the responses a-e. l- Im not reallyvery keen on going out tonight. L lf tou wanr a ticket, I'll get you one. 3. Could you possiblygive me a lift home? +

Ive no ideawhere to go on holiday.

5. I think l'll havethe Madrascurry. 1

I rvpuld if I could,but I can't,I'm afraid. I've got to leaveearly today.

-J -J -J -J J

b, Well, ld quite like to go somewhereexotic. c

lf you d rather,we could alwaysstay in instead. I dont mind either way.

d. I wouldn't if I were you! lt's reallyhot! c- ThatU be great, if you could.

Grammarin context

if you'd rather I would if I could

t . A: So what do you feel like doing tonightl B:

. . go out for a meal,if that's all right with you. I'm in a real

3. Look, it's not that I don't want to see you. . . , but I just can't.I'm out of the country all that week.

1.

' ' ' so to the PartYon Your own' ;;;b

il

;;;;.

Well, if you could persuadeJim to come to the lecture this evening,then . . , but don't worry if you can't. A: I'm reallysorry you can't come with us tonight. B: Well, you know, . . , but I've reallygot to finishthis work. I'm reallyvery tired if that's all right.

8.

For more information on how to use would,seeG5.

Reol Englisht

Do you want a tift?

You ask this questionwhen you offer to take someonein your car.Look at these examples: Couldyou giveme o lift to the stotion? Youcouldn'tgiveme o lift couldyou? I'll giveyou o lift if you wonL This is differentfrom the expressionthumb a lifr, which meansthat you are hitch-hiking.

With a partner,try to agree what to do in each of these situations. Use the expressions with would from Exercise l. l. An importantguestis visitingyour home town. You havebeen askedto take them out and show them the best it hasto offer. What would you suggestto theml 2. You and a friend havejust won f 1,000in a lottery. How would you most like to celebrate?

L A: Do you want a lift? B: Oh, thanks. . . . hurry to get home.

Use them to say something amusing about yourself.

Reachingdecisions

Complete the sentences below with the qressions in the box. i dat'd be great

You'dnever catch me in a boxing ring! I wouldnt be seendeadwearingleathertrousers! I wouldn't go parachutingeven if you paid me!

. . . . go to bed,

. . come a differentweekend,that's fine. lt's all the sameto me.

3. You and some friends are totally broke,but want to havea nice day out tomorrow. You haveabsolutely no moneyto spend.Where would you go? Once you have reached your decisions, join up with another pair and reach a group decision.


Comparing Choose the correct form. \. [m \ookrng I \ \ook for a new lob at the moment.

In sentences l-5, cross out the option which doesn't match the statement in the box. The first one is done for you.

2. My dad is liking/ likesplayinggolf a lot. The country is much worse than it used to be.

3. I ' m doing/ | d o o d d j o b s n o w a n d th e n . 4. She'srunning/ Sheruns her own businessfrom home and alwayshas.

l. lt usedto be muchtrlorâ‚Ź / lessviolentthan it is now.

5. I'm working / | work this weekend,I'm afraid.

2. Peoplearen'tas rude / polite as they usedto be.

6. How often are you having/ do you haveyour hair cut?

3. Unemploymentis higher/ lower than it usedto be. 4. There usedto be a lot more / lesscrime than there rs now. 5. The cities aren't as cleanI dirty as they used to be.

M u l t i p l ec h o i c e Choose the correct alternative.

Now do the same in sentences 6-10. The country is much better than it used to be.

t . H e ' s. . . a. a bit of a show-off

b. a bit too show-off

6. lt isn't as safe/ dangerousas it usedto be.

2. H e ' s. . . . a. quite fun to be with

b. a bit of fun to be with

3. a. To learn Englishis not easy. b. LearningEnglishis not easy. 4. t' I don't reallylike this kind of food much. B: a. Me neither. b. Me too. 5. ., I don't reallylike placeswith lots of people. B : a. S o do l . b . N e i th e rd o l .

7. Inflationusedto be much lower / higherthan it is now. 8. lt's easier/ more difficultto find a job than it used to be. 9. They'refinallyspendingless/ more on healthand educationthan they usedto. 10. There didn't useto be nearlyas manypolicemen/ drug addictson the street as there are now.

Speaking

6. P et es pend sa l o t o f ti m e o u t i n th e c o u n t ry ... . a. hill- wal k i n g b . to h i l l -w a l k 7 . I s p e n d. . . . a. as often as I can studying b. most of my eveningsstudying

Do you think your town/country has changed for the better or for the worse? Tell your partner what you think and why.

8. How . . . pe o p l ea re c o m i n gto n i g h t? a. many b . mu c h 9. l. Do you want to go out somewherelater on tonightl B: T c b e h o n e s t , . . . a . I'd rather just stayin b. I rather just stayin

t0

swimmingin the lakewhen I was younger. a I hadgo n e b. I usedto go

Compare your answers with a partner and discuss your choices.

Conversation Put the jumbled conversation below into the correct order. a. So,do you feel like doinganythingtonight? b. Oh, really.I didn't know you had a brother. H ow ol d i s hel c. Well,actually, I'm alreadygoingto see a film with my brother. d . You meanaction moviesand that kind of thing? e . Yeah,that kind of thing.So,what were you thinkingof doingtonight,anyway? f.

And do you get on with him all right? g. Yeah,he'sgreat. We get on reallywell. He's into the samekind of films as me.

1,,

h . About thirty-two or thirty-three,I think. I can never reallyremember.He'sa good bit older than me.

IJ J J J J J I -J


Review: Units1-4

Look back and check: Describing people

Collocations Match the verbs l-8 to the best collocatiors ?-h.

look back at the language for describing people ar pages 8, 9 and I l. Tick all the words you can rcrnember. Then ask your partner about anything you have forgotten. lfse as much of this language as possible to describe another student in the class. Can your Frtner guess who you are talking about?

Expressions Cornplete the sentencesbelow with the crytessions in the box. All the expressions r= fiom units l-4. I'm afraid I can't hryent you heard I would if I could

not reallykeen one of those things cheer up

t . A: Where'sJim?Hasn'the turned up yet? B: Oh, . . . . I H e ' sb e e nt a k e ni l l a n d rushedto hospital.

L Look, it's not that I dont want to see you. I mean, .. . . , but I just can't get awayfrom work until after seven.

3. A: Couldyou look aftermy kidson Fridayfor a few hours? B: No,sorry, I'm alreadydoing somethingelse.

1. A: I'm sorry I broke your vase. B: Don't worry about it. lt's just . 5. A: So,what do you think? Do you like my new tiel B: N o ,l c a n ' ts a yl d o r e a l l ly' .m . . ........on that colour.

6. A: . . . . ! lt's not the end of the world. B: I supposenot, but I still feel bad about it.

l. do

a. for myself

2. run

b. the net

3. go

c. self-employed

4. surf

d. for the weekend

5. work

e . a lot of work

6. go away

f.

7. get on

g. clubbing

8. be

h . my own business

well with my family

Now match 9-16 to the best collocations i-p. 9. hand down

i.

a rePort

10. finishoff

j.

someonea big hug

I l.

k. religionand politics

breaki nto

12. give

t. the bui l di ng

| 3. be stuck

m . a lot of damage

14. steer clearof

n . clothes

I 5. evacuate

o. in a traffic jam

I6. do

P. the bank

Who would do each of the things in numbers 9-16 above and why?

English Match the statements and the questions l-8 to the responses a-h. l. What's all that noise? 2. Boxingis all right for men,but not for women. 3. Do you want a lift? 4. So,how long haveyou been collecting phonecards, then?

5. Can you get there by sevenl 6. What's your little brother like then? ls he OK?

How many different endings can you think of to fiollow:'Oh, haven't you heard?' as in number one ebove?

7. How do you get on with your in-laws? 8. He's great,isn't he,that new teacher?

J J J J J J -J J

a. That's a pretty conservativeview, isnt itl

How many different endings can you think of to follow:'l would if I could, but...' , as in number two above?

b. Do you think so?I'm not that keen on him. c . It's the neighbourfrom hell again. d . Only if you're going my way.

e. Pretty well, I suppose,all thingsconsidered. f.

No, not really.The thing is, I'm supposedto be meetingJim at 6.30.

g. I supposeI've alwaysbeen into it, really. h. You'rejoking,arent you? He's a pain in the neck! You have one minute to memorise the responses a-h. Now coyer Exercise 9 above. Your partner will read out the statements and questions lJ. How many responses can you remember?

33


R e v i e wU: n i t s1 - 4

ldioms

Vocabulary

Make sentences with idioms by matching the beginnings l-7 to the endings a-g. l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

lt never rains, You'remakinga mountain We don't alwayssee eye My car is on its last I'm up to my eyes lt's not really my lt's just not

a. b. c. d. e. f.

in work at the moment. legs. out of a m ole h i l l . the done thing. cup of tea. but it pours.

Answer these questions with a partner. Then compare your answers with another pair. Who got most answers right?

-|

_J _J _J _J _l I

8. to eye.

L

How do you get your drivinglicencel

2. lf you want to do well in your career,are you ambitiousor greedyl 3. Do vegetarians drink milk and eat cheesel does it meanthat 4. lf you hardlyever do something, you do it very often or very rarely? 5. Where does a retired teacherteach? 6. lf you are messy,are you tidy or untidyl 7. lf someonekillsthemself,do they commit suicideor sufferfrom suicidel 8. lf you are keen on anotherperson,do you want to start a relationshipwith them or notl 9. lf someonewith red hair is calleda redhead,what i s someonew i th bl ondehai r cal l ed?

remember? With a partner, note down as much as you can remember about the two texts you read in units 2 and 4.

10. Where are you likelyto be if you are havinga pi nt? I l.

lf you were a laid-backsort of person,how often would you be in a huff with someone- often or hardly ever?

12. ls a biographya book someonewrites about their own or anotherperson'slife? 13. D o cri mi nal smakecri mesor commi t them? 14. How do you get on with someoneif you'renot on the samewavelength? 15. A fri endof yours i s descri bedas narrow -minded. Does it meanthey are open to new ideasor are their ideasfixed in a negativeway? 16. lf you haveno brothersor sisters,are you a single c h i l do r a n o n l y c h i l d ? 17. When do you needto get thingsoff your chest? 18. C an you thi nk of three thi ngsa hurri canecoulddo to a house? 19. Does a boxingmatchtake placein a ring or a squarel 20. How well do you know an acquaintancel

It's a man's world?

Now compare what you remember with another pair. Who remembers more? Which text did you enjoy more? Why?

134


R e v i e wU: n i t s1 - 4

Discuss these statements with a partner. What do you think? l. 2. 3. 4. 5.

I needto learn more grammarand do more grammarexercisesin class. You can saymore with vocabularythan you can with grammar. Englishgrammaris very complicated. lt's important to know all the grammarterminology. What's more usefulwhen you go abroad- a grammar book, a coursebook,a dictionaryor a phrasebook? Whyl

Now read this text and see how the authors of this book answer the questions above.

Discuss these questions with a partnen l. Do you useany books to help you study Englishat homel 2. Has this text made you changeyour mind about anything? 3. ls there anythingyou stronglydisagreewith herel Why?

35


Usirr vora ular1 decisions What is the most important decision you have ever made in your life? Did it turn out well or badly? On your own, put the following decisions in orderi from the most difficult to make ( l) to the easiest to make (8).

J -J -J I J J -J J

decidingto changeyour job decidingto get married decidingto start a family decidingto work abroad decidingto stop smoking decidingto get divorced decidingto move house decidingon a namefor your child

Compare your answers with a partner. Can you think of any other tough decisions not listed above?

Now listen to these three people talking about their experiences of some tough decisions. Listen carefully and write down their decisions.

A ld

nightmare! Check you understand the expressions in the box below. Use a dictionary to help you translate any vocabulary you're unsure of. I felt really pleasedwith myself. It was total chaos. It was a real weight off my shoulders. I couldnt stand it any more. What a nightmare! After that, it was plain sailing.

ff t/

Usten to the three people again and tick the expressionswhen you hear them.

Use the expressions to talk about experiences you have had.

36

E

t.


5 Bigdecisions

Grammar

When we explain why we did something, we often talk about what had been happening (the past perfect continuous) before we did what we did. took at these examples: A : So why did you decideto move out of your old flad B: It was mainlybecauseI hadn't been getting on with my flatmatesfor ages,so I just decidedI neededa placeof my own. A : So how come you started smoking? B: Well, all my friends had been smokingfor agesand theyd been trying to get me to start, so eventually I just gavein. Complete these short dialogues by putting the verbs in brackets in the past perfect continuous. l . A : So why did you decideto go to India,then? B: W e l l l, . . . . . . . . a l o t a b o u it t s i n c e Sallytold me about her trip, so I just took a month off work and went on my own. (read)

2. A: So what made you decideto stop eatingmeatl B: W e l l l, . . . . . . . . a b o u ti t f o r a w h i l e . A few of my friendswere vegetariansand they . . to convinceme for ages,so I just decidedto give it a go. (think,try)

3. A: So how come you finallybought a computer? B: It was reallybecausefor years I . . all my writing on this ancient typewriter,so I decidedto splashout. (do)

4. A: So how come you two split up,if you don't mind me askingl

Ask each other these questions. Use your imagination and the past perfect continuous when you answer. l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

So how come you decidedto get engaged? So what madeyou decideto buy your own flat? So why did you finallydecideto get a jobl So why did you decideto get rid of your cats? So how come you gaveup salsadancing,thenl So why on earth did you get rid of yourTV?

Tell your partner about a big decision you'ye made, and then explain the background to that decision, using these structures: lU been-ing. I hadn'tbeen -ing. For more information on how to use the past continuous,see G6.

Reol English3 Basicaly, ... This is a common way to introducean explanation. A: So why do you needto leorn English,then? B: Well,bosically, my bosstold me I had to. A: How comeyou soldyour cor? B: Well,basicolly,ljustcouldn'tofford to keep it running. What other reasonscan you givefor sellingan old carl

Usirr ldioms focus

B: Well, basically, we . .

constantly for months,and,to be honest,we weren't really enjoyingeach other's company.(argue)

5. A: I hear you've moved into a flat,Jiml B: Yes,| . . in the universityhostel since I left home. I thought it was time to get a placeof my own. (live)

6. A: So,you and Karen didnt move back to Sweden after all?

B: No, we

. . secondthoughts for a while, so we decidedto stay here in Cardiff, at leastfor the time being.(have)

Go back and underline the time expressions. Then read the dialogues with a partner.

Complete the idiomatic expressions in the short dialogues below with the words in the box. sailing

cake

stone

nothing

done

depth

l . A : It must'vebeen reallyhard learningSpanish. B: No, not really,I alreadyspeakltalian,so it was a pieceof..........!

2. A: Did Lee giveyou your money back? B: Eventually, yes,but it was like getting blood out of a ....

. H e ' ss o m e a n !

3 . A : Did you go and give blood in the endl B: Yes,and I'm glad I did. There was . . .. to it! I didnt feel a thing.

4. A: So how come you decidedto quit the classl B: Oh, everyoneelse was so much better than me. I f e l tt o t a l l yo u t o f m y . . . . . . . . . . !

5. A: Did it take you long to get usedto livingin Greecel B: Well, the first six months were quite hard,but after that it was all plain

6. A: Why not try and get a work permit and stay? B: That'seasiersaidthan lt's fine if you've an EU passport,but I'm Chilean.

37


t

t

tr T a l k i n gabout Which jobs can you see in these pictures? surgeon chemist bouncer fireman

mechanic social worker policewoman POStman

builder soldier pilot model

Now complete these sentences in ways that are true for you by adding the relevant iobs. I w o u l d n ' t m i n d b e i n ga . . . I ' d q u i t e l i l c et o b e a . . . I could never be a . . .

Compare your answers with your partner and explain your choices. These expressions might help you explain why a job does or doesn't really appeal to you. On the positive side: I imagineitd be reallyrewarding. I think it'd be a reallycreativejob. I imagineit'd giveyou a lot of freedom. I'm sure the moneywould be good. It wouldn't be all that demanding. You'dmeet a lot of people. On the down side: You'dhaveto work really long hours. I imagineit? be reallystressful. I think it'd get reallyboringafter a while. It'd be dangerous. It'd be dirty. I'vegot a feelingit'd drive me mad. The moneywouldn't be very good. You'dend up doingthe samething every day.


5 Bigdecisr ons Now finish the sentences l-4 with your own ideas or choose from a-d below.

Sfft Secondconditionals The first conditional uses the present simple: lf I get that job, it'll be reallywell-paid. The second conditional uses the past simple: lf I had a job like that, lU go crazy. Complete the paragraph below with the past simple of the verbs in the box.

a. b. c. d.

I d probablyhavegreat-great-grandchildren. I dont know what lU sayto him. the world would be a better place! l'll be quite h.ppy. For more information on how to use second conditionals,see G7.

Uging Iscab'ular;1 Decisions, decisions

Somepeoplespendhalftheir life wishingtheir liveswere b e t t e r - i t r e a l l ya n n o y sm e . ' l f| ( l ) . ...a bit more m o r em o n e y - i f l ( 2 ) . . . . a b e c e rj o b - i f I (3) . . . . the right man or woman for me.' lt drives me mad. There is no perfect job or perfect partner!And people saythings like'lf | (4) . . . . so busy,I'd do this or that', but thatt just an excuse.lf they really (5) .. . . to do it, I'm sure they could find the time. lf the word'if' (6) . . . . , rhe world would be a much happierplace. Hake second conditional sentences using the wolds in brackets. For example: (you / look better I if Iwear / suit) I think youd look better if you wore a suit. f . (Rachel/ understand/ if I you explainit / her) I ' m s ur e 2. (if / we have more time / look round / museums) It's a shame.

3. (l / buy one / if / not be / so expensive) The fact is, . ..

1. (afI I I not haveany children/ | / travel round the world) I often think that (life / be easierI if I everybodyI tell lthe truth) I often think that

Likely

unlikely?

Choose the most suitable verb form - past for an unlikely situation:

Deciding on your career is one of the biggest decisions you'll eyer make in your life. Complete the sentences below with the words in the box. wise immediate

wrong joint

unpopular right

t . We definitelymadethe ..

.. decisioncomingby train.lt's so much easierthan driving.

2. Look,we've got three daysto make up our minds about it. lt's not as if we need to make a(n) . decisionor anything, is it?

3 . A: I've decidedto stayand finish my course.lt would be mad to leaveit now. B : I t h i n k t h a t ' sa ( n ). ...decision.

4. Oh no, look at the traffic. We made the .. decisioncomingthis way. The government'sdecisionto raise income tax to 35% hasbeenvery Someof our friendsthink it was my ideato give up our jobs and move to the country,but it wasn't. We d both talked about it for years.lt reallywas a(n) ....decision.

Speaking Discussthese questionswith a partner. l. Hasyourgovernment madeanyunpopular decisions recently? 2. Haveyou madeanyjoint decisionsrecently? Who withl What about? Haveyou ever made a wrong decision?

lf I won a lot of money,... and present for a likely or more likely situation: lf I passmy exam,... l . lf I m eet / m et th e P ri meM i n i s te r,... 2. lf everybodythinks/ thought like me, ... 3. lf I live / livedto be seyenty,... 4 . lf I liv e/ liv edto b e 1 2 0 ,...

39


5 B i gd e c i s i o n s

Forty a day! Before you listen Phil: You are going to hear a man talking about some big decisions he's made. The expressions in the box are all connected to these decisions. Discuss with a partner what you think he decided to do. passa physical stuck in front of a computer all day It's dead!

Justtime for a quick smoke.Oh sorry,do you want one?

Jason: No, thanks.I gaveup yearsago. Phil: ( l) . . ! I'vegivenup eventrying to give up! Jason: Yeah,it's a nightmare,isn't it? Phil: (2) .. ! | don't know how you managedit. Jason: Well, it's funny,but it was my job that did it. I mean,(3) . . , and you know it's destroyingyour lungs,don't you, and I knew I wouldnt be ableto becomea firemanif I didn't give up. Phil:

Phil and f ason are both in the same evening n td.lass chatting during the coffee break. Listen to "ni"r. them talking about some big decisions. Cover the conversation. As you listen, try and answer these questions. l. What big decisionshasJasonmade? 2. Why? Listen again and try to fill in the gaps in the conversation.

So,what's becominga firemangot to do with it? ls it the fire risk or somethingl passa Jason: No, it'sjust that (4) .. physicalto get in,and I wouldn't be ableto do that if I was smokingforty a day. Phil: Forty a day!Justas well you gaveup! So, (5) .. you decidedto become a fireman anyway? Jason: Mm, ld haveto think about that. I supposeit all goes backto when I got out of college.I wanted to do somethingexcitingand different,you know,and a friend of my dad'swas in the local fire brigade. Phil: Oh,right.So,(6)

Speaking Crawley is a nice quiet town in the country about half an hour by train from London. lt's near Gatwick Airport, so there are a lot of jobs. lt's got good schools and few social problems. Where would you rather live - London or Crawley? Would you like to move to another town - or eyen another country - or are you happy where you are?

........?

Jason: Yes,he helpedme get the job. I mean,I knew I didn't want to (7) . . sittingin an office pushingbits of paper round a desk or stuck in front of a computerscreen! Phil: Yeah,I know exactlywhat you mean.I'm half blind already!So,(8) .. move to London,thenl Was it for work or becauseof a relationshipor what? Jason: Well, it was mainlywork, but also becauseI was just (9) . . where I was livingat the time. Phil:

lt was down in Crawley,wasn't itl lt's pretty quiet down there,isn't it?

Jason: Quiet?Yeah,it's dead.There'sabsolutelynothing to do there. Phil: (10). .......? Jason: What? Becominga fireman? Phil: No, no, movingto London,I mean. .lloveit. J a s o nO : hyeah,(ll). I don't think I could live anywhereelse now. Phil:

No, it'sthe samefor me.lt getsyou after a while, doesn't it? lt's like a drug.

Real Englisht

Goodfor you!

This is a common way of congratulating someone. A: I'vejustpossedmy drivingtest B: Goodfor you!

40


5 Bigdecisions

3 . A : I wish I'd brought the piano with me. B: How come? A: 4. A: When I was a kid, I ran awayfrom home. llow come is an alternatiye way of saying why. took at these examples:

It took them six months to find me.

B: Six months!How come it took them so longl A:

}Yhy did you decideto move to Londonl How come you decidedto move to London? tVhy did you decideto do that, then? l{ow come you decidedto do that, thenl

your decisions 3 | Explaining

Wtry are you leavingearly? l{ow come you're leavingearly?

Here are six expressions for explaining why you made certain decisions. Put the words in the correct order.

Practise saying the expressions above.

a. got / with I we ljust / each/ other / bored

Re-write these sentences starting with why.

b. afwaysI l've I been / in / it / interested

l. How come you paid so much for your car? c. alwaysI to lwanted / I'd 2. How come you got here so early? d . j u s t / w i t h / u p / | | f e dI i t / g o t 3. How come you refusedthe invitationf e. j u s t / l / f e l t / i t l l i k e 4. How come you didn't acceptthe job in LAf

t. him / of / friend / recommended/ mine / a 5. How come you're so interestedin Tibet? 6. How come there's no beer left in the fridge?

Now complete these sentences with how come or why. 7. So,

. . you're studyingEnglishl

8. So,

. . did you choosethis school?

9. So,

. . did you decideto do that, then?

10. So,

..you choseto studythat?

I l. So,

. . do you want to go to lceland?

12. So,

. . you decidedto move there,thenl

Now ask your partner two intresting questions starting with how come.

Jokes! fl l/ o . . .

Comptete these'How come?' jokes with tn. clrrect responsein the box betow. I wanted to be near my mum! BecauseI left the plane tickets on it! They didnt look! I want to be ready in casethere's an accident!

Now complete these short dialogues with the expressions a-f above. l. A: Why did you decideto write a bookl B: ..eversince I was at school. 2. A: So,how come you went to Dr Martin? B: . . a n dI ' m glad I did. He's wonderful. 3. A: So,why did you decideto stop dancinglessons? B: .. .l mean, it was fun to beginwith, but it started eatingup all my free time.

4. A: So,what on earth madeyou decideto dye your hair grey?

B:

.. . I t hought it might make me look more mature.

5. A: So,what madeyou study Greek philosophyl B: . ., b elieveit or not!

6. A: So,why did you andJanesplit up? B: It's sad, I know, but that's life,I suppose. Tell a partner . something o something . something

about: you got fed up with. silly you just felt like doing. you've always been interested in.

l . A : How come you drive with your brakeson? B: 2. A: How come you were born in New Zealand? B:

41


iteadirrg Your captain speaking With a partner, discusswhether you think these statements about air travel are true or false.

whv?

You're going to read an article that features air travel, the law and smoking. Check that you understand the words in the box beloq using a dictionary to help you if necessary. Then put them into the correct categories.

l. Only you or membersof your familymay packyour luggage.

2. No aerosolsare allowed in any luggage. 3 . Only two items of hand luggagemay be carried on board.

4. No cigarettesor alcoholare allowedon board. 5 . The use of mobile phonesis strictlyprohibited.

air travel:

6. No toy weaponsare allowedon board.

smoking:

Can you think of other rules which aPPly to these things when flying?

With a partner, discuss what you think the article is going to be about.

7. smokingduring take-offand landing 8. usinga CD player

the law:

While

9. wearinghigh-heeledshoesin an emergency 10. where to put your hand luggage I l.

us ingt he t oi l e t

12. seatsin the upright position I3. wearingseatbeltsduringthe flight 14. specialseat belts for babies

A Read this article about a woman whose ld.r"ring for a smoke tanded her in big trouble - at 30,000 feet! When you've read it, answer these questions. l. Why did JoanNorrish light up on the plane? 2. When was she arrested? 3. What happenedto her after thatl


6

The cost of a cigarette A businesswoman's desperateneedfor a cigaretteon an eighthour flight from Americaresultedin her being arrestedand handcuffed,after she was found lightingup in the toilet of a Boeing747, not once but twice. Joan Norrish,aged33, yesterdaybecamethe firstpersonto be prosecutedunder new laws for smoking on board a plane, when she was fined t440 at Uxbridgemagistrates'court. Ms Norrish,from Radwinter,Essex,said: 'l'm such a nervous passenger,and I couldn't have handledthe flight without a cigarette. lf they'dtold me I couldn'tsmokeon board,lwould've avoidedgoing by planealtogether.' Ms Norrishfirst attractedthe attentionof the in-flightstaffwhen she had her first puff in the toiletafterthe planetoucheddown for refuellingat New York'sJFK airport.One and a half hours later,she went into the lavatoryagain,causingpassengersto theycould complainto the cabincrew.However,on inspection, find no sign of cigarettesin the toilet,and wereconcernedthat thus addingto their Ms Norrishmay havehiddenthe cigarettes, fearsfor the safetyof the plane. RelationsbetweenMs Norrishand the crewsoon got worse,as Ms Norrishturnedviolentwhen the planelandedat Heathrow, arrested wherethe policewere alerted.She was subsequently and handcuffed. 'lt Outsidethe court,Ms Norrishcommentedon her fine. was quitehigh,much higherthan I was expecting.lt all seemslike Ms Norrish an avvfullot of fuss overjust a coupleof cigarettes.' is being encouragedto appeal against the fine by a prosmoking organisationwho have offered her legal aid. A spokesmanfor the group said: 'Thisis yet anotherexampleof againstand the way in whichsmokersare beingdiscriminated marginalised in society.We generatemillionsof poundsfor the governmenteveryyear throughthe taxeswe pay - and yet we are treated like second-classcitizens.We're banned from smokingin all kindsof publicplacesand peopleexpectus to stand outsidein all weathersif we want to smoke. lt's got to stop!' However,anti-smokinglobbies have welcomedthe judge's decision and have claimed that there is no excuse for 'Thisis the livesof othersby lightingup in public. endangering 'andwe look said, a step in the rightdirection,'a spokeswoman forwardto the day when all smokingis banned.'

Flying

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Do you haveany sympathyfor Ms Norrishl Why/why not? 2. ls smokingbannedin your country?Can you think of anythingelsethat is? 3. Are you more pro- or anti-smoking? Why?

Vocabularycheck Complete these sentences with words from the article. l. I quit after two yearsworking there.I just couldn'thave ....thepressureany longer. 2. lf I'd known we'd get delayed for six hours,I would've .... flyingaltogether. 3. Whenwe.. ..down, there was a great big crash.lt was really scary. 4. I've looked everywherefor her. She'sjust totallyvanished. There'sno.. ..ofher anywhere. 5. Sincethe war endeda few years?go,. . .. between our two countries have improveda lot. 6. lt was lovelythis morning,but i t ' ss u d d e n l y . . . .really cold,hasn'tit? 7. Has the postmanbeen yet? I'm ....someimportant mail today. 8. I was goingto complain,but I didn't want to make a I hate it when I feel like everybody'slooking at me. 9. I'm goingto applyfor ....aidsolcantake them to court. 10. I'm a firemanand we're going on strike next month. We're sick of beingtreated like second-class . ..

43


6

Flying

U i i n g rs.abularT Flyingvocabulary Match the words l-10 to the words a-j to make collocations which are commonly used to talk about things to do with flying.

On a long flight, do you watch the in-flight movies? Complete these sentences with the correct form of watch, see, or look. l.

Could you havea look on the TV pageto . . . what's on after the news?

l. y our boar d i n g

a. entertainment

2. the drinks

b. flight

2. A: Can you . . . . anythingwrong, doctor? B: No,yourthroat... .fine.

3. an eight-hour

c . locker

3. I think l'll . . .

4. the overhead

d . crew

5. your oxygen

e . stoPover

4. The amountof food at the weddingwas incredible. I ' v en e v e r . . . . a n y t h i n gl i k ei t !

6. the in-flight

f. trolley

7. the smoking

g card

8. the emergency

h section

9. the cabin 10. an uns c he d u l e d

exit I

mask

Discuss these questions with a partner. I l. Haveyou ever had to use your oxygen mask? 12. Can you rememberthingsfallingout of the overheadlocker?

t 3 . When was the lasttime you went on a reallylong flightl

1 4 . What is the longestflight you haveever been on?

. the matchon TV tonight.

5. I want you to to something.

. . . . him closely.I think he'sup

6. Here, . . . . out of the window. Haveyou ever seena car like that before! 7. Can you pl ease?

. . . . my bagwhile I go to the loo,

8. When the sky is this clear,you can milesfrom up here.lt's fantastic! 9. Haveyou . 10. I've ..

. . . . for

. . . that new film yet?lt's great.

.. ever)rwhere for my wallet.I can't ....itan)rwhere.

Do you have three different words for look, see and watch in your language? Do you use them in the same way as the examples above?

Flyingjoke Now imagine you have just touched down after the worst flight eyen You had problems with all of the things in Exercise I above. You're going to phone a friend back home and tell them about your journey. Spend five minutes planning what you are going to say. Ask your teacher for help if necessary.

Try to guess the ending of this joke. Listen anA check. Then tell it to each other in pairs and decide who tells it better. These people then tell it to the class, who vote on who tells it best.

A l/

Alfred had never flown before and was extremely nervous.H e w as fl yi ng acrossthe A tl anti c t o visit his sister,who had emigratedto Canada.When he got on the pl ane he found he w as si tti ng i n a w i ndow seat . After a few minutes,the personnext to him arrivedan enormousl yfat A meri can.N ot l ong after t he plane took off, the Americanfell asleepand beganto snore loudly.It was obviousto Alfred there was no way he could get out, evento get to the toilet, without waking the man up. After the in-flight meal had been served,the plane entered an area of severeturbulence.The American continuedto snore.Alfred,however, startedto feel sick. He was desperateto get to the toilet. Finally,he was si ck - al l overthe man' strousers.The A mericandidn't w ake up, but he j ust conti nuedto snore.A lf r ed didn't know what to do.

f

A s the pl anetoucheddow n,the A meri canfi nallywoke up and saw his trousers.Alfred turnedto him and said,

What is your worst flying story?

44


6 Flying

Adjectives:strong comparatives

We often respond by repeating an adjective as a question and then adding another stronger adjective. Respond to these questions or comments in a similar way using the strong adjectives in the box below.

Here are expressions which show that the end result of something was different from our expectations. A: How was your flightl B: lt was terrible - much worse than I thought it would be. A: What was the food on the plane like? B: lt was good - much nicer than I'd expected. Using these two examples, think of answers to the following questions. Here are some words end phrases to help you. fine trâ‚Źat went well interesting nice sweltering

much hotter much nicer much better much easier

l. How was your examl L What was the weather in Tunisialike?ls it hot at this time of yearl

tiny terrifring

5. What did you think of the restaurantlWas it nice? 6. So,how was the exhibition?As good as all the advertisingsaid it would bel Now ask your partner questions about some things you know they have done or seen recently. They should answer as above. Continue the conversations for as long as possible.

Strong adjectives took at ways of responding in the examples below.

shocked gorgeous

It's a pretty big city, right?

B: 3. A: How's your flatl lt must be a bit cold with all this snow we're having.

B: 4. A: It's pretty quiet down in Devon,isn't itl B: 5. A: You must'vebeen pretty surprisedwhen you read the report in the papers.

B: 6. A: It'sa bit smallin here,isn't it? B: 7. A: So,is he good-looking,then,your new boyfriend? B: 8. A: It must'vebeen a bit scary,going so high up like that.

B: A lt is important that you can keep I d.on"ersations going-Here are A's next comments a-h from the conversations above. First match them up. Then listen to the conversations. Finally, practise reading them with a partner. a. There'sno way you'll catch me doing that again! b. That'swhy I've decidedto havecentral heating put i n. c. That'swhy I moved to a smalltown out in the country. d. You can hardly swinga cat in here! e. That'swhy we made sure the hotel had air-conditioning. f.

A: Havingsomeonethrow up all over you is quite unpleasant, isn't it? B: Unpleasant? lt's disgusting!

boiling enormous

l . A : It must'vebeen reallyhot in Greece. B: 2. A: Oh, you're from Sio Paulooriginally,are you?

3. So,you've moved into your new house.How did it gol 1. How did you feel about your presentationthe other dayl Were you happywith it?

freezing dead

That'swhy I decidedto move to the city!

8. You'lldie when you see him! h . That's why I contacted my solicitor straightaway.

A: That guy on the planewas quite fat,wasn't he? B: Fatl He was enormous!

45


6 Flyrng

U ; i n gg r a t n { r l a l I I II

Gerundsand infinitives

Grammar Verbs often work together in specific patterns. Circle the correct form in these sentences. l. Why did you decideto learni learningEnglish?

Look at these two patterns: Verb + gerund There's no way you'll catch me doing that again. Verb + infinitive That'swhy I've decidedto move to the city. Some verbs can take either pattern, but the meanings may be different: I clearlyrememberpostingyour letter. I must rememberto post your letter.

2. Well, becauseI wanted going/ to go to America. 3. Well, becauseI was interestedin travelling/ to travel. 4. Well, becauseI was fed up with working / to work in the evenings. 5. Well, I was reallybored with doing / to do the same thing every day at work. 6. BecauseI was trying getting/ to get into university and I neededit for my exams.

7. BecauseI was hopingto go / goingto Australiafor six months.

Mark each verb in this way: G

if it only takes the gerund

I

if it only takes the infinitive

G/l

if it can take either

l. t r y t o do / d o i n g

9. enjoyto do / doing

2. ask him to do / doing

10. avoidto do / doing

3. promiseto do / doing

I l.

4. suggestto do / doing

12. prefer to do / doing

5. forget to do / doing 6. expectto do / doing

13. carryon to do / doing

7. love to do / doing

14. manageto do / doing

8. rememberto do / doing

1 5 . s ta rt to d o / doi ng

beginto do / doing

1 6 . p l a nto d o i doi ng

Now cross out the impossible verb forms.

Grammarin context With a partner, think of two possible answers for each of these questions, starting with the words given. l. A: So,why did you leaveyour jobl B : I w a n t e d. . . . I was fed up 2. A: So,how come you decidedto move to Milan? B: I was bored I w as i nterestedi n ... 3. A: So,why did you break up with your fianc6(e)? B : I w a n t e d. . . . I didn't want 4. A: So,how come you suddenlydecidedto stop smoking? B : I w as tryi ngto ... I was just fed up with For more information on how to use gerunds and infinitives,see G8.

Complete these sentences in ways that are true for you. Use the gerund or the infinitive. l. l'll neverforget 2. I must remember this week. 3. I promised but I didn't. 4. I'm alwaysforgetting 5. I've never quite managed 6. I usuallyavoid if I can. 7. There'sno way you'll catch me . . 8 . I ' m p l a n n i n.g. . . sometimein the next couPleof years. Tell your partner as much as you can about what you have written.


6

Flyrng

U s i n gJ D C A D u l a r l Smoking Complete these collocations by adding the missing words. a

a heav y / a c h a i n/a n o c c a s i o n a l

b. smokea / light a / put our a c. king-size/ low-tar I mild I menthol/ strong d.

.... lighter/packet/ ends/ advertising give up / start / stop / be anti-

Now complete these sentences with collocations from a-e above. l. I usedto be a really smoker,you know, fifty a day,but now I'm just a(n) smoker. I've been trying to . . . smokingfor yearsnow I wish ld never . . . . i n t h e f i r s tp l a c e !

3. W h e r e c a n l .

...this cigarette?ls there an ashtrayor somethingaround?

4. I saw this old homelessguy in the

A We ofilen need to pause when we are asked difficult questions, to I J glve us time to think. We do this by using,delayers'. Listen and practise saying these'delayers'. So how come you decided to start smoking? Why did I start smoking? That'sa good question. That'sa difficultquestion. Well, ld haveto think about that. I'm not reallysure. Um, I don't really know. Why? | haven'treallythought about that. with a partneri take turns asking and answering the questions below. Before answering, use delayers to give you thinking time. l. How come you decidedto wear those clothesthis morning? 2. Why did your parentscallyou (your name)? 3. What made you decideto sit nexr to me todayl 4. Why do you think everyoneends up learningEnglishand not French, G ermanor S pani shl 5. What makesEnglishso hard to learnl

Roleplay Pick someone in the class to pretend to be a famous person. For a couple of minutes, the rest of the class should prepare to ask them difficult questions about their life and experiences. The famous person should answer the questions, remembering to use.delayers' if they need time to think before they answer.

streets yesterdaypickingup all the old cigarette Cigarette . . . . i s b a n n e do n televisionin some countries. 6. T h e l i n k b e t w e e n .... and lungcancerhasnow been proved.

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partnen l. Do you know anyonewho smokeslWhat kind of smokerare theyl 2. Do you know anyonewho's given up?How did they manageto do it? 3. How do you feel about cigarette advertisingl

47


A typical weekend Here is a list of things people do at weekends. Tick the ones you do. Think of some others. do the weekly shopping

catch up with your e-mails

havea lie-in

go out for a walk

havepeople round

go to the cinema/thetheatre/

tidy up your house/flat/room

a concert

wander around town

cleanthe car

go out with friendsfor a meal

catch up with work

go to church

visit your parents/grandparents

stay in and relax

playfootball/tennis

do some studying

Compare your answerswith a partner.

Reol English3 What are you up to this weekend? This is a common way of askingwhat your plansare. Whot ore you up to tonight? Whot ore you up to on Soturdoy?

Planningexpressions ft ld

Listen to Gavin talking about his plans for the weekend. ri.t the expressionsyou hear.

l. I guessl'll probably. . .

5 . I h o p et o . . .

l'll... 2. I imagine

6. Unfortunately,I've got to . . . 7 . I ' mg o i n g t ot r y t o . . .

3 . l w o u l d n tm i n d . . . i f l g e t t i m e . 4. lf I get the chance,l'll . . .

to . .. 8 . I' m pl anni ng

Now practise sayingthe expressionsabove.

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l. When was rhe last time you just had a night in front of the telly?What did you watchl 2. Do you know anybodywhose house is a tip? 3. When did you last havea big night out? Did it take you long to recover?


7 Yourweekend

=ing gra rtrrfttl

Grammar Complete the sentences below with the correct form of the verbs in the box.

Here are four common ways to talk about dre future. l. 'll

get in

do (x2)

go

give

sneeze

t . A: What're you up to this afternoonlAny plansl B : I thi nk I ....

Thatl the phone.I'll get it. \Afaitfor me. l'll only be a minute. I think l'll havethe chicken.

2. Accordingto the timetable,the earliestbus

2. going to

3 . A: Did you manageto post that letterl

took at those black clouds.lt's goingto rain. We're goingto catch the early train. We're going to go to New Zealandthis winter. 3. prcsent continuous We're meetingin town tomorrow. fm leavingat the end of the month. I'm going out to the cinematonight. 1. present simple We leavefor Calcuttatomorrow morning. The las tbusleav e sa t I l .1 5 . IndiaplayAustraliain the final next month. With a partner, discuss which of the following best describes each group of sentences. a- We use this form becausethere is some kind of evidencenow for the future event. This might be a decision,a plan,or somethingyou can see.

somegardeni ng i f i t' s n ice.

at seven. B : O h , I ' m s o r r y I. c o m p l e t e lf yo r g o t |. . . . . . . . . . . i t on my way home tonight.I promise!

4. S o r r yI c a n t m a k ei t t o c l a s st o n i g h t|. . . . . . . . . . . o u t to dinnerwith some friends.

5 . As soon as I passmy drivingtest, my father me his old car. 5. Passme the paperhankies. Uh, uh,uh, I

Grammarin context Make sentences by matching the beginnings to the endings a-d. l. I'm just goingto havea quiet night in tonight, 2. I've got ro work really late tonight, 3. I'm so pleasedthat my examsare over 4. l4y mother's arrivingtomorrow

We use this form for thingswhich are as certain as a timetable.

a. so I'm planningon havinga lie-intomorrow. b. so I've got to get up reallyearly and meet her.

We use this form for thingswe've already arranged.

c. and watch a bit ofTV. d. that I'm going to go out and celebratetonight.

d. We use this form to give a reaction,an opinion or a decisionat the moment of speaking.

Grammardiscussion Read these sentences. Then discuss the question in brackets after each sentence. l. I'm goingto tidy up the housetomorrow morning. (When did you decidel) L We landat eight in the morningUS time. (How do you knowl) 3. l'll call in on the way home from work. (When did you decidel) 1. We're havingmy grandparentsfor Christmasdinner. (ls this a plan?)

a4

J _|

J J

Now make sentences by matching the beginnings 5-8 to the endings e-h. 5. I've beengoingout sucha lot lately 6. I'm just going to take it easytonight 7. I've got a big night on Friday 8. I'm just going ro stay in tonight because e. becausemy brother'swedding'son Saturday. f . I'vegot some thingsto do aroundthe house. g. becauseI was out until three last night at a party.

J -J J -J

h. that I'm just goingto srayin tonight for a change. Ask some other students:,So, what're you up to this week?' For more information on how to use these structunes,

seeG9. You will learn best from good, natural examples.

49


7 Yourweekend

L.;g'efl':ft! While lt" Friday evening. Ken A f l Steve have both iust ",ra for the daY,and work finished go home. Listen to are about about their talking to them weekend. the plans for Cover the conversation. As You listen, try to answer this question. What are Ken and Stevedoing this weekend? Listen again and fill in the gaPs in the conversation.

Thank goodnessit's FridaY! Steve: Thank goodnessit's Friday!Thisweek'sbeen draggingon forever. me about it! So,what are you up to this Tell Ken: weekendl Steve: Oh, nothing special,really.This evening,I'm . for dinnerwith mY Parents' ( l) . . Ken:

Oh, that shouldbe nice.

Steve: Yes,we're goingto this little Frenchplacenear where I live. The food's Sreatthere, and then tomorrow I've got to get up reallyearly - at leastfor me! - and do some cooking,because ...somePeoPle I've(2) t h e a f t e r n o o nA. n d I ' l l h a v e ....in (3).. good cleanas well' really to give the placea (4) . . I think but And, I'm not sure, a film or see to that be going out after anything' planned really something.We haven't What about yourself? . . . goingout Ken: Well,tonight I'm (5) with some peoplefrom my old iob, but I don't reallyfeel like it any more. I'm feelingreally tired. Steve: So you're just goingto (6) then? Ken:

Yes,becausetomorrow night I've got a big

night.I'm goingto my friends Pete and Rachel's party. lt's on a boat. ....... ? Steve: O h , t h a ts o u n d sg r e a t .( 7 ) . . Ken: Down by the river. You know, in the docks. Steve: Oh yes,I know where you mean.I went to a party there myself(8) . . Ken:

Right.ls it OK down there?

. . .. . .big. Steve: Yes,it's great,but it's (9) . . boat. the on room much not that There's Ken:

Mm, soundscosy!

Steve: Oh, yes,you can get reallyclose to people! Lots of sweatybodies! . . . . . t h a t s o r to f Ken: l d o n ' t t h i n ki t ' s( 1 0 ). . . party! you never know. lf you're lucky it might Well, Steve: becomeone! No, I'm only ioking,it's actually a great place for a party. Ken:

..to it. G o o d .I ' m r e a l l y( l l ) . unfortunately,I've got to But then on Sunday, do some thingsfor work.

Steve: No rest for the wicked!Well,listen,I . . give You a ring on SundaY, ( 12) . then,just to hear all about your quiet night out down on the river!

Real Englisht Tell me about itt you saythis to peoplewhen they tell you somethingnegativeand you want to symPathise becauseyou havehad a similarexperience. A: I've hodso monybills to poy thisweek.I con'tbelievehow muchit coststo hovemy ownflot! B: Tetlme obout it! MY ploceis costingme o fortune! find Are there any more expressionsin the conversationwhich you havenot met before or

surprisingl

50


With a partner, use one of the patterns t-4 to telt someone that ... l. a friend hasarrangedto come to your flat to help you with some homework on Sunday. 2. you've arrangedto go shoppingwith a friend on Saturday, but you'll probablystay at home.

3 . you've thought about goingto the cinema,but you're

Speaking

not sure yet.

4. you haveto do a lot of work this weekendbecause the deadlinefor your essayis Monday,and you haven't even started it yet.

Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Who do you think is goingto havea better weekend - Steveor Kenl

5 . your flat is reallyuntidy.You know you must cleanit

2. Do you ever ger that Fridayafternoon feelingor rhar Mondaymorningfeeling?

6. there'sa possibilityyour friend,Steve,is havinga

3. Haveyou ever been to a party on a boatl What was

7. you've arrangedto meet some friends on Sundayfor

4. How often do you go out for dinner with your parentslWhat kind of placesdo you go tol 5. Are you usuallytoo tired on a Fridayto want to go out in the evening?

this weekend. parry tomorrow night. lunch,but you don'r know if you'll feel like it because you're goingto a party on Saturday!

8. your mother has arrangedto visit your new flat on Saturdayafternoon. For more information on how to use these srructures to talk about the future, see G 10.

U g i r r yU l ' c i l t { f f a f More ways of talking about the future Here are some more ways to talk about things in dre future. All are common in spoken English. l. I'vegot somebodycominground. I've got some friends arrivingfrom Spaintomorrow. 2. I've got to do something. I've got to get up really early tomorrow to take my father to the airport. 3. I'm supposedto be doingsomerhing, but . . . I'm supposedto be playingfootball on Saturday, but I've got a bit of a cold. 4. I might be doing something. I might be goingto the coasrfor the weekend,but I haven'tdecidedfor sure yet. '1J Listen and practise saying these sentences. JJ

lmagine you want to invite your partner to a special event (e.g. the wedding of a relative, a day at the races, a masked balt). Howeverl your partner can't come and will make an excuse. Practise using the example below. A

Debbie and I are getringmarried next Saturdayand weU really like you to come to the reception in the evening.

B: Oh, I'd love to, but I'm afraidI can't.I'vealready arrangedro go awayfor the weekend. A: That'sa shame.ls there no way you could put it offl B: Well, I would if I could,bur we'vealreadybookedthe tickets. A: Oh well,too bad.We'll saveyou a pieceof the cake! Do you find it easy to turn down invitations? Would you turn down an invitation to any of the things shown in the pictures on these pages?

i'


7 Yourweekend

Famousfutures What's your favourite song?

Collocations

Can you complete these lines from famous songs? Each usesa future form. In one of the examples, you will need the spoken form of going to gonna. shall

'll

f . f'm goingon a dateI a day-tripto Cambridge/

SOnna

l. We.

...overcome.

2. 1.... want.

t e l l y o u w h a t l w a n t ; w h a tl r e a l l y , r e a l l y

be all right.

'Wfun I was !ruU, I uas to[], Tou'$seewficnyou're I fifty.' I *rfiftg onl I finoen'tseeno tfi.ing!' I ..-r-â‚Ź'-3 E4s:Y_-_-^*_.d-*nff'Otdnen ore{a,ngerous. to tfum ufrat is It doun't ffi.o.tter wor{i.' tfu goiry to frappento

f; I

-f-*-..--- ._...-nF*

/t-tttsemardsfraat ----.'*-,-*_*F-^8

'I {isapprooeof wfrotyousay' 6ut I wilt fufenl to tfiz dcatfi I your rigfit to say it.' I 'l/o[taire

--..-*.-**.

Answer these questions. 7. Do you like goingto barsl 8. How often do you go awayfor the weekend? 9. When was the last time you went away somewherel What did you catch? lO. Haveyou ever been fishing? I l. What was the last day-tripyou went on?

Vocabulary What is the difrerencebetween a meeting, an appointment and a date?

Can you say this short Poem?

'-F

Compare your answers with a partner, then make six statements about what you plan to do next weekend, using the vocabulary above.

*-.e<*e-a

^^-'f^**

Tomotol(stcfr.up tfu,6ott[2, If y* dorct sfrn"kp ^{qu'ff cortt,anl tfun o {ot'ff.

3 . I'm going out for shopping/ a walk / the day on

5. I'm going out to get somethingto eat / some things for the house/ some shopping/ driving. 6. I'm goingfishingwith my dad / shopping/ some shopping/ clubbingtonight.

Find some more song lyrics which include future forms. Here are three famous quotations, each using a future form. Which is your favourite?

a

shoppingtonight / a guidedwalk. 2. I'm going out to see a film / my friend up in Yorkshire/ a bar tonight/ see a musical. Saturday/ a drink with some friends. 4. I'm going awayto the mountains/ Brightonthis weekend/ Francefor three days/ the pub.

.. be cominground the mountainwhen 3. She.. she comes. 4. Everything's.. . .

Below are six sentenceswith go for talking about your plans for the weekend.Cross out the wrong collocation in each grouP.

I I *-t

Make sentencesby matching the beginnings l-'{ to the endings a-d. l. I've got an appointment 2. I've got a blind date with

Pronunciation ln the conversation Steve said:'l'll have to A f d git. the place a really good clean' . Practise 'll. saying these common sentences with l. Right,l'll see you later. 2. lt'll be all right on the night. 3. She'llbe with us in five minutesor so. 4. What'll you sayto your boss? 5. How'll we recogniseeach otherl 6. You'll regret it. 7. l'll see what I can do. 8. There'll be a lot of people you know there. 9. So,where'llwe meet,then? 10. I'm sure we'll meet again. In what kind of situation would you say number 6?

52

3. I've got a meetingwith 4. I'm meetingup with a. b. c. d.

my boss at four,which should last until six or so. some friends of mine later for a drink. at the dentist'sat five.I'm dreadingit. this friend of a friend.

J J J J

Now make sentencesby matching the beginnings 5-8 to the endings e-h. 5. I'm goingto go and visit 6. I'm going round to 7. I've got a date with I'm meeting a friend'stonight. some friends later on this evening. a friend of mine in hospitalthis afternoon. h. this gorgeousguy/girl I met yesterday.

8. e. f. g.

J J J J


7 Yourweekend

Real English3 a friend's This is how you talk about a friend'shouse or flat. We're meetingot Steye'sbeforegoinground to Stewort ond Jone's. We often also say Steve'sploceor/one's ploce. Whose plocedo you go to most often?

Steve used the expression'No rest for the wicked!' at the end of his conversation with Ken on page 50. We use this expression to make fun of friends when they have to work - and we don't! Complete the common idioms below with the words in the box. choosers joking

Discuss these questions with a partnea

me

see

devil

present

a. L o n gt i m en o . . . . . . . . . .!

l. What is the differencebetweena date and a blind datel Haveyou ever been on a blind date?

c . Beggarscant be

2- How often do you havea dentist'sappointment?

d . Ratheryou than

3. Do you ever haveto go to meetingslWho with? 1. Do you remember your last date,meetingor appointmentlWhat about your first datel

f.

b. T a l k o f t h e . . . . . . . . . . !

e . There'sno time

Youmustbe..........!

Complete these short dialogues with the idioms a-f above. In pairs, plan an ideal weekend. Think about wtrether you want to ' ' ' ' .

stayat home or go awaysomewhere. relax or keep busy. stay in the town or go out into the country. be on your own or with friends. eat out or at home.

Now talk to another partner and tell them tbout your plans for your ideal weekend. Next, plan a really cheap weekend with your new partner. When you have done this, talk to a difierent student and compare your plans.

Festivals Ar= you interested in going to festivals such as dre one shown in the pictures? lt's Samhuinn (pronounced Soyin) - an old Celtic festival, held h Edinburgh to celebrate Hallowe'en (All Souls) and the end of summer. Do you have anything 3e this in your country?

t . A: Hello,Jack,.

....... ! B: I know. I haven'tseen you for ages.

A: When are we goingto plan the partyl B: Well, .., isthere?

3 . A: We're goingto the opera tonight. B : O p e r a ?. . . . . . . . ! | c a n ' tt h i n k of anythingmore boring! 4. A: I think Jane'sjust a bit annoyedbecauseof what happenedearlier. B: Oh, . . ! H e r es h e comes now. Let'sask her about it. 5. A: Look, the cheapestflight leavesat midnight and gets in at four in the morning. B: Let'stake it! .. . .. . . . ! 6. A: I was wonderingif you could lend me f50 till next Friday. B:... . . . . . ! l ' m s t i lw l aiting for the f5 | lent you last week! Which of these idioms do you think you'll use most often? Why?


U E i r r yJ r r a b u l a r l

collocations Complete the sentences below with the correct form of the verbs in the box.

What kind With a partner, discuss what each of these kinds of parties involves. . . . . .

a birthday party adinnerpafty a family get-together a fancydress parq/ a farewell party

. . ' .

a house-warmingparty arave a stag night/a hen night a surpriseparty

break up finish

gatecrash go on

invite ruin

t . I t w a sa g r e a tp a r t y|.t . . . .

sort out throw

. . . . . u n t i lt h e s m a l l

hours.

2. My girlfrienddumped me in front of everybody.lt really ...theparty!

3 . The neighbourscomplainedabout the noiseand,in the end,the policeturned up and

Which of these kinds of parties do you enjoy going to the most?And the least?Why? Are there any you've never been to?

Reell Englisht

. . . the party.

4. We had a lot of trouble with these guyswho tried to . . . the party. We told them they weren't invited,but they just wouldnt listen! ......... ? 5 . W h a t t i m ed i dt h e p a r t y 6. Hey,remind me later.I must rememberto ...

a rave

A rave is a party with hundredsof young people and very loud danceor techno music,often held in a warehouseor other largeempty building. Sometimesthe venue is kept secret till a few hours before it starts so that the policewill not know about it. Peoplediscoverwhere the rave is takingplaceby ringinga specialnumberor finding out via the Internet.

LouiseandArthur to the house-warming.

7. You know Russell'sleavingsoon,don't you? I think we should him.

. . . some kind of farewellparty for

8. Have you .

. . everythingfor the office Christmasparty yet? Do you need a handwith anythingl

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner.

Recl Englisht a stagnight/ a hen night

t . Haveyou ever gatecrashedany parties?Haveany of

These refer to the parties usuallyheld before two peopleget married. A stag night is when the bridegroomgets together with his male friends.A hen night is when the bride hasa night out with her girlfriends.

your parties ever been gatecrashed?

2. What kind of thingswould ruin a surpriseparty?A dinner partyl A familyget-together?A fancy-dress partyt Have you ever been to a Party which was ruined by something?

3 . What's the longestparty you've been to?

;


P a r t ya n i m a l s

B

4iPlanningaparty i

.

You are going to have a party.put the following in order of importance. lots of food loud fast music reallyslow music lots of your friends

some new people lots of differentkinds of thingsto drink somewherewith atmosphere

Now compare your order with a partner and try to agree.

Re-order the jumbled conversation below about organising a party.

b. Brilliant.I'm lookingforward to it already. c . Yeah,OK, no problem.l'll try and bring crisps and thingslike that. What about the invites? d . Well,to be honest,ld rather organisethe music, if its OK with you.Couldn'tyou do the foodl e . Oh, l'll do those.l'll be seeingmost peopleat school this week,so that'il be easy. Now underline the expressions above that you coufd use when planning a party.

Reql Englishs the invites\ The normalword is invitations. Invitesis common in informal speech.

. . . . .

What kind of parry do you want to have? When are you goingto haveit and wherel What do you think you'll needto buyl How manypeopleare you goingto invitel Will your party havea themel

Now walk around the class and invite as many people to your party as possible. Use the following: We're havinga party on ... night.Would you like to come alongl

Planningexpressions

a. Right,l'll bring some musicif you sorr out the food. How does that soundl

You and your partner have got ( 100 to organise a party for some friends. plan it together. Here are some of the questions you will need to discuss.

]J -J J _J -J

When you are asked to someone etse's party, make sure you ask these questions. . Whereaboutsis it? . When's a good time to turn upl . ShouldI bringanything? lf you have already accepted an invitation to another party on the same night, make sure you turn down the new invitation using an exprerrion from the role play on page 5l.

Speaking When you are invited to a party at afriend,s, what do you normally take as a present? What present would you give in these situations? l. A friend is gettingmarried. 2. lt's your best friend'seighteenthbirthday. 3. A friend is movinginto a new flat. Look at the picture below. What do you think each object is for? Would you like to get any as presents? What would you say if you were given any ofthe others?

rlr

6IL

- lJ.


B P a r t ya n i m a l s

i'.?adirry1 Collocations Before you read the article, complete the sentences below with the phrases in the box. led to callsfor tighter laws lose control sufferingfrom shock ended in tragedy organisedcrime got out of hand

t . Our holidayin Canadawas supposedto be the trip of a lifetime,but the whole thing when nearly our hired car went off the road in the middleof the mountains. One of the problemswith mind-alteringdrugsis that people who take them can sometimes . . . . . a n de n du p doing reallystupidor dangerous things.

3 . The demonstrationwas meant to be peaceful,but the whole thing a n d e n d e du p as a full-scaleriot. 4. Most murdersin Londonare c o n n e c t e tdo . . . rather than individualcriminals working alone.

5 . The massacreof fifteen students in Americahas of guns. on the possession 6. After the crash,three passengers were taken to hospital

The article on the right is called 'Rave to the graYe' and contains the six collocations in the box in Exercise I above. Discuss with a partner what you think the connection between them might be.

While A Now read the article and f l ,"" if you were right.

56

,^ A rave party nearly ended in tragedy last night, when over a hundred people fell through the floor of the fourth-floor flat they were dancing in a n d i nto the fl at bel ow . A mazi ngl y,no one w as ki l l ed, al thoug h seven people were taken to hospital suffering from shock. The party was organisedby a group calledTribal Spiral,and was held in a desertedflat on a housingestate in EastLondon.lt is believedthat the extremelyhigh volume of the techno musicbeing played weakenedthe structureof the floor. 'l Bert Jones,aged 54, who lives in the third-floor flat below, said: must a d m i t, I hadn' t real l ynoti cedthe party goi ng on. l ' m a bi t hard of hear ing a n d I di dn' t have my heari ngai d i n, but I coul d feel the vi brati onsf r om somewhere. I just thought it must be kids messing around upstairs somewhere.Then, the next thing I knew there was an almighty crashin th e l i vi ng room, so I ran i n and the pl acew as ful l of dust and pl a st erand people screaming.I just couldn't believe my eyes.I got the shock of my life, I can tell you. Now l'm waiting for the councilto sendsomeoneround to fi x thi ngs.' The incidentfollows a number of complaintsabout techno partiesall over th e capi tal and publ i c outcry about raves.A recent tabl oi d headline GO DRUG CRAZY AT screamed, 'SPACEDOUT! 11,000 YOUNGSTERS BRITAIN'SBIGGESTEVERDANCE PARTY',while the number of drugrelated deathsat raveshas risendramaticallyover the lastyear.All of this will undoubtedly lead to callsfor tighter anti-ravelaws.The government i s a l r eadyconsi deri ngi ntroduci nga new l aw w hi ch w i l l hel p pol icecr ack d o wn on unoffi ci al gatheri ngsof thi s ki nd. They are proposinga bill w h i ch w i l l al l ow pol i ce to break up any groups of more than t went y people listeningto 'musicwith repetitive beats'and also intend to make club owners responsiblefor any drugs being sold on their premises.A 'Things are getting out of spokesmanfor the Metropolitan Policesaid, hand, and obviouslywhat worries us the most is that where you have rave parties and where you have drugs, you're bound to come up against organisedcrime. We'd obviouslyappreciateany new law which gave us more powersto tackle this problem.' David Goodyear,a Stepney ambulanceman,claimed that many of the partygoersat the Tribal Spiral event had failed to notice the floor had collapsed.Most of the young people just carried on dancing - a fact he put down to the mind-altering affects of Ecstasyand other so-called 'dancedrugs'. However, there are signs that young people themselvesare already new looking for alternativesto the rave scene.One of the most successful clubsto have opened this year is the Domino Club.Here,young people sit around drinking cocktailswhilst a DJ playslaid-backjazz.Thereisn't much dancing- instead,the club-goersplay board gamessuch as Scrabbleand Monopoly.Another club which has becomevery popular is The Big Chill, w h i c h i s hel d i n a churchcal l edthe U ni on C hapel .l roni cal l y,maybeyoung people today are closer to God than the government and the police realise!


B

Comprehension Without looking back at the article, try to correct these false statements using the exact words from'Rave to the graye'. l. The party was held inTribalSpiralt flat. L

Dancingweakenedthe structure of the floor.

3. Bert Jonesis fixing his flat himself. 1. This is the first complaintthere's been about techno partiesin London.

P a r t ya n r m a i s

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Haveyou ever been in a situationwhere you just couldn'tbelieveyour eyes? 2. When was the lasttime you had to admit to someonethat you just couldn'tresisrsomething? 3. When was the lasttime you just couldn'rmakeup your mind?What about?

5. There'sbeena smallincreasein the numberof drug-relateddeathsover the last year.

4. When was the last time you got so bored by somethingthat you just couldn'rbear it any longer?

6. The dancingstoppedwhen the floor collapsed.

5. Haveyou ever been so annoyedby somebodythat you just couldn'tbear it any longerand had to say something? What did you sayl How did they feel?Did it make you feel better?

Now go back and see if you remembered the exact words correctly.

Speaking l. What's the noisiestparty you've ever been to? L Why do you think young peopletake drugsl 3. ls your country'hard'or'soft' on drug-taking? 1. ls organisedcrime a problemin your countryl

couldn't wait In the article, Bert fones said:'l just couldn't believe my eyes.'Can you remember why? What do you think just means in these expressions? a

b. c. d. e.

just couldn'tmakeup my mind. just couldn't bear it any longer. just couldnt wait. just couldn'tresistthem. just couldn't believemy eyes.

Now complete these sentences with the expressions a-e above. l. Sorry I've started without you, but I was expecting you at five.I got so hungrythat. There'sstill a little bit of chickenleft if you want it. L When I saw what he'd done to his hair, . ! lt was bright pink and green! 3. A: Did you manageto get some shoes? B: Oh, it was awful,it reallywas.I went into dozens of shoe shopsand tried on I don't know how many,but . . So,in the end, I didn't buy anything! 1. The meetingwas supposedto run from nine till six, but after a couple of hours it got so boring . . So I made my excusesand left. 5. I know I'm supposedto be on a diet, but the cakesall looked so deliciousthat . Oh well, I just won't eat all day tomorrow now!

57


B P a r t ya n i m a l s

Talking

)iirry lr.abularl politics Check you understand the meaning of the highlighted words below. Then ask some other students in your class the questions. l. Do you know anyonewho is a memberof a political partyl 2. What kind of thingsdo left-wingpoliticalparties believeinl kind of thingsdo right-wingpoliticalparties What 3. believein? 4. What are the main politicalpartiesin your countryl 5. Which party cameto power in the last election? 6. Which party leadersin your country do you think are strong/weakat the moment? 7. Are any politicalpartiesbannedin your country?

Whv? 8. What was the last politicalparty to be set uP in your country? 9. Haveany parties in your country split over the last few years?

Complete these sentences with the correct form of do or make. l . I t h i n kh e ' d.

. . . a v e r y g o o dl e a d e r .

2. The People'sParty didnt last election.

. . . . very well in the

. . .. him PartYleader. 3. I dont know why they He's completelyincompetent. . . . . a big differencesincethey came 4. They've to power. Thingsare much better now. ' 5 . I c an' t

.... u p m y mi n d w h o to v o te for.

6. We've got to try and tomorrow.

. . . . a decisionby

7. I wouldnt take those pills if I were you. They won't . . . .you any good! 8. At some time in our life,we all somethingwrong and we all .. . 9. Do you think you can if you get time?

. mistakes!

. ' . . the shoppinglater,

10. I'm only here for a few days,so I want to . . . the most of my time. I l. I've got an important client comingover later,so . . . . an effort to look your best. please 12. I don't know why you like this kind of music!lt . . . . a n y t h i n g f o rm e . doesn't

58

In the'Raye to the graYe' article, you read that the government is considering introducing a new law. Can you remember why? Look back at page 56 if you need to. Now make four sentences about laws by matching the beginnings l-4 to the endings a-d. l. They'regoingto introduce a new law to ban 2. They'regoingto introduce a new law to Protect 3. They'regoing to introduce a new law to crack down 4. They'regoingto introduce new tax breaksto encouraSe

-J J J J

a. on illegalstreet trading. b. smokingin all publicplaces. c. peopleto havemore children. d. the environment. Now make four more sentences by matching the beginnings 5-8 to the endings e-h.

5. 6. 7. 8.

They'regoingto relax the drinking laws They'regoingto tighten the immigrationlaws They'regoingto changethe old adoption laws They'regoingto legalise

e. becausethey're out of date. f.

to allow pubs to stayopen longer.

g. geneticcloning. h . to make it more difficultfor peopleto get into the country.

I I _J J


r--lf

'

,7'l

/.Jq-e . l ';s , I

t,

t

In groups of three, you are going to set up your own political party. You will need to decide the following: . ' . ' ' '

what you want to ban what you will crack down on what tax breaksyou will giveand to who what lawsyou're going to tighten what lawsyou'regoingto relax if you'regoingto legaliseanyrhing

Decide on a name for your party and then go round your class campaigning. Your teacher will then organise a class election. You're not allowed to vote for your own party!

Politicalquotes Do you agree with the three quotations below? Why/why not? The naturalrelationshipbetweena journalistand a politicianshouldbe that of a dog towards a lamppost. Henry Mencken Powertendsto corrupt and absolute power corruptsabsolutely. Lord Aaon I must study politicsand war so that my sons may be free to study Mathematics and Philosophy. I

JohnAdams

59


Conditionals Make sentences by matching the beginnings l-6 to the endings a-f.

Choose the correct form. l.

BeforeI left home,I haven't/ | hadn'tbeengetting on very well with my parents.

2. I'd / I'll die if that happenedto me. 3. ,ir. What are you up to tonightl B : I ' m m e e ti n g/ l ' l l me e t s o mefri e n d s . 4. i'ri So,how come you decidedto go to the doctorl B: Well, I didn't feel / | hadn'tbeenfeelingwell for ages,so it seemedlike the right thing to do. 5. lf he does that one more time, l'll / I'd scream! 6. We weren't / We hadn't been getting on very well for ages,so we decidedto end the relationship.

7. We'll go /We're goingto the cinematonight. Do you want to come with us?

8 . lf I'm / | were you,I'd be reallyupsetabout it! 9. Will you / Are you goingto tell me when it's five o'clock,pleasel

l. lf he does that one more time,

J

2. lf he did that to me,

J

3. I'd givethat a miss 4. I won't be able to do that

-| -l

5. I'd be able to do that

_|

6. I'll buy that for you

_J

a. I'd leavehim. b. if you don't find the instructions. c. if I had the money. d. if I get a Christmasbonus. e. I thi nk l ' l l scream. f. if I were you. With a partner, discuss what you think'that' could mean in l-6 above.

t 0 . l'll / I'vegot to go and pick the kids up from school in a minute,so I'll phoneyou backlater,OK?

M u l t i p l echoice

... 7. l f I w as a man/w oman.

Choose the correct alternative. l.

H o w c o m e. . . I a. y ou bou g h ts u c ha n o l d c a r b. did y ou b u y s u c ha n o l d c a r

2. Did y ou m a n a g e... ? a. findingthose shoes

b. to find those shoes

3. lt was r ea l l y... . a. m uc h m o re b e tte r th a n mi n e b. m uc h b e tte r th a n m i n e

... 8. lf I spokebetter English, 9. l f I w as ol der,... 1 0 . l f l w a s n ' ts i t t i n gh e r e , . . . | 1. lf I could take a year off, ...

Conversation Put the jumbled conversation below into the correct order.

d. StudyinglOh right,your Greek course. How come you decidedto start that?

IJ J J J

e. I'm going awayto Wales. Would you like to comel

_t

8. Don't worry. ... . a. lt's just a simplemistake b. lt jus t i s a s i m p l emi s ta k e

It couldn'tbe more tediousthan beingstuck in front of a computer all day! g. Oh, I'd love to, but I'm afraid I can't.I've got to do some studying.

9. I alwaystry to avoid ... . a. talkingto him if I can

h . Well, I supposeit was becauseI've always wantedto live and work on a Greek island.

_l J J J

4. I r eallyen j o y ... . a. liv inghe re

a. So,what are you up to this weekend? b. to live here

5 . I was r eal l yfe d u p ... . a. with sittingaroundall day b. to sit aroundall day 6. I ' m g o i n g. . . . a. on a day-tripto Bath b. out for a day-tripto Bath ... . 7. I'msupposed a. playingtennis

b. to be playingtennis

b. to talk to him if I can

10. I c an s t ill re m e m b e r... . a. watching her leave

b. to watch her leave

Compare your answers with a partner and discuss how you made your choices.

60

Now use these five sentence starters to tell a partner some things about yourself.

b. I don't know. I haven'tgot a clue.I supposeit dependshow good my Greek gets. c. Don't you think it'd get boringafter a while?

I know what you mean.I'm half-blindalready. So,you think you'll get a job out there,thenl


Review: Units5-8

Collocations Look back at the strong adjectives and follow-up Gorrrments on page 45. Tick all the words you can rernember. Ask a partner about anything you Itrye forgotten. Can you think of some instances from your own Ife where you could use some of the words and phrases?Tell a partner as much as you can about dtem.

Expressions Complete the short dialogues below with the expressions in the box. All the expressions are fr.om units 5-8. make up my mind I lust felt like it what a nightmare

you'll regret it that's a good question ! would if I could

l . A : Why did you go and haveall your hair cut offl B: I don't know. 2. A: They lost all my luggageand then we got delayed for three hours. Oh,no!

........!

Match the verbs l-10 with the best collocations a-j. l. watch 2. make 3. go out 4. stop 5. go 6. take 7. get up 8. put 9. stay 10. look

a. b. c. d. e. f. g h J

smoking your cigaretteout reallyearly a photograph too muchTV for a meal at home a big decision everywherefor something on a date

I

Now match the verbs I l -18 to the best collocations k-r. I l. gatecrash 12. eat up 13. feel 14. introduce | 5. accept | 6. treat 47. make 18. rai se

k. a fuss t. a new law m . a j ob n . them like second-class citizens pleased with myself o. P. income tax q. all my free time r. a Party

Discuss these questions with a partner.

3.

Can you give me a hand to move this tablel No, sorry. . . , but I'vegot to rush. I'm late for work.

4.

I'm just goingto haveone more cream cake. I y o u l d n t i f I w e r ey o u . . ....... !

5.

::T::::::i::'ft?::: .',;il-,".,T:*i,'$:

6.

Did you buy anythingin the end? No, nothing.I just couldn't I wanted.

.. what

19. What eats up most of your free time? 20. When was the last time you had to look everywhere for something? Did you find it in the end? 21. Haveyou ever madea bigfuss?WhylWhathappened? 22. Havethey introducedany new laws in your country recendy?

English Match the statements

Can you think of three other sentencesyou might rcspond to by saying:'Oh no! What a nightmare!'?

l-6 to the responses a-f.

l. I'm goingto GuineaBissaunext year. 2. I'm goingto study in Edinburghfor a year.

Can you think of three other sentencesyou might lespond to by saying:'l wouldn't if I were you. You'll regret it'?

3. lt's so expensivehere in London,isn't itl 4. What are you up to this weekend? 5. Doing anythingtonight? 6. Did you get an invite to Ann's party?

I -J J _J J J

a. Tell me about it! I've alreadyspent most of the money I camewith! b. Good for you!You'llhavea great time. c. No, I didn't eyen know she was havingone! d. Yes,I am, actually.I'm going round to Jane's. e. Where on earth is that? f. I'm goingto my country cottageon Fridaynighc You have one minute to memorise the respons/es a-f. Now cover Exercise 8 above. Your partner will read out the statements l-,6. How many responses can you remember?


Review: Units5-B

ldioms Make sentences with idioms by matching the beginnings l-8 to the endings a-h. l. lt's a real weight

a. plainsailing.

2. No rest

b. me mad.

3. After that it was

c. be choosers.

4. lt'd drive

d. the devil.

5. Longtime

e. off my shoulders.

Answer these questions with a partner. Then compare your answers with another pair. Who got most answers right? l. lf there'sno signof someone,does that meanthat you can't find them an)rwhereor that they haven't sent you a letter? 2. How manydifferentkindsof partiescan you think ofl

6. Talk of

f . for the wicked.

3. Could you be arrestedfor lightingup on a plane?

7. Beggarscan't

g. than me.

8. Ratheryou

h. no see.

4. lf you spentthe weekendjust messingaround,what did you do?

remember? With a partner, note down as much as you can remember about the two texts you read in units 6 and 8. -Y-Y-Y r \. in n t! ii !', ri \ \ \ \ \ 1

5. What's the differencebetween left-wingand right-wing? 6. Who would break up a party and whyl 7. When you go to the dentist's,do you make an appointmenror a date with him?

8. lf you don't like,for example,earingfrogs,would you say:'lwouldn't eat a frog if you paid me' or 'l wouldn't eat a frog if you askedme'?

9. lf you and some friendsgo to a nice little French

The cost of a cigarette

place,what are you goingto dol

1 0 . lf you're a heavysmoker,does it meanyou're fat or that you smoke too much? il.

What is the differencebetweengoingshoppingand doi ngthe shoppi ngl

12. Does a planetouch down at the beginning, in the middle,or at the end of a flight?

t 3 . lf somethingdragson, does it happenreallyquickly or does it take foreverl

1 4 . lf you can be on board a plane,can you be on board a boat?

I

t 5 . How could a governmenttightenlawson drinking? On immigrationl 16. Are your relationsthe sameas your relativesl Rave to the graye

17. Do you go on a day-trip or havea day-tripl 18. You playtennison one and you might end up in one if you're arrested.What is it?

t 9 . ls a cosy room largeor small? 20. Where do you work if you are one of the cabin crew?

Now compare what you remember with another pair. Who remembers more? Which text did you enjoy more? Why?

62


L = a r .' = l

_

a

-- ?i *

<

a

J

J

-

ll"L a

:'ft,

I

l ' t l t ?

J - i J ' J j j

? -

tr=-rt'-!

Discuss these questions with a partner. l. L 3. 1. 5.

How do you learnvocabularylDo you think you do it well or badly? Do you read texts to learn vocabularylWhat kind of texts? What do you do if you don't understanda word? What kind of dictionarydo you usel Do you translatewords into your language? Why/why not?

Now read this text and see if you are like any of the students mentioned.

Has the text made you change your mind in any way about the way you study?


UgingJacabularl Lifestyle

night? Complete the sentences below with the words in the box.

What sort of lifestyle do you lead? Do you go out every evening or are you the stay'at'home tyPe?

absolutely catch up depth halfiruay horrendous

Read these descriptions of what some people did last night. l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

I went out for a walk aroundtown. I rang my sister. I watched the semi-finalon TV. I just had a quiet nightat home. I went to my eveningclass. | finishedpaintingthe kitchen. I had an early night. I visitedmy neighbourin hospital. I tried to find a cheapflight on the Internet. I went to the laundrette.

Which of these things do you do? Which do you never do?

fl Listen to four people talking about what they I d aia last night. When you have decided what they did, tick the correct number in the list above.

l.

house loads seat single taking it up

I had a terrible time. I didn't know a(n) . person there.

2. I had a terrible time. The servicewas .. .. nothingin

3. I had a terrible time. We had common.

4. I had a terrible time. I was completelyout of my 5. I had a terrible time. I fell asleeP. . .. 6. I had a great time.We got on like a(n) fire. 7. I had a greatti me.I met people there.

through. . .. . on

....of i nter est ing

8. I had a great time. lt was really nice to after all this time. 9. I had a greattime. I'm thinkingof . seriously.

... more

10. I had a great time. I was on the edge of my . . the whole way through. With a partner, practise asking and answering these questions using the answers above. Try and keep each conversation going for as long as you can. a. b. c. d. e.

So how was the play? So how was your datel So how was your ltalianclass? So how was the party? So how was the meal with your friends?

Speaking When was the last time you had a great time? A terrible time? Why?


9 Lastnight

b Erercise I on page 64, one speaker said they r:le guite tired when they got in from work. Tbt? :u1emany collocations with get. Complete t -ntences below with the words and in the box. 4rcssions

With a partneri discuss the differences in meaning between the highlighted words in these pairs of sentences. a. I had a chat with her.

I had a talk with her. We gossipedabout the boss. We talked about work. c. I did the washing-up. I did the washing.

I got . . . last night.Do you like itl I think it's a bit too short at the back myself.

L I tried to get some

. . . from the cash machinelast night,but it wasn't working. 3. I got . . . from an old friend of mine last night.I hadn'tspokento her for ages,so that was nr c e.

+ :.::: :::]1.T*:'so

I poppedout to set

5. I got really

. . . last night watchingTV. I watchedthat documentary/about Hiroshima.

6. I'ye never seen rain like it - | got really . . . on the way home last night. 7. I got a real . . . last night.An old school friend of mine turned up out of the blue!

8. Hey,you won't believeit. I've finallygot I start next Monday.

9. My car broke down, so I had ro get the last ... home.

r0.

d. I went to a disco. We endedup goingto a disco. e . I missedthe last bus home. I reallymissedher when she was in Spain. f. I went out last night after work. I left work last night about five. Now complete these sentences with the sentences a-f above.

r. yes,Mr Fairhurst,

. . aboutit.

I'm sure Evewon't be late again. 2. I bumped into Marie yesterday, which was nice. . . about,you know, nothing much, but it was nice to see her. 3. I had a drink with Bill lastweek. and nothingelseall evening!

4. Someof us went for a drink after work the other day.lt was awful gladhe wasn'tthere!

. . . . . for ages.I'm

5 . I haven'tgot anythingto wear tomorrow. lt reallyis time.

I walked around town a bit, but ended up getting .. . I had to ask someonewhere I was!

Go back and underline the get expressions. You can use get with all of the following words. Use them to say something true about yoursetf or people you know.

6. Justlook at all those dirty dishes.lt's time

7. I had a crazyevening.I met some old friends and we went out for dinnerand then eventually My legsare killingme this morning! and didn't stop dancingall night!

9. I'm reallyannoyed.I didn't get home until rwo last annoyed better tired well paid

anSry soaked married lazy

When was the last time you ... . ' . '

had to get a taxi homel got in really late? got stuck in traffic? got stopped by the policel

uPset worried sleepy Pregnant

night.

1 0 . Janecame back last week. il. and just went straighthome. t2. I should haveknown better. . . . with a few people from my departmentand I didn't get in till 3 am. I feel terrible.


Q

l:<t

nrnht

Speaking

' ? 7 ? ? . ? - . J - r . - . . . : J l

-

'

l

'

Discuss these questions with a partner.

listen Are there any places you would never go out to in your town? Why not?

While

listen

Rose and Lucy are having breakfast in the fi O J kitchen of tne flat they tf,.t". Listen to them talking about what they did last night. Cover the conversation. As you listen, try to answer these questions.

youngerthan youl W hat happenedl 2. What's the worst club,disco or party you've ever beentol What made it so bad? 3 . How often do you eat foreignfoodl What's your favourite? 4. Do you ever feel you watch a bit too muchTV and that you shouldgo out a bit more instead?

Real Englishs I bet he hadn'teven L

l. What did Roseand Lucydo after work? 2. What time did they go to bed?

started shaving.

It is very common for friendsto makecomments to eachother starti ngI bet ... .

Listen again and try to fill in the gaPs in the conversation below.

Reol Englisht get a cab

t . Haveyou ever beenchattedup by someonemuch

I bet John'sgoingto osk Angieto the porty! I bet you'rewishingyouA gone! I bet their cor will breokdown!

\

Cab is correct spokenEnglishfor a taxi.

We sayI bet ... when we are fairlysure that what we are sayingis true.

Yougeto cob.l'll wolk.

The Worst Disco in Town! Lucy: Hey,Rose,there'sa letter for you. Rose:Thanks.You must'vegot in late last night.I didn't ev enhe a ry o u c o m e i n - a n d (l ) . . after one. yes.I went and met some old friends Lucy: I did,actually, from collegethat I hadn'tseenfor ages. . . . ?That must'vebeen nice. Rose:Oh, (2) Lucy: Yes,we had a drink and a chat and caughtup with all the gossip.You know what it's like. Ros e:Uh- huh . . and then another Lucy: Then we had (3) . . . . . goingon to drink and then we (4) this awfuldiscoin town. Rose:Oh, did youl Which one?Not Stardust!No, surely not Stardust? Lucy: I'm afraidit was,actually- and it was really terrible,just full of kids and the musicwas so loud (5) . . . lt was like beingbackat schoolall over again.Kids of fourteenactingas if they were eighteen! Rose:I could'vetold you that! Lucy: This boy came up to me - you know, bottle of beer in his hand,actingall macho,and askedme to dance!| bet he hadn'tevenstartedshaving! Ros e:A nd did y o u l Luc y : W hat ?D a n c ew i th h i m?(6 ) . . I told him I was thirty-five!

56

l Then

Rose:You'reso cruel. Lucy: Well, I just figuredit was better he found out (7) . . . that I was old enoughto be his mum! Rose:I thoughtyou were supposedto be there talkingto ol d fri ends. Lucy: I was,but there was so much noise,you couldn't And then to top reallyhavea proper conversation. it all,I missedthe lasttrain home and had to get a . three! caband (8) .. Rose:Didn't you?Youmust be feelingexhaustedthis morni ng,then. Lucy: Yeah,I could do with another hour or two in bed, . , what about that'sfor sure. (9) . . you?How was your night? Rose:Oh, it was OK. I just did a bit of shoppingon my way home,cooked myselfsome ramennoodles. L u c y :C o o k e dy o u r s e (l f1 0 ).

........ I

noodles. Rose:Ramennoodles,you know,just Japanese Lucy: Oh, OK. Rose:They'rereallyquick and easy,and then I iust did a you know,nothingamazingor bit of tidying-up, anything, read for a bit,watched( | l) . - some film - you know the kind of thing that'son late on Channel4. Actually,I was so tired, I fell asl eepi n the mi ddl eof i t! Lucy: Oh, don't!You'remakingme feel evenmore exhausted!


9 L a s tn i g h t

U st n g g r a { f i t f t V f

Talking

Respondingwith auxiliaryverbs Look at these common ways of responding to f, v7 what someone says. Then listen and practise saying the expressions in colour. Auxiliary question + follow-up question -1, I met our old Englishteacheron the train last night. B: Oh, did y ou?How i s s h e ? : She'sfine,shet working at another school now, teachingyoungerkids. Auxiliary question + follow-up comment ': H.y - great news! I've just passedmy drivingtest! B. Oh, haveyoul Congratulations. You must be really pleased. : Yes,it's excellent.Now all I need is the moneyfor a car. First respond to the statements l-8 with an auxiliary question. For examplezCon you? Hove you? Then add one of the follow-up comments atr.

t . A:

rt or not.

B: f\:

B: 3 . A: I had a fight with my boy/girlfriendyesterday. B : . . . . . . . . .?.

4. A: I was thinkingof goingto rhe circusthis weekend.

B: 5 . A : I think I'm gettingthe flu. B: ....? 6. A: I usuallyplayfootball on Saturdays. B :. . . . . . . . ? .. 7. A: Eventually, I'd like to end up livingoverseas. B : . . . . . . . . .?. 8. A, I'm goingto see Marco tonight. B : . . . . . . . . .?. a. b. c. d. e. f.

Who do you playfor? How was it? S ay ' Hello'f r om me . Haveyou sorted everythingout yet? Keep awayfrom me, then. Where's it onl t. So,when are you goingto invite me round for d innert,hen? h. An)rwhereparticularin mind? With a partner, practise reading out the diatogues aboye, but add a third comment - as in the two examples at the top of the page.

Complete these sentence starters in ways that are true for you. lf you can, think of things which are interesting or unusual. l. 2. 3. 4. 5.

I can. I'd really love to Believeit or not, I've never When I was younger,I once Lastnightl....

Now tell a partner what you've written. Your partner should respond first by using an auxiliary question and then by adding a follow-up question or comment. Try to continue these conversations for as long as you can. For more information on how to use auxiliary verbs when responding,see G I l.


L a s tn i q l r l

9

M a k i n g s u r ey o u u n d e r s t a n d

Real English3

My car cost over

\

two grand.

How do you feel when you don't understand something someone has iust said to you? How do you deal with this problem? When someone says something in a conversation that you don't understand, it is not enough to say simply that you don't understand. Here are some ways of making it clear exactly what you don't understand. I surfedthe net last night. B : Y ou did w h a t l a s tn i g h tl Surfedthe net - playedaroundon the lnternet. I went on holidayto Phuketlastyear. B : Y ouwent w h e re ? Phuket.lt's a beachresort in Thailand. ( Listen and practise the dialogues above with O d ^par t ne r. Now complete these dialogues by writing questions to make it clear exactly what you don't understand. . ' . . .?

B: Over two grand,two thousandpounds. I had d i n n e ri n Be l l i n i ' lsa s tn i g h t.

2.

. . . . .I

B:

B:

Complete these sentences by choosing the more appropriate of the two choices. l . I h a d t o w o r k l a t e ,s o . . . a. I got home at seven b. I didn'tget home until seven 2. The traffic on the way was really heavy,so ... a. I didn'tget there until ntne b. I got there at nine

4. I was a late starter. a . I d i d n ' t h a v ea g i r l f r i e n du n t i l I w a s t w e n t y - o n e b . I h a d a g i r l f r i e n dw h e n I w a s t w e n t y - o n e

6 . T h e r e w e r e t h r e e s t a n d i n go v a t i o n s .T h e c o n c e r t . . . a . f i n i s h e da t I l : 3 0 b . d i d n ' tf i n i s hu n t i l I l : 3 0

...'.1 On Boxing Day,you know,the daYafter Christmas.26th December.

5.

'l got in at three?'

. . . . .I I downloadedan article,you know,copiedit off the lnternet.

B:

/

didn't she say:

I downloadedthis great articlelast night.

I arrivedhere on BoxingDay.

4.

Why

5. I just had a fairly quiet night. a. I didn't get to bed until eleven b. I went to bed at eleven

I n B el l i n i ' sth, a t n e w l ta l i a np l a c e . 3.

In the conversation on page 66, Lucy says: 'l didn't get in until three.'

3 . W e m a n a g e dt o g e t t h e b u s O K , s o . . . a.we were there by nine b. we weren't there until nlne

My car cost over two grand.

l.

I n i n f o r m a l s p o k e n E n g l i s ha g r a n d i s o n e t h o u s a n d p o u n d s .I n n u m b e r s i x i n E x e r c i s e3 e i g h t y q u i d i s i n f o r m a l B r i t i s h E n g l i s hf o r e i g h t y p o u n d s .

I went bungeeiumpinglastyear in Canada. . . . . .? B: a from you when you know, Bungeeiumping, iump your legs. round bridgewith elastic

7 . I ' m n o t t o o b a d a t E n g l i s hc, o n s i d e r i n g. . . . a . I d i d n ' t s t a r t s t u d y i n gu n t i l I w a s e i g h t e e n b . I s t a r t e d s t u d y i n gw h e n I w a s e i g h t e e n 8. I was so busy that ... . a. I had breal<fastat midday b . I d i d n ' t h a v e b r e a k f a s tu n t i l m i d d a y Can you explain your choice in each example?

T his s h i rt c o s t m e e i g h tyq u i d .

6.

. . . . .I

B: Eightyquid,you know,eightypounds. I found a babywren in my gardentoday.

7.

B:

..'..? its nest. of out A babywren. lt must'vefallen We went to Alton Towers at the weekend.

8. B:

.....1 like park, To Alton Towers.lt's a kind of theme Dis ne y l a n db,u t mu c hs ma l l e r.

Discuss With a partner, answer these questions. Try to use not until . . . . Give reasons for your answers. You don't have to tell the truth. l . W hat ti me di d you get i n l astni ghtl 2. When did you haveyour first boy/girlfriend? 3. W hat ti me di d you go to bed l astni ght ? 4. W hen di d you start studyi ngE ngl i shl

Compare your answers with your partner, then practise the dialogues above in pairs.

68


9 L a s tn i g h t

Linking Cln page 66, Lucy talked about the disco: It was so loud,I could hardlyhear myselfthink.' This is a common way of linking two ideas: lwas very tired. | ftll asleepin the middleof the film. - | was so tired,I fell asleepin the middle of the film. l'ld<e sentences by matching the beginnings l-8 b the endings a-h. l. lt was so cold,

L I was so exhausted, 3. I was so hungry, 1. It was so hot, 5. His conversationwas so dull, 6. I was so angry, 7. I was so worried,

8. The film was so bad, a- I could'vekilledhim!

J J J J J J -J J

b. I rangthe police.

c. I could hardlybreathe. d. I walked out halfwaythrough. e. I just went straightto bed as soon as I got in. f. I could hardlysrop myselffrom yawning.

t- my handsfelt like they were goingto fall off. h. I could'vecarriedon eatingall night!

n

Listen,then say all these sentences,making sure you stress so.

conversations With a partner, complete these diatogues using ideas of your own. For example: A: So,how was that club you went tol B: Terrible!Themusicwas so loud,I just had to leave. l. A: So,what was that film like you saw last nightl B: Well,to be honest,it was so bad,... . 2. A: What was the food like in that Frenchplaceyou went tol B: Reallygood.lt was so deliciouS, ... 3. A: So,did you do anythingspeciallast nightl B: No, I was so exhausted, | ... . 4. A: So,how did your meetinggo last night? B: T er r ible,it wa s s o ... , | ... . A: So,did you sort everythingout with your boss yesterdayl B: No,I got so ... , | ... . 6 . A: So,did you passyour drivingtest? B : No, I ' m af r aidn o t. I w a s s o ... , | ... For morc information on how to use this linking structune,see G 13.

There's a thief in the class! At I pm last night, a terrible crime was committed - your teacher's car was stolen from the school car park. The police suspect two students from this class.

t . The class decides which two students are most likely to have committed the crime. The pair of suspects leave the room to prepare their story. They should try to use as much language from this unit as possible. (Where were you when the crime happened? Who were you withlWhat were you doingl All the detailsare important!)

2. The rest of the class prepare to interview the two students. (What will you ask theml)

3 . Student one comes back into the room alone and is interviewed by the class. When the interview is finished, student two comes in to be interviewed.

4. When both students have been interviewed, the class vote. Are they both guilty? ls only one guilty? What should happen to them? Decide on a suitable punishment!


Ji: !.'i t

l ' - - , ' / ' ? l i 7 . a'

'l

ot

Judging

c

.

a

.

.

t

Speaking

o'

appearances

Which of the peoPle in the Picture below do you find most/least attractive? Why?

Do you think any of the sentences l-9 in Exercise describe the people in the picture below? Compare what you think with a partner. For more information on how to use these structures, s e eG 1 4 .

Comptete these sentences by adding looks, looks like or looks as if.

2. He/she

got some kind of disease' . . . . he's/she's ....amodelorsomething.

3. He/she

....abitofanerd.

4. He/she

....abitdull. . . . . he/shewouldn't sayboo to a goose'

l. He/she

5. He/she 7. He/she

. . . . q u i t es e x Y . ....areal creeP.

8. He/she

about to collapse. . . . . he's/she's

9. He/she

....abitdown.

6. He/she

70

Recrl EnglishS

a real creep/a bit of a nerd

Creep is a very negativeword usedto describe someonevery weird - usuallymale- who makes Nerd is a negative women feel uncomfortable. word usedto describesomeone- usuallymalewho is so obsessedwith a hobby,suchas computers,that they haven'treallydevelopedany soci alski l l s. Haveyou ever met anyonelike this?


10 Relationshios

UgirtgJr.aeular1

2l I bet When we make guesses about people based on their appearance, we often use I bet + a statement.

First decide if these adjectives describe character or appearance or both. Then mark them P or N, depending on whether you think they are positive or negative.

J J J J J J J J

muscular pushy plain forward warm quiet skinny down-to-earth

J J -J -J -J J J I

flirty

For example: A: He looks like a bit of a nerd. B: I know. I bet he'sstudyingcomputingor something like that. A: He looks a bit mad. B: I know. I bet he likes playingpracticaljokes on people.

sexy macho unpredictable dishy

With a partner, haye conversations like this about the people in the pictures at the bottom of the Page.

Chat-up

mature cuddly hairy

Now describe someone else in your class to your partner using some of the adjectives above. See if th.y can guess who you're talking about.

Real Englishs dishy lf you find someonedishy,you find them physically attractive.Some dictionariessaythat this is a rather old-fashionedword, but manyyoung British peoplein their twentiesuse it, particularlywomen.

lf you chat somebody up, you talk to them in a friendly way to show that you're attracted to them.'Chat-up lines' are openings that people use when they want to chat you up. Decide which of the following you think are the best and worst chat-up lines. Compare your answers with a partner. l. Do you come here often? 2. Someonecall heaven- | think they'remissingan angel. 3. What's a nicegirl/guylike you doing in a placelike thi sl 4. Are you here by yourself? 5. Excuseme, but haveyou got a light? 6. Can I get you a drink? 7. Has anyoneever told you you'vegot reallylovely eyes? 8. What are you doing afterwards? Has anyone eyer tried to use these chat-up lines or similar versions in your own language - on you? Have you ever used any yourself? Can you think of any other chat-up lines you'ye ever heard? Did they work?

71


10 Relationships

Which of the following are most important for you in a partner or friend? Give each of the following ideas a score ( l-5): I means you think it is not important;5 is very important. money senseof humour age looks nationality dresssense intelligence cooking ability honesty religion

J J J J J -J J J J J

Prepositions Before you read the article, complete these sentences with a suitable preposition. Check your answers after you've read the text.

reallu The latest census in the UK has confirmed that inter-racial marriages are increasingly common, leading many journalists to claim that we are a totally tolerant society. However, despite what the census might suggest, the truth is that the vast majority of us tend to eventually marry a partner not only of the same race, but also of the same religion, class, age and background. While mixed marriages of various descriptions may be on the increase, prejudice and social and family pressures are still very much alive, and love cannot always overcome them. We talked to two couples about their experiences.

Rachel McCarthy and David Brown decided to leave Belfast, the city in Northern Ireland that they both grew up in and where their parents still live, when they got married last year. Rachel is a Catholic and David is Protestant. The two halves of the Christian religion are still deeply divided in Northern lreland, and although the bombing and killing which occurred between the two communities has largely stopped, as Rachel and David know, people in mixed marriages are 'We actually found it difficult to find a often ostracised and verbally abused. place to live in Belfast because areas tend to be either Catholic or Protestant. That's really why we left. Over here, we just look the same as everyone else and no one really knows - or cares - that we have different backgrounds. It has been very difficult, though, because we haven't had any support from our families. Neither sets of parents have really come to terms with our relationship and that's

t . It was awful when I had to break

obviously been very painful.'

the news of our grandmother's death . . .. my brother. My girlfriend'sa belly-dancer. I was worried that my parents wouldn't approve .. .. her.

3 . I've beengoingout . .

.. my boy'riendfor almost six years. 4. Personally, I dont reallygo . . .. blondes.I much prefer brunettes.

5 . He kept on askingme all these really personalquestions,so I just told him it was none . . . . h i sb u s i n e s s ! It took the childrena long time ....the tocometoterms death of their rabbit.

Jamie Brodlin is twenty now and has been going out with his partner, Jane Fisher, for three years. Believe it or not, Jane has just turned sixty! They met when Jamie was out clubbing with three friends. Jane was working in the cloakroom and when Jamie came up to her and started chatting her up, she 'l thought he was pulling her leg. thought he was just some lad with too many beers inside him who was doing it all for a bet. It was only later when he phoned me up to ask me out on a date, I realised just how mature and sensible he really is.' Jamie says:

'To

be honest, I never have gone for girls my own age. I tend to find

them a bit immature. They usually just want to talk about music and shopping, whereas you can have a proper conversation with someone who's older. I guess Jane was quite a bit older than my previous girlfriend,

but there was just

something about her and about the way she moved and hung up the coats that caught my eye. She's a very warrn and appealing sort of woman. My mates did think it was a bit weird, but I just told them it's none of their business, and now

What do you think a mixed marriage is?What advantages and disadvantages do you think there are to mixed marriages?

they don't really ask about Jane. Jane often stays in with my parents when I go out clubbing. She says she's too old for that kind of thing these days, which is ftne. I was worried that my parents wouldn't approve of her when I first broke the news to them, but they've been fantastic. They found it a bit difficult to accept I uras in love with someone old enough to be my gran, but when they met her, they just got on really well. I don't know if ure'll ever get married. We'll see.

A Now read the article and f l r"" if any of your ideas are mentioned.

72

We haven't really talked about it.'


10 Relationshios

tDid the article mention any advantages or -Gadvantages to mixed marriages that you ddn't think of?

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner.

Do you think the two relationships described in ||te article are likely to last? Why/why not?

l. Haveyou ever gone out with anyonemuch older or youngerthan yourself?

Which of the two couptes ...

2. How do you feel about relationshipswhere there'sa largeage difference?

l. L 3. 1. 5.

get on well with their parents? havebeen insultedin the streetl f'aceda lot of discrimination? dont socialisevery much togetherl havebeen ignored by most people in their societyl

Now go back and underline the parts of the article which confirm your answers.

Complete these sentences with words from the article. l. Marriagesbetween people of differentreligionsis . . . . c o m m o nn o w . 2. There was a lot of family a doctor.

3. How would your parentsand friends react if you started going out with someonemuch older or youngerthan you? 4. How would you feel about marryinga divorceel

Whv? 5. How do you know when you're in love? 6. Would you considermarryingsomeoneif there was a big age difference? What do you think of relationships betweenthese pairs of people? a. a man of fifty and a girl of eighteen a woman of fifty and a boy of eighteen b. a man of twenty-fiveand a girl of eighteen a woman of twenty-five and a boy of eighteen c. a man of eightyand a woman of thirty a woman of eighty and a man of thirty

.. . . on me to become

3. My mum didnt approveof my girlfriend,but I got a lotof ....from my sister. 4. A: Excuseme, but is there somewhereI can leavemy coat? B: Yes,there'sa . . . . just at the top of the stairs. 5. He's a typical macho . . . . , you know alwaysout for a good time with his mates. 6. I don't know about you, but personallyI don't find that kind of man very . . .. . He's a bit too tall for me.

Reol Englishs I thought he waspuiling my leg lf someonepulls your leg,they are loking with you.

How would you complete these statements? I wouldn'tget involvedwith anyonewho ... I'd nevermarry someonewho . .. Can you think of any famous people who have had relationships with people much older or younger than themselves?

Stagesof a relationship Decide in which order you think the following would probably occur. Use a dictionary or ask your teacher to help you with any yocabulary you are not sure of. a. My wife/husbandand I are separated. b. I'm getting married next week. c. We've just got engaged. d. I'm goingout with him/her. e. My marriageis on the rocks. f. We're havingmarriageguidancecounselling. g. I proposedto her/him last night. h. We're in the processof getting divorced.

-J J J J J -l J J

Now compare your order with your partner and explain your choices. Do any of the sentences a-h above describe any people you know?


10 Relationships

Usirl

Grammar in context

Expressions with modals Complete the fixed expressions in the short dialogues below with the modal verbs in the box. can

might

must

could

couldn't should

With a partner, choose which of the nine expressions in Exercise I is the best response to the following. l. We spent the whole day on the beachyesterday. 2. Can you believethey wouldn't let me in becauseI was wearingjeans?

3 . There were so many kids there yesterday,weren't l . A : I usedmy best chat-upline on her,and then she went and told me she was married! 've B: | . . . . told you that. I thought it was common knowledge.

there?

4. That guy Mike we met last night is a bit of a nerd, don't you think? So,what was that exhibitionyou went to last week like?Any goodl

2. A: Paddy'smust be one of the best clubs in town. B: Y ou . ...s a y th a t a g a i n !W h aat n i g ht! 3 . A : The food there was terrible - again! B: Well, you . . . .'ve known better after what happenedlasttime.

4. A: Does Rob ever invite you round to his place? B: You . ... be joking!Rob neverinvitesanyone round to his place.

5. A: I went for a walk with my parents yesterday afternoon,down by the river. B: Oh, that . . . .'vebeen nice. You had some lovelyweather for it.

6. A: So,did you havea good chat with Stevelast nightl B: N o t r e a l l y , n ol t.w a ss o l o u di n t h e p u b ,| . . . . . . . . . hardlyhear myselfthink!

Look at another useful modal verb expression from the conversation that you heard in Unit 9 between Rose and Lucy. Rose: Lucy:

You must be feelingexhaustedthis morning, then. Yeah,I could do with another hour or two in bed,that'sfor sure.

Complete the sentences below using I could do with and one of the expressions in the box.

7. A: Did you seeJamietrying to chat up the cloakroom a bit more time more money somethingto eat some help

attendantlast night?

B: Yes,I know.I just

. . .. believeit. She'sold enoughto be his grandmother.

8. A: We climbedover the fence and went for a swim in their pool last night. . . . be mad doing that!They'vegot an alsatianand a rottweiler! 9. A: My husbandforgot my birthday- again! B: You never know. He might be planningto surprise you later. A : Yes,right! And pigs . . . .fly!

B: You .

a break a good night'ssleep a lie-in a holiday

l. ls anyonefree? This thing'sreally heavy. 2. Hey,can we pop in here for a snack?| didn't get a chanceto haveanythingearlier. 3. I'm so tired staringat this computerscreen.. . .

Complete the nine expressions used above.

4. I haven'tquite finishedit yet. l.

b eenni ce.

2.

. .say that again!

3.

be ioking!

4.

. be mad!

5.

believeit!

6. 7. 8. 9. Pigs.

...toldyouthat. . . . . h a r d l y h e a rm y s e ltfh i n k ! .. known better! ..........!

...,tobehonest

5. I've been up to my ears in work this month. .. . 6.

;,;;""; ;;,,*J :::::l::: ;;;""",r;,r;; . . . tomorrow, that's for sure.

7. I'm pretty tired. tonight,if possible.

8. I'm pretty happ)rat work, but . . I mean,I alwaysend up broke by the end of the month. For morc informationon horvto usemodals,seeGlS.

74


Discuss Tend to In t he ar t ic le on p a g e 7 2 ,l a rn i e s a i d th a t h e tends to f ind gir ls his o w n a g e a b i t i m m a tu re . We often use tend to after the subject of a se nt enc e and be fo re a n o th e r v e rb . l t me a n s 'g e ner ally , but n o t a l w a y s ' . W e a l s o u s e i t a lot t o t alk abou t o u r h a b i ts . Com plet e t hes e s e n te n c e s i n w a y s th a t a re true fo r y ou and t hen c o m p a re y o u r a n s w e rs w i th your Pa r t ner . I t end t o wat c ha b o u t

. .. . h o u rso f T V a day.

I

I t e n dt o s p e n da b o u t studying English.

. . . . h o u r sa w e e l <

:

I t end t o go t o b e d a t a b o u t and I t end t o g e t u p a t a ro u n d

-

| t end t o s pen da b o u r

i

I tend to try and . . can.

: -

I t end t o ear c h o c o l a tema y b e

. . . . m o s r n i ghts,

. . . . mostdays. . . at leasttwice a weel<,if I

Do you agree with these statements? Tick those you agree with and compare your answers with a partner. Try and explain your choices.

t. 2. 3. 4. 5.

M e n t e n d t o e a t m o r e j u n l <f o o d t h a n w o m e n . W o m e n t e n d t o b e m u c h m o r e c a r e f u ld r i v e r s . Women tend to tal<elonger to get ready to go out. Men tend to be much more selfish. Men tend to be more into sports.

The cl ass w i l l now spl i t i nto mal e/femal e gr oups and your teacher w i l l gi ve you a few mi nute s t o come up w i th some more i deas about the di fferences betw een men and w omen. Make sur e each sentence uses tend to - you don' t w an t t o start World War Three, do you! Once you have come up w i th a l i st you al l agr ee w i th, fi nd a partner of the opposi te sex and explain what you have written. Do you agree on the differences between the sexes or does one sex tend to have more ri di cul ous i deas than the other?!

| t end t o do s o me s p o rt o r s o m e e x e rc i s emaybe

3 | t end t o . . . of course.

. e v e ryw e e l < e n d i f,I h a v ethe ri me,

Who's harder-working, you or your partner? Who's healthier? Who's lazier?

\


Lig's3rring Before you listen Have you eYer not recognised somebody you knew? When? What happened? How many different reasons for not recognising someone can you think ofl

Hair today,gone tomorrow! Cathy: So,we've got to take this one and then changeat Cannon Street, right? Diane: Yes,that's it. Hey,( l) . .

what happenedwith

me and my dad on the undergroundlast yearl Cathy: No, go on, whatl

Whileyou Oiane and Cathy are taking A | ? ttt" underground across London, chatting as they go. Listen to Diane talking about a strange thing that happened to her.

, I decidedto get all my hair cut off, right?| alwaysused to havereally,reallylong hair - ever since I was about fourteen or fifteen,you know - way down past

Diane: Well, (2) ..

my shoulders- parted in the middlelike curtains.So, , about a week after I had it all cut off, you know - reallyshort - and I looked quite different. (3) . .

Cathy: Yeah,I bet. Cover the conversation. As you listen, try to answer these questions. l . W her e and w h e n d i d th i s h a p p e n to Diane? 2. What was the problem?What happenedin the endl

home on the tube, and I was half asleepbecauseit was five or six o'clock and I was just - and little did I know standingthere, (5) . .

Diane: So,anyway,(4) . .

that my dad was actuallycoming backfrom a businesstrip abroad, passingthrough London on the undergroundto get his train backto Durham. And (6) ..

Listen again and try to fill in the gaps in the conversation.

I

into the samecarriageas me!The doors closedbehindhim.So there I am, standingthere face to facewith my own father! I dont recognisehim at first, but then I think,'Ah,that's my dad"

Real Englisht pinch

and,of course,he'sobviouslyonly seenme with reallylong hair

his wallet you lf you pinchsomething, steal it. Pinchis a very informal word.

for the last ten years,and so (7) . .

Speaking

staringat him and he (8) . .

there, on glancingat me

this lunaticstaringat mel' and I'm nervously,thinking,'Who's thinking- you know it's the strangestfeelingnot being recognisedby your own dad - so I just stood there thinking, 'Well, (9) .. just get off at the next stop without tellinghim,or ( l0) .

. risk giving

Do you ever ignore people you know? In what situations?

him a nervousbreakdownand a heart attack by saying,'Hello,

What's the strangest/most interesting thing that's ever happened to you while you were travelling?

worried becausehe thought I was a pick-pocketor a drug

....1 went,'Hello,dad' d a d l 'B u t , a n y w a y ,l () l . . . . 'Diane!' and then said how he was Settingreally and he went, .who'd beengettingreadyto pinch his wallet or something and,um, yeah,that was a Pretty

addict(12) .

strangeand funny thing. Cathy: Yeah,reollystrange.

76

? He got


' i - ' ?

i t i t t ' j?

:

Jt r, : L r l i 7 !

J

1 r Hairstvles t

-

l'latch the descriptions l-8 to the picturesA-H.

I J 3 . She'sgot a fringe. -J 4 . He'sgot dreadlocks. J 5 . She'sgot dyed red hair. J 5 . She'sgot pigtails. J 7 . She'sgot hair extensions. J 8 . He'sgot short backand sides. J I

He'sgot spikyhair.

2 . She'sgot curly hair.

Have you ever thought of changing your hairstyle, d yeing y our hair o r b l e a c h i n g i t b l o n d ? Have you ever had a really bad, unusual or different haircut? How did people react to it?

Slang In the conyersation you heard pinch his wallet. Match the slang words l-8 to the neutral equivalents a-h. l . C h u c ki t t o m e .

a . l o s t h i s te m per

2. Have you got a fagl

b. stolen

3. They went out boozing.

c. throw

4. My bicycle'sbeen nicked.

d. s e l l

5. I've decidedto flog the car.

e. d ri n k i n g

6 . lt only c os t t en q u i d .

f . crSarette

7. He'sa reallynice bloke.

g. p o u n d s

8 . He f lippedhis li d .

h . ma n

Always be careful with slang. You may think you know what a slang word means, but sometimes it has an extra meaning. In the examples in this exercise, boozing means drinking in order to get drunk. Slang is a dangerous area in all languages and you should always check with a teacher before using it.

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Haveyou ever flippedyour lid?Whyl 2. Has anythingof yours ever been nicked? What happenedl


11 Tellingstories

Differentkindsof stories Complete the sentences below with the words in the box. Then underline the expressions formed with the words. hard-luck love

old tall

bedtime inside

t . The story of Romeo and Julietmust be one of the . .. stories.

world's greatest

I ended up sitting besidethis guy who d iust got divorcedand lost his job. I spentthe whole six-hour .. . story. flight listeningto his

3 . A: The lift's broken down again! B: The same

. . . story,then! ... story.

5. You'rea friend of Jane's.Nobody understandswhy she'sleaving.Come on, you must know the . . story!

6. A: Jasontold everyoneat work that heU won f 10,000,but then managedto leaveit in a taxi! B: I wouldnt believea word he says.lt soundslike . stories. another one of his . .

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l. What are the most famouslove stories in your country? 2. Do you know anyonewho tells tall stories? 3. What bedtime stories can you rememberfrom when you were a kidl

StorytelIing expressions fi First complete the dialogue below with the ld *otas in the box. Then listen and check your answers. well you're joking

really so

go on anyway

A: Did I tell you about what happenedto me in France last yearl B: No, I dont think you did.( I) . . A: (2) .. . ., I was on holidaywith my Parentsin this little villagenear the sea,and we ran out of money.

B: ( 3 ) . . A: Yes,(4)

..?That'sawful. . . . . we went into town to find a cash - w h i c hw e d i d ,n o t r o u b l e .( 5 ) . . . . . . . . . . , machine when we put the card in the machine,it iust started spiaing out loadsand loadsof money.

.. ! So did you keep itl B: (6) . . A: Of coursewe did!Wouldn'tyoul

Practise reading out the dialogue with a partnea

78

Look at the pictures below and try to imagine the stories. The expressions below will help you tell the stories. Work with a partner. Use one expression from each group and plan how to tell each story. A. Introducing your story Did I ever tell you about the time I I must'vetold you about the time I Did I ever tell you about this friend of mine who B. Giving background details A few yearsago,when this friend of mine was LastAugust when my familywas on holidayin C. Introducing the problem

4. The kids saythey won't go to sleepunlessyou 8o uP and read them their

Tellinga story

A l l of a sudden,... ... Then suddenl y, D. How the problem was solved Well, what happenedin the end was

E. Finishing off the story things It was one of the funniest/silliest/strangest/worst that's ever happenedto me! Lookingback on it, it was all very exciting/interesting/ strange/upsetting. It seemsfunny now, but it didn't seem like that at the time! For more informationon tenseusatein storytelling,see


1 1 T e l i r n sq t o re s

J J .

:

.

" J

.

Now report some of your sentences to the whole class and see who has made the funniest examples.

J

-ing clauses Itrndre conyersation on page 76, Diane says:.1was standing there - minding my own business.' ltr,rst

Pronunciation r' 't

t-:tt"n and notice where the speakerpauses:

Not ic e t hat s he d i d n o t s a y :' l w a s s ta n d i n g ctere. I was minding my own business.'

There was this great big dog,sittingthere,barkingat me.

Crpss out the words which are not needed in these Jâ‚Źntences.

Listen to these short sections of speech and mark the pauses.

I saw a man. He was breaking into a car. Two firemen died. They were trying to get a child out of the blazingflat. The car broke down. lt was going up the hill. He had a heart attack. He was playinggolf. I was smnding outside the bank. I was waiting for a DUS.

The policecaughtthem.They were trying to break int o t he s hop. We caughtsightof the Queen.Shewas drivingpast on the way to the funeral. We had to wait ten minutes.We were standing out s idein r he p o u ri n gra i n . S om ec hildr enw e re i n th e s h o p .T h e y w e re s teal i ng sweets. Look back at the conversation on page 16 and co m plet e t hes e s e n te n c e s . 0. lt was five or six o'clock and I was just standing t her e, I. M y dad was ac tu a l l yc o m i n gb a c kfro m a b u s i n ess tripabroad,....

I

l . l t w as fi ve or si x o' cl ockand I w as j ust standi ng there,mi ndi ngmy ow n busi ness. 2. My dad was actuallycomingbackfrom a businesstrip abroad,passingthrough London. 3. H e keepson gl anci ng at me,thi nki ng,,W ho'this s l unati cstari ngat me?' 4. I was dancingabout in the streer,actinglike a fool. 5. I w as l yi ngthere on the ground,screami ng i n pain. Now listen again and underline the strongest stress like this: There was this great big dog,sittingthere,barkingat me. Practise saying the sentences above, stressing the correct syllables and pausing in the right ptaces. Then do the same w i th the sentences l -12 i n E xerci se l .

S p e a kni g Re-tell your story from page 78 to a different partner. This time, try to use some -ing clauses.

1 2 . He k eepson gla n c i n ta t m e ,

Practice With a partner, complete these sentences by adding as many -ing ctauses as you can.

t. There was this reallystrange-looking guy,. . 2. I was r us hingar ou n dm a d l y , 3 . o. rnr^;", , ;", o;t ;, .

.. "h8,

4 . So there we were, in this fancy restaurant

5 . ;r r.:;" *.r r,,

"r

there in tr'" o;. . .

6 . Ther ewas t his hu g ec ro w d o u ts i d eth e p a rl i a ment building, ...and

79


11 Tellinostories

Differentkindsof stories Complete the sentences below with the words in the box. Then underline the expressions formed with the words.

I

bedtime inside

hard-luck love

old tall

t . The story of Romeo and Julietmust be one of the world's greatest

.. . stories.

2. I ended up sitting besidethis guy who d just got divorcedand lost his job. I spentthe whole six-hour flight listeningto his . . . story.

3 . A: The lift's broken down again! B: The same

.. . story,then!

4. The kids saythey wont go to sleepunlessyou go up and read them their

.. . story.

5 . You'rea friend of Jane's.Nobody understandswhy she'sleaving.Come on, you must know the story! 6. A: Jasontold everyoneat work that he'd won f 10,000,but then managedto leaveit in a taxi! B: I wouldn't believea word he says.lt soundslike anotherone of his .. . stories.

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner.

Telling Look at the pictures below and try to imagine the stories. The expressions below will help you tell the stories. Work with a partnea Use one expression from each group and plan how to tell each story. A. lntroducing your story Did I ever tell you about the time | ... I must'vetold you about the time | ... Did I ever tell you about this friend of mine who B. Giving background details A few yearsago,when this friend of mine was LastAugustwhen my familywas on holidayin C. lntroducing the problem A l l of a sudden,... Then suddenl y, ... D. How the problem was solved Well, what happenedin the end was

E. Finishing off the story It was one of the funniest/silliest/strangest/worst things that'sever happenedto me! Looking back on it, it was all very exciting/interesting/ strange/upsetting. It seemsfunny now, but it didn't seem that at the time!

l. What are the most famouslove stories in your countryl 2. Do you know anyonewho tells tall storiesl

For more information on tense usate in storytelling, see G

3. What bedtime stories can you rememberfrom when you were a kid?

StorytelIi ng expressions A First complete the dialogue below with the f ? words in the box. Then tisten and check your

answers. well you're joking

really so

go on anyway

A: Did I tell you about what happenedto me in France last year?

B: No, I dont think you did.( l) . . A: (2) . . .. , I was on holidaywith my parentsin this little villagenear the sea,and we ran out of money.

B: ( 3 ) . . A: Yes,(4)

..lThat'sawful.

. . . . we went into town to find a cash m a c h i n -e w h i c hw e d i d ,n o t r o u b l e .( 5 ) . . . . . . . . . . , when we put the card in the machine,it just started spittingout loadsand loadsof money. B: (6) . . .. ! So did you keep it?

A: Of coursewe did!Wouldnt youl Practise reading out the dialogue with a partner.

78

":


11 Telling stories

5f fr

Now report some of your sentences to the whole class and see who has made the funniest examples.

In the conyersation on page 76, Diane says:.1was just standing there - minding my own business.'

Pronunciation /^ 'f J

l-:tt.n and notice where the speaker pauses:

Notice that she did not say:'l was standing tfrere. I was minding my own business.'

There was this grear big dog,sittingthere, barkingat me.

Cross out the words which are not needed in these sâ‚Źntences.

Listen to these short sections of speech and mark the pauses.

l. I saw a man.He was breakinginto a car.

t . It was five or six o'clockand I was just standing there,mindingmy own business.

2. Two firemen died.They were trying ro get a child out of the blazingflat.

2. My dad was actuallycoming back from a businesstrip

3. The car broke down. lt was goingup the hill. 4. He had a heart attack.He was playinggolf.

3 . He keepson glancingat me,thinking,'Who'sthis

5. I was standingoutside the bank.I was waiting for a bus.

6. The police caughtthem. They were trying to break into the shop.

7. We caughtsight of the Queen.Shewas driving past on the way to the funeral. We had to wait ten minutes.We were standing outsidein the pouringrain. 9 . Somechildrenwere in the shop.They were stealing sweeB. Look back at the conversation on page 76 and complete these sentences. 10. lt was five or six o'clock and lwas just standing there, I l. My dad was actuallycomingbackfrom a business tripabroad,... 12. He keepson glancingar me,

With a partner, comptete these sentences by adding as many -ing clauses as you can. l. There was this reallystrange-lookingguy,. . 2. I was rushingaround madly,

3.

|;, ;,^;;;;r................... ""tn,^dry

4. So there we were, in this fancy restaurant

s ;; ;;:,";' ',;.';;,;.;;,;.;" ;.;::::::: :: :: 6. There was this huge crowd outside the parliament building, . .. a n d

abroad,passingthrough London. lunaticstaringat me?' I was dancingabout in the street,actinglike a fool. I was lyingthere on the ground,screamingin pain. Now listen again and underline the strongest stress like this: There was this great big dog,glttingthere, barkingat me. Practise saying the sentences above, stressing the correct syllables and pausing in the right places. Then do the same w i th the sentences l -12 in Exercise l.

Speaking Re-tell your story from page 78 to a different partner. This time, try to use some -ing clauses.

For more information on how to use -ing clauses,see G 17.


II

T e l l r n sq l o r r c , s

3 ] Speaking D i scussthese questi ons w i th a partner.

Before

l . H asanythi ngl i kethi s ever happened to you or anyoneyou know l

Have you ever heard of anyone putting an animal int o a m ic r owa v e o r fi n d i n g a mo u s e i n a pi e or anything like that?

2. W hat w oul d you do i f you foundthe fol l owing? ' a spi deri n your bath a caterpi l l ari n your sal ad a restaurant a mouse in your bedroom a cocl<roachin your hotel bathroom

While (

ej

Read t he a rti c l e b e l o w a n d th e n d i s c u ssw i th a par t ner w h e th e r o r n o t y o u th i n k i t' s true.

a s n a k ei n y o u r l < i t c h e n a s p i d e r i n a f r i e n d ' s h a i r ( s h e ' st e r r i f i e d o f t h e m )

55pidel" Have \/nl _ y" *

1-eard hp storir ol

r f v u r v

L r r v

, ' c v l

J

v l

the

wornan who drred her cat ln the mrcrowave afteril had got wei - or the one aboutthe woman who openeda h eurvr u

n v f,

nranzror]

y,vyur--

crlr.l

sdlau

rnrl

all0

nrr

ou.

nn' p upoeO

^ f"r' ^,- {-1rl? O l U I l y - V I U V V . t l l l l . r v I l vAvi rhrour(h. rour r lLh. ot rvjL: r rso- v

q o r t h p r n F n o l : n f l V / e n t l : Oj - i e i d O C t O l uv!rLtrv11MrYrLrr1,

F o t dal tsshe hadn' l j l een al l rel o sLeep b e c a r i s eo f n o i s e s , n l L e i e a r T h e alocior -oiii rtel ilrat 'r:-ir-r,''\ia-sltot ull'.iS-.a-Lo-s ci i-reopleha.r.el-iolseS ln ilelI eaIS ;i3..,.,rgr,rgi, wlen le ,ooked l n to her eal , he gor i re st.ccn of hrs

true or not, we love telhngeachother s c a r ys L o r r e isJ n f o r t u n a t e tl yh ,e s t o r V hfe He could see legs ar..r sottethutg r n n r r i n n I t 1 ^ / , r c 'a . a i 3 g S l t d e L l T h e that foliowsrs defrnrtely true t l l v V 1 1 l V

\v ^v u/fo nl l uAt l n l1 ir rv ll rt rnv o ' Ill l K R a r Lc v vrv -r p n l r lr lJ v , u 1 \ ue n l Il]

1 L

V V L I U

w o nan w as absol i i l ei Y i el Lrfred of

q n ' d c ' q l- h p d o r - t o fw a s a b l e ' '' nlieklv a'rd qet il free " Y*'""',j

W h e r t s p e a k i t t gI O a c (. few days later,the doctorr-.: that that was the fust trmehe r u u | r ia s p r u e-j . \ ' l n g] n s o r t . H r s c o l l e a g u es u g g e s r e d sprder was probably loc,. sornewhelewarm rn order ,, eggs f^,r-r-l

a

onir-lar

li-


11 Tellingstones

Exaggeratingusing idioms ldiomaticlanguage Colourful expressions are a common feature of storytelling, and help to make stories more interesting. As you study this page, try to think what these expressions would be in your own language.

ldiomaticcomparisons We use strong comparisons to emphasise what we are saying. For example: It's a great bike.lt goes like a bomb! He's got a great appetite.He eats like a horse! Complete the sentences below with the expressions in the box.

In Diane's story about her father not recognising her on the tube, she uses exaggeration in the following way: . . . so I just stood there thinking,'Well, shallI just get off at the next stop without tellinghim,or shallI risk giving him a nervous breakdownand a heart attack by saying, ' H el l o, dad' l ' What do you think she really means here? In English, it is yery common to exaggerate by talking about illnesses,death, killing, and so on. Complete the sentences below with the words in the box. died death l. I'm..

die kill

murder (x2) killing dying

. . f o r acoffee.

2. Shegets awaywith like dirt

3 . M y f e e ta r e . .

like a chimney

like death warmed up

4. ltk . .

like a house on fire like a lunatic

like a fish

5. I nearly

like a log

6. I nearly

like clockwork

....laughing.

7. I'm sick to . . . 8. I'd . . .

.. me!

. . trying to ger him to do anything. . . . . when he told me that! . of it.

. if anybodyelsefound out.

l. I usedto havethis friend who drank

9. lf he does it again,I'll . . .

2. This guy was drivingalong

With a partner, discuss what you think the common exaggerations above actually mean.

3. He's horrible to his wife. He treats her 4. When I saw myselfin the mirror, I looked 5. My granddadused to smoke

. him.

Now add one of the sentences I-9 above to the end of each of the following. a. I usedto be reallyinto dancemusic,but now

6. The tube systemin Tokyo runs .

b. I cant wait to get these new shoesoff and get into a nice hot bath.

7. I was so exhaustedthat I slept

c. I can't wait for the break.

8. My sister and I get on . .

d. That film was so brilliant.lt was so funny. e. And then he said I'd been acceptedfor the team.

With a partner, check how many of these comparisons you can remembea Cover the list and test each other. Tell your partner about anybody you know who: . s m o k e sl i k ea . . . ' eatslikea...

. driveslikea... . l o o k s l i k e ... i n th e morni ngs

Have you ever heard any of the following expressions? Can you guess what they mean? I've got a memory like a sieve. I felt like a fish out of water. She spendsmoney like water. When was the last time you slept like a log? Have you ever met anybody who you immediately got on with like a house on fire?

f. Only you know it's a wig. g. Dad'sa bit too easy-going with her. h. I askedhim time and time againto fix it, but i. That'sthe secondtime he'sthrown his rubbishover into our garden. Do you have similar expressions in your language? Are there any phrases above you wouldn't feel comfortable using?Why?


Collocations .

f

â‚Ź

J

-

nice! With a partner, think of three naughty things that children sometimes do. Add them to this list:

l . fight with their brothersor sisters 2. watch videosthey shouldn't 3 . experimentwith cigarettes 4. 5. 6. On your own, decide which of the above are the most and which the least serious. Compare your answers with your partner, and explain your choices.

Before you read the text on page 83, make collocations by matching l-8 to a-h.

t. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

crgarette I was grounded it was burnt to celebrate 80 on a theme treat his credit card

a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h.

to the ground park thei r w eddi nganniver sar y the other kids to ice cream for a week was refused burns spree a spendi ng

You are going to read about five different young people being left on their own by their parents. With a partner,try to guess what their stories might be, using the eight collocations above.

Did you ever do any of the things on your list? Do you know any children who do? Have you heard the saying'Boys will be boys'? Does your language have an equivalent?

f . Now read the article and see if you were right. I / Wnich story is the most incredible?Why?


1 2 D i f f r c u l tt o b e i , e Y e

I can't believe it!

fuc Alone' is one of the biggestbox office successesin movie history. Along rih fussequel,'Home Alone 2', it grossedoverhalf a billion dollars worldwide. fp ask me, they're not particularly funny films. There's too much slapstick horr for my liking - people slipping over or having their facescoveredin Grm but there is somethingabout the films which appealsto a deep-held trasy we all had when we were children: the freedom to escapefrom our Fcils and do whatever we wanted. Uhm I was in my teens,my parentswent awayfor the weekendleaving me and r; si:rteen-year-old brother to fend for ourselves.We immediately rang up all c friends (and our friends rang their friends) and we had a p^rty. The police trne and broke it up at three in the morning becausethe neighbours were arrrrplaining about the noise. when we cleared up the following day, I found hrmdredsof cigaretteburns in the carpet. Luckily, we had an old piece of the strDe carpet lytttg around, so I got my younger brother to go round the house d stick little bits in the holes to coverthem up. It actually looked quite good ad when my parents got back, it seemedthey didn't notice a thing and I tharght we were in the clear. Unfortunately, when my mum came to do the hmvering later in the week,all the bits we'd put in the holescameunstuck.She szrsnot very pleasedand I was groundedfor a week, while my brother got away sith it becausehe said I'd forced him into it. Typical! Still, this little story is mthing comparedto someof the other horror stories about kids who havebeen left'home alone'. Terry andJerry Schneiderdidn't just find a few cigarerreburns when they came back, they found their whole house burnt to the ground. The couple had left their two children, agedtwelve and fourteen,in the house,while they went on a romantic weekendto Las Vegasto celebratetheir wedding anniversary.The children had bought what they thought were indoor fireworks and were playrng with them. Unfortunately, the explosive Roman candle they lit was for use qttside and it soon set fire to the sofa,curtains and carpet in the front room. By the time the children called the fire brigade half an hour later, the fire was alreadycompletelyout of conrrol. John Thomas, a ten-year-old from Yorkshire, an areain the north of England, was arrested after he shot a dog and terrorised walkers near his home in Keighley. He had taken the gun from a kitchen cupboardwhile his parentswere out shopping and had decided to do some shooting practice in some fields nearby.'I didn't realiseI could kill anything, I just thought they were pretend bullets,' he explained. Lamine, a twelve-year-oldFrenchboy, went on a ten-dayspendingspreeat the EuroDisneytheme park near Pariswith the ten thousand pounds he found ly,rg around in his parents' home. As well as treating other children to ice creams, burgers and free rides, he hired a chauffeur-driven car and slept in a three hundred-pound-a-nighthotel. PeterKerry, a schoolboyof fourteen,went halfway round the world after he stole his father's passportand credit card. He had visited three separatecountriesin twelve daysand spent almost six thousand poundsbefore he was finally caught: his credit card was refusedafter his father cancelledit. It wasn't actually the first time it had happened. Two yearsearlier he spent a week on his own in Germany.'I like travelling,' he said.

We often comment on incredible stories by making questions using the past continuous. These aren't real questions - they are expressions of surprise. We often reply to questions like this using modal verb expressions. Match each question l-3 to two of the responses a-f. l. What were the parentsdoing, leavingall that money lying aroundl 2. What were the securityguards doing,lettinghim on the plane? 3. What was the kid thinkingof, spendingall that money? I know! He could'vebeena terrorist or something. b. I know!They should'velockedit away more safely. c . I know! He must hate his

Parents. d . I know! He shouldn'thavetaken it in the first place. e . I know!Theyshould'vechecked

his passportbetrer. I know!They musr havemoney to burn. Now write four questions about the article showing what you are surprised about. Use these sentence starters.

*li:::: '::-::::::::T::1 , What were Terry and Jerry doing,

What wasJohnThomasthinkingol

And what were his parentsthinking, ,

Ask a partner your questions. They should try to respond using a modal verb expression.


12

D i f f i c u l tt o b e l i e v e

2a. I was drivingthrough town when I got stoPpedby this policecar. 2b. I was drivingthrough town when I was getting stopped by this police car. 2c. I was drivingthrough town when I realisedI was getting reallytired.

Using gtarnfftar Pastsimpleand Pastcontinuous Make logical sentences by matching the beginnings l-8 to the endings a-h. l. Shewas just sittingthere,reading, 2. Justas I was leavingthe house, 3. lt was rainingreallyheavilyas I was leaving, 4. I was livingin ltaly 5. I was just goinghome 6. Justas I went into my daughter'sschool, 7. While we were trying to decidewhere to 8o, 8. I resignedfrom my iob on FridaY

I -J _J J -J J -J J

a. I rememberedthe tickets were on my bed. b. so I grabbedan umbrella. c. when the big Mafiatrials were happening. d. when this guy suddenlystarted talkingto her.

e. I won this fabulousholidayto Jamaica! f. and found a better one on SaturdaY! 8. she came runningup to me,crYing. h . when my boss rang and told me I was going to Washington! Underline the past verb forms in each sentence.

Grammardiscussion One sentence in each of the grouPs of three below is wrong. Why? What is the difference in meaning between the other two sentences? la. We were cleaningthe carpet when we were finding the diamond. lb. We got the systemcheckedout becausewe were findinglots of problemswith it. lc. We got the systemcheckedout becausewe found lots of problemswith it.

84

3a. I was cominghome on the tube when I suddenly bumpedinto an old friend. 3b. I came home on the tube when I suddenlybumped into an old friend. 3c. I came home on the tube when I missedthe last bus. Compare your answers with a partner.

Grammarcheck Complete these sentences by putting the verbs in brackets in the past simple or past continuous. l. As I was on my way back from France,my car .. . (breakdown) .. . . home l astni gh t , 2. W hen | . . .. of mine.(walk) friend old into an I bumped 3. My mother was tidyingmy room up when she . . the letter. (see) . alongthe beachwhen we 4. We . suddenlysaw a body in the sea.(walk) ....ofwritingtoherwhenthe 5. 1.... next thing I knew she turned up on my doorstep. (think) 6. I was talkingto a friend on the phone when my rushinginto mY room' dad .. (come) 7. You can imaginehow angry he was when he .. how much theYwere charging him.(find out) ....some 8 . O h , i t w a s s o s t u p i1d. !. . . water when I knocked it all over myself.(boil) When the clock struck twelve on 3 l" December 1999,where were you and what were you doing? For more information on how to use the past simple and past continuous,seeGl8.


12 Difficultto belreve

Speaking

When we talk about things that happened to us ct a journey, we tend to say where we were Fing. We usually do this by using a verb phrase + ct tlre woy (to) + place. For example: As I was on my way back from France,my car broke dotf,n. Ytb stopped off and had somethingto eat on the way o dre match. Complete the sentences betow with the phrases h the box. a pile-up broke down I I tot a puncture ! got lost I tropp"d off I

almost had an accident bumped into got car sick had an accident took a wrong turn

Have any of the things described in Exercise I above eyer happened to you? On the way to where? Spend a few minutes thinking about what happened and where. Decide if you'll need to use the past simple or the past continuous and then tell a few other people your stories.

Complete the sentences below with the words in the box. trip

tour

travel

journey

flight

travelling

l. A: What time is their . . . . supposedto be getting in now? B: About six thirty, I think. lt's alreadybeen delayed an hour!

2. W h a t a . . . .

! T w e l v eh o u r so n a p l a n e , t h e n six hours on a freezingcold train.

We .. on the way to Dorset. We had to call someone out from a local garageto fix the engine.

3 . I alwaystry and . . .. light,if I can. 4. When I graduated,I worked for a bit and then went

We .. on the way to Lisa'smum's house.We must'vegone up and down the same street about ten times!

5 . I was thinkingof going on a day-.

3. 1 . . . .

. . . . o n t h e w a y t ow o r k t h e other day.There'sso much glasson the roads nowadays,it makescyclinghell!

4. We ..

at a beautifulold castleon our way here and went and had a look around.

1.... . . . . o n m y w a y t os c h o otlh e other day.This guy cut in front of me and I went straightinto the back of him!

....forayear. . . . ro . Brightonthis Saturday. Do you fancy comingl

6. He's awayon a business.. 7. I never

. . . . by bus,if I can help it. I much prefer just cyclingor walking.

8. I spent a couple of months . . . . round peru. 9. I can't believemy parentsare planningto go on a . . . . ro Disneylandwhen they retire!

t 0 . There'sa coach

7. Rebecca

. . on the way to Rushden.Shewas sick all over the back seat. 8. 1 . . . . . . . . a n o l d f r i e n do f m i n eo n t h e way to work this morning.I hadn't seen her for ages.

9. We saw

.. on the motorway on the way to Malmir.lt was awful!There must'vebeen at leastthree or four cars involved.

t0. We .

. on our way to Nara. We nearly hit a truck which was coming in the opposite direction.

. . . . of the city this afternoon.

Do you hncy going?

6. We ..

on the way to Cologne, and had to do a U-turn in the middleof the motorway!

. . , I'm afraid.Try

againon Monday.

il.

Once you land,haveyou got a long . of you before you get home?

. . . ahead

t2. While I was in Granadain Spain,we went on this guided . . . . round the Alhambra,which was reallyinteresting.

Speaking Discussthese questionswith a partner.

t . Haveyou ever been on a guidedtourl When?Wherel What was it likel

2. When was the last time you went on a day-trip? 3. What's the longestjourney you've ever been onl 4. Woufd you like to take a year off and go travellingl Where would you most like to go?


12

D i f f i c u l tt o b e l i e v e

When talking about things that have happened to us, it is common to use yague or approximate fanguage.Choose the best definition )a or b for the highlighted expressions in these sentences.

Look at these two examples: My dad thought I was a pick-pocketor a drug addictor something. There was no hot water or showers or anything!

l. There must'vebeen about thirty or forty people there. a. Either thirty or forty people. b. Between twenty-five and forty-five people. 2. He was sort of smilingat me. a. lt was a particularkind of smile. b. lt wasnt exactlya smile,but it was more like a smilethan anythingelse.

3 . His skin had turned a weird blueishcolour and hed stoppedbreathing. a. lt was bright blue. b. lt wasn'texactlyblue,but it was more blue than any other colour.

4. There must havebeen 500-oddpeoplethere. a. The 500 people were very strange. b. There were approximately500 people.

5 . And the policemanlookedat me and said,'lsthis your carl' you know,'blah,blah,blah.' a. And some other thingsI didn't understand. b. I'm sure you can imaginewhat elsehe said,and you don't need me to tell you. 6 . It must havebeen built about 1985or so. a. lt was buil t i n 1 9 8 5 . b. lt could havebeen 1984or 1986.

Phrases with or something/or anything are common in spoken English when we want to be vague. Complete these sentences with the language in the box below. or somethinglike that food or anything showersor anything a bit of wire or something a hammeror something I. He managedto get the lock to work by using The campsitewas horrible.There were no proper toiletsor...

3 . They must havebroken into the car with They did a lot of damage.

4. I didn't reallyseethe registrationnumber,but I'm sure it startedTKP .

5. We flew on one of those budgetairlines.There were no dri nksor . . . For more information on how to use these structures, s e eG l 9 .

7. It cost two hundredand somethingpounds. a. Justa litde more than two hundredpounds. b. Almost three hundredpounds.

8. And I spoketo that man who works in the office there, you know,what's his name,and he told me . . . a. I can't rememberhis name,but I'm sure you know who I mean. b. Pleasetell me his name.

Reol Englisht sort of / kind of Sort of and kind of are both very common in spoken English.They are often usedwhen you cannot find the right word to expresswhat you mean.Somepeopledo not like thesephrases,but they are extremelycommon even in educated speech. It wos kind of expensive-looking. Shewos sort of onnoyedwith me.

Adding -ish to an adjective or number is a common way of being less precise. He's about forty-ish. Her hair is a sort of reddishbrown. Complete the sentences below with the words in the box. seven-ish long-ish

yellow-ish tall-ish

purple-ish sixty-ish

l. He's not retired yet, but I'm sure he'sabout 2. When you get malaria,your skin turns a sort of ..... colour. 3. I think we'll haveto get the train about get there in time for eight.

. . . . . to

4. Although it was red wine, it was a kind of deep .....colour. 5. Eva'sthe one with

. . . . . dark hair.

6. You'llrecognisehim.He'sa sort of . . . . . version of CharlieChaplinwithout the moustache.

86


..--.

1 W h i l ey o u r e a d -.- Here are four stories. Three are urban myths and only one is true. I I Reaa t hem a n d d e c i d e w h i c h o n e y o u th i nk i s true.

Safetyfirst !

What a rat!

Did you hear about the plane which crashed somewherein SouthAmerica as it was coming in to land ? Apparently, it was fitted with a device which s-arnsthe pilot that he's approachingthe ground- a Ground Warning Alarm (GWA) sysrem.Somepilots find this warning irritating, so rhey switch it off. When the black box was examined,the crashwas blamedon pilot error. The decisionhad beeneasyro reach.When the plane had been coming in to land, the GWA had gone off, telling the pilot he was roo close to the ground. On the tape rhe pilot can be heard sa).lng,'Shut up, you stupid machine!' Then r-ouhear the soundof the crash.

Then there was the story of the couple who were in Thailand on holiday. The morning after rhey arrived,

True story or myth?

they found a thin little cat sitting on rheir balcony. They immediately fell in love with it. They cleaned it and fed it. By rhe time they were ready to leave, they couldn't bear to be parted from it. They arranged for the cat to come home with thern. Waiting at home was rheir pet poodle. The poodle and the cat seemed to get on together very well, so the couple decided to go out for dinner. When they got back, they found their sitting room covered in poodle hair and the dog halfway down rhe cat's throat ! It turned out the cat was not a cat. but an enormous Thai water rat ! True story or myth?

Drowned in a drain

Sunk by flyng cow

\ man from Wakefield in Yorkshire went out one night for a few drinks at his local pub. He left his car in the street near the pub. When he decided ro go home, he went out to his car, took out the keys, and then accidentally dropped them down a drain in the road.

A few yearsago, rhe crew of a Japanesefishing boat were rescuedfrom the wreckageof their boat in the SeaofJapan.They said that their boat had beensunk by u cow falling our of the sky. Nobody believed them. A few weekslater the RussianAir Forceadmitted that the crew of one of their planeshad stolena cow in Siberiaand put it into the plane'scargohold. At 30,000 feet the cow startedto run around the planeout of control.The crew decidedtherewasonly one thing they could do. So, they openedthe cargo door and the cow jumped our, landing on rop of the Japanesefishing boat. True story or myth?

He could see the keys down the drain on top of some leaves.So, he managed to lift the drain cover, but the keys were too far down for him to reach. He lay down in order to reach them. Suddenly, he fell into the drain head firsr. Jusr as he did that, it started ro rain heavily. Nobody heard his cries for help. The next morning he was found drowned, his head down the drain, his legs sricking up in the air. True story or myth?

5peaking Do you know any other urban myths? lf you like this kind of story, they are all o n t he W eb. F ind th e m u n d e r' u rb a n m y th s ' . B ri ng one i n to the next l esson!

ttt llit

lil

87


Choose the correct form.

Rewrite these sentences using tend to or tend not to instead of the adverbial phrases.

l. Oh, you stayedin Bahia?That must be / must'vebeen lovely.

l. On the whole, I prefer not to eat sweet things.

2. I was breaking/ | broke my leg skiing. 3. Would it be OK if I was leaving/ | left an hour early todayl 4. I was walkingdown the road when suddenlya woman came up / was coming uP to me and started / was startrngscreaming.

5 . A: I phonedyou last night at about nine. B: Oh, sorry. I was cooking / | cooked,so I wasn't answering/ | didn't answer it. 6. I watched / | was watchingTV when the lightsjust suddenlywent / were going out. 7. Were you living/ Did you live in Pariswhen Princess Dianadied / was dying.

2. By and large,I don't go out much during the week. 3. As a rule,I don't drink. 4. Generallyspeaking,I take the bus to work. 5. As a rule, people in my country are quite religious. 6. By and large,people in my country don't invite friends round to their houses. peoplein my country spend 7. Generallyspeaking, their holidayswith their families.

8. A: Did you manageto see the first performance? B: No, I wasn't arriving/ | didn't arrive until after theyd finished.

8. On the whole,women don't smokemuch in public.

ls each of the sentences l-8 above true or false for you? Why? Tell your Partner.

Multiple choice Choose the more natural alternative.

t . A: I had an argumentwith my flatmatelast night.

Are there any other generalisations you can make about yourself? About people in your country?

B: Oh, a. had you?What aboutl b. did you?What about?

2. I'm exhaustedthis morning. a. I got in at four in the morning! b. I didn't get in until four in the morning!

3 . A: This traffic's absolutelyawful,isn't itl B: a. You can saythat again! b. You could saythat again!

4. A: I'm going parachutingthis weekend. B: a. You mustn't be serious! b. You can't be serious!

5 . I was lyingby the pool, ... . a. I was sunbathing

b. sunbathing

6. I arrivedat ... . a. sort of nine o'clock

b. about nine-ish

7. a. He was sort of just standingthere. b. He was about just standingthere.

8. I do drink wine and beer,but I never touch vodka or whis k y... . a. or somethinglike that

b. or anythinglike that

b. like reallysad

t 0 . Shelooks as if ... . a. a model

88

Put the jumbled conversation below into the correct orden a. So when did you find out Dave had bought a dogl

b. That soundsterrible.He must be mad! c. It's a he. Davewants to call him Arsenal. d. I bet you couldnt believeit! ls it a he or a she? e. He is mad!And what's worse, it's a boxer or something,and the stupid animalbarkedall night long! f. You know - Arsenal - after the football team.

b. she'siust won the lottery

g J 3 _il 3 _l

8. Well, I told him you'vegot to choose! lt's either of us will haveto go! One me! Arsenal or

T

h. He wants to call him what?

t

i . Did it?You'll end up gettingdivorced! j.

9. H e l o o k s. . . . a. reallysad

Conversation

Last night.I didn't get in until eleven,and there it was, just sittingthere.

I I


R e v r e w :U n r t s9 - ' i 2

Now match the verbs I l-18 to the best collocations k-r. f.-t back at Linking ideas in Exercise 6 on page lf- Tick the expressions l-8 you can remember. & a partner about anything you have forgotten. Crr you think of times in your life when these -tGnces have been true for you?Tell your partner - much as you can about them.

Expressions Complete the sentences below with the qressions in the box. All the expressions re sick to death of you must be mad you went where

or somethinglike that when all of a sudden you can saythat again

I I. fall

k. my car

12. flog

l. the kids their bedtimestory

| 3. read

m. you to dinner

14. download

n. the newsto his family

| 5. treat

o. a spendingspree

| 6. break

p. a lot of discrimination

17. go on

q. asleephalfwaythrough

18. face

r. an article

Now discuss these questions with a partner. 19. When was the lasttime you bumpedinto an old friend? 20. Haveyou ever had to break any bad news to someonel 21. What was the lastthing you downloadedl

English l. A: I went to BurkinaFasolast year. B: last year? A: BurkinaFaso,in West Africa. L

Match the statements l-8 to the responses a-h.

A: lt's freezingoutside,isn't it? B: .....!lhadtoweartwo pulloverswhen I went out.

3. I was just walkingdown the road these two guyscame runningup to me and accused me of stealingtheir car! 1. You paid two grand for a 1985 Renaultwith rust e v e r y w h e r.e. ! ........ ! 5. A: What does her boyfrienddo for a living? B: I think he'sa lawyer 6. Shallwe eat out tonightl I'm . .

. cooking!

Can you think of three other situations where you might say:'You must be mad!'?

J J 3. Are you OK? You look dreadful. J 4. lt hurt like hell when he pulledthe tooth out. -J 5. I heardsomeonepinchedyour bag. _J 6. Did you do anythingspecialyesterdayafter work? -J 7. I tend to go to bed earlier in the winter. J 8. I heard the house cost your sister a fortune. J l. What's your brother like?

2. Do you love him?

a. Yes,I bet it did! Ratheryou than me. b. Yes,it was over eightygrand! c. He's a bit of a nerd,actually. d. Kind ol I suppose.

Can you think of four things you could be sick to death of?

e. No, I just went straighthome and had an early night. f . Yes.I'm reallyannoyedabout it!

Collocations

g. Yes,I'm OK. I just had a bit of a late night,that's all. h. Yes,so do l.

Match the verbs l-10 to the best collocations a-j. l.

mind

a. like a chimney

2. smoke

b. into an old friend

3. spend

c . your own business

4. go

d . at my watch

5 . do

e . exhausted

6. glance

f. somethingto eat

7 . bum p

8. out for a quick run h . a bit of washingup

8. feel 9. catch up 1 0 . get

i . the eveninground at Dave's j . with the gossip

You have one minute to memorise the responses a-h. Now coyer Exercise 8 above. Your partner will read out the statements l-8. How many responses can you remember?


R e v i e wU: n i t s9 - 1 2

Vocabulary

ldioms

Answer these questions with a partner. Then compare your answers with another pair. Who got most answers right?

Make sentences with idioms by matching the beginnings l-8 to the endings a-h. l. I nearly

a. a log.

2 . I s leptlik e

b. a fish.

3 . I c ouldhar dl y

c. on the rocks!

4. I'm dyingfor

d. a lunatic.

5 . He dr ink slik e

e. might fly!

6. Pigs

f. died laughing.

7. He was drivinglike

g. a coffee.

8. My marriageis

h . h e a r m y s e l ft h i n k !

l.

lf you wantedto show someoneyou were angry with them,would you stareat them,glareat them or gl anceat theml

2. Can you think of five thingsyou can run out of? t heir personsomeonew ho underst ands 3. l s a sensi bl e friends'feelingsor someoneableto makegood deci si ons? 4. lf you're'goingout with' someone,what two meaningscould this havel

1 0 What can you remember?

5. l f you bump i nto an ol d fri end,does i t hur t ? 6. How could my youngerbrother get awaywith murderl

With a partner, note down as much as you can remember about the two texts you read in units l0 and 12.

7. l s a di vorceesomeonew ho i s di vorcedor som eone who is gettingdivorced? 8. lf you proposeto someone,what is the question you ask? 9. l f you get on l i kea houseon fi re w i th som eone,do you get on well or badlyl

ls she really going out with him?

10. W hy w oul d you w ear a w i gl I l.

lf you'retired,do you go asleepor fall asleepl

12. lf you don't haveany cleanclothesto wear,would or the w ashi ngl you do the w ashi ng-up you uP ,do they just want chat 13. l f someonetri es to to talk to youl w,ha t kind of of your busi ness' 14. l f I say:' That'none s questionhaveyou just askedme? J

15. l s someonew ho ki l l sa l ot of peopl eover a per iod of ti me a seri ouski l l eror a seri alki l l erl 16. D o you surf the net or the beachl 17. A re l adsyoungmen or youngw omen? 18. C an you thi nk of three recentbl ockbust er sl 19. lf you go to a club,do you leaveyour coat in the cl oakroomor the bathroom? do you like them or 20. lf you find someoneappealing, not?

Now compare what you remember with another pair. Who remembers more? Which text did you enioy more? WhY?

90


' - l Lr groups, show each other the notebooks you keep of language you learn in ctass and/or any vocabulary record books you have. Explain how you record hnguage and what you do with the notes after class. Be honest! Hd do you try and learn words and expressions?Who do you think has the best method? Why? Now read this text and see if you are like the student mentioned.

Has the text made you change your mind about the way you learn and record vocab ulary?

91


.i fUrt

:

- . J - J . j . t ; 2

ft"':

Elevenquestions lmagine you are attending a reun:on of all your old friends from secondary school. Here are some of the things you might want to say. l. Hello,( Car r i e ,)h o w a re y o u l 2. I haven'tseenyou for ages. 3. You haven'tchangedone bit. 4. You look exacdythe same!Not one day older! 5. What've you been doing for the past (ten) yearsl 6. What're you doing nowl dol 7. Are you marriedlWhat does your husband/wife 8. Haveyou got a familyl 9. Are you still (afraidof spiders)l 1 0. Do y ou s t ill (p l a yte n n i s )? I l. Where do you live now? First, work alone and decide how you would respond to these questions and comments. Then talk to other students in the class and find out what you have all been doing.

I haven't seen you for ages Who is your oldest friend? When did you first meet? Can you think of someone you haven't met for a long time? Why not? Are you still in touch? What are they up to now?

While Sharon and Barry are friends who live in the area. They;ve bumped into each other ,"-. in the street and are catching up with each other's news.

A ld

Cover the conversation on Page 93. As you listen to them talking about what they've both been up to, try to answer these questions. l. What's Barry been up to? 2. What's Sharonbeen up tol Listen again and try to fill in the gaPs in the conversation.

92


1 3 O l of r e - : s

Long time, no see! Sharon: Barry! Hi, how are you? | haven'tseenyou for a8es. Barry: Hello,Sharon.Longtime, no see. Sharon: I know.So how're you doingl Barry: I'm all right,thanks.And you? Sharon: Yeah,not too bad.So,what'veyou been up to sinceI last sawyou? Barry: Not a lot - working mostly ( l) . . re a l l yl o n g h o u rsthi s week,getting reallyfed up with it, you know. Sharon: Really? Barry: Yeah,but I went down to Kent last weekend, for my grandma'sbirthdayparty. Sharon: O h, ho w o l d w a s s h e l Barry: Eighty-five. lt was reallygreat.We (2) . . this lovelymealand t hen we (3 ) .. a w al k alongthe beach.lt was good to get out of the crty. S h a r o n :l b e t .l ( 4 ) . .havea weekend away myself. Barry: I know. You get to the point where you really need it, don't you? lf you don't get out of Londonfrom time to time, it starts driving you crazyyou know. (5) .. w h a ta b o u yt o u ?( 6 ) ........ I Sharon: Well,on SundaymorningI (7) .. that exhibitionat the RoyalAcademy. Barry: Oh yes,the one there's been ( 8) . . a b o u t- d e a dsheep and picturesof toilet rolls and things. Sharon: Yeah,my friendAngela- she'sat art schoolshe kept naggingme to go and see it, so I went. Barry: And what did you think of it?

( e .) .

. . . . .?.

SharonO : h ,l ( 1 0 ) . . thoughtit was excellent,reallygood and challenging. There'sonly one thing that madeyou go 'yuk!'the deadsheep.I think it's meantto shock you,though. Anyway,after that, I ( | l) . . and saw a friend of mine,Richard,for a bit and then we went up to Camdenmarketto do a bit of shopping. Barry: Oh yeah,it's nice up there on a Sunday, isn't it? Sharon: Yeah,it's great. And then I ( 12) . . at my mum's,which was nice. Barry: Oh, that soundsgood. Sharon: Yeah,and apart from that, ( 13) . . thingsfor college, really. Barry: Uh-huh,still beinga good student,then. Oh look, there's my bus into town. ( 1 4 ). . l ' l l s e ey o u s o o n , then. Bye. Sharon: Yeah,OK, bye.

I Recll Englishs Longtime,no see! usedbetween r This is an informalexpression, friends.lt means:'lhoven'tseenyoufor o long time.' I -J

Real Englishs

I actuallythought it

was excellent. Actuallyis usedlike this when we want to stress somethingwe see as a fact,and which is different from what the other person expected. A: Thot jocketmust'yecostyou o lot B: Well,it wos octuolly quitecheop.

Speaking Has there been an exhibition or concert that caused a big fuss in your country? Why was it so controversial? What makes you go 'yuk'?

Expressions In the conyersation, Barry said that if you live in a big city like London, you get to the point where you really need a weekend away. What do you thi nk i t means? Get is a very common verb in English. Here are eight things you can get. Use them to complete the sentences below. the impression a terrible shock some sleep a doctor

five years to the top a life the message

t . I got .

. . . when I saw Mary after all those years.Shelooked reallyold. 2. That guy got . . . . for knockingdown one of our neighbours'children.He was drivingwhen he was drunk.

3. Quick,get.. . . ! S h e ' ss t o p p e db r e a t h i n g ! 4. Sorry,I've beenworking non-stopfor eighteenhours. I really need to get . .

5 . Do you sometimesget .

. . . that Claire is

bored with her job?

6. I can't believeyou spentthe whole weekend studying.You shouldget out more and get I

7. I keep droppinghintsthat I'm not interested,but he neverseemsto get 8. He's incrediblyambitious.He'd do anythingto tet

93


13 Old friends

I PresentperfectsimPleand perfectcontinuo You arrange to meet a friend at seven otclock. He finally arrives at eight. Which do you say to him - a or b? Explain your choice. a. Where on earth haveyou been?I've been waiting here for an hour. b. Where on earth haveyou been?I've waited here for an hour. The next example is very strange. Correct it. I'm afraid I cant go. I've been breakingmy arm. Which of these sentences sound correct? la. You look as if you've been crying.What's the matterl lb. You look as if you've cried. What's the matterl 2a. Hey! I've been finding your PassPort. 2b. Hey! I've found your PassPort.

Adverbswith the PresentPerfect Look at these common adverbs which are often used with the present Perfect: just

almost

never

comPletelY

Discuss which is the most likely in these sentences. l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

I've.. I've .. I've . . I've.. I've . . I ' v e. . He's . I've .. She's I've . .

..beentoSiberia. .. bumpedinto Harry on the tube. . . finished.Give me two minutes. ..forgotten Your name. . .tot to the end of the book. .. h a d a n i d e a . . . had an originalidea in his life! .. seen somethint reallyfunny. . . .got over the death of her son. . . seen anythingso funny.

Use these sentence starters to tell your pattner some interesting things about yourself. l. 2. 3. 4.

I'vejust . . . I've never ... I'vealmostfinished... I've completely...

_ l :,'#f, Presentperfectcollocations

Some verb forms occur very often with the same expressions.Choose the correct expression to complete these present perfect sentences. l. I've been at college

a. for the past three years. b. since the last three years.

2. I've been travelling

a. about Africa.

b. around Africa. 3. I've been studying

a. for a doctor.

b. to become a doctor. 4. I've been abroad

a. studying.

b. for studying. 5. I've been working

a. as a volunteer in Africa.

b. as volunteer in Africa. 6. I've been on a course a. to better my English. b. to improve my English. 7. I've been away

a. sincetwo months.

b. sinceChristmas. 8. I've been ill

a. for the past fortnight. b. since the past fortnight


13 Old frrends

Now complete the sentences below with the adjectives in the box.

Pronunciation $ lJ

tisten to the intonation pattern of this line f"om the conversation.

How are youl I haven'tseenyou for ages. Pnactise the following,which have similar patterns. l. L 3. 1. 5. 6. 7. 8.

How are youlWe haven'tspokenfor weeks. How are you?We haven'thad a chat for ages. How are they? | havent seenthem for months. How is hel I hear he'sjust got back. How is shel I haven'tseen her for ages. How's your dadl I haven'tseen him for years. How is she?| heard she'shad a boy. How much was itl I heard it cost a fortune.

high

turning

Now ask your partner the questions in Exercise5 above. Try to keep each conyersation going for as long as possible. For more information on how to use the present perfeci simple and present perfect continuous,see G20.

sore

5. The real .. . . point in my life was when I was told ten yearsago rhat I only had three months to live. 6. One of Mary's .. . . points is the fact that she never gets annoyedwith anyone. 7. Dont talk to Bill about his divorce.lt's still a very . . .. poi nt w i th hi m. 8. I think the . . . . point of my trip to Africa was standingatVictoria Falls. Now complete the sentences below with the common expressions in the box. on the point of

Grammarpractice

strong

there's no point

9. Jane'sworking in Greece for a month, so trying to ring her.

t 0 . I was

leavingwhen the phone rang.

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner.

girr

l. What are the strongand weak pointsof your Englishl Grammar?Pronunciation I Vocabulary?

Expressions with point

Havethere been any turning points in your life? What has been the high point of your year so farl

You can record expressions in your notebook in difrerent ways. For example, you could put the expression Barry used in the conyersation -'you get to the point where you need a weekend away' - under the heading of get or as an expression with point. Doing both is a good idea. Here are sentences with some other expressions with point. Complete them with the words in the box. get

see

make (x2)

l. Do you think you could . . . . to the point, please? 2. Please . . .. a point of beingearly. just 3. I dont . . . . the point of complaining. 4. lf you don't . . . . your point strongly,people will just ignore what you're trying to say.


1 3 O l df r i e n d s

Speaking

i'=7,r\',( ?1

. . 1 - a - . . . . t

Whileyou ft ttrere is aTV programme in Britain called ld'surprise Surprisel. lf you want to get in touch with someone you haven't seen for a long time, you contact this Programme and they try to put you back in touch - and film the meeting! Some people think this is a very good idea; some think it is a dreadful idea. What do you think? lf you were the programme's producer, which two of these stories would you be interested in? Why?

Long lost friends Bob's story When I was in the army, I was very friendly with a chap calledTom Ramsayfrom Leeds.We lost touch when we left and I wish we hadn't.I would love to meet him againto talk about all the thingswe went through together. Jill's story When I was a young girl of fifteen,I had a baby.My parentsforced me to have it adopted.All I know is that she was born on March 14th, 1975 and the peoplewho adoptedher lived in York.I would love to meet her.I think about her everyday of my life.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

t . ls there anybodyyou'velost touch with who you'd like to be reunitedwithl

2. ls there anybodyyou reallywouldn't like to meet againlWhy notl

Decide if these idioms describe a good relationship or a bad one. L We got off on the wrong foot, and it was all downhillfrom there. 2. We decidedto go our seParateways' 3. I'vegot a bit of a soft spot for him. 4. She'sgood if you need a shoulderto cry on. 5. There'sno love lost betweenthem. 6. We iust hit it off immediately. 7. They hate each other's guts. Do you have similar idioms in your language? Spend two minutes trying to memorise the idioms above. Now cover the sentences l-7 above and complete the sentences a-g below. a. Listen,you can alwaystalk to me if you need a shoulderto... Haveyou seenmuch of Nick and Linglately? b. B: Oh, haven'tyou heard?They'vegone their

Jim's story l'm now eighty-five.When I was a young lad of fifteen,I spenta summerworking on a farm in Kent, picking fruit. I fell in love with a girl called lrene Smithson.Shecamefrom Canterbury.Atthe end of that beautiful summer,we went our separateways and nevermet again.My wife died lastyear.I would love to meet lrene again.I have three childrenand twelvegrandchildren.

ls there something going on between those two? It's a long story, but basicallythey iust hate d . I met him when I first startedwork, and we iust

... immediately. e.

h a v ea b i to f a . . . .

96

. . . . . f o rh i m .

Those two don't get on, do theY? certainlyno B You can saythat again!There's t h e m . ... between

Hugh's story l'm twenty-fiveand single.I live in Birmingham.Last month, I spent the weekend in London with some friends.On the Saturdaynigh[ | met a fabulousgirl calledMelanieBrownat a disco.We dancedtogether all night and talked for hours. We iust hit it off immediately.The trouble was she had a boyfriend who wasabroadon businessthat weekend.Shegave me her telephone number, but l've lost it.l'm desperateto see her again.I wish l'd asked her for her addressaswell.The only thing I know is that she lives in Notting Hill Gate. But thats all I know exceptthat she had huge brown eyes.

He'sa bit of an idiot,really,isn't he?

B: I know what you mean,but I haveto admit,I do

g

How come you and Mariannedon't get on? B I don't really know. We got off on the . . . and then it was all from there!

Think of some people these idioms could 6.t.6bc' Tell some of the other students in your class aboc them.


'

, : l ? , t ,

J J ) J J . :

J

ilrilt!!i--;f

I wish In the text on page 96, Hugh said:,1wish I'd asked her for her address.' i . Can y ou r em emb e rw h y h e fe l t l i k eth i s ?

With a partner, decide which of the four possible stories from the TV programme ,surprise, Surprise', described on page 96, you would like to act out. Spend five minutes thinking about what you're going to say. Ask your teacher for help if you need to. Then role play the people being reunited.

7. What tensedo we use after wish if we want to talk about past regretsl Complete these sentences by putting the verbs in brackets in the correct form. Some sentences will be negative. . I s o m e t i m ewsi s h| . . . . ..... my grandfatheron my mum'sside.(know) i . I w i s h| . . . . . . . . . s o m u c he a r l i e (r e. a t ) 3

J -J | o f t e nw i s h I . . . m o r ew h e n I w a s younger.(travel) I I reallywish | . . . ro seethe doctor about it earlier.(go) -J I s o m e t i m ewsi s h| . . . . . . . . . s o m u c ht i m e when I was at university. (waste) -J I w i s h| . . . . . . . . . s o m u c hm o n e yw h i l eI was on holiday.(spend) J I w i s h| . . . . . . . . . h e r e a r l i e (r m . eet) _J I reallywish | . . . my addressbook. (lose) J

Now match the sentences l-8 above to the follow-up comments a-h below. :

I wouldn't be working here if ld got a better degree. I wouldn't havehad to spendso manyyearsof my life on m y own!

:

I just don't havethe time to do it now. It wouldn't havegot so bad if I had. I wouldn'tbe so badlyin debt if I hadn't. l'm goingto losetouch with loadsof peoplenow. He was supposedto havebeena reallyinteresting guy. -

| feel reallysick!

lJ

Now listen and check your answers.

Express regrets that are true for you using these râ‚Źntences starters. 9

| s o m e t i m ew s i s h I ' d. . . 3. I reallywish I'd . I reallywish I hadn't 2. I often wish I hadn't Tell your partner what you have written and try to explain why you feel like this. lll For more information on how to use wishto talk about dringsyou regret,see G2l.

rlt

lil


Uiirtg Jr.abularl Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Do you ever go to exhibitions? W hat ki nd? 2. Has your home town got an art gallerylWhen was the lasttime you went to it? 3. What is the best exhibitionyou haveever been tol 4. The pictureson this pageare a portrait of LuniaCzechowskaby A medeoModi gl i ani and'St illlif e with apples'by PaulC6zanne.Do you like them?Can you saywhyl 5. Haveyou ever painted, sculptedor drawnl Has any of your work ever beenexhibitedperhapsat schooll


14 Arr

Recommending Put the jumbled conversations into the correct order. Conversation I

Practice

a- | went and saw an exhibitionat the Hayward Galleryearlierin the week. b. So,you'd recommendit. then?

lJ _J c. Quite good,actually,the photos were really great,quite amazing_ some of them. -J d. Oh, reallyllt soundsquite interesting.What was it like? J e. Yes,you shouldgo and see it. J f. lt was a collectionof photos from the first lunar landing. -J g. Oh, did youl What was it? J Conversation 2 I went and saw that new exhibitionat the NationalGallerythe other day. b. Oh, it was this collectionof Flemishpaintings from the seventeenthcentury. c. Oh, did you? Which one'sthat again? d. Well, I didn't think much of it myself.lt was all a bit dull,you know. e. No, ld give it a miss,if I were you _ unlessyou reallylike that sort of thing,of course. f. Oh reallylWhat was it like? t. So,you wouldn't recommendit, then?

IJ _J -J -J _J J J

f 'r Ura.n and check your answers. Then practise both conversations with a partner, making sure you sound enthusiastic or not, as appropriate.

Recommendi ng expressions When we talk about an exhibition we,ve been to, we usually say whether we think it was worth seeing or not. Put the words in order to make necommending expressions. f . y o u ' r e/ O K l i t ' s l s o r t / i f / i n t o / t h i n g l t h a t l o f

2. a i m u s t / i t ' s

Listen and check your answers. Which expressions recommend an exhibition? Which do not?

A t7

Think of an exhibition you'ye seen. Decide whether youU recommend it or not. Use Conversations t and 2 as models and tell your partner about it. you should begin: I went and saw an exhibitionat ... the other daylthe other week.

Describingpaintings are eight ways of describing paintings. lere Check that you understand the words, uring dictionary if necessary.Use them to complete" the sentences below. portrait

detailed

landscape

traditional

still life

original

abstract

colourful

l . I thi nk hi s w ork i s very i ndi vi dualvery , . I've neverseenanythingelselike it. 2. I'vejust beento a(n) . . . . exhibition_ it,s somethingI've tried to do myself,but my apples alwayslook like peaches! 3. We've got a(n) . . . . of my great_grandfather at home.He was a generalin the army. 4. Renaissance paintingswere alwaysvery . You could see all the stitcheson the clothes. 5. His most famous . . . . was a pictureof the sceneryaround his home in provence.

I

ll ll t,

6. I don't actuallyrikemodern art. I much prefer more ....things. 7. ldon't like paintingsthat are all greysand browns. I like really . . . . things.you know, lots of bright greensand reds and yellows. 8. I don't understandher work at all.lt's just too ....forme.

Speaking

3 . recommendI reallyI I I it

Discuss these questions with a partner.

4 . you I give / if / were / missI a I l,d I it | |

l. You'vejust learnedwhat a portrait,a landscape and a still life are. What other kindsof art can you think of? 2. What's your favouritepiece of artl Why? How would you describeit?

5. visit / well / it's / a / worth

Ir

li

6 . entrance/ not I it's lthe / fee / worth 7. its / my | rca lcup / of I really/ not

h t

I

I

eel I


14 Art

i'.'=aditry Discuss these questions with a partnen l. Do you like modern artl Why/why not? 2. What do you think art is for? 3. Do you like any of the works you can see on these pages?Why/why not?

Now read the article and decide how the writer woutd answer the three questions i n E x er c is e l.

n ld

It's November,which means it's the time of year when the papersare full of articlesby people who are shocked about art. This is becausein November the Tate Gallery in London holds the annual Turner Prize exhibition of modern aft. Each year four of the best British artists are selectedfrom all those who have exhibited during the year and of these, one is chosen.For the most part, the shockjournalists expressis not 'Youcall that art?!' variety.We moral outrage,but more of the are treated to a string of the usual complaints and clichds: Anyonecould do that!' 'My five-year-olddaughtercould do betterthan that.' Abed in the middle of a room! Where'sthe 'Whatever happenedto people just painting skill in that?' 'Fifty pictures?' thousandpoundsfor that! You'repulling my leg.' etc.,etc.Well, personally,I'm sick of it - the journalists complaining, that is - not the art. The only thing which is predictable,boring, and money for nothing is their writing. Thesepeoplejust want an to be pretty pictures.For them, it's just. an extension o[ interior design - something which will match the sofa or look good in the bedroom. For me, the worst thing anyonecould say about art is that it looks quite nice. Art should make you think. Art should be the result of artists thinking about the world they seeand their reactions 'Oh, to it. It shouldn't be aboutseeingsomethingand saying, that looks nice. I'll paint that and make it look just like a photograph, and I'll take ten years to do it,' which is what thesejournalistsseemto think is required of art. I have made a selection of some of the previous Turner Prize entrants - I know journalists do not like to spend time doing researchfor themselves,so I've done it for them. Perhaps they could ask the question Wolfgang Tillmans, a previous winner, poses. 'These scenarios might appear

100

strangeto somepeople,but I try to ask through them, what is so strangehere, the scenarioin the picture, the world around you, society, your ideas about beauty or my ideas about beauty?' Richard Long causedoutragewith his work, which was a line of bricks laid on the floor of the gallery. He made a similar piece with bits of slate,a kind of grey stone,which he'd found on a walk in the countryside. Martin Creed won the prrze with a piece which involved the audience walking into an empty gallery space and the lights suddenly being turned off and then sometime later turned back on again. Rachel Whiteread uses common objects as a mould. She fills the inside with concreteand exhibits the sculpturesrvith the objectsremoved.She has used tables,chairs, bookcases and, most famously,a whole house. 'The Great Bear'. Simon Patterson, in a work called painted a replica of the London Underground map, but replacedthe namesof the stations with the names of famous people from history. Chris Ofilli paints religious figures, and as well as paint uses other media such as mud and elephant dung. Mayor Giuliani in New York oncetried to ban one of his works of the Virgin Mary becausehe said it was an insult to the Catholic religion. Tracy Emin was famous for making an installation of her slept-in bed in the middle of a gallery. She also made a tent and pinned on the inside the namesof all the men she'd slep with. Douglas Gordon won for showing Alfred Hitchcock's thriller, 'Psycho',which he sloweddown so much that it took twenty-four hours to play instead of two. Personally,I don't really careif you don't /ike thesepieces: that's not the point. What shouldbe absolutelyclear,though. is that these ideasare not the work of five-year-olds,but of creative,intelligent adults.It's a shamewe can't saythe sanrc of somejournalistsand critics!


q

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14 Art

t, -'\

J t ) )

?

r

Now make short dialogues by matching the statements l-6 to the responses a-f.

?

( - . 7 ( i r ? 2. -..)...

l. I visitedAlan in hospitallast Fridayto see how he was gettingon.

Relativeclauses we talk about the things we've been doing, we usually follow facts with comments. For example:

When

I went to that new Matisse exhibition, which was really ntce. There was a riot in the city centre, which meant I

2. I spentall day Sundaycatchingup on all my mail. last week. 3. I went and saw that musical,Chicogo, 4. I went round to Mike and Sue'sthe other dayto see that new car they'vebeentellingeveryone about.

__J _J _J _J

couldn't get to the airport. Try to think of comments l.

for the following.

, hich meant . . . . . l t w a s p o u r i n g w i t h r a i n o n S u n d a yw

, hich was . 2 . I w e n t t o v i s i t a w h i s k y d i s t i l l e r yw

5. I went down to Bristolfor the weekenda couple of weeks ago. 6. I just stayedin last nightand watchedTV. There's a greatthing on on Fridaysat the moment about Antarctica. Oh, that remindsme. I must record that new thing or ChannelFour tonight.lt's meantto be reallyfunny.

tr. ; ;"", *n .i *rr' 3. mi"r.o.na r"ir.o..t" ou"r^ 4. I went to see Iosco at the opera last night, which was

: : : :

: : : : :: :

:

: : : : : : : : :

b. Oh, reallylI've beenthinkingabout havinga weekend awaymyself.Were you campingor whatl c . Oh, that remi ndsme. I must sendi n my passpor t

5 . I m i s s e d t h e t r a i n t h i s m o r n i n g ,w h i c h m e a n t 6. I failed my exam, which meant

II

appl i cati on. to go and see him d . Oh, di d you?| keepmeani ng myself.How was he? e . Oh, that remi ndsme. I mustgi vethem a ca ll.I haven't

spokento them for ages.

Speaking Think of two things you'Ye done recently, and tell your partner about them. Be sure to add comments starting with which. For more informationon how to add extra comments usingrelativeclauses,see G22.

) i ' )| t ( j J r a - t i i t u J TI; J r e m i n d sm e ! When people are talking about what they have been doing, it often reminds us of things which we have thought of doing ourselves. Look at the highlighted expressions in these examples: I went to seethe Turner Prizeexhibitionthe other d.y. B: Oh, yeah.I keep meaningto go and seethat myself. What was it likel Oh, it was OK, but nothingspecial,really. I went round to see my mum on Sunday. B : O h, t hat r e mi n d sm e , I m u s t p h o n em y m u m tonight.I alwaystry to ring her once a week. Yeah,parentsget upsetif you don't keep in touch, don't theyl

102

Oh, I've been meaningto go and seethat for ages. Was it as good as everybodysays? 'l

j N"*

listen and check your answers.


14 Ar1

2 i Practice Practise reading the dialogues in Exercise I aloud with your partner. Try to add a third response, as i n t his ex am ple. I visitedAlan in hospitallast Fridayro see how he was getttngon. Oh, did you?| keep meaningto go and see him myself.How was he? Not bad.You shouldgo and see him.I'm sure he'd love to seeyou. With a partner, have similar conyersations using tfiese ideas. l. buy a birthdaycard for my brother 2. phone my parents 3. paymy telephonebill 1 . book m y s um m e rh o l i d a y 5. sendin my applicationform 6. havemy hair cut

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. L Here are six examplesof thingsyou mightgo and see.Do you find any of them morallyoffensivel Politicallyoffensive? a. a displayof Egyptianmummies b. an exhibitionof the body of a man found frozen in the Alps after hundredsof years c. a zoo with lionsand tigersin cages d. a museumin Britaindisplaying staruestaken from Greece 200 yearsago e. a sci encemuseumw i th humanfoetuses preservedin formaldehyde f. an exhibitionabout some of the most famous murderersin history

2. Would you ban any of them? 3 . Would you be happytakingyour childrenor your youngerbrothersor sistersto them all?

4. What do you think of the exampleof street art belowl

103


L : gI ? I t ' : l t g

While

Here are eighteen ways to describe something. Six of them mean very good; six mean very bad; six are mildly critical. Put them into groups. terrific a bit bland excellent very ordinary dreadful wonderful

horrible marvellous horrendous dire brilliant terrible

awful nothingspecial on the dull side a bit over-the-top superb a bit disappointing

. ', i4 "ri+$dl;riir r+ agiq

:f 4rl*;-:+'1si 1'.e..i;,.3"e*

listen

You are going to hear three conversations ff ul where people describe what things are like. As you listen, take notes on what they are describing and which adjectives they use. Listen again if you need to.

Practice Use some of the adjectives on this page to describe: 1. 2. 3. 4.

a film you'veseenrecently the weather recently a journeyyou'vebeen on a meal you've had recently

Recll English3 oventhe-top Over-the-top means'exaggerated or extravagant in some way'.lt could refer to someone'sdressor behaviouror the amount of food or drink at a party. Didn't you think their house woso bit over-the-top? I thoughtten RollsRoycesat the weddingwos o bit overthe-top. Underline the main stressed syllable in each expression and practise saying them.

I I I

I

Sometimeswe sayOTT instead. It wos o bit OTT!


15 Descrc^::--:)

I

Asking linked questions

Itb sometimes ask two questions at the same tine. For example:

I

n

So what'sthat new film likelAny good? Yes,it's great - if you like Hugh Grant. What was Maltalike?Was it hotl Yes,it was really lovely.We were never out of the water.

Write similar questions to suggest these answers. The first one has been done for you. f . : Whot'shis houselikeTls it big? B: Yes,it's huge.lt's got four bedroomsand an enormousgarden. I L : B: No, it wasn't,actually.lt was reallyboring.ln fact,

::::::r:: i::::::.:: ;

3 . : B: Yes,very much.My bossis reallynice and it's quite well paid,really.

1 . : B: Yes,it wosquite warm, but not as hot as the last

Now complete these sentences with although or consi deri ng. l. Talking about a new CD a. I think the whole CD is reallygood how manychangesthe band'shad sincetheir last one. b. I think the third track'sthe bestI qui te l i kethat songcal l ed' D ol phi ns' too. c. I thi nk i t' sa greatC D .... i t' ssti l l n ot as good as their first album. d . I t h i n k i t ' sr e a l l yg r e a t ...... how differentit is from what they usuallydo. 2. Talking about a trip a. The trip was great the mosquitoes were a bit of a problemat night! b. I reallyenjoyedthe flight in the end how nervous I was before we took off c. I had a real l ybri l l i antti me .... I pro bably wouldn'tgo back. d. We had a great trip, .

. . . how little it cost!

Now complete these sentences with although or in spite of.

ilme we went. 3. Talking about buying a watch

5 i .

B Yes,I think it'sgreat.The third track is brilliant. 6

i

B No, we lost three-one.lt was just terrible. I can't believeit.

ff Check with a partner to see if you have ll similar questions.Then listen to the modet questionsand practisesayingthem.

Practice

a. I reckon this one'sgot to be the best buy, I know I shouldn'treallyspendmore than f 100on a watch. b. I thi nk thi s one j ust l ooksni cerbeinga lot cheaperthan the others. c. I'd go for that digitalone,. . . . the strap. You can alwaysget that changedlater. d. I think the Rolexone'sthe nicest goingto nearlybankruptme!

. . . . . it is

For more information on how to use these conjunctions--

Now ask your partner two linked questions about the following.

seeG23.

I

li ir )

t . the weatheron their last holiday 2. t heir job 3 . their houseor flat 4. how they get on with their parents 5 . how they are 6. their day yesterday

U;irryg l ? i r r rrft a r Conjunctions

Make three questions youU like to ask a partner with this pattern. S o w h a t ' s. . . l i k e l Now take turns asking and answering these questions. Try to describe things in as much detail as you can, using as much of the language from these pages as possible.

Look at these examples of sentences with although, considering and in spite of. I quite like her new shoes- althoughI think the heels are just a bit too high. I quite like her new shoes- consideringhow cheapthey were. I quite like her new shoes- in spite of the flashydesigner label.

Ir I


1 5 D e s c r i b i tnhgi n g s

L , ; t ' e t t ' : f tJr t

Not exactlyShakespeare!

Dl;Jl;l:J::,[:".y:

Paul:

Guesswhat I went and saw last night - Titonic- it's on againthis week at the Duke ofYork's.

coffee. Listen to them talking about the films they have seen recently.

Mick

Oh, yeah.I saw that when it first cameout. What did you think ofitl(l).. .......?

Paul:

Oh, it was great.I reallyenjoyedit. I thought the specialeffects were amazing,and the actingwas brilliant.lt's one of those films where, you know,when | first heard about how much money they'd spent on it, (2) . . . , but it was reallygreat. It was a bit like one of those old disastermovies,you know,like Toweringlnfernoor Eorthquoke,(3)

Mick

Really?I'm surprised.I thoughtthe actingwas a bit wooden myself,and the dialoguewas just awful. (4) . . . .you actuallythought it was worth the money they'd spent on it. I mean,(5) . . . the whole thing just a little bit over-the-topl

Paul:

Oh, no. (6) . .

Mick

But the actingwas horrendous!

Paul:

Well, I know it's (7) . . . Shakespeare, but it's not meantto be,is itl l'll tell you somethingweird though,there was this guy sitting nexr to us who snored all the way through the fi l m!

Mick

ReallylThat (8) . . . really,annoying. How could anybodyactuallysleepthroughall that noise!

Paul:

I don't know - just deadtired, I suppose.

Mick

Yeah,I guessso,but really,though,(9) . . just a bit too sentimental?

Cover the conversation. As you listen, try to answer these questions. l. Which filmsare they talking about? 2. What do they think of them? Listen again and try to fill in the gaPs.

. I thought it was brilliant.

. it was all

Paul: (10). . . , b u t l h o n e s t l yd i d n ' t I. r e a l l yt h o u g h ti t w a s all done just right.lt was so romantic. Mick

Oh well, eachto his own. Haveyou seen BombAlert2 yett

P a u l : N o , l h a v e n e' tv e nh e a r do f i t . ( l l ) . . Mick

....... ?

Um,Jean-Paul van Klam,he'sgreat in it and,um,that woman from Komikoze,you know who I mean.Remember?Shewas T u r t l e - w o m at o n o ,( 1 2 ) . . . I m u s t( 1 3 ) . she wasn't very good in that.

P a u l : O h , h e r .S o w h a t ' si t l i k e ?( 1 4 ). ........ ? Mick Yeah,it's great - if you like blood all over the placeand that sort of thing. Paul:

Oh, it doesn'treallysound like ( 15) . . I think l'll giveit a miss.

. , actually.

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. f . Which film would you rather go to - Titonicor BombAlert2? 2. What's the most over-the-topfilm you've ever seenl


1 5 D e s c r r b i tnhgr n g s

Uging 'i)trr{ttff t=tr 1

Negativequestions

}lkk asked:'Didn't you think it was all just a bit bo sentimental?' Negative questions can express n indirect opinion or surprise. Do you like cheese?(normalquestion) Don'r you like cheesef(l'm surprised.) Vl/hatdid you think of it? (normalquestion) Didn't you think it was reallyboring?(, did.) Negative questions are often followed by the rcrts find and think. f . Don'tlDidn't you find it + adiective i I reallylike livingout here in the counrry. B: Oh, really.Don't you find it a bit boringl i No, not at all.lt's great. L Don'tlDidn't you think it + verb -r. f'm goingto see DogsofWor tonight. B: Oh really.Don't you think it looks really violent? A Yes,a bit, but then I like that kind of thing. ,\ Listen to these examples and practise them lj wtth a partnen

Grammarin context

Grammar lmagine your partner lives in the biggest city in the country. While you make a list of four or five negative things about living there, your partner should make a list of the positive things. Then have conyersations like this: ^ Don't you find Tokyo just a bit too big and crazyt B: Yes,I know what you mean,but I love the night life. ,,\ You must be mad! | can't stand ir.

In the conyersation, Paul said that the man who was snoring next to him must've been dead tired. There are many more idiomatic expressions which make common adjectives stronger. Match l-8 to a-h to make eight such idiomatic expressions. l. brand

a. sharp

2. razor

b. asleep

3. di rt

c . hard

4. stark

d . easy

5. dead

e . cheap

6. fast

f.

7. wide

8. new h. naked

8. rock

awake

Complete these short dialogues with negative questions.

t.

I reallylike watchingfilmswith subtitles. Reallyl . . them hard to readl I reallyloved that ltalianactress. Did you? . . she over-acteda bit?

3.

Did you see that Chinesefilm last nightl Yes,but .. it was a bit slowl

4.

I thought that last scenewas a bit slow. Yes,it was a bit, but . . it was reallyromanticl

5 . A: I thoughtthe plot was a bit too predictable. B: Did you?. though?

. it quite funny,

6 . A I thoughtthat leadactor was brilliantin it. B: Really ? .. h i m a b i t to o much like Robert De Niro?

7. A: Titonicwon loadsof Oscars,didn't itl B: I know. . . it's a bit over-rated? 8. A: It was rubbish,but at leastit was funny rubbish! B: D i d y o ut h i n ks o ?. . ...... it

Now complete these sentences with the idiomatic expressions you formed above. 9.

Be carefulwith that knife.lt's . . 10. I got theseshoescheapin a second-hand shop,but they're almost

l t . It was so embarrassing. He walkedinto the bathroom a n ds a wf f i â‚Ź , . .

........ !

t2. I wish the kids would go to sleep.They'restill . . . . and it's almostmidnight!

t 3 . I bought five bottles. They were l'll neverseethem at that price again! 14. Don't wake him.He's 15. | finishedthe crosswordin a coupleof minutes. It was |.6. Throw that bread away!lt's . .

was just sillyand typicalof late-nightcableTVI With a partnerr practise the conversations above. il

I

I 107


1 5 D e s c r i b i ntgh r n g s

Practice

Comparing One way of describing something is to compare it with something else. For example:

Describe the things in these pictures.

So,what was that fashionshow you went to likel B: Oh, all right,I suppose.lt was a bit like lastyear'sreally,but not as good. Here are some more common expressions for comparing.

I t w a sa b i t l i k e. . .

but not as good/nice. but there are a lot fewer peoplethere. only a lot louderiquieter/more beautiful. only there are more/therearen'tas manycars on the road there.

Describingth i n g s Complete these short dialogues with the expressions below.

t.

What's lndonesianfood like?

B: Delic io u sA. b i t l i k eT h a i fo o d ,I s u p p o s e, 2.

What was Lizzie'sparty like,then?

B: O h, it w a s O K , a b i t l i k e h e r l a s to n e , 3.

So,what'sNew Zealandlike,thenl

B: A bit like lreland,really, 4.

So,what'sNick and Beth'sflat like,then?

B: I supposeit's a bit like ours,really, 5.

What's snowboarding? I've neverheardof it.

B: Snowboardingl Well, it's a bit like skiing, 6.

So,what'sGraham'ssisterlike,thenl

B: Well,actually, she'sa bit like him, 7.

What's your new laptoplike?

B: It'sthe sameas my old one, 8.

So,what'rethe Spiderslike,thenl

B: They'reOK, they'rea bit like the Beatles, a. only the kitchen'snot as big. b. but there'smore sheep. c . only a bit m o re mo d e rn -s o u n d i n g . d. only a lot faster. e. but a little bit lessspicy. f.

only a lot more difficult,really.

g. but there weren't as manypeopleas I'd expected. h. only she'seasierto get alongwith, I suppose.

J _J J _J J J J J

Now describe these things in a similar way. l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

a film you haveseen a big city you know a caf6,restaurantor club you know a drink a bandyou like a vegetable a pieceof furniture a new televisionprogramme

Read your descriptions to a different partner. Can they guess what you are describing? For example: OK . l t' san al cohol i cdrink which is a bit like vodka.but it's madefrom flce.

B: Oh, it must be that stuffthey drink in Japan.What do you call itl Oh yeah,sake. That's it. Haveyou ever tried it? For more informationon how to make comparisonslike these,see G24.

108


1 5 D e s c r i b i ntgh t n g s

t I Must for guessing

Grammarin context

We often make guesses about something. Here ru two ways of doing this using must:

Complete the responses in these dialogues using must or musttve.

must be - Have I told you yet?We've finallymoved into our new house. & Oh reallyflt must be reallynice to havea bit more spaceat last.

l. A. My brother and his wife haveactuallygot eleven kids now. B: Eleven! 2. /.: We stayedin this hugetwenty-storeyhotel.

must'Ye been : I grew up in a smallvillagenear Ludlow. B: Oh, that must'vebeenwonderful.lt must'vebeena bit of a shockwhen you first movedto Birmingham, then. Complete these sentences with must be or rnust'Ye been. l. Sally'snew boyfriendhasa foreign accent.I think he . . . French. L The car won't start. The battery ... dead. 3. I'm not sure where Petewent to school.I think it . . . somewherein Wales,judgingfrom somethinghe saidthe other day about Cardiff.

1. Well, if this pen'snot yours,it . . . mine! 5. I ' m t i r e d . S u r e il ty . . . . . . . . . t i m et o g o h o m e l 6. Bali. . . wonderful!Areyou planningto go backl

B: Oh, one of those places! 3. ,t I usuallycycleinto work, if it's not raining. B: Oh reallyl 4. A I got up at five,just as the sun was comingup,and went for a walk along by the river. B : W o n d e r f u l.!. . . 5. A\ | like my job, but I haveto work a six-dayweek every week! B: Everyweek? 6. A The planewas delayedforty-eight hours! Can you imaginewhat it was like? B: Forty-eighthours! 7. J',''Did you hear that over 200 peoplewere killed in that crash? B: I know. 8. .r Everyyear we haveour annualsalesmeetingat a beautifulcastlein the ScottishHighlands. B: Really? Compare your responses with a partner, then practise the conversations in pairs.

7. Justlook at those poor people.lt . . . . dreadfulhavingno money and no food.

Practice

8. Two yearsago we paid f30 a night.I should think it . . . at least f40 now. 9. Did you seethat policecar?lt over a hundred.

. . . doing

Tell a partner about two interesting things you have done or seen. Your partner should respond with a comment using must be or must'ye been. For example: A: I spent a week in Hong Kong,which was great.

Reell English3 doingovera hundred This meansthe car was going at over a hundred milesan hour. Look at theseexamples: Youcon't do more thon thirty in town. We did on overogeof sevenryon the motorwoy.

B: Wow!That must'vebeen interesting.I've always wanted to go there. lt soundslike an amazingplace. Where do you think the places in the pictures below are? Use must to make your guesses. For more information on how to use must for guessing, see G25.


Ji.!

?

2

t 7

J I

-'--

!J

ltt-.',7.

of film Do you recognise any of the films shown in these pictures? Have you seen any of them? What were they like? Which of these descriptions match the three films in the pictures?

t. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

It's a kind of sci-fithing. It's a costumedrama. It's a typicalHollywoodblockbuster. It's a romanticcomedy. It's a cult movie. It's a real weepie. Itt an animatedfilm.

Can you think of other examples for each kind of film ? What kind of films do you like most? Why? Are there any kinds of films that you really can't stand?

110


2

A s k i n gq u e s t i o n sa b o u t f i l m s

Hcre are common questions to ask about films. r 1 a a

\A/-ho'sin it? What's it aboutl Where's it onl What's it likel

e. f. g. h.

Who's it byl When was it madel Where's it froml What kind of film is itl

lld<e short dialogues by matching the questions >lr above to the answers l-8 below.

Pronunciation f\ eractise sayingthe questionsfrom Exercise2. t7 Listen,then saythem again. With a partner,try to have your own conversations about films you have seen, using these questions. Use the'forgetting' expressions from Exercise 3 if you can't remember specific details.

F i l mv o c a b u l a r y

t. B: Two or three yearsago.

z

Complete the sentences below with the words in the box below.

B: JulietteBinocheand that guy who was in Dimples. banned dubbed

3. B: Japan,but it's subtitled.

stars cur

director specialeffects

1B: At the Odeon in Queen Street.

t . My favourite. . .

B: This guy who hasa mid-lifecrisisand drives acrossAmericalookingfor his parenrs.

2. The governmenrthoughtthe film might corrupr

. is Hitchcock.There'snever beenanyoneelselike him.

5.

people,sothey

....tt.

3 . Haveyou ever seenMeon Streets? lt . . . .

6. Someltaliandirector. 7. It's a cross betweena traditionalcop movie and a more arty kind of movie. 8. It's silly.I mean,it was amusingfor a while,but then I just got bored by it.

Real EnglishS somettatiandirector \ Usingsome in number6 in Exercise2 meansthat you don't know the person'sname.

Robert De Niro and HarveyKeitel. 4. I thought that the amazing.

5 . When they showed Robocopon TV,they . about fifteenminutesout of it, becauseit was so violent. 6. I prefer to seeforeignfilms in their originalversions with subtides,rather than Now complete the sentences below with the words in the box. soundtrack dialogue

Somewomon cameto the door colleaingfor chority.

I

3 | And when you can't answer!

. . . . in lurossicPorkwere

set plot

scene ending

7. The thing I love about that film is that the .. is just so sharpand witty. I laughedat almostevery line.

Put the words in order to make expressions that we use when we can't remember something.

8. I lovedthe . .

l. Sorry,/ completely/ gone / mind's/ blank/ my

9. I lovedall the twists and turns in the . . . . , and the way it only madesenseright at the very end.

2 . W ait , / m inut eI to I a / c o me / i n / me / i t' l l

I

lr

t:

. . so much that I went out and bought the CD the next day.

t 0 . I liked most of it, althoughI did think that the . . . . was just a bit too sentimental.

3 *.n, i ;.:,; ;onr"") ', ) oor ,t,1,"onI or

il.

4 . S o r r yl,m y l t o p l t h e / h e a d/ c a n ' t / l / r e m e m b e r /

t2. My favourite. . .

::

":

Now listen and practise saying the expressions f,t 7 above. a . W hic h ex pr es s i o n me a n s ' l ' dn e e dto l o o k i t u p '? b. Which two expressions mean'l can almost- but not quite remember'l c. Which expressionmeans'l'veforgotten'l

It l ooksamazi ng. l t' s .. year 2050.

.. i n N ew Y ork i n t he

. in the whole film is the bit where the aliensfinallycome out of the spaceship.

Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Do you preferforeignfilmsto be dubbedor to have subti tl esl 2. What are the best specialeffectsyou'veever seenin a fi l ml 3. Do you havea favouritefilm soundtrackl

I I

I 111


1 6 F r l m sa n d t e l e v i s i o n

i'-7r?i'i( ?,

. . r a 3 . . . 2

Discuss these questions with a partner.

f,'1 Read this article about what happened when I J Robocop was shown on British TV. When you have read it, answer these questions.

l . Do y ou t hink f i l m c e n s o rs h i p i s a g o o d th i n g l G i vean example.

l. Why did the TV versionof Robocop offendso many peopl el

2. Did your parentsever stop you watchinganythingon TV?What?Whyl

2. What effectdid censoringthe film havel

3. Haveyou ever seenRobocop? What did you think of it l

The newsthot Mory Whitehousehos died ot the oge of n inet y - onehos b ro u g h t th e s o me k l n d o f o pposi ng reoctionsthot she provokedwhen shewos olive.Forover thirty yeors she wos the heod of the Notionol Viewers' ond Listeners' Associotion,which she set up in the lote sixties.She formedthe orgonisotionolong with two other mothersin their mid-fortiesto 'protectchildrenfrom the filth ond violence thot is flooding our W screensond ruiningour children'slives'.When it firststorted,the NVLA ottrocted hundredsof people to the meetingsit held roundthe country,ond the group forced the government ond TV componiesto creote o nine o'clock wotershed, before which progrqmmesshould not contoinsweoring, e x c es s iv ev iolen c e o r s e x u o l b e h o v i o u r.l t ol so coordinoted letter writing ond phone compoignsto c o m p l o i n o b o u t c e r t o i n f l l m s o n d p r o g r o m m e s .A spokesmonfrom the NVLAsoid,'lt'svery sod thot she hos died, but she mode o greot contributionto thiscountry.lf it hodn't been for Mory Whitehouse,the quolity of TV in this countrywould be muchworse ond the effect on our childrenwould'vebeen terrifying.' One TV producer soid in reply, 'l would soy thot! ru bbis h r eolly . M rs W h i te h o u s e w o s i u s t on ul tro conservotive who didn't understondort. She cousedo lot of problemsfor producersof seriousdromo ond, os o result,she might've persuoded some writers ond ry executives not to showone or two things,but bosicollylife movedon oheod of her.In the end, we're odultsond we livein o democrocyond we shouldbe oble to wotchwhot we like.'

Reol

English3

3. W ho w as MaryW hi tehouseand how does he r organisation feel about the TV versionof the film?

Porodoxicolly, o recentincidentperhopsprovesboth sidesof the orgument.Followingthe showing ol Robocop, the sci-fi movie best rememberedfor its comic-book violence,hundredsof people rong up to comploinobout it. However,whot offended the oudiencewos the polite longuoge ond the foct thot it wos not violent enough! Angry viewerscolled their locol televisionstotionssoying thot the TV versionhod been censoredso muchthot the film hod been ruined.All the f-words hod been overdubbed ond the violencewos so reducedthot ot timesit wos opporently hord to follow the plot. One mon who comploinedsoid, 'Thisis o clossicexomple of over-thetop censorship we constontlyget on BritishTV becouseof people like Mory Whitehouse.When ore you going to reolise these people ore dinosoursond let us choose whot we wont to wotch?' The strong publ l c reocti on hos octuol l y l e d TV executivesto consider putting bock some of the bod l onguogeond vi ol encew hen i t i s show nogoi n.Th e f ilm , .|0.05 shownlost Soturdoynight ot pm, ottroctedmore complointsthon ony other film this yeor. One executive commentedthot 'one con't help but noticewe've moybe token too muchout of o film like Robocop.Moybe we've gone o bit too for thistime.'MrsWhitehousemust'vebeen turni ngi n her grove. However,o spokespersonfor the NVLA soid, 'People who moke thesekindsof complointsore only concerned obout their own interestsrotherthon the good of society os o whole.Anybody who con't give up o littlebit of film in order to reducethe currentclimqteof violenceshould not be tokenseriously.'

bad tanguageand the f-word

Bad languageis swearing.Sayingthe f-word is a common way of avoidingsayingfr*k itself.You shouldonly usethe word itselfin very informalsituationswith peopleyou know who are huppy using it in conversation.Many people find the f-word very offensive.

112

' i t, :


16 Fi l ms a ndt elevislon Discuss your opinions with a partner. See if the whole class can agree. Do you agree more with the NVLA or the viewers who complained about Robocop?Why?

U E i n gi t a i h ' ! { t a - f Pastperfect simple Look at these examples from the article. The TV versionhad been censored_ The film had been ruined. The past perfect is used to talk about an action or event which happened before another event in the past. For example: 'd f passedthe turn-off for Leedsbefore I realised. The househad burnedto the ground by the time the fire brigadegot there. What sentence comes to mind in these situations? The first one is done for you. | . f-W.s terrified as I put on my parachute.

t.7.nr.r."!.i.u.ryP.r.d. gy.t'.9[g.plqry .\rIp:f,.. . . .

2. I was feelingsick at the thought of my speech. . . . . in my life before!

Collocations

3. I was worried about meetingMary'sparents.

' berore!

Complete the highlighted collocations in this $rmmary of the article on page I 12.

4. ; ;r;:; ,,," n' o ,i. *.,",";;. . before.

i

The TV version of Robocop causeda strong public i ( l) . . . Manypeoplerangtheir local (2) | to complainthat too much violencehad been cut I from the film. In fact,so much had been cut, it was difficultto (3) . . the plot. lt was a classic (4) . . of over-the-topcensorship.The NVLA, an organisationopposedto violenceon television,was in hvour of the cuts becauserhey object stronglyto the current (5) .. of (6) . . on relevision.

5. The woman in red was his first wife. ' ' once ber or e' 6.;;"

;" ;' ," ,0

.n" ,r;;r,

;" ,"

;" .r. an earthquake.

7. He left without sayinggoodbyeto me.

I i:: : :j::::j ::i::t: J:1" :"J::" ;.;'

Speaking Look at these statements about films. Decide how strongly you agree. | = strongly disagree 6 = totally agree l. Violentfilms can be reallyoffensive. 2. Cuttingfilms ruinsthem. 3. Bad language shouldbe cut out of films. 4. Very few peoplecomplainabout violence.

Can you say something true about yoursetf using the past perfect and these ideas? For example: lU nevereatenpaellauntil I went to Spain. l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

.... unti l I w ent to a C hi nesere st aur anr . ... unti l I w en t abr oad. .....until ldid my militaryservice. ...until lwentto university. until I went to Britain/America. . . . . . u n t i ll f e l l i n l o v e .

5. Banningviolentfilmswill cut crime. 6. The TV version of a film should be censoredmore than the cinemaversion.

I I

For more information on usingthe past perfect simple,

seeG26.

I 113


1 6 F i l m sa n dt e l e v i s i o n

U ; i r t g I r a r - J b u l a1r

During the fifties,lots of houseshad television (4) . .

reallygood

much with the arrivalof (5)

. . .. , (6)

Put the jumbled conyersations about films into the correct order.

and satelliteTV.

Conversation I

At first, the idea in the UK was thatTV should be

a. No, I haven'tactually,but I've heard it's really good. Friendshavetold me it's worth seeing.

educational,so there were lots of (7) . .

b. Have you seen Doy of the Dogsyetl c. Really? Well, I must admit it looks a bit too violentfor me. d. Yes,I'm not sure if I want to see it myself.

-J J J J

Conversation 2

-J b. Well, the reviewsI've seenwere very good. J c. Are youl I've heard that it's terrible.Justtypically -J Hollywood. d. Were theyl I've heardthe opposite. -J Conversation 3 a. But it's meant to be one of the best horror films ever made! b. ls it?You'renot goingto watch it, are you? It's supposedto be reallyhorrible. c. Excellent. lt soundsright up my street,then. d. ThrillerKiller is on tonight. e. Well. someonetold me that it's the most disgusting thing they'dever seenin their life.

J J J J J

Speaking With a partner, use the language highlighted in the conversations in Exercise I above to talk about a new film that you would really like to see.

Televisionvocabulary Complete the text below with the words in the box.

today the channelsseem to do nothing but fight to see which one gets the biggestaudiencefor soapssuch as Nerihbours,Eostenders and CoronotionStreet The BBC is still one of the best companieswhen it comes to makingseriousdrama (8) . .

remote documentaries aerials cable

As I sit here today in front of my TV with my ( l) . .

. . control in my hand,it's easyto forget

that when I was growing up in the fifties,there was only one ( 2) . .

.. i n th e U K . l t w a s BB C a nd i t

was years before we got ITV and BBC2. The main differencewas that tTV had (3) . . didnt.

. . and BBC

. . - Pride

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Haveyou got satelliteor cableTVI What about digiral - is it really better? 2. Do you know anyonewho doesnt havea television? Why don't they haveone? 3. How muchTV do you watch per week?What kind of thing do you normallywatch?What makesyou switch the televisionoff?

Audiences Exercise 3 above talked aboutTV audiences. Complete the sentences below with the words in the box. spechtors fans

congregation audience

on-lookers viewers

l. The .

. . . gavethe singersa standingovation.

2. The .

.. . were silentas the priest camein.

3 . B o yb a n d su s u a l lhya v em o s t l y g i r. l. . . . . . . . . ! 4. Lots of 5. S ome

series channel digital advertisements

. . , but

ond Prejudice and things like that.

a. I'm thinkingof goingto see that new De Niro film.

114

. . on their roofs, but nowadaysthey are

becominga thing of the past.Thingshavechangedso

. . . . object to violenceon TV. .... w ere i nj uredw hen H akki nencr ashed.

6. The policecouldn'tget to the crashbecauseof all t h e. . Which of these different groups of people have you been part of? When?


16 F r l m sa n d t e l e v i s i o r r

U i ' : i : ' 1?

2 1

r 71 ., . ". (' ., . ?j -?. i. 7 (

Mixedconditionals ln the text on page | 12, the person from the I{YLA said:'lf it hadn't been for Mary lrVhitehouse,the quality of TV in this country rould be much worse and the effect on our cfiildren would've been terrifying.' The speaker dtinks Mrs Whitehouse had a very positive effect qt the country and we should be grateful to her. The speaker uses would be and would've been. YYhat's the difference between them?

S p e a kni g Discuss these questions with a partner.

t . Do you know who the peoplein the picturesbelow are?

2. How do you think they haveinfluencedthe worldl

Look at sentences l-6 about influential peopte. Decide which ones talk about an imaginary past rcsult and which ones talk about an imaginary present result. l. lf it hadn'tbeenfor him,I would neverhavegone to university. 2. lf it hadn'tbeenfor him,I'd probablybe dead. 3. lf it hadn'tbeenfor her,the country wouldn't be in sucha terrible state. 1. lf it hadn'tbeenfor him,animationwould nevernave becomeso popular. 5 . lf it hadn'tbeenfor her,millionsmore peoplewould be dyingevery year. 6 . lf it hadn'tbeenfor her,I probablywouldn't be doing what I'm doing now. What kind of person do you think sentences l-6 tbove are talking about? Now complete sentences 7-12 by putting the verbs in brackets in the correct form. 7. lf it hadn'tbeenfor my friend Reo,I to Japanlast year.(never/ go) 8. lf it hadn'tbeenfor my mum,I . . . . anyoneto babysitmy daughterwhen she was growing up. (not have) 9. lf it hadn'tbeenfor the unions,you . a pensionnow,Joyce.(not get) 1 0 . l f i t h a d n ' tb e e nf o r F e d e r i c oF e l l i n |i ,. . . . foreignfilmsas much as I have.(never/ get into) I l. lf it hadn'tbeenfor our first president,we . . . in the Dark Ages.(still/ live) '|2. lf it hadn'tbeenfor her parents,nothing

and we '.,,,"irir":;;,ilil]

Now make five sentences about people who influenced your life - or your country. Use the same pattern as the examples above. Tell your partner what you have written. For more informationon how ro use mixed conditionalsl

115


conditionals,I wish l'd ... Choose the correct form. l.

I've been / | went to China last year on holiday. It was great.

Match the statements l-6 to the follow-up comments a-f. l. I wish I'd studiedcomputingat school.

2.

I've playedtennis/ I've been playingtennistwice this week.

2. I wish we'd done some shoppingearlier.

3.

Haveyou been stayingin / Haveyou stayedin quite a lot latelyl I haven'tseenyou about.

4. I wish I hadnt floggedmy stamp collectionwhen I di d.

4.

I've asked/ | askedhim five times now, and he still hasn'tdone anythingabout it!

5. I often wish ld kept in touch.

5.

A: lt rainedthe whole time we were in Wales. B: Really? That must be / must'vebeen horrible!

3. I sometimeswish I'd nevermarriedyou!

6. I wish I hadn'tgone to rhat party. a. We wouldn't haveto haverice againtonight if we had.

6.

I've been trying / I've tried to do it all week, but I still havent managedto get it done.

7.

Did you speak/ Haveyou spokento him before he left to go home?

c. lt'd be easierto find a job now if I had.

8.

A: I'm working six daysa week at the moment. B: Wow, that must be / must'vebeen really exhausting!

e. lt would've been more fun just stayingin.

9. What's happenedto Mike?| haven'tseen/ | haven't been seeinghim for ages. 10. I wish I hadnt done / | didn't do that! lt was really stupid of me!

J J J J J J

b. I'd probablyget a much better price for it now.

d. I'd love to know what she'sup to now.

f.

My life would be a lot easiernow if I hadnt!

With a partner,try and think of another possible follow-up comment for statements l-6 above.

Speaking

Multiple Choose the correct alternative. l. I'veworked here ... . a. sincefive years b. for five years 2 . I ' v e. . . . a. never been an)rwherelike Kos before b. never been somewherelike Kos before 3 . a. Dont y ou th i n k h i m a b i t d u l l ? b. Don't you find him a bit dull? 4. I do quite like life in centralLondon,... ! a. in spite of the fact it's so noisy b. consideringit's so noisy 5. I'vebeentrying to understandthe presentperfect... ! a. sinceages b. for ages 6. We spenta coupleof weeks in Hawaii,... . a. that was nice b. which was nice 7. I didnt feel like going,because... that film before. a. I saw b. I'd seen 8. Our train was late getting in, ... . a. which meanta bit of a pain b. which was a bit of a pain Compare your answers with a partner and discuss your choices.

115

Tell a partner five things you wish you had done or hadn't done. Try to use mixed conditionals to explain why you feel like this.

Conversation Put the jumbled conyersation below into the correct order. a. I bumped into Richardand Judythe other day. b. I must admit,it doesn't reallysound like my sort of thing,actually. c. No, they reallyenjoyedit, actually.They said it was a bit likeThailand,only wilder! d. Oh really?How are theyl I haven'tseenthem for months. e. What did they think of it? Didn't they find it reallydifficult? f. They're great. They've been travellingaround Indiaand havejust got back.

IJ J J J J J


R e v i e wU n r t s1 3 - 1 6

5 i Look back and check:Recommending Look back at Conversation l, Conversation 2 end Recommending expressions on page 99. Underline any bits of language you have forgotten. Ask your partner about anything you have forgotten. With another partner, do Exercise 4 on Page 99 again. This time you should begin: I went and sawthat film called... the other dayltheother week.

Expressions Complete the sentences below with the erpressions in the box. All the expressions er e f r om unit s l 3 -1 6 . he's not exactly get a life it's not worth the entrance fee that remindsme

Collocations Match the verbs l-8 to the best collocations a-h. l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

fol l ow dub cut give star go make get

a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h.

a point of doing something twenty minutesout of a movie and seean exhibition to the point the plot in a movie it a miss a film into a foreign language

Now match 9-!6 to i-p. 9. get 10. have I l . obj ect 12. cause 1 3 . s e n di n 14. gi ve 15. like 16. come over

a mi d-l i fecri si s the third track best a lot of suffering for a meal the message to violenceon TV your applicationform the performersa standingovation

I haven'tseen you for ages a sore point

Now discuss these questions with a partner.

l. A

17. Haveyou ever seena film you couldn'tfollow the plot of?

l was thinkingof goingto see the new Storlrek movietonight. B: ReallylI wouldn't bother if I were you.

18. Do you object to anythingon TVI Why? 19. What's your favouritealbum?Whichtracksdo you like best on itl

I can't believeyou haven'tbeen out an)rwheresince you arrivedhere!Youreallyneedto

English 3 . A What's your brother likel ls he good-looking? B: W e l l ,l e t ' sj u s ts a y . . ....the best-lookingguy you've ever seen.

1 . A Whatever you do, don't mention cars to Andy. B: Why on earth nor? His was pinchedlast month and itt still a bit of

5. A: ld better just givemy mum a call,to sayI'vearrived safely. B : O h, . . I mu s t re m e m b erto send my mum a birthdaycard this week. 6. Hi, how are youl Can you think of three other situations where you might tell somebody to get a life? Can you think of six words you coutd complete this sentence with? He's not exactlythe most . . .guy I've ever met.

Match the questions l-7 to the responses a-g. l. Hi, Dave.How are you? 2. How's thingsat workl OKI 3. What are his paintingslikelAny goodl 4. Did you seethar car? 5. Don't you find him a bit on the slow side? 6. Who was that at the door? 7. Where's Nigel gone for his holiday?Anywhere good?

-J -|

J J J -J -|

a. Well,we've actuallybeen incrediblybusyjust lately. b. Yeah.lt musr'vebeen doingabout a hundredand twenty! c. Oh, just some guy askingif we wanted anywork done in the garden. d. Well, he'snot exactlyPicasso, if you know what I mean! e. Lee! Hello.Longtime, no see! f . Oh, I can't reallyremember.SomeGreek island or other,I think. g. Well, he'snot exactlyEinstein, is he!

117


R e v i e wU: n i t s1 3 - 1 6

Vocabulary Make idioms by matching the beginnings l-8 to the endings a-h. l. We got off

a. naked.

2. lt drives

b. my guts.

3. ld giv eit

c. spot for him.

4. He was stark

d. on the wrong foot.

5. He hates

e. my leg.

6. They went their

t.

separateways.

7. You'repulling

g. a miss,if I were you.

8. I've got a bit of a soft

h. me crazy!

1 1 What can you remember? With a partner, note down as much as you can remember about the two texts you read in units 14and 16.

Answer these questions with a partner. Then compare your answers with another pain Who got most answers right? l. lf you don't see the point of something, do you need glasses? 2. Do the policelook for reasonsor motivesfor cri mes? 3. Does a weepiemakeyou cry or laughl 4. Can you think of three thingsthat could be rock hard?

5 . Can food be a bit bland? 6. Where are sci-fifilms usuallyset? 7. What thingsmight you need to get over? 8. Name two thingsyou can pickle. 9. Do censorsdub films into foreign languagesl t 0 . Can you go and see a bannedfilm at your local ci nemal

i l . What's the differencebetweena still life and a portrait? 12. What does OTT mean? 13. When are costumedramasusuallyset? 14. Does an old friend haveto be old? 15. Complete this sentencein five differentways: It causeda(n) .. . . 16. ls a plot the sameas a storyl 17. Do you find turningpointsin the road or in your life? 18. lf you givesomeoneyour consent,are you stopping them from doing something? 19. lf two people hit it off immediately, are they friendsl 20. Was the film Titonicset in Hollywood or made in Hollywood?

Now compare what you remember with another pair. Who remembers more? Which text did you enjoy more? Why?

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R e v i e wU: n i t s1 3 - 1 6

f)iscuss these questions with a partner. Are you happywith your Englishaccentat the momentlWhy/why notl lL How much betrer do you think you can getl 3- What do you think the best way of improvingyour pronunciationis? Now read this text and see what the authors of this book have to say about pronunciation.

I

I l I

li t:

I ll

t

r!

ii

Tell your partner which of the things above you atready do. Are there any other things you'd like to start doing? What?

119


l7 Trafficsurvey You are doing a survey of traffic probtems in the town where you live. Here are ten possible steps w hi ch coul d be taken to i mprove the si tuat ion.

o

&lle-

l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

i nstal speed l camerasat al l acci dentbl ac kspor s i ncreaseparki ngfi nes put more sl eepi ngpol i cemeni n quretsrreet s ban all on-streetparlcingin the rown cencre pedestri ani se the mai nshoppi ngarea set up more bi cycl el anes provi debetter and cheaperpubl i crransp or t ban all carsfrom the town centre doubl ethe numberof traffi cw ardens start a one-waysystem

In pai rs, deci de w hi ch four shoul d have the hi ghest pri ori ty, w hi ch three are of medi um pri ori ty, and w hi ch three shoul d have the lowest priority.

R ecrl E ngl i sht

steepi ng poti cemen

\'

S l eepi ng pol i cemeni s the normalw ay i n B ri t ish E ngl i sh of referri ngto speedhumpson the road,designedto slow cars down in town.

Whileyou {. -, Ctrris and Claire are having coffee in a town ? ? centre caf6. Cover the conversation on page l 2l . A s you l i sten, try to answ er these qu est ions. l . W hat traffi cprobl emsdo they menti on? 2. What suggestions for solvingthese problemsdo they c o m eu p w i t h l Listen again and try to fill in the gaps in the conversation on the next page.


1 7 C a r sa n d c i t i e s

Recrl Englishs I mean

More sleepirg policemen!

I meanis very common in spokenEnglish. lt is used before we go on to make our meaning clearer.

Chris: Did you hear about rhat kid who was knocked down on JunctionRoadthe other dayl

A: So,whot woslcelondlike? B: Oh,l lovedthe ploce.l meon,lwouldn,twont to livethere,but it's o greot plocefor o hotidoy.

Oaire: Yes,it was awful,wasn't itl Still.itt (l).. . , i si t ? Chris: What do you mean?

Real Englishr six penattypoints

Chire: Well, there are alwaysaccidentsdown there, aren'r there, (2) . . . with the speed cars go at. And, well, basically, the crossing'sin the wrong place,isn't it? | don't know why they'venever moved it. I mean, (3) .. . it was exactlyoppositethe shops,wouldn't itl Chris: Yes,(4) ... . They could do somethingto slow the traffic down, couldnt theyl Maybethey could put sleepingpolicemen there or somethinglike that. Chire: Yeah,maybe- maybeone every so often would help,but (5) . . . reallygreat is if they had one of those speedcameras.

In Britainthere is a systemof penaltypoints.lf you are caughtspeeding,for example,you could get four penaltypoints.lf you ger too many,you lose your drivinglicence. ls the systemthe samein your countryl

Driving vocabulary Complete this story with the words in the box. one-way petrol

pull over turning

U-turn direction

headlights brakes

Chris: Big Brother,you mean! Cb.ire: No, they really make a difference.you should see how they'veslowed the traffic down where my parentslive. Chris: Yeah,(6) .. I'm only against them becauseI got caughtby one last month. Gaire: You'rekidding! Chris: No. A hundred and fifty pounds it cost me! A fine ond six penaltypoints! Oaire: Oh, that'sterrible! Chris: Yeah,but it was my own silly fault.I mean, I should'veknown better,but (7) to what you were sayingabout the crossing, you're right. lt would be far safer if it was closer to the shops,becausethat'swhere everybodycrosses,you know. That'swhere mosr kids cross,so (8) . . . if it was moved down. Cbire: Yes,I think that's the root of the problem. I mean,it does seema funny placefor a crossing.And (9) . . . the orher problem with it is the fact that lots of cars park all round there. Chris: Yes,that does make it difficultto see,I suppose. Apparently,the car rhar hit that kid had just driven off from there. Chire: Oh, really?Had it?Well, you see what I mean, then.

were (5) ... . comingstraighttowardsme,so I quickly s l a m m e do n m y ( 6 ) . . . . a n dt r i e d t o ( 7 ) . . so that I could wait till the road was clear. The car suddenly stalled and I realised that I'd run our of (8).. .. !What a nightmare! Now complete these collocations with verbs from the text above. l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

....awrongturn . . . . i n t h e w r o n gd i r e c t i o n ....aU-turn .... dow n a one-w aystreet .... on thebrakes ....ourofpetrol

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Do you drivel Haveyou got a car?Do you use it in townl 2. Haveyou ever driven in Rome,Athens,London,or Parisl 3. What's the worst city you've ever driven in? 4. Haveyou ever been stopped by traffic policelWhat had you donel 5. Haveyou got any stupid/embarrassing/funny driving stories?

121


1 7 C a r sa n dc i t i e s

UEin

ratrtff.:.a:-

Secondconditionalsfor making suggestions In the conversation on page | 21, Chris and Claire talked about the pedestrian crossing. Chris said: 'lt would be far safer if it was closer to the shops'. Make short dialogues by matching l-,4 to the responses a-d. l. This town's dead at night,isn't it. 2. The traffic'simpossible,isn't it? 3. They'vemade the main car park bigger. 4. So,what do you think they shoulddo about all the homelesspeoplesleepingrough?

I -J -J J

a. Yes,but it'd be more usefulif they built a multi-storey. b. Absolute chaos!What would be reallygreat is if buseswere cheaperand there were more of them.

8. I can't believethat peopleare still allowedto smoke on the buses.

5. Yes,but I think that that can cause/ do problemsas well as solvethem.

J -J J J

h . I know. What would be really great is if there were some way of importing fresh mountainair from Switzerlandor somewherelike that!

Sentencestarters In the responses a-h in Exercise l, find four difrerent if- sentence starters. Write them below.

122

6. Youd think that it was such a large/ major issuethat they'd do somethingabout it. 7. Oh well, it seemsthat we've got completely different/ unlikeviews on that. 8. I think you're trying to escape/ avoidthe issueby sayingthat. Do you have any strong views on anything? Whaâ‚Ź What are the major issues in your country/in the world at the mom6nt? How do you think they should be tackled?

Well, I think it'd be a reallygood idea if they had more police camerasaround. Me too! lt'd be more usefulif they kept it open all through the summer.

t. 3.

Here are some useful expressions for talking about your views on things. Circle the word that collocates correctly in each.

4. I know what you mean,but that also brings/ raisesthe questionof how you could do that, doesn't it?

e. I know. ltd be better if there was just a total ban on it in all publicplaces. f.

Collocations

3. You would've thought they'd be able to tackle / put awaythat problem somehow,wouldn't you?

Now match 5-8 to the responses +h.

7. So,what do you think they should do about all the street crimel

Ugingtrraeularl

2. I don't reallyhaveany heavy/ strong views on thaL What do you think about itl

d. I know. ltd be far better if the shopsstayed open a bit later in the evenings.

6. The pollution in the High Street is really bad. I wish theyd do somethingabout it.

For more information on how to use second for making suggestions,see G28.

l. Well, that's a difficult/ big questionto answer.

c. Well, I'm not an expert,but I think itd be a reallygood idea if they spent more on trying to build flats for singlepeople.

5. lt reallyannoysme that they closethe library for the whole of August.

Practise reading out the dialogues in Exercise I with a partnen Then change partners and this time, use the four different sentence starters in Exercise 2 to make your own suggestions about the problems expressed in l-8.

2. 4.

Real Englisht

impersonalthey

They is common in spokenEnglishwhen,for some reason,we don't know,or dont need to name,the subject.In these examples,they refers to the local councilor the police. Theycoulddo somethingto slowthe troffic down.Theycould creoteo pedestrionprecinctWith a partner, decide who they refers to in these sentences: l. They're supposedto be gettingtougher on car crime,aren't they? 2. They haven'ttaken the rubbishthis week. 3. They'rethinkingof putting up income tax. 4. I only arrived five minutesafter the flight closed, but they wouldn't let me through.


1 7 C a r sa n d c i t i e s

2

Personalopinions

Disagreeing

llere are some ways of giving your opinion.

hrsonally, I think it's As far as I'm concerned,I think it's

brilliant. a great idea. not a bad idea. outrageous. ri d i c u l o u s . mad.

Put the words in the correct order to make very common sentence starters which show you disagree. f. Well, I a I agree| | I 6ut I up t to / point 2. what | | | you / but /Yes,/ know / mean 3. think /Yes,/ don't / that I but I you

With a partne4 use the expressions above and jve your opinions on these topics. l- shopsstayingopen twenty-four hours a day L men in kilts 3. getting married at sixteen 1. legalising cannabis 5. one car per family 6. body piercing 7- free coffeeduring Englishlessons

4. don't /Yes,/ forget I that / but

/a Listen and check your answers. practise saying u? them. Then in pairs,take turns putting forward and disagreeing with the views below. Try to continue the conyersations. l. There'stoo much sport on TV,isn'ttherel 2. The way I see ir, most TV these daysis just a load of rubbi sh. 3. I don't mind a bit of violencein films.lt's more realistic,isn't itl

You and your colleagues have decided it's time to meet to discuss your working conditions. you work lor a yery old-fashioned bank, founded in | 748. The management don't tike change. Suggest changes to the following - which you are not happy about. Use as much tanguage from these two pages as you can. '

The computersystemis ten yearsold and there is no network system.

'

Peoplecan smoke wherever they want.

'

There are no plantsor picturesor anythingon the walls.

' '

There is only one toilet for both men and women. Everybodyhasgor to srart at 8.30 and finishat 4.30.

'

Women must wear skirts and men must wear ties.

.

PrivateInternetuse and telephonecallsare not allowed.

'

There is nowhere to relax during breaksor lunc ht im e.

.

You haveto buy your own tea and coffee.lt is not provided by the bank.

Can you think of any changes you'd tike to make to the place where you work or study?

4. Peoplelike footballersget paid far too much. At least, that'swhat I think. 5. lf you reallywanr to improveyour English, the only thing to do is go and live in Britainor America. Now do this exercise again, but this time begin by saying:'Oh yes, I know what you mean.' Then add why you agree.


1 7 C a r sa n dc i t i e s

Talkingabout cities Complete the sentences below with the words in the box. The words are commonly used when describing cities. shantytowns capital

historic

overcrowded

cosmopolitan

l. ls Sydneythe . .

industrial

inner city centre

Look at these modern pictures of Brighton. Say what each place used to be and then make a passive sentence about each one. For example: It usedto be a bank. It's beenturned into a video shop.

. . of Australia?

2. Sheffieldused to be nothing but factoriesand steel works - very . .. . , but not any more. 3. NewYork's one of the most . . . . placesI've livedin every nationalityunder the sun! 4. There are a lot of slumsin the You know, lots of tiny bedsitswith no bathrooms. 5. York'sa really . .. . city - Romanruins and the medievalwallsstill in good condition.

6. Thousandsof the poorest peoplelive in 7. The city . . . . shoppingmall is the placeto go. 8. There'sseventeenmillion people livingin Jakarta.lt's

l. estateagent's--+ l'â‚ŹSt?UF?Ilt

really

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l. What's the most historicalcity you've ever been to? And the most cosmopolitan?

2. insuranceoffice --+trendy bar

2. Haveyou ever been to a very industrialcity?A very overcrowdedcityl

Reol Englisht inner city When Britishpeopletalk about the inner city,they usuallymeanthe poor, overcrowdedareasaround the city centre.lt's a negativeexpression.We sometimestalk about inner city crime and inner city problems.lf this is different in your country,it's probablybetter to say I live near the city centre, not I live in the inner city.

3. bank -- fish and chip restaurant

4. publictoilet --+sandwichbar Now talk about your home town and tell other students how buildings have changed and what they have been turned into. You might also want to say: There usedto be a ... near my house/nearwhere I work, but it was knockeddown and they'vebuilt a ... there instead.

124


1 7 C a r sa n d c i t i e s

Grammarcheck The passive is often used to talk about things ping on in our town or city. The passive can be used with most tenses. How good are you at using this structure? Try to complete these sentences and find out. Prcsent perfect

ldioms focus A zebra crossing is a kind of pedestrian crossing where the road has black and white stripes. Complete the idiomatic expressions in the sentences below with the animat words in the box. cat cows

dogs donkey

fish goose

horse sheep

l.

They'vefound an old bomb in the town centre. An old bomb 2. They'veclosedthe High Street. The High Street Prcsent continuous 3. They'recleaningthe swimmingpool today. The . 4. They're buildinga multi-storeycar park. A ... Prresent simple 5. They collectthe rubbishon Wednesdays. The . 6. They never cleanthe streets round here. The . Past simple 7. They closeddown that restaurantlast year. That . 8. They found rats in the kitchen. Rats . Past continuous 9. They were still cleaningthe toilets when the Queen arrived. Thetoilets.... 10. They were repairingthe road all last week. The .

l. That night club is dreadfulnow. lt's usuallyhalf empty. It reallyhasgone to the 2. A: I discoveredPascal's got a blackbelt in judo. B : R e a l l yH ? e ' sa b i t o f a d a r k . . . . , i s n ' th e l 3. You'vedone absolutelynothingtoday!youcan't expectto sit aroundwhile I do all the . . work. 4. lt was reallyweird.I was the onlyAsianpersonthere. l f e l t l i k ea . . . . out of warer. 5. Pleasedont tell mum that we're going to havea surpriseparry for her. And tell Janenot to let the . . . . out of the bageither! 6. Our daughteris alwayswatchingTV insteadof doing her homework.Shecould watch soapoperastill the . . . . c o m eh o m e . 7. I supposeI' m the bl ack .... of the fami l y . I mean,I went awayto New Zealandand didn't get in touch for twenty years. 8. No wonder we couldn'tfind the right house! You sent us on a wild . . . . chaselyougaveus the wrong address. Can you translate the idioms above into your language?

Going to I l.

They'regoingto build a new airport. A ... 12. They'regoingto improvethe street lighting. The . Should 13. They shoulddo somethingabout all the litter. Something |.4. Maybethey should put a zebra crossingthere. A ...

For more information on how to use the passive,

seeG29.

125


f'.EaCirrg Discuss these questions with a partner. l. What problemcan you see in this picture? 2. Do you havethis problem in your town/cityl 3. Can you think of some ways of tacklingitl

fl Now read this article about ways of trying I J rc solve the chewing gum problem in two different places. Which idea do you prefer? Why?

A sticlryproblem You can imaginethe scene.You'rewalkingdown the street of an old Englishtown. You decide to sit on a bench to admire the fine buildingsand beautifulflowers a little bit longer. Then as you stand up, you feel that nasty pull on your dressor trousers and turn round to see the remains of a lump of chewinggum, half of which is now stuck to your behind!A wonderful moment is destroyedand your mood changesfor the rest of the day,or however long it takes you to remove the awful stuff from your clothing. Well, one town hasfinallyhad enoughof all the complaints it receiveseachyear and is not goingto put up with it any more. Darlington,which lastyear won a'BeautifulBritain' competition,hasdecidedto act by providingspecialboards where peoplecan stick their gum once it hasbeen used. Up to thirty chewinggum'parkingboards'are to be put up in an area in the town centre,which recentlyunderwent a a one-million-poundfacelift.They will cost f3,000 to provide, are aimed at the thirteen-to-twenty-three age group, regardedas the worst offenders,and will bear the messages'Don't Gum Up Darlintton','Chewlt, Bin lt' and 'Park Your Gum Here.'The town council believesboards will help save some of the f6,000 a year it spends on cleaningup gum from the streets. The boards,to be situatedat placessuchas sports centres and cinemas,will havea bull's-eyetarget so youngsterscan aim at them. Keith Atkinson, head of Darlington's environmentaland consumerprotection department,said, 'Most people don't see chewinggum as litter, but we are hoping the boards will help people to start thinking that way.We've been flooded with complaints,mainly from visitors,who saygum on the streets,stickingto pavements and shoes,is both unpleasantand makesDarlington look untidy.'

126

Darlingtonisn't the first placein the world to try to tackle the sticky issue of chewing gum. In 1992,the Asian city state of Singaporebanned all eating and importing of chewinggum after it was claimedtrains had been delayed becausetrapped chewinggum causedthe automaticdoors to stick.The ban came with severepenaltiesfor breaking the law.Smugglersbringinggum into the country could get a jail sentenceof one year plus an eight-thousand-dollar fine.The government also tried to reinforce its message with advertising campaigns, which includedsloganssuchas: 'lf you can't think becauseyou can't chew,try a banana.' The policy has been a great successas even its critics admit.'The whole ban idea was not a good idea to start with, but it did help to educate Singaporeans about the nuisance effects of chewing gum. Now Singaporeans, i ncl udi ng ki ds, are more mature about their civic responsibilities,' said one man we spoke to. And certainly, Singaporeis acknowledgedto be perhapsthe cleanestcity in the world. However,it now looks as if the ban will at leastbe partially lifted.This is not the result of thousandsof frustrated Singaporeangum chewers, but instead it's come about becauseof pressurefrom the Americangovernment.They see the policy as a restriction on free trade - particularly of the big American gum manufacturers. As part of the negotiations on the new trade deal, the Singapore governmenthasagreedto allow sugar-freegum prescribed by doctors and dentists to be sold by pharmacists. The relaxationof the law will only apply to smokerswho are trying to give up by using nicotine gum and sufferersof dental and gum diseasesfor whom chewing offers therapeuticbenefits.


18 Annoying things

Usingrs.at)ular1 Without looking back at the article, try to Grrtct the following false sentences, using |Lc exact words from ,A sticky problem'.

t _ The town centre hasnt been improvedrecently. L The council havent had many complaintsabout chewinggum.

3- In 1992,Singaporebannedthe export of chewinggum. {. There'sonly a smallpunishmentfor breakingthe anti-chewinggum laws in Singapore.

5- The Singaporeanpolicy has been a failure. 6. They'regoingto legalisechewinggum completelyin Singapore. Xow go back and see if you remembered nrds correctly.

Phrasalverbs In the article, you read that Darlington isn't going to put up with chewing gum on its streets any more. Here are some more phrasal verbs often used when complaining. Make sentences by matching the beginnings l-5 to the endings a-e. Use a dictionary to check the meaning of any of the highlighted phrasal verbs if you need to. l. lf work carrieson like this,I'm goingto end up 2. I dont know how they can get awaywith 3. lt drives me mad the way she goes on about

the

4. The dry-cleanershavecompletelymessedup 5. I just can't put up with a. thesepeopleany longer.I'm callingthe police.

Speaking Discussthese questionswith a partner. What are the litter laws in your countryl How do you feel about theml Do you ever break them?

L Do you think the Singaporegovernmentshould have to lift its ban on chewingguml Why/why not? 3. Do you think free trade is a good thing or notl Whyl

1. Has your country had any trade problemslWho withl Whyl 5. Which of the slogansmentionedin the article do you like the best?Whyl

{"o tter

?oo rINE

-J _J -J -J J

b. my shirt! Just look at the state of it! c. her sillylittle problemsall the time. d. havinga nervousbreakdown. e. suchawfulservice.lt shouldbe illegal! Now complete the pairs of sentences 6-10 with the correct form of one of the phrasal verbs above. 6a. lf this weather doesn'tget betten I'm going to ....goingmad!

6b. lf they don't do somethingabout all these cats,rhe pl acei s goi ngto ... smel l i ngaw ful ! 7a. I reallydon't think I can . . . . the flat beingin such a state any more!

7b. I dont know how you can ..

.. him treating you like that. I'd resignif I were you. 8a. l f I t h o u g h tI c o u l d . . . . i t , I w o u l d n ' tp a y t a x at all.

8b. She'sthe officegoldengirl. They let her murder! 9a. I somehow spilt my coffeeand managedto totally . . . . that essayI've been working on. 9b. I don't trust them, personally.I'm sure they'll . . . . the economy,just like the last governmentdid. lOa. She'salways . . . . how hard life is and how little money she hasto live on. l0b. I hate the way he'salways . . . . how much money he'searningand how rich he is. Look again at the sentences above. What follows the phrasal verbs - a verb or a noun? pay ctose attention to the context of each example. Does anywhere you know get away with really bad service - a restaurant, petrot station, shop? Have you ever messed up anything reatty important? What was the last thing you reatty messed up?

127


1 8 A n n o y i n tgh i n g s

Speaking

Now complete these sentences using was/were going to and a passive form of the verb in brackets.

Are you a complainer or do you just tend to put up with things? Which of these situations would you complain about? What would you say?

7. I thoughtwe .. at the airport and taken to the hotel in a taxi, but we werent. (meet)

l. You get to your hotel room and discoverthey have givenyou a room at the back.You had booked a room at the front with a balconyoverlookingthe beach.

9. lt saidwe .. on a moonlightcruise round the bay,but we never were. (take)

I

Your hotel room hasa shower and you wanted one with a bath and shower.

3 . Your soup has arrived at your table.lt is warm, but not hot.

4. Your bill has arrived for your meal.They have overchargedyou by fl0. Your bill hasarrived for your meal.They have you by fl0. undercharged 6 . It is 2 am. You'retrying to get to sleep.Your neighbour'sdog is barking.You like your neighbours.

7. It is 2 am. You'retrying to get to sleep.Your

....everyday, 8. lthoughtourtowels.... but they were only changedonce. (change)

complaints Now take a minute or two to think of things from your own experience which you thought were going to be better than they actually were. Tell a partner about them. With a partner, take it in turns to moan about these things. l. a bad haircut/hairdoyou'vejust had I thoughti t w as goi ngto be ... , but ...

neighbour'sdog is barking.You don't like your neighbours.

2. a diet someonetold you about I thoughtI w as goi ngto l ose ... , but ...

Someonehasjust lit a cigaretteon the train. Smokingis not allowed in any part of the train.

3 . a second-handcar you bought

Ugirr

I thoughti t w as goi ngto ... , but ... 4. a film you went to see I t h o u g h t. . . , b u t . . .

5 . your favouriteTV show not beingon I t h o u g h t. . . , b u t . . . We often complain about things that have happened to us using was/were going to. For example: I thought it was goingto be the holidayof a lifetime,but it was a nightmarefrom start to finish. I thought the hotel was going to be really romantic,but it was horrible. The advert saidwe were going to havea seaview,but we had a tiny room at the back of the hotel. With a partner, imagine you were on this holiday. Complete these sentences using was/were going to and the verb in brackets. in a five-starhotel, l. I thought we . . (stay) three-star. but it turned out to be only a 2. lt saidthere . . a drinks party on arrival,but there was nothing. (be) 3. lt saidthe new swimmingpool . ready,but it wasn't. (be) ..afive-minute 4. lthoughtthehotel walk from the beach,but it was more like twenty! (be) . . . . . fresh flowers 5. They saidevery room every day,but we didnt see any. (have) . . new 6. The brochure saidthat we towels eyery day,but we only got one! (have)

128

For more information on how to use woslweregoingto, see G30.

Reol Englisht a haircut/ahairdo Both men and women can havetheir hair cut. It is usuallyonly women who havetheir hair done.A hairdoimpliesmore than just cutting. What other thingsmight havingyour hair done involvel What's the worst hairdo you've ever seenl


Complaining Complete these dialogues with the correct cxpressions.

With a partner, take turns complaining about these situations, using expressions from Exercise r. Spend a few minutes preparing what you will say before you start.

l. Complaining about a meal

Student A

o they made it sound as if . And then,to top the whole thing off . lt would've been OK if that was the only problem, but

l. a terrible Englishcourse 2. the trouble you had trying to find a friend'shouse usingthe map they gaveyou 3. roadworksgoing on right outside your house Student B

Jmn: Itlike:

How was the meal last nightl Oh, it was awful! The food wasnt very good. the waiters were really rude as well. (2) they tried to overchargeus. Then when we complainedabout it (3) ..... ttwas

our fault! L Complaining about a situation . I wish they wouldn't . I've tot a bit of a problem with o I mean,the last thing I need

Terry: fulie:

How's collegegoing? Not very well, actually.( l)

l. a horrible hotel you stayedin 2. the trouble you had trying to work out how to use a new video recorder 3. a doctor who you don't feel is treatingan injury you haveproperly Now think of two really annoying situations from your own life that youU like to comptain about. Spend a couple of minutes planningwhat you,re going to say. Then get things ofr yol" chest by telling your partner about these things. Use as many expressions from this unit as possible.

Recll Englisht get it off your chest This is a common idiom which means,totell somebodyabout somethingthat is annoyingor irritating you'.

tl

::::::::::::::1:':::i:: :lililliiSl;*; ;;

a Friday.(3) . . changethe timetableevery term. Lastterm was much better.

Gillrt |T rtt tvorDlt

129


18 Annoying things

Put the words in brackets in order, to make expressions that are typical responses when people are complaining to us.

Tell a partner which of the things in the list below really annoy you. They should respond using some of the expressions from Exercise 3.

l. A: Doesn't it bug you the way shopsalwayscharge t9.99 when you know it's reallyf l0?

l. findingpublictelephonesalwaysout of order when you need to use them

B: I must admit, (like / me / things/ that / really/ bother / dont) 2. A: Look, I'm reallysorry. There'sno way I can come to your Part),tomorrow night. I've got to work late. B: Oh, well, don't worry (world / not / end I the lthe / it's / of) 3. A: I reallythought I'd got the job. I mean,my interview went reallywell, and then they tell me I'm not even short-listed! B: Oh, well. (let / you I get I down / it / don't)

4. A: I've got about five bills I'm supposedto pay by

2. chewinggum on the pavementstickingto your shoes 3. people letting their dogsfoul the pavement 4. peopletalkingloudlyin publicon their mobiles 5. findingout before breakfastthat you've run out of milk 6. discoveringthat a pair of trousers you bought have shrunkin the first wash 7. uncollectedrubbish in the street Choose the three most annoying things and discuss how to prevent them from happening. Can you use some of the if- sentence starters on page 122 to make suggestions?

the end of the month. What do they think I am? Madeof moneyl B: Oh well,. (you / do / nothing/ can / about / there's/ it) titt"n and check your answers, then practise th" conversations with a partnen Try to keep the conversations going by adding further comments of your own.

f, t7

a

,i I

, l

,lt'


1 8 A n n o y i ntgh i n g s

J I free practice

5. Sorry to bother you, but haveyou got the timel 6. I was really upset by her letter.

l|re these sentence starters to make statements fu are true for you.

7. I cant standmobilephonesgoingoff in public!

l- One thing that reallydrivesme mad is . . .

8. Are you sure you dont mind givingme a liftl

1

3 - h r eallyannoy sme w h e n p e o p l e...

a. No, it's OK. You needn'rbother! l'll do it tater. b. Really? Thingslike that don't bother me.

1- | don't know about you, but personallyI can't stand . . .

c. Oh, it's no bother at all.I'm goingyour way.

Doesnt it reallybug you the way . ..

d. Sorry,no, I haven't.

]aqr wdk around the class talking to some other surdents about the things that really annoy you.

leol

English3 it realy bugsme

e. Oh, don't let it bother you.Shedidn't meanit. f . No, I can't be bothered.I'm too tired. g. Why bother!You'llonly start an argumenr. h. I wouldn't bother if I were you.lt's dead.

b-

lf somethingbugsyou, it annoysyou. It reollybugsme when peopledon't returnmy pen ofter they'veborrowedit..

-J J J J

Spend two minutes trying to memorise the responses a-h. Then coyer Exercise 6 while your partner reads out l-8. Can you remember alt the responses? Translate the eight expressions with bother into your language. You will almost certainly need to use more than one verb. How many verbs do you need?

I

Complete the short dialogues betow with the idiomatic expressions in the box. It's a Catch 22 situation,isn't itl Yes,and that'sjust the tip of the iceberg. Its a bit of a mixed blessing, isn't it? Yes,poor guy.lt's a viciouscircle,isnt itl l. ,: John drinksto stop himselfworrying about money, and the more he drinks,the more he spends,and so on and so on.

B 2 A The thing is,I can'tger a work permit unlessI've got a job and I can't get a job till I've got a work . permit.

3

I think there'sworse to come. ,",. 4. Our neighbourswon halfa millionon the National Lottery last year,but six months later they separatedand now they're divorced.

More expressions with bother Make short dialogues by matching l-g to the responses a-h. Then underline all the expressions with bother. l. Do you fancycomingout for a quickjogl 2. I'm going to complainabout that guy smoking. 3. That was really delicious.Let me wash up. 4. I think I'll try that new bar tonight.

B A One hundredpeoplehavealreadylost their jobs. B

J J J J

B:

Speaking Can you think of any other examples where the four idiomatic expressions in Exercise 7 above could apply?

131


J i ' ! 3 nI r f Optimisticabout the future? Do you agree with these statements? l. The world is a better placethan it was twenq/ years a8o.

-J 2. You arent even safe in your own home today. _J 3 . Youngpeopletoday havegot a good chanceof getting a well-paidjob when they leaveschool. J 4. There'sno suchthing as a safejob today. J 5 . Pollutionis gettingworse. J 6. I feel much more confidentthan I usedto. J 7. The world is becominga lesstolerant place. J 8. Peopleare more aware of environmentalissues J than they used to be. Complete this sentence by adding a pessimist and an optimist . . . .. is someonewho alwaysthinksthe glassis ..... alwaysthinksit's half-empty. half-full,while Now mark the eight statements with an O or a P depending on whether you think they are optimistic or pessimistic.

Speaking Tell your partner how optimistic you feel about your own future, the future of your country, or the future of the world. The young person in this picture are protesting against the cutting down of trees. Would you? ls there anything else you feel strongly enough about to protest against?

132

A Rachet and Nick, two friends both in their last I J y" , at university, are chatting oyer cofree. Listen to them talking about what they see themselves doing in the future. Cover the conversation. As you listen, try to complete these sentences. , but it dependson

l. Nick'sthinkingabout 2. He'd like to . . .

. . ., but he probablywon't have

...and 3 . R a c h ewl a n t st o . . . 4. lf she , then she'll Otherwise,she'll probablygo . . . Listen again and try to fill in the gaps in the conversation.


1 9 Y o u rf u t u r e

Now you're talking! Rachel: So,haveyou had any more thoughtsabout what you're goingto do next year,then? Nick Mm. I don't know really.I mean, (l) .. . . . . t h a t i t m i g h tb e a g o o d i d e a to do that art course I was tellingyou about, but it all dependson my results. Rac hel: S o wha t a b o u t F ra n c e l(2 ) .. .... goi ng to Parisa while backl Nick Oh, for that Frenchcourse?Well,I would still like to do it, but I just don'r know if I can afford it. Rachel: Oh, I know what you mean.Money'salwaysa p r o b l e m ,i s n t i t l I m e a n (, 3 ) . . .... next year is to learn to drive and buy a car,but I'm not sure if I'll havethe cash. (4) . . I'm just so sick of havingto get buses everywhere. Nick Dreadful,aren't theyl You wait half an hour and then three come alongat the sametime. S o , y o u ' r e( 5 ) . . . . . . j u s tg o i n gt o b e stayingaround here,just trying to saveup some money,thenl Rachel: Yes,I supposeso. lt depends,really.I mean,if I can find a good job, then l'll stick around,but ot her w i s e(6 ) .. .... e v e n tu a l liys goi ng back to Glasgow. Nick Oh right,becauseyou grew up there,didn't you? Rachel: Yes,that's right,yes,so I supposeI do see myselfendingup there eventually. Nick Yeah. Rachel: So,(7) . . . . .you do this art course,what do you see yourselfdoing after that, in the longterml Nick Oh, I dont know. No idea really.I haven't thought that far ahead.I'll just (8) . . and see what happens. Rachel: Justlistento us,Nick!We just soundso b o r i n g (! 9 ) . . ....go offsomewhere together this summer,you know,maybe- | don't know - work abroadfor six monthsl Nick What?You meanpickinggrapesin FrancelThat kindof thing? Rachel: Yeah,o4 I don't know - workingin a hotel in Spain, or Nick Or goingto Australia.lf the Aussiescanwork o v e rh e r e (, 1 0 ). . . . . g o a n dg e ta job over there? Rachel: Yeah,ld loveto do that.Where'sthe paper? What'sthe cheapestflightto Sydney? Nick Now you'retalking!

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Are you the kind of personwho couldjust suddenlygo abroadfor six months,on the spur of the momentl Haveyou ever done anythinglike that? 2. Haveany of your friends ever gone off to work in another country?Where did they go? 3. ls it possibleto plantoo much for the futurel

I Real Englishs theAussies This is an affectionateterm used by British people for Australians. New Zealandersare known as Kiwis while Australianscall Britishpeoplepoms or pommies.

I

Phrasalverbs with In the conyersation, you met save up, end up and grew up. Complete the sentences below with the verbs in the box. Then go back and underline the phrasal verbs. do beat

cheer hung

put come

turned bottling

t . This reallystrangething happenedlast night. An old friend from school just totally out of the blue!

. . . . up on my doorstep,

2. That was weird. Whoever it was on the phone just . . . . up as soon as they heard my voice!

3 . Once we've savedup enoughmoney,we're goingto ....upourflatabit.

I

4. A: Why don't I cook tonight,if you're not feeling up to itl B : W o w ! T h a t ' tsh e b e s ti d e ay o u ' v e. . . . . . . . . . u p with all week!

ll I

5 . I wish you d

. . . . up a bit! lt's reallystartingto get me down, seeingyou like that! I got muggedlast year,and when I wouldn't give them my watch,they . . . . me up really badly. 7. It's not healthy,you know, . . . . up all your negativeemotions like this. lt's much better to just get thingsoff your chest.

8. lf you're stuck for somewhereto stay,we could always

. . . .you up on our sofa.

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l. Do you ever bottle thingsup? 2. How do you usuallycheer yourselfupl 3. Haveyou ever been beatenupl

133


1 9 Y o u rf u t u r e

U;irry glarnfirar

Uging vsraeulary

Rachel said'What lU really like to do next year is learn to drive'. What can be placed at the beginning of a sentence to give special emphasis to what follows. lt means'the thing that'.

Complete the sentences below with the words in the box.The sentences are all common answers to the question:'What are your plans for the future?'

What I really need to do is get awayfor a break. What I'd really like to do is learn to drive. What I was thinkingof doing is goingabroad. Rewrite these sentences using the expressions with what above.

wait and see cant really change a. I' m .. b. My plans

l. Your companyis sendingyou to Japan, so you haveto start learningthe language. What

c. lcan't much longer.

2. You think it would be a great idea to buy a flat

d. l'll just haveto happens.

in the next coupleof years. What 3. You haveno money and desperatelyneed to start saving. What

4. You think you would quite like to travel round India in the not-too-distantfuture. What

5. You'yealwayswanted to start a family as soon as you get married. What

6. You've had an idea - maybego abroad for Christmasthis year rather than stayat home. What

e. ljust f. | . . . .

perfectly happy take things see myself . doi ngw hat I' m doing. . . . fairly often. ...stayingtherefor . . . what ...astheycome. .. .. .sayyet.l t al l depends.

Now complete l-6 using a-f above.

t . I'm a fairly laid-backkind of person.I mean, and only worry about things if and when they happen.

2. A: So,what are you goingto do once you get back to Madridl B: Well, I might try and get a job as a chef,but yesterdayI was thinkingabout maybegoing back to college.Ask me againin a week! ., you know. 3 . A: So,how's it all goingl B: Well, to be honest,I'm reallyfed up at work. A: lt soundsto me like it's time to move on.

Complete these sentences in ways that are true

for you. l. What I reallyneedto do beforethe endof the week s

4. A: So,what are your plansfor the future? B: Well, right now, life'sgreat.Maybein a couple of years I might changemy mind,but at the moment. ..

5 . A: So,are you still off to Kenyain the spring? B: Well, I'm not 100%sure just now, becausemy dad'sstill very ill,so . . .

What I was thinking of trying to do next year,if I get the chance,is .

4. What ld reallylike to be doing in a few years'time

6. A: So,how long are you goingto be stayinghere forl B:... .on my girlfriend.lf thingswork out between us,we might think of getting married and settlingdown.

s Now tell a partner about what you have thought of, giving more details if you can. For more information on how to use sentences with whoqsee G3l.

134

Do any of the expressions a-f apply to you in your present situation? For example: I wouldn't say,'ljust take thingsas they come' now, but I might'vedone when I was eighteenor nineteen becauseI didn't havea job then,and I didn't reallyknow what I wanted to do in the future.


2 | Coflocations Complete each of the sentences l-4 in two different ways, using two different endings from the box below to make some common collocations about the future. my own country abroad a new job studying

back to university with my girlfriend somewherenicer to live where I grew up

l.

2. 3. 4.

Now complete sentences 5-9 in the same way. reading a better laptop to buy a flat house the world

5.

south my family for a DVD player sport a new car

:::::::::::::1: :::'::::: I'T:i:i':::: Tl:T

7. ld like to start doinga bit more

t..... 8. lf I can,l'll probablysaveup 9.

:J::il:'i::i':l

How many of the sentences above are true for you?

Speaking In the conyersation on page 133, Rachel and Nick talked about going to Australia. lf you had a year free, what would you do? Do any of these appeal to you? l . buildinga pr im a rys c h o o li n B a n g l a d e s h 2. working for an aid agencyin Ethiopia 3. goingon an expeditionto the North Pole 4. working with homelesspeoplein Manchester 5. sailinground the world 6. writing a book


1 9 Y o u rf u t u r e

i'-=aCirt'7 Make sentences about the future by matching the beginnings l-7 to the endings a-9. l. My parentshave 2. lwish 3 . I hope I've alwaysdreamed One of my greatestfears is

J J J -J __J

I'm reallylookingforward to I'm reallydreading

I

J --|

I didn't haveto go backto Japannext year. great expectationsfor my future. endingup on m y o w n w h e n I' m o l d . the summer!lt gets so unbearablyhot here! seeingall my old friendsagainonce I'm back home. of maybeone day goingto live in Hawaii. I can find a good job once I graduate. Now use the sentence starters in 2-7 to tell your partner about some of your hopes and dreams.

f1 You are going to read an e-mail from somebody who is dreading something. I / f :nA out what it is - and why they are dreading it.

EcENoMItrAL

WITH THE

TRUTH !

DearAdam. Hi. How'reyou doing?Hopeeverything's all rightwith you. I justthoughtI'd betterwriteto let you knowthat I may not be able to come over and visit you in likeI saidI would.Thethingis, I'vehadto September take a few weeks off recentlybecause I've done somethingweirdto my back.Also,as you know,I've got my end-of-school examsin Juneand I can'treally makeanyconcreteplansuntilI knowhow I'vedonein them,so everything's a bit up in the air for me at the moment.Hopefully, everythingwill workout fine and I will be able to come and see you, but don't be too surprisedif thingsfall through.

happened is I'vefallenfor thiswomanI met.Heronlinenameis Foxyandshesoundsamazing. She's22, blondeand comes from Denmark.She's studying alternative medicineand we get on like a houseon fire.The problemis, though,I haven'tbeen entirely honestwith her. I told her I was seven years older thanI am,and saidI wasalreadyworking- in a really well-paidjob. I alsotold her I had my own apartment rightin the centreof town.Anyway,to cut a longstory short,I've stupidlyarrangedto meet up with her next week. I'm reallydreadingit now!Whatdo you think I shouldI do?

By the way, I also wanted to ask you lor a word of Hopeto hear from you very soon, advice.SinceI'vebeenstuckat homea lot lately,I've All the best, been surfingthe net quitea lot and spendinga lot of time in various chat rooms, and basicallywhat's Max.

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. L Do you ever visit chat rooms?Which onesl 2. Haveyou got an online name?

136

3. Do youthinkchatroomsarea goodplaceto meet potentialpartners? Why/whynot? 4. Haveyoueverbeeneconomical with the truth?When? Whv? With a partner, either write Adam's reply to Max or role-play the conyersationbetween Max and Foxy when they first meet.


1 9 Y o u rf u t u r e

4

L a n g u a g ed e v e l o p m e n t

, : . J J . i . < i

? J

l{atch the sentence adverbs l-5 with their meanings a-â‚Ź.

if- expressions

B as ic ally

t

:

Realis t ic ally

II

:

ldeally

t

I I

Eventually

I

!

Hopef ully

I I

_J

There are seyeral if- expressions with which we use to talk about our future plans. For example: W el l ,i f everythi ng goesaccordi ngto pl an, I sho uldbe livingin Morocco this time next year.

I I a

!

I t hink t his wil l h a p p e ni n th e e n d . T hiswould be th e b e s t p o s s i b l ere s u l t,b u t i t mi ght not happen.

Complete the short dialogues below with the correct form of the verbs in the box. go (x3)

I would lik et h i s to h a p p e n . This will probablyhappen,eventhough I may not want lt to.

Complete these sentences in a way that is true for you. Then compare with a partner.

fail

work

So,what do you seeyourselfdoingwhen you get backhome? B: W el l ,i f al l . . . . w el l ,I shoul dbe abler o get my old job back.Touchwood!

T his is m y gen e ra l /s i mpvl ei e w o f w h a t w i l l h a ppen. Which two adverbs did Max use in his e-mail?

fall

2.

So,you'reoff to Australiafor Christmas,are youl . . . . accordingto plan. We're just waitingfor our visas.

B: Yes,if everything 3.

So,you'veappliedfor the manager's job? . . . . through,I thi nk l'll look elsewhere.

B : Y es,and i f that

Basically, what I'd reallylike to do in the future is . . . . 2. ldeally,I'd love to be ableto sometimein the next few years,but realistically l ' l lp r o b a b l.y. . .

4.

3. Next year I can see myself and after that l'll hopefully

5.

So,you'rethinkingof buildingyour own house. That soundsa bi t ambi ti ous. B: Yes,it is a bit, but my father'sa builder,and if nothing . . . . wrong,it shouldonly take about a year or so.

6.

What am I goingto do about my boyfriend? B: Tell him you'regoingto work in Greenlandif he doesn'rask you to marry him - and if that doesn't . . . . , r h e nn o t h i n g w i l l !

4 W ell,if I c ar r y o n d o i n gw h a t I' m d o i n gn o w ,. e v e n t u a lll'yl l . . . 5. Well,you know that I reallylike . . s o i d e a l l yI ' d l i k et o e n d u p . . .

a

It

We're too late to get tickets for the final now! . . . . , we'll just haveto watch it on TV then.

B: Well, if all else

Now go back and underline the full expressions with if.

Recll English3 Touchwood!

l

It i s commonw hen usi ng' touchw ood' to touch a pieceof wood at the sametime. This is a common Britishsupersririon when talkingabout the future. I m seeingthe doctortomorrowond if otl goeswell,l'll be bockot work pretty soon,touchwood! This is a very old superstirion.The idea is that if you touch wood - the samematerialwhich the crossof Christ was madeof - you will have good luck.Do you do anythinglike that?

137


20 What do you look for in a job? Mark each of these ideas from | (not important) to 5 (very important), depending on how important they are for you when you're looking for a job.

I beingableto work flexi-time -J gettingholidaypayand sick pay I earninga good salary I doing a reallyinterestingjob I knowingyour job is secure

2. What was the judge'sdecisionl 3. What are the implicationsof this decisionfor other casualworkers?

J doing somethingusefulfor society -J beingableto work from home J getting a company car J gettingmaternityor paternity leave

Compare your answers with a partner. What else would you add to this list?

Complete the sentences below with the words and expressions in the box. lots of benefits sick pay contract

paid holiday income tax

t . When my son was born, I took

. . . for three months and then went back to work part-time.

2. I can't go awaymuch,becauseI only get three weeks'

3 ;;"; 4.

; ;;;-" ;iil

| managed to settwomonths'

... starts at20% and goes up to a maximum of 40%.

5. I appealedto a tribunal becauseI felt lU been 6. I used to do only two daysa week, but I work ...now.

7. I've been there six years now, but I've never been givena proper The best thing about my job is that I get . . . - a companypension,private health insuranceand things like that.

138

employment. He or she is not permanently employed and in many countries has few rights. Read the article on page | 39 about two casual workers who had a problem with their employer. When you have read it, answer these questions. l. Why did Mrs Carmichaeland Mrs Leesetake their employersto court?

_t not beingstuck behinda deskall day

full-time unfairly treated maternity leave

ff A casualworker normally works for a l/.o-pany, but without a contract of


20 Theworldof work

We can work it out. Crettinga good job in Britain today is far from easy.More and more young people are going to university, so a degree has becomethe minimum qualification required, whereas once it was a magical door-opening piece of paper. If your O/ doescatch a potential employer'seyeand you're lucky enoughto get called in for an interview, you then encounter the next hurdle: you find yourselfin a Catch-22 situation r*'here you can't get a job unless you've got work experienceand, of course,there's no way you can get any r*'ork experienceuntil someonefeels like giving you a job ! If and when you do finally manageto land a job, you rhen realise that your troubles have only just begun. The last twenty years have seen radical changes in employment laws, very few of which havebenefitedyoung workers in any way. Full-time contracts seem to have becomea thing of the pasr,and insteadyou'll probablybe offered a short-term casual contract - even if they're talking aboutemployingyou full-time ! I've heardof people who've worked full-time for six or sevenyearsand who are still being paid by the hour! One good rhing that has changed recently, though, is that at least you're now entitled to the national minimum wage. Living on less than five poundsan hour isn't easy,but at leastyou can't be totally ripped off by your bossesanymore. Becauseof all thesechanges,there's not much job security anymore. Companieshave learned how to dress up mass redundanciesin media-friendlylanguage,calling hugejob cuts 'down-sizing' or 'corporaterestructuring'! If you do end up out of work, don't expect your union to be much help. The power of trade unions was cut dramatically in

Speaking

the 1980safter the endlessindustrial acrionof the 70s and today they've becomea little bit toothless.However,as a recent landmark legal casehas shown, it's nol all doom and gloom, and there is still hope for the workers. Last month two casualworkers, who were never offered proper contractsof employment,won the right to the same benefits as full-time workers. A judge said that because Mrs Carmichael,35, and Mrs Leese,36, had signedletters acceptingjobs at Blyth Power Sration, they should have been treated the same as any other full-time employeeof National Power.However,the two women had been denied holiday and sick pay and many orher benefits normally given to full-time staff. Despite taking income tax from their pay, making the women wear companyuniforms, and giving them the use of companycars, National Powertried to insist that Mrs Carmichaeland Mrs Leesenever worked directly for the company.They were, therefore,refuseda proper contract, and were not givenany employmentprotectionor benefits. Thejudge's decisionmeansthat casualworkersall overthe country can now fight for the right to sick pay,holiday pay, maternity leave and other benefits. The judgement also means that casual workers can appeal against unfair dismissal by their employer if they are sacked without reason.A solicitor acting on behalf of the rwo women said it was a major breakthrough in employment law, which was likely to have a very positive effect on the working lives of thousandsof men and women employedon a casual basis.

Vocabulary

Discuss these questions with a partner.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l . Does t he s it u a ti o ni n B ri ta i ns o u n ds i mi l a rro the situationin your countryl In what way?What's differentl

l. What is the differencebetweena full-timeworker, a part-timeworker and a casualworkerl

2. Haveyou ever done any casualworkl How were you treated?What was the money likel

3 . Who's the worst employeryou've ever worked for? 4. Haveyou heardof any companieswhich havea good/badreputationfor the way they rreat their workersl

*.;S'.-+---

':;=wijr'$*â‚Ź' *.*-*lF-

2. What are the usualreasonspeopleget sacked? 3. What's the differencebetweengetringsackedand bei ngmaderedundant? 4. What kind of thingsdo you pur in your CVI 5. What are the namesof the biggesttrade unionsin your country?What do they dol


20 Theworld of work

-

i

l

i ltaTt'iizr J

?

J J ; J t

Complete these sentences with work or job. l. He's neverdone a day's

. . . . in his life!

2 . A r e y o u s t i l l o o k i n gf o r a

....,thenl

3. lt's quite hard . Milan. 4. lt's a dirty

. . . findinga flat in a big city like . . . . , but someone'sgot to do it!

5. I know the money'snot very good,but at leastyou're g e t t i n gs o m eg o o d ....experience. 6. Oh, the kitchenlooks lovelynow. You'vemadea reallygood ....ofit. 7. I'm sorry,but I can't let you use the phoneto ring Australia.lt's more than my . . . .'s worth! 8 . I ' v ebeenup t o my e y e si n ...

. a l l w e e k!

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. l.

Do you know anyone who's never done a day's work in their life? How do they get byl

2. Can you think of three other things that are quite hard workl

e r - . J

r

? O

- e .

!

?t

i J t J

?

?

Before

t

2

listen

With a partner, decide what the people in the pictures on these pages do for a living. Which of the jobs in the pictures would you most/least like to do? Why? What do you think these jobs would involve? Could you or would you do any of them?

/* , Now listen to three of the people in the l/ pictures talking about their jobs. As you listen, try to decide what their job is. Then comPare answers.

t. 2. 3.

140


How arethingsat work? Hatch the common questions about work l-5 with typical answers a-e. l. How are thingsat workl

a. . . .

2. So,what exactlydoes your job involve,thenl

$. o They're OK, the usualnine to five. Awful. I don't usuallyget home until ten! Great. I'm usuallyhome by two or three.

lts OK. lt's enoughto live on. lt's not very good - more like slave-labour! Well, actually,I don't think it's any of your business!

a

a

3. Haveyou been doing it long?

c . . Crazyt I've been rushed off my feet all week! Oh, we've been pretty quiet,actually. Oh, it's OK, the sameas ever. a

a

4. What are the hours likel

61. r a a

5. What's the money like?

Well, I'm in chargeof Accounts. I do all the marketing. I deal with all the complaintsthat we get.

e . . Yes,it's about ten years now I suppose. No, I've only just started,actually. Yes,too long! a

a

In your country is it acceptable to ask someone how much they earn? Are you happy to talk about how much you earn?

lmagine you are one of the people in the pictures on these pages. Spend two minutes thinking about how you would answer the questions in Exercise I above, using the typical answers if necessary. Your partner should then ask you the questions and try to guess which job you do.

141


20 Theworldof work

jokes Below are three joke answers to the question:'So what's your boss like?' Discuss with your partner which one you find the funniest and why. l. He's reallyflexible.He lets me come in any time I want beforenine,and then lets me leavewhenever I want after five! 2. He's so meanthat if you're three minuteslate for work, he finesyou,and if you turn up five minutes early he actuallystarts chargingyou rent! 3. He's reallyhard on late-comers.Actually,one day one of his assistants turned up over an hour late, covered in blood,and as he staggeredover to his desk,my bosswent up to him and askedhim where hed been.The assistantapologisedand saidhe'd fallendown three flightsof stairs. 'What?'saidmy boss,'thattook you a whole hour, did it ! ' f 1 Listen to the jokes. Mark the stresses and ld ptrres. Then tell the jokes to each other in pairs with one student asking:'So what's your boss like, then?'

Make answers to the question:'What's your boss like?' by matching the beginnings l-8 to the endings a-h. l . Well, he'snot exactlythe most

a . o a

2. He's awful,a real

sit at his deskand giveorders! talk to the other guysabout football.

b . . domi neeri ng. bossyand dictatorial. a

c . . on the phoneto her boyfriend!

3. Dreadful!All he ever does is

a

4. Oh, he'sgreat,he'sa really

jettingoff to Parisand Rome on business

d . . easy-goingand easyto talk to. nice and friendly. I

5 . O h, s hes pen d sth e w h o l e trme

e . r a

6. Terrible,she'sreally

me about thingsthat aren'tmy fault. everyoneabout spendingtoo much money.

. approachable personI've ever met, but he'sOK, I guess. intelligentbloke I've ever worked for, but I guesshe'sOK.

f.

a

7. O h, s he' sbr il l i a n t,re a l l y

g . ' dictator! slave-driver! a

8. He's alwaysgetting on to

h

.

o I

nrce8uy. good person to work for.

Speaking Discuss these questions with a partner. L Do any of the commentsin Exercise4 aboveremind you of your boss or one you haveknown? 2. Tellyour partner what kind of a bossyou think you'd make and why. 3. Which personin your classdo you think would make the best boss?Why?

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4. ls it importantfor a bossto be friendlyand approachableor is it OK if they're a bit distantfrom their staff?

5 . Are there other qualitieswhich are important? 6. What do you call the bossof a schoolfA departmentlA footballteaml

7. How manyother words can you think of with a si mi l armeani ngto' boss' ?For exampl e: head, employer,manager, supervisor, superior,etc. Which do you preferl


20 Theworld of work

Usinggfl{ftfftZtf

5. A: l'll give you a call over the weekend about the

followingweek.

B: Yeah,that's OK, but A: Sure.I probablywon't know what I'm doing until

Futurecontinuous

then anyway. Notice the highlighted words in these sentences. l'll be meetingmy bossnext week,so I'tl talk to her about my chancesof promotion then. The twins will be startingschoolthis autumn,so l'll have a lot more free time. Both situations are about the future ('ll and will). In both cases the verb is extended in time (meeting and starting). lt is common for the future continuous form to be followed by a clause that begins with so. Make sentences by matching the beginnings t-6 to the endings a-f. l. I'll be doingsome work in your areatomorrow, 2. l'll be goingbackto Japanin the autumn, 3. I'll be passingyour front door, 4. l'll be doinga computer coursein April, 5. l'll be writing my MA thesisall summer, 6. l'll be going down to my dad'snext Saturday, a. b. c. d. e. f.

-J _J -J J J J

6. A: Thanksto this rail strike,I dont know how l'll get home. B: You'rein luck.I drove today.

plans Walk around the class and chat to some other students about the kind of work you see yourself doing in the future, where you see your career going in the short term, any long-term career plans you'ye got, and so on. Try to use as much of the new language from this unit as you possibly can. For example: lf we meet in ten years'time, if everythinggoes according to plan,l'll havemy own company.l'll be drivinga top-ofthe-rangeMercedes.I'll be livingin a hugehousewith my own private plane.I'll own an islandsomewherehot. For more information on how to use the future continuous,see G32.

so it's no trouble givingyou a lift. so then I'll be an expert on the Internet. so don't try and call me until Sundaynight. so I'll be working in the librarya lot. so l'll pop in and sayhello if I get a chance. so l'll try and get you a cheapWalkman,shalll?

Grammarin context Make short dialogues by adding sentences from Exercise I above. l . A : Well, I really like this Sony,but it's just too expensivereally. B: Well, look, A: Oh, that'd be great if you could.ld payyou for it, of course.

2. A: So,John,when are we goingto seeyou next,then? B: Well, A: Oh great. Try and make it around twelve or so and then maybewe could havelunch.

3 . A : So,are you lookingforward to the holidays,thenl B: W efl, no actu a l l y. ... . A: Oh well,l'll be thinkingof you while I'm lyingon the beach.

4. A: So,are you still havingproblemsgefting onlinel B: Well, actually,thingsare looking up.

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Secondconditionals Choose the correct form. l.

They still haven'tbeen fixing / haven'tfixed ourTV yeL

2. The restaurantwas redecorated/ was being redecoratâ‚Źd,so we had to find somewhereelse. 3. Billshaveto pay / haveto be paid within a month, or elsethey cut your electricityoff. 4. I wish they'll/ theyd do somethingabout all the stray dogs in the park. 5. I see/ l'll be seeingBill later,so l'll ask him if he got your e-mail. 6. I thought the film will be / was goingto be grear, but it wasn't as good as the book. 7. A new stadiumis beingbuilt / is goingto be built sometime in the next four or five years. 8.

lf everythinggoes / went accordingto plan,we should be able to move by the end of the month.

9. That bridgeshould'vebeenwidened/ should've been beingwidened yearsago. 10. l'll be back/ I'm backat universityquite soon,touch wood!

Multiple choice Choose the correct alternative. | . What would be reallygreat is if my parents ... ! a. will buy me a car b. boughtme a car 2. I'veappliedfor a job in Stockholm,but ... , I might try Denmark. a. if that fallsthrough b. if nothinggoes wrong 3. lf it doesn'tstop raining,I'm goingto end up ... ! a. going mad b. to go mad 4. ... is get other peopleto do her job for her! a. All Kate ever does b. All Kate is ever doing 5. lU like to end up with my own business, but ... , I'll probablyhaveto work in the fami| shop. a. basically b. hopefully c. realistically 6. What I'd really like ... the guitar. a. to do this year is learn to play b. doingthis year is learningto play 7. ... to wait outside till he was ready. a. He told me b. He saidme

8. Dont ringbeforenine. a. We'llbe having dinner

b. We'llhavedinner

Compare your answers with a partner and discuss your choices.

1M

Complete these sentences by putting the verbs in brackets into the correct form. l. A: Haveyou heardlThey'regoing to knock the cinemadown and turn it into a car park.

B: just better irthev i::i':i.'1.. ,;ffl1uch ;"."";

2. A: They'regoingto chargepeopleto drive into the city centre,arent theyl B: Yeah,but if you ask me, it . . . . (b") far better

ran d :i:i::':':(il;;;;;;['Ji[TflH1'f

3. A: There'sso much litter everywhere.

B: *[T,,":;i illll ,;;,Ji:["fl''"i;lln;"n"'

4. A: This bus is hardly moving!Thetraffic'sawful. B : I know ! | thi nk i t .... (be) a real l ygood idea if they . . . . (bring) back the trams. 5. I think it . . . . (be) a reallygood idea if they . . .. (not charge)peopleto get into museums. You . .. .(get) a lot more peoplegoing. 6. A: They'regoingto open another coffeeshop there. B: Really?lt . . .. (be) far more usefulif we . . . . (have)a decent supermarketinstead.

Speaking Make a list of things that annoy you about your town/city. Tell your partner your ideas and suggest alternatives using the second conditional structures above.

Conversation Put the jumbled conversation into the correct ordea a. So,how are thingsat work? b. I think of nothing else,actually!I've got an appointmentwith Personneltomorrow so that might make a difference. c. Dreadful,to be honest! | feel as if I'm goingto end up havinga nervous breakdown! d. How will that help? e. Well, l'll havethe chanceto talk about the problemsin my department.They might listen. On the other hand,they might not! f. ls it as bad as that? Have you had any more thoughtsabout leavingthem?

-1J -J J J J J


R e v i e wU: n i t s1 7 - 2 0

Look back and check: More expressionswith bother

Collocations

Look back at'More expressions with bothe/ on page l3l. Tick any of the expressions you can temembea Ask your partner about anything you have forgotten. With a partneq write eight new sentences that would produce the responses a-h. Compare what you have written with another paia Did you have any similar ideas? Now cover Exercise 6 on page l3l. your partner will read out your eight new sentences. Can you remember all the responses?

Match the verbs l-10 to the best collocations a-j. l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

deny see move buy take deal tackle go on do sl amon

a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j.

a flat nearer where I work house with all the complaints a problem about her problemsall the time a bit more of my wife and kids thingsas they come a casualworker his holidaypay the brakes a U-turn

Now match the verbs I l-18 to the best collocations k-r.

Expressions Complete the short dialogues below with the expressions in the box. All the expressions are fiom units ll-20. just doingwhat I'm doing dont let it get you down wait and see if everythinggoes accordingto plan I know what you mean

get messup shrink do up bottl e up see dread avoid

k. l. m. n. o. p. q. r.

in the wash my flat myselflivingabroad made redundant the issue going to the dentist's my exam your feelings

Now discuss these questions with a partner.

l . A : I'm gettingtired of Mr Owens complaining about our departmentall the time. B: Look, . There's nothingyou can do about it. Forget him!

2. A: I just can't believethat all the bankshere shut at four! How can I get to one if I'm working!

B: Yes,.. It'd be far better if they were open in the evening.

19. Haveyou ever messedup any examslWhat happenedl 20. Do you know anyonewho really bottles up their feelings? 2l'. Do you know anyonewho's alwaysgoing on about how awful their life is?

English Match the questions l-6 to the responses a-f.

3 . A : So,what excitingplanshaveyou got? B: Nothing,really.To be honest,I'm quite h.ppy

l. So,when will you be ableto go backto work? 2. Haveyou seen Emma'snew hairdo? 3. I wish he'd stop coughing!lt's really buggingme.

for the time being.

4. A: So,you're going to be in Nepal next year,then, J am es l

B: Y e s , . . 5. A: So,did you get that job you appliedfor? B: I haven'theard yet. I'll just haveto

I l. 12. 13. 14. 15. | 6. 17. 18.

. . . . .!

4. Haveyou tried talkingabout working in Wales with your girlfriend? 5. I'm sorry to bore you with my problems. 6. So,what happenednextl Did they fine youl a. Really? Thingslike that don't reallybother me.

Can you think of three other situations when you might say:'Don't let it get you down'to someone? Can you think of three other questions you coutd answer by saying:'l'll just have to wait and see'?

_J -J J J J J

b. That'sOK. lts good to get these thingsoffyour chesqisn't it. c. Yeah,five hundredpounds- and six penaltypoints on my licenceas well! d. No, not yet, but I heard she'shad it bleached bl onde. e. In a week or two, I think - touch wood! f . Of course I have.I mean,that was the first thing I actuallydid.But she just won't talk about it. Whenever I mentionit, she changesthe subject!

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R e v i e wU: n i t s1 7 * 2 0

ldioms

Vocabulary

Make sentences with idioms by matching the beginnings l- 10 to th e e n d i n g s a -i . l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

I

That bar hasgone He let the cat I'm the blacksheep lt's a vicious I've been rushed lt's good to get things ...and to top I changed lt's a bit of a mixed That'sjust the tip

of the family. off my feet all week! off your chest. my mind. out of the bag! blessing. to the dogs. th e w h o l e th i ngoff... of the iceberg. circle.

remember? With a partneri note down as much as you can remember about the two texts you read in units 18and 20.

Answer these questions with a partner. Then compare your answers with another pair. Who got most answers right? l. lf I sendyou on a wild goosechase,what do you come backwith? 2. Apart from people,what else might need a facelift? 3. Are shantytowns nice placesto live or notl 4. What is the differencebetweenworking flexi-time, ful l -ti meand part-ti mel

5 . lf you find your bossdomineering, does it meanyou get on with him/heror not?

6. 7. 8. 9. t0.

ls an optimistafraidof the future? ls it only bosseswho can be bossy? When would a woman get maternityleavel lf women get maternity leave,what do men getl lf you find your bossapproachable, does it meanyou get on with him/heror notl

i l . Name one other thing apart from water that an office can be flooded with.

A sticky problem

12. lf someoneis in chargeof all the complaints, do they makecomplaintsor dealwith them? 13. What is the capitalof the counrryyou'restudying in?And what'sthe capitalof AustralialBulgaria? Chile?SouthAfrica? 14. Gi vean exampl eof a vi ci ousci rcl e. 15. Give one reasonwhy you might appealto a tribunal. 16. Where mightyou pull over?Why? 17. lf you do most of the hard work on a job, does this meanyou havedone the rat work, the dog work, or the donkeyworkl 18. lf I tell you that they'vebannedall on-streetparking, w ho are' they' l 19. Can you think of two thingsyou sometimesjust haveto put up withl 20. What's the difference between the inner city and the city centre?

Now compare what you remember with another pair. Who remembers more? Which text did you enjoy more? Why?

146


Review: Units17-20

Ifscuss these questions with a partner. l- Are you h"ppy with your Englishat the momentlWhy/why notl L How much better do you think you can getl 3- How are you goingto improve your Englishafter this coursel l|.ow read this text and underline anything you strongly agree or disagree with.

Compare what you've underlined with a partner. Are there any other ways of improving your English in future that you can think of?

147


*rrlt -* Kirsty Kirsty?She'sreallyinteresting. She'squite sporty and musicalas well.Sheplaysthe pianoa lot. She'sactually quite good.She'sin her twentiesand hasgot lovely shoulder-length blondehair. Nick You'dlil<eNick. He's reallynice.He'svery easy-going. He's got a great senseof humour.He's only thirty-five. He'sgot reallyshort hair - shaved,I thinl<.He'svery interestedin photographyand arty things. Jenny Jennyis in her forties.She'sa reallyenergeticsort of person- alwaysdoingthings"She'sgot a very warm personalityand enjoyshelpingother people.Shehas short,dark hair and darl<eyes" Matt Matt is still at university. He's reallyfriendlyand is one of the most popr.rlarpeople I know. He's very hard-working and serious,but he'salsoa lot of fun. He'sgot fair hair and he wearsglasses.

Simon:

I don't l<now.I've neverthought about it, I suppose. Melanie: So,what about you? Haveyou got any brothers or sistersyourself? Simon: Yes,I've got one of each,actually. Melanie: Oh right.Older or younger? Simon: My sister'stwo or three yearsyoungerthan me, but my brother'squite a lot older.He's about forty now Melanie: Do you get on with them all right?Youhavent reallytalkedabout them very much. Simon: Well, my brother,not that well,actually. He's differentfrom me, a bit old-fashioned, a bit traditional.Well, actually, he'sa bit, how can I put it, right-wing.You l<now- things aren't what they usedto be,more police,death penalty- that lcindof thing.He's a bit of a fool, actually. Melanie: Oh, well,it tal<esall sorts,I suppose. Simon: But my sister,she'sgreat.We get on really well.We'vegot the samekind of senseof humour" Melanie: Justa pity about the brother from hell,eh? Simon: Yes.Oh, but he'snot that bad.We get on all right,as long as you steer clearof certain topics.Anyway,youwere tellingme about your Parents. Melanie: Oh, there'snot much to tell,actually.

.;i:{ J f

M e l a n i e :I cant remember"Do you take millcl S i m o n : Please, but no sugar.Thanks.lt's weird,you l<now,but I'vebeento your housethree times new,and I still haven'tmet your parents. M e l a n i e :Yes,they're out a lot. My dad worlcs for the BBC and my mum'sa, she does sort of temping work for a company.You l<now,like an advertisingagency.They're both really busy. S i m o n : Oh, they soundreallyinteresting. M e l a n i e :Do you thinl<so?| find my dad a bit dull,to be honest.He works late every day,evenworl<s sorneweel<ends, doesn'tread,doesn'tgo out. I mean,don't get me wrong,he'squite nice,but I don't know, I just dont haveanythingto say to him.I think the thing is,we just dont spend enoughtime together. S i m o n : H o w o l d i s h e ,t h e n ? M e l a n i e :About fifty-five,I thinl<.I can never really rememDer. S i m o n : Oh, yeah. M e l a n i e :But my mum'slovely.She'sreallynice,a bit too nicethough,sometimes, alwaystrying to look after me. Sheworries about me leavinghome. She'sa bit over-protective,if you know what I m e a n I. ' m a n o n l y c h i l d s, o . . . S i m o n : Oh, I didn't know that. M e l a n i e :What?Youmeanyou cant tell!

;

148

i

,4: Can you give me a lift home? B: I'm sorry,I'm afraidI can't.I lost my licencelast weel<* had a bit too much to drink and got stoppedby the police! r\r Do you thinl<| could get that camerabackoff you sometimesoon? B: I don't know how to put this,but i thinl<| lost it last nightwhile I was out. I'rn reallysorry,but I've searchedeverywhereand I can'tfind it. l'll get you anotherone. I'm extremelysorry.

3 . A: Haveyou heard from Jan recently?

E: Well, actually,I haven't- not for abor-ltsix months - we had a bit of an argumentlast year.

Al ls your grandfatherany better? B: I'm afraidnot.We'revery worried about him.But then,he is ninety.

5. ,\; So,has Peter had his resultsyet? E: Well,yes,I'm afraidhe has.He didn't pass- so he's got to re-sit part of his examsin July. "A:Are you feelingall right,Stevel B: Well, actually, no. I'vejust had some very bad news.


Tapescripl

7. A: Hello,how are you? B: Oh, fine thanks.Well, actually, I think I'm gettingthe flu, so I'd stay awayif I were you. A: I thought you had a dog. B: We did. But unfortunately,it ran out into the street and was run over.I'm afraidwe had to haveit out down.

i.Jr;irr S Not as often as I used to (page2t) Interview with June, the bus driver. l. A; How often do you work in the evenings? B: Not all that often, actually,just when I haveto. Some people lil<ethe extra money,but I prefer to be at home with my kids. 2. A: How often do you get up early on Saturdays? B: Oh, all the time! My boys playfootballevery Saturdaymorning,so I've got to be up by eight. 3. A: How often do you see your parents? B: Well,they live in Wales,so,not as often as ld like to. I supposeI see mum and dad two or three times a year. 4. A: How often do you haveyour hair done? B: Oh, about everyfortnight.lt dependsreally.lf I'm goingout somewhere,I might haveit done specially. 5. A: How often do you seeyour best friend? B: Whenever I can.She livesquite near me, but shet a nurse,so she'sgot to worl< at weekendsquite a lot. 6. A: How often do you go awayfor the weekend? B: Oh, only a coupleof times a year.lt's difficultwhen you'vegot children. 7. A.; How often do you go to the cinema? B: Oh, hardlyever.I usuallywait till films come out on video and then get them for an evening. 8. A: How often do you go clubbing? B: Nlot as often as I used to. Before I got married, I usedto go out every weekend.

Dan:

So what do you feel like doingtonight?Any ideasl Helena: Well, I'd quite like ro see a film,or, I dont know, see if there'sanygood bandsaround,if you're into bands. Dan: Yes,that's an idea.What lcindof music do you lil<e, then? Helena: Oh, all sorts,really,you know,a lot of pop ano I quite like bluesand iazz andthingslil<ethat. Dan: Oh, really?I'm more into dancemusicmyself, s o m a y b e. . .

H e l e n a :Well, if you'd rather,we could alwaysgo and see a film.I lilcereallyscarythings. Dan: What?You mean like Halloween? Helena: Yes,that kind of thing,and I also quite like action movies,you l<now,car chases,guns, bombs,anythingthat's fast and exciting. Dan: Oh, right. To be honest with you, I'm not really that keenon violentfilms. H e l e n a :You'rekidding!And I thoughtrhis was goingto be the perfectrelationship! Dan: So did l! But it doesn'tsound like we'vegot all that much in common,really,does it? Helena: Oh come on, there must be somethingwe can do! Dan: Let me think. Well, I supposewe could always go clubbing. Helena: What? Somewherelike Paradox? Dan: ls that the new placethat'sjust opened? Helena: Yes,just lastweek.Right,so how about going clubbing, then? Dan: OK. Why not? Do you go much yourself? Helena: No, not all that often,actually.A coupleof t i m e s a y e a rl ,g u e s s . Dan: Oh, me too now but I usedto go a lot more when I was younger- almost every weekend. The thing was,though,it iust got to me after a while,stayingout dancintall nightand then havingto go to work first thing in the morning. I'm getting a bit too old for it now. Helena: Oh, well,that'sthat off the menu,then! So,what shallwe do then? Dan: I don't know.Couldn'twe iust get a video,and a curry,and havea nice quiet eveningin in front of the telly? Helena: Oh, you'vegot to be joking!We're not in our gravesyet. I mean,that's the kind of thing my parentsare probablydoing right now! Look, it's not what ld normallydo on a Monday night,but let'sgive clubbinga go! lt might be a laugh.

Not really keen (page23) A: I love nearlyall winter sports. B: Really?I'm not reallyvery keen on them, myself. I once broke my leg skiingand it put me off - for life! 2. A: Going out with a crowd of friendsand having fun, that's what I really like doing. B: Do you?lt's not reallymy kind of thing,I'm afraid. I prefer to go out with just one or maybetwo pebple.I hate crowds. 3 . A: I'm reallyinterestedin politics. B: Oh, it's not reallymy l<indof thing,I'm afraic. I dont reallyunderstandwhat makesall the partiesdifferent.They all seemthe sameto me! 4. A: I'm reallyinto older music,you know,before 1967. B: Are you?I'm not reallythat l<eenon anythint before | 980.

149


5. A: My favouritelcindof thingsare comicsand cartoons. B: I don't reallylike thingslike that myself.I don't see the point of them. I prefer a good novel- the longerthe better! 6. ,4r I'm reallyinto roller-blading. lt's a bit lilce roller-sl<ating. B: Are you? lt's not really my lcindof thing. I'm always worried I mightget hurt.

Phil: Jason:

Phil:

Jason: -J..-

-

.".

Phil:

Wh* did wrhat?{pase36} Jason: Speaker l: lt was total chaos.We had all our things lyingaroundall over the place,makingit impossibleto get in or out of the house.lt tool< forever to get everythingall boxed up and into the van. We had to makefive trips just to shift everything- and then there was the unpacking! What a nightmare!

Jason: Phil: Jason:

Speaker 2: lt was a realweight off my shoulders.Things had been bad for a while and I'd iust got to the point where I just couldn'tstandit any more. Everydaythere was hell,but then once I'd handedin my notice,I felt free again,and the future suddenlylooked a lot brighter.

Phil:

Speaker 3: I had my lastone and stubbedit out, and then I felt reallypleasedwith myself,but a coupleof hours later the cravingreallystartedand I found myself absolutelydyingfor one. I was so tempted duringthe lunchbreal<, but I managedto get throughthe whole day without one,and after that it was plainsailing.

l. l\: How come you drive with your bral<eson? B: I want to be ready in casethere's an accident!

I

I Fcr4r a day! {pase4CI} Phil:

Justtime for a quicl<smoke.Oh sorry,do you want one? Jason: No, thanks.I gaveup years ago. Phil: Good for youl I'vegivenup eventrying to give uP! Jason: Yeah,it! a nightmare,isn't it? Tell ryreabout it! | don't know how you managed Phil: it. J a s o n : Well, it's funny,but it was my job that did it. I mean,l'd beensmoN<ing for years,and you lcnowit's destroyingyour lungs,don't you,and I knew I wouldn't be ableto becomea fireman if I didn't give up. Phit: So,what's becominga firemangot to do with it? ls it the fire risl<or something? Jason: No, it's just that I knew l'd haveto passa physicalto get in,and I wouldn't be ableto do that if I was smol<ingforty a day. Phit: Forty a day!Justas well you tave up! So,how eome you decidedto become a fireman anywayl Jason: Mm, I'd haveto thinl<about that. I supposeit all goesbackto when I got out of college.I wanted to do somethingexcitingand different,you know,and a friend of my dad'swas in the local fire brigade.

1sCI

Phil:

Oh, right.So,he helpedyou, did hel Yes,he helpedme get the iob. I mean,I knew I didn't want to speridmy life sittingin an office pushingbits of paperround a deskor stucl<in front of a computerscreen! Yeah,I know exactlywhat you mean.I'm halfblind already!So,whydid you decideto move to London,then?Was it for work or becauseof a relationshipor what? Well, it was mainlyworl<,but also becauseI was just realiyfed up with where I was livingat the time. lt was down in Crawley,wasn't it? lt's pretty quiet down there,isn't itl it's dead.There'sabsolutelynothing Quiet?Yeah, to do there. So,was it the right deeision, then? What? Becominga fireman? No, no, movingto London,I mean. Oh yeah,definitely. I love it. I don't think I could live anywhereelse now. No, it's the samefor me. lt gets you after a while,doesnt it? lt's like a drug.

Jmkes{page4t}

2.

fo.:How come you were born in New Zealand?

B: I wantedto be near my mum! 3. A; I wish I'd broughtthe pianowith me. E; How come? rtl BecauseI left the planeticlcetson it!

4. ,$,;When I was a kid, I ran awayfrom home. lt took them six monthsto find me. B: Six months!How come it tool<them so long? Ar They didn't look!

*r:,i'i S Fiyingjoke {paEe aai Alfred had never flown before and was extremely nervous.He was flyingacrossthe Atlanticto visit his sister,who had emigratedto Canada.When he got on the planehe found he was sittingin a window seat.After a few minutes,the personnext to him arrived- an enormouslyfat American.Not long after the planetook off,the Americanfell asleepand beganto snore loudly.lt was obvious to Alfred there was no way he could get out, even to get to the toilet, without wal<ingthe man up. After the in-flightmeal had beenserved,theplane enteredan areaof severeturbulence.The American continuedto snore.Alfred,however.startedto feel sick. He was desperateto tet to the toilet. Finally, he was sick - all over the man'strousers.The Americandidn't walce up,but he just continuedto snore.Alfred didn't know what to do. As the planetoucheddown,the Americanfinallywol<e up and saw his trousers.Alfred turned to him and said. 'Are you feelingbetter now?'


Tapescr'ipt

Steve: Yes,we're going to this little Frenchplace near

l. r\: lt must'vebeen reallyhot in Greece. B: Hot? lt was boiling!That'swhy we made sure the hotel had air-conditioning. 2. ,41Oh, you're from 56o Paulooriginally,are you? It's a pretty big city,rightl B: Big?lt's enormous!That'swhy I moved to a small town out in the country. 3. A; How'syour flat?lt must be a bit cold with all this snow we're having. B: Cold? lt's freezing!That'swhy I've decidedto have centralheatingput in. 4. /\; lt's pretty quiet down in Devon,isnt it? B: Quiet? lt's dead!That'swhy I decidedto move to the city! 5. A; You must'vebeen pretty surprisedwhen you read the report in the papers. B: Surprised?| was shocked!That'swhy I contacted my solicitor straightaway. 5. A; lt's a bit smallin here,isnt it? B: Small?lt's tiny!You can hardlyswinga cat in here! 7. A: So,is he good-looking, then,your new boyfriend? B: Good-looking? He'sgorgeous!You'll die when you s e eh i m ! 8. A; lt must'vebeen a bit scary,going so high up like that. B: Scary?lt was terrifying!There's no way you'll catch me doingthat again!

*r,ix d (page48) Flanningexpress;CIns Gavin: Well,tonighti guessl'lf probablyjust stayin and havea quiet night in front of the telly.I'm a bit too tired to do anything.really.Then on Saturdaymorning,I'm going to try to get up really early and go off and play footballwith some matesof mine in the park,which should be fun. Then Saturdayafternoon,unfortunately, I'vegot to do some thingsaroundthe house,becausethe place is a tip at the moment. Then,Saturdaynight,I've got a big night becausea friend's havinga party at her placeand Karen'sgoingto be there. And Sunday morningI imaginel'll needto havea lie-injust to recover,really,and then in the afternoon,I've got a friend comingover.And then,finally,Sundaynight,I guessl'll probablyjust stay in and havean early night.

where I live. The food's great there, and then tomorrow I've got to get up really early - at leastfor me! - and do some cooking,because I'vegot some peoplecomingover in the afternoon. And l'll havero give the placea reallygood cleanas well. And, I'm not sure,but I think we'll probablybe goingout after rhat to see a film or somethint.We havent really plannedanything.What about yourself? Ken: Well,tonight I'm supposedto be goingout with some peoplefrom my old job, but I don't really feel like it any more. I'm feelingreallytired. Steve: So,you're just going to stay in, then? Ken: Yes,becausetomorrow night I've got a big night. I'm goingto my friends Pete and Rachel'sparty. It's on a boat. Steve: Oh, that soundsgreat. Whereaboutsl Ken: Down by the river. You know, in the docks. Steve: Oh yes,I know where you mean.I went to a party there myselfa while ago. Ken: Right.lsit OK down there? Steve: Yes,it's great,but it's not all that big. There's not that much room on the ooat. Ken: Mm, soundscosy! Steve: Oh, yes,you can get really close to people! Lots of sweaty bodies! Ken: I dont think it's going to be that sort of party! Steve: Well, you never know. lf you're lucky,it might becomeone! No, I'm only joking,it's actually a great placefor a party. Ken: Good. I'm reallylookingforward ro it. But then on Sunday,unfortunately,I've got to do some thingsfor work. Steve: No rest for the wicked!Well, listen,I mlght give you a ring on Sunday, then,just to hear all about your quiet nightout down on the river!

*v,l'x&i l-ifestyie{page64} l. I hategoingthere,but I'd run out of thingsto wear and,to be honest,some of my clothes were a bit well, you know,so I thought I'd better havesome cleanshirts before work on Monday. 2. ltt not somethingI normallydo but I just felt like a bit of freshair and it was a nice summer'sevening and quite a few shopswere open so,yes,it was really ntce.

3 . Not.much really.I was quite tired when I got in from

Thank gsodnessitk Friday!{page50} Steve: Thank goodnessitt Friday!This week's been dratging on forever. Ken: Tell me about it! So,what are you up to this weekend? Steve: Oh, nothingspecial,really.This evening,I'm just going out for dinner with my parents. Ken: Oh, that shouldbe nice.

work, so I iust got myselfsomethingto eat and then wrote a couple of letters,read a bit, watched a bit of TV and before I knew it, it was nearly midnight. Sorry I couldn'tring you last night,butWednesdays are my eveningsfor Art History.lt's somethingI've alwaysbeen interested in, so I thought I'd try this tenweek coursethat the university's runningthis autumn.

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2. I was so exhausted,I just went straightto bed as soon as I got in. Lucy: Hey,Rose,there's a letter for you. Rose: Thanks.You must'vegot in late last night.I didn't evenhearyou come in - and I went to bed after one. Lucy: I did,actually, yes.I went and met some old friends from collegethat I hadn't seenfor ages. Rose: Oh, did youlThat must'vebeennice. Lucy: Yes,we had a drink and a chat and caughtup with all the gossip.You know what it's like. Rose: U h - h u h . Lucy: Then we had somethingto eat and then another drink and then we endedup goingon to this awful disco in town. Rose: Oh, did you?Which one?Not Stardust.No, surelynot Stardust? Lucy: I'm afraidit was,actually- and it was really terrible,just full of lcidsand the musicwas so loud I could hardlyhear myselfthinl<.lt was like beingbackat schoolall over again.Kids of fourteen actingas if they were eighteen! Rose: I could'vetold you that! Lucy: This boy came up to me - you know, bottle of beer in his hand,actingall macho,and askedme to dance!| bet he hadn'tevenstartedshaving! Rose: And did you? Lucy: What? Dancewith him?Of courseI did!Then I told him I was thirty-five! Rose: You'reso cruel. Lucy: Well, I just figuredit was better he found out sooner rather than later that I was old enoughto be his n-rum! Rose: I thoughtyou were supposedto be there talking to old friends. Lucy: I was,but there was so much noise,you couldn't reallyhavea proper conversation. And then to top it all,I missedthe lasttrain home and had to get a cab and didn'tget in untii three! Rose: Didn't you?Youmust be feelingexhaustedthis morning,then. Lucy: Yeah,I could do with anotherhour or two in bed,that's for sure. ,Anyway, what about you? How was your night? Rose: Oh, it was OK. I just did a bit of shoppingon my way home,cool<edmyselfsome ramen noodles. Lucy: Cooked yourselfsome what? Rose: Ramennoodles,you know,just Japanese noodles. Lucy: Oh, OK. Rose: They'rereallyquick and easy,and then I just did a bit of tidying-up, you l<now,nothingamazingor anything,read for a bit, watched a bit of telly some film * you know the kind of thing that'son late on Channel4. Actually,I was so tired, I fell asleeoin the middleof itl Lucy: Oh, dont! You'remakingme feel evenmore exhausted!

Linking ldeas(pase6e) l. lt was so cold,my handsfelt like they were going to fall off.

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3. I was so hungry,I could'vecarriedon eatingall night! 4. lt was so hot, I could hardlybreathe. 5. His conversationwas so dull,I could hardlystop myselffrom yawning. 6. I was so angry,I could'vel<illedhim! 7. I was so worried,I rangthe police. 8. The film was so bad,I wall<edout halfwaythrough.

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Cathy: So,we've got to take this one and then change at CannonStreet,right? Diane: Yes,that's ir. Hey,did I tell you about what happenedwith me and my dad on the undergroundlastyear? Cathy: No, go on, what? Diane: Weil, about a year and a halfago,I decidedto get all my hair cut off, right?I alwaysused ro havereally,reallylong hair - ever sinceI was about fourteen or fifteen,you know - way down pastmy shoulders- parted in the middlelilce curtains.So,anyway,about a week after I had it all cut off, you know - really short - and I looked ouite different. Cathy: Yeah,I bet. Diane: So,anyway, I was goinghome on the tube,and I was halfasleepbecauseit was five or six o'clocl<and I was just standingthere,mindingmy - and little did I know that my dad own business was actuallycomingbacl<from a business trip abroad,passingthrough Londonon the undergroundto get his train bacl<to Durham. And guesswhat?He got into the samecarriage as me!The doors closedbehindhim.So there I am, standingthere face-to-facewith my own father! | don't recognisehim at first,but then I think,'Ah,that'smy dad,'and,of course,he's obviouslyonly seenme with reallylong hair for the lastten years,and so l'm standingthere, staringat him and he l<eepson glancingat me nervously, thinking,'Who'sthis lunaticstaring at me?'and I'm thinking- you know,it's the strangestfeelingnot beingrecognisedby your own dad - so I just stood there thinlcing,'Well, shall I just get off at the next stop without tellinghim,or shalli risk givinghim a nervous breakdownand a heart attacl<by saying,'Hello dad'l But,anyway, eventuallyI went,'Hello dad' and he went,'Diane!'and then saidnow he was tetting reallyworried becausehe thought I was a pick-pocketor a drug addictor somethingwho'd beengettingreadyto pinch his wallet or something- and,um,yeah,that was a pretty strangeand funny thing. Cathy: Yeah,reollystrange.


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Story-tellingexpressions(page78) A,: Did I tell you about what happenedto me in France last year?

B: No, I dont think you did.Go on. l{:

B: A:

B: A;

Well, I was on holidaywith my parentsin this little villagenear the sea,and we ran out of money. Really? That'sawful. Yes,so we went into town to find a cashmachinewhich we did,no trouble.Anyway,when we put the card in the machine,it iust startedspittingout loadsand loadsof money. You'rejoking!So did you keep it? Of coursewe did!Wouldn'tyou?

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Sharon:Yeah,it's great. And then I spent the eveningat my mum's,which was nice.

Barry: Oh, that soundsgood. Sharon:Yeah,and apart from that, I've been doing thingsfor college,really. Barry: Uh-huh,still beinga good student,then. Oh look, there's my bus into town. I'd best be off. l'll see you soon,then.Bye. Sharon:Yeah,OK, bye.

I sometimeswish ld known my grandfatheron my mum'sside.He was supposedto havebeena really interestingguy.

2. I wish I hadnt eatenso much earlier.I feel reallysick! 3 . I often wish I had travelledmore when I was young6r. I iust don't havethe time to do it now.

Sharon: Barry! Hi, how are you?| haventseenyou for ases. Barry: Hello,Sharon.Longtime, no see. Sharon: I l<now.So how're you doing? Barry: I'm all right,thanks.And you? Sharon: Yeah,not too bad.So,what've you been up to sinceI lastsaw you? Barry: Not a lot - working mostly- I've beenworking really long hours this week,getting reallyfed up with it, you l<now Sharon: Really? Barry: Yeah,but I went down to Kent last weekend, for my grandma'sbirthday party. Sharon:Oh, how old was she? Barry: Eighty-five.lt was reallygreat. We went for this lovelymealand then we went for a walk along the beach.lt was good ro get out of the city. Sharon: I bet. I l<eepmeaningto havea weekend away myself. Barry: I know. You get to the point where you really need it, don't you? lf you don't get out of London from time to time, it starts driving you crazy,you l<now.Anyway,what about you? What've you been up tol Sharon:Well,on SundaymorningI went and sawthat exhibition at the RoyalAcademy. Barry: Oh yes,the one there'sbeenall that fussabout - deadsheepand picturesof toilet rolls and things. Sharon: Yeah,my friend Angela- she'sat art school she kept naggingme to go and see it, so I went. Barry: And what did you think of it?Was it any good? Sharon: Oh, I actuallythought it was excellent,really good and challenging. There'sonly one thing that madeyou go'yuk!'- the deadsheep. I think it! meantto shockyou,though. Anyway,after that, I popped round and saw a friend of mine,Richard,for a bit and then we went uD to Camden market to do a bit of shopping. Barry: Oh yeah,it's nice up there on a Sunday, isn't it?

I reallywish I had gone to see the doctor about it earlier.lt wouldn't havegot so bad if I had. I sometimeswish I hadn'twastedso much time wnen I was at university. I wouldnt be working here if I'd got a better degree. I wish I hadnt spent so much moneywhile I was on holiday.I wouldn't be so badlyin debt if I hadn't.

7. I wish I'd met her earlier.I wouldn't havehad to spend so manyyears of my life on my own!

8. I reallywish I hadn'tlost my addressbool<.I'm going to losetouch with loadsof peoplenow

*s;i'*- * * : Recommending {page99) Conversation I A: I went and saw an exhibitionat the HaywardGallery earlierin the week. B: Oh, did you? What was it? A: lt was a collectionof photosfrom the first lunar landing. B: Oh, really?lt soundsquire interesting.What was it like? A.; Quite good, actually,thephotos were reallygreat, quite amazing- some of them. B: So,you'drecommendit,thenl S,: Yes,you should go and see it. Conversation 2 y'\: I went and saw that new exhibition at the National Gallerythe other day. B: Oh, did you?Which one'sthat again? A: Oh, it was this collectionof Flemishpaintingsfrom the seventeenthcentury. B: Oh really?Whatwas it like? A; Well, I didnt think much of it myself.lt was all a bit dull,you l..now B: So,you wouldn't recommendit, then? A: No, I'd give it a miss,if I were you - unlessyou really lil<ethat sort of thing,of course.

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Reeclrfr mxendFr"rg expresslons{page99i l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 5. 7.

lt's OK if you're into that sort of thing. lt's a must. I reallyrecommendit. I'd give it a missif I were you. lt's well worth a visit. lt's not worth the entrancefee. lt's not really my cup of tea.

Conversation 3 .s': Didn't you go to see Mocbethlast week? B: Yeah,it was brilliant.I've beento it a few times before,but I think this was the best productionI've ever seen. ,*",;Yeah,someone I worl< with went and said it was wonderful.I wish I'd beenableto get a ticl<et.

Asking linked Errestiems {page105} #h, that remind$rncF(page1s2) t . "4,;I visitedAlan in hospitallast Fridayto see how he was gettrngon. B: Oh, did you?| l<eepmeaningto go and see him myself.How was he?

2. A,:I spentall day Sundaycatchingup on all my mail. B: Oh, that remindsme. I must sendin my passport application.

3 . A,: I went and saw that musical,Chicogo,last week. B: Oh, I've been meaningto go and see that for ages. Was it as good as everybodysays?

4. l\l I went round to Mike and Sue'sthe other dayto seethat new car they'vebeentellingeveryone aDout. B: Oh, that remindsme. I must givethem a call. I havent spokento them for ages.

5 . /-h.rI went down to Bristol for the weekenda couDte of weel<sago. B: Oh, really.I'vebeenthinl<ing about havinga weekend awaymyself.Were you campingor what? 6. lc: I just stayedin last night and watchedTV. There'sa greatthing on on Fridaysat the moment about Antarctica. B: Oh,that remindsme. I must record that new thing on ChannelFour tonight.lt's meantto be really funny.

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5o what rruas like? {pagef 0a} Conversation I ,&: Mm,this fish is reallynice.What's yours like? B: Well, I'm beginningto wish I'd had the sameas you.I usuallylove chicl<en, but,to be honest,this is a bit bland.The waiter saidit was in a delicious mushroomsauce,but it doesnt taste of anything. Conversation 2 .&: So,is the wine all right? B: Mm,yeah,it's all right,but it's nothint special. ,A^rI seewhat you mean.f l5 for this! lt reallyis very ordinary. B: Yes,it's a bit disappointing, to saythe least.Shall we sendit bacl<l A; No, I cant be bothered.lt's not that bad.

154

t . A; What's his houselil<e?ls it big? B: Yes,it's huge.lt's got four bedrooms and an enormousgarden.

2. ,4,:What was that book like?Wasit interesting? B: No, it wasnt, actually.lt was really boring.In fact, I didn't evenfinishreadingit.

3 . /4: What's your new job lil<e?Are you enjoyingit? B: Yes,very much.My bossis reallynice and it's quite well paid,really.

4. A.rWhat wasTunisialikelWas it warm? B: Yes,it wos quite warm, but not as hot as the last time we went.

5 . ,4: What's this CD like?ls it any good? B: Yes,I think it's treat. The third track is brilliant. 6. l.\: How was the match?Did you win? E: No, we lost three - one.lt was just terrible.I cant believeit.

Nct exaetlyS$rakespeare {paget11i Paul: Guesswhat I went and saw last night - Titonic - it's on againthis week at the Duke of York's. Mick Oh, yeah.I saw that when it first cameout. What did you thinl<of it? Did you lil<eit? Paul: Oh, it was great.I reallyenjoyedit. I thoughtthe specialeffectswere amazing,and the actingwas brilliant.lt's one of those filmswhere,you know, when I first heardabout how much money they'dspenton it, I just couldn'tbelieveit, but it was reallygreat.lt was a bit like one of those old disastermovies,you know, like lowering lnfernoor Earthquoke, oniy better. Mick Really?I'm surprised.I thoughtthe actingwas a bit wooden myself,and the dialoguewas just awful.I can't believeyou actuallythought it was worth the moneytheyd spent on it. I mean, didn't you find the whole thing just a little bit over-the-toP? Paul: Oh, no. l.{ot at all.I thought it was brilliant. Miclc But the actingwas horrendous! Paul: Well, I know it's not exactly Shakespeare, but it's not meantto be, is it? l'll tell you something weird though,there was this guy sittingnext to us who snoredall the way throughthe film! Mick ReallylThatmust'vebeen reallyannoying. How could anybodyactuallysleepthroughall that noise!


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Paul: I dont know - just deadtired, I suppose. Mick Yeah,I guessso,but really,though,didnt you think it was all iust a bit roo sentimental? Paul: I know what you mean,but I honestlydidn't.I reallythought it was all done just right.lt was so romantic. Mick Oh well,eachto his own. Haveyou seenBomb Alert2 yett Paul: No, I haven'teven heard of it.Who's in it? Mick Um,Jean-Paul van Klam,he'sgreat in it and, um, that woman from Kamikqze,you know who I mean.RememberlShewasTurtle-woman too, althoughI must admit she wasnt very good in that. Paul: Oh, her.So what'sit like?Any good? Mick Yeah,it's great - if you like blood all over the placeand that sort of thing. Paul: Oh, it doesnt reallysound like my sort of thing, actually. I think l'll give it a miss.

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Chris: No. A hundredand fifty poundsit cost me! A fine ond six penaltypoints! Claire: Oh. that'sterrible! Chris: Yeah,but it was my own sillyfault.I mean,I should'vel<nownbetter,but going bacl<to what you were sayingabout the crossing,you're right. lt would be far safer if it was closer to the shops,becausethat's where everybodycrosses, you l<now That'swhere most kids cross,so it'd be more sensibleif it was moveddown. Claire: Yes,I think that'sthe root of the problem. I mean,it does seema funny placefor a crossing. And I would'vesaidthe other problemwith ir is the fact that lots of cars park all round there. Chris: Yes,that does makeit difficultto see,I suppose. r-i' Apparently,the car that hit that kid had just driven off from there. Claire: Oh, really?Had it?Well,you seewhat I mean, then.

Disagreeing

*

l. Sorry,my mind'sgone completelyblank. 2. Wait, it'll come to me in a minute. 3. Wait, it's on the tip of my tongue.

Well, I agreeup to a point, but (it'snot os simp/eos you think.) Yes,I know what you mean,but (it's time we did somethingobout it.) c . Yes,but dont you think that (we shouldwait till later?) c . Yes,but dont forget that (everythingcostsmoney)

4. Sorry,I cant remember off the top of my head.

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Lir.:i-:.i* Complainingabout things ( paget2e)

MloresleepinEpolicemen!{page121)

Complaining about a meal Chris: Did you hear about that l<idwho was knocked down on JunctionRoadthe other day? Claire: Yes,it was awful,wasntit? Still,it's hardly surprising, ,' is it? Chris: What do you mean? Claire: Well,there are alwaysaccidentsdown there, aren'tthere,especially with the speedcarsgo at. And, well,basically, the crossing's in the wrong place,isn't itl I don't know why they've never moved it. I mean,it'd be better if it was exactlyoppositethe shops,wouldn't it? Chris: Yes,I know what you mean.They could do somethingto slow the trafficdown,couldn't they?Maybethey could put sleepingpolicemen there or somethinglil<ethat. Claire: Yeah,maybe- maybeone every so often would help,but what would be reallygreat is if they had one of those soeedcameras. Chris: Big Brother,you mean! Claire: No, they reallymal<ea difference.You should see how they've slowed the traffic down where my parents live. Chris: Yeah,I supposeyou're right"I'm only against them becauseI got caughtby one last month. Claire: You'rekidding!

Joan: Mike:

How was the meal last night? Oh, it was awful!Thefood wasn'tvery good. It would'vebeen OK if that was the only problem,but the waiterswere reallyrude as well. And then,to top the whole thing off,they tried to overchargeus. Then when we complainedabout it, they made it soundas if it was our fault!

Complaining about a situation Terry: How's collegegoing? Not very well,actually. I'vegot a bit of a problemwith my timetablethis term. I mean, the lastthing I need is three lectureson a Friday.I wish they wouldn't changethe timetable every term. Last term was much better.

Julie:

l. A: Doesn'tit bug you the way shopsalwayscharge f9.99 when you l<nowir's really{ l0? B: I must admit,thingslikethat don't reallybother me. 2. A: Look, I'm really sorry. There's no way I can come to your party tomorrow night.I've got to work late.

155


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B: Oh, well,don't worry. lt's not the end of the world. 3. A: I reallythought I'd got the job. I mean,my interviewwent reallywell,and then they tell me I'm not evenshort-listed! B: Oh. well.Don't let it get you down. 4. A: I'vegot about five billsI'm supposedto pay by the end of the month. What do they think I am? Madeof money? B: Oh well,there'snothingyou can do about it. -

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N o w y o u ' r e ta l ki n g ! (p a g e 't3 3 ) Rachel: So,haveyou had any more thoughtsabout what you're going to do next year,then? Mm. I don't l<now,really.I mean,I was thinking that it might be a good ideato do that art course I was tellingyou about,but it all depends on my resutts.

Rachel: So what about France?Werentyou talking about goingto Parisa while back? Nick

Oh, for that Frenchcourse?Well, I would still like to do it, but I just dont know if I can afford it.

Rachel: Oh, I know what you mean.Money'salwaysa problem,isnt it? | mean,what I'd reallylil<eto do next year is learnto drive and buy a car,but I'm not sure if l'll havethe cash.The thing is, I'm just so sicl<of havingto get buses everyvvnere. Nick

Dreadful,aren'tthey?You wait halfan hour and then three come alongat the sametime. So,you're basicallyjust going to be staying around here,just trying to saveup some money,then? Rachel: Yes,I supposeso.lt depends,really.I mean,if I can find a good job,then l'll stick around,but otherwisewhat I was thinl<ingof doing eventuallyis goingbacl<to Glasgow Nick

Oh right,becauseyou grew up there,didn't you?

Rachel: Yes,that'sright,yes,so I supposeI do see myselfendingup there eventually. Nick

Yeah.

Rachel: So,assurning you do this art course,what do you seeyourselfdoingafter that,in the long term? Nick

155

work abroadfor six monthsl Nick

What?Youmeanpicl<ing grapesin France? That kind of thing? Rachel: Yeah,or, I don't know - working in a hotel in S p a i no,r . . . Nick

Or goingto Australia.lf the Aussiescan work over here,why can'twe go and get a job over there?

,f

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Niclc

Rachel: Just listento us,Nick!We just soundso boring! Why don't we go off somewheretogether this summer,you know,maybe- | don't know -

Oh, I don't l<now.No idea really.I haven't thoughtthat far ahead.l'll just take it as it comesand see what happens.

Rachel: Yeah,l'd love to do that. Where'sthe paper? What's the cheapestflight to Sydney? Nick

Now you'retallcing!

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First job .4: So,what exactlydoesyour job involvethen? B: Well, basically, I prepareall the prescriptionsand keepa checl<on all the drugswe havein stock.I also giveadviceto peoplewho come in with minor problems.You l<nowthe sort of thing - what cream to use for a rash,what to tal<efor an upset tummy - that sort of thing.Sometimes, I'm just like a shop assistant, sellingthingsover the counter; other times I feel lil<eI'm a doctor. Second job A: So,how long haveyou been doingthis,thenl B: All my life- sinceI left school.I worked with my father,and now I've got my son working with me. I reallyenjoyworking with wood. I love takinga pieceof wood and turning it into somethinguseful. I learnedeverythingI know from watchingmy father and the older men at work. Now, itt great passingon my skillsto youngerguys. Third job A,: So,do you enjoy doingwhat you'redoing? B: Yeah,well, I mean,somebody'sgot to do it, haven't they?Justthinl<,if nobodydid it, what would the placebe like?| mean,when I was a boy,if you droppedsomething,thepolicewould be after you, but these dayspeopledon't care.They just drop everything- coke cans,cigarettepackets, newspapers, everything, you nameit, I've pickedit up.Mind you, I'vefound the odd f20 note. I'd never worl< indoors.I just couldn'tstandit.


N*xg*fum$x* : ,ac*,**s*$g *g*# 'xxp,*$*x*'*$*r;,s You alreadyknow a lot of Englishgrammar,and you probablykeepa vocabularynotebool<, so it is easyto think that the two best ways to improve your Englishare to improveyour grammarand learn new words.But there is anotherthing you can do which is evenmore helpful,especially now you alreadyknow quite a lot of English.You needto notice collocations and record them in your notebooks.So,what are collocations? We hardlyever use one word on its own. You will usuallymeet a new word in a text, where it is usedwith other words. So,it is alwaysbetter to learn groups of words which are often used together. These groups of words are calledcollocations. Completeeachsentencewith one word. lmust've H a v ey o u H e ' sa r e a l l y S h aw lle

...amistake. ...your homeworl<l " . . s m o l < e r - a t l e a s t t w e n t ya d a y ,

" . . a ." . . . . . . " . b r e a l < i You alreadyknow'chunl<s' of language. For example: mal<ea nristake heavysmoi<er

do your homework havea short break

Theseare all collocations. lf you learnwords one by one, it is easyto mal<e mistakeswhen you use the words later.You might,for example,say:I think I did o mistoke, or I haven'tmade my homework. lf you learnwords in groups,you will not make as many mistakes. There are lots of differentkindsof collocations. lt is a good ideato havea differentsectionin your notebool< for collocationsof differentkinds.Here are some of the most imDortantkinds:

meol is a heovymeal.You cannot translate/ightinto your own languageuntil you know what word is usedwith it. That is why collocationis so important.lf you write collocationsin your notebool<, mal<esure you translate the collocationas a single chunk.

.n'

*flS.t:;'it*i. l"n'f;,rtfi You havemet lots of Englishtenses- the present continuous, the presentperfect,the presentperfect continuousand so on. You mightthinl<the systemis very complicated. In fact,it is fairlysimple.There are only three reallyimportantpatternsthat you needto understand. Continuous forms Here are some examoles: The presentcontinuous: O h n o ,i t s r a i n i n ga g a i n . The pastcontinuous: I was working all lastweel<end. The presentperfectcontinuous: There you arel * I've beentrying to ring you all morntng. In every examplethe speal<er seesthe actionas extendedbetweentwo pointsin time. so a continuous form is used.Thisis alsotrue for eventsorganisedbefore now which will happenafter now: We're havinga few friends round on Friday.Would you Iiketo come? The game is being playednextTuesday. The continuousalwaysemphasises that the speaker thinlcsthe eventis extendedover a period: Next weel<l'll be lyingon the beachin rhe sun" Perfect forms

curiy hair i:aythe bill tf';enreparl< highlyei{f*nsive

(adjective+ noun) (verb + noun) (noun + noun)

(adverb+ adiective) *n either sideof (prepositional phrase) ofi the other hand (adverbphrase) ta.fking ts s#mâ‚Ź old friends (verb + adjective+ noun)

The most importantkind of collocationyou needto + nsun.For example: learn is verb+ (odjective) applyfor a new job Notice that you may know all the words in a phrase,but not recognisethe phraseas a single chunk. Learning it as a chunk is very important. Notice the opposite of o lightcolouris a dork colour,but the opposite ol o light

The presentperfect: Oh, you've changedyour hair.I prefer it that way. The past perfect: Stevetoid me, but ld alreadyheardfrom Amanda. The presentperfectcontinuous: There it is! I've been loolcingfon that everywhere. In every casethe speakeris lookingbackon an earlier event.In spol<enEnglishwe often notice somethingnow which makesus commenton what happenedearlier.The sentenceoften linksthe causeof the presentsituation, or the resultof what happenedearlier: The journeyonly takesme twenty minutesnow becausethey've opened the new road at last. Vy'e'vemoved,you lcnow,so I haveto come on the train nowadays.

157


Grammar introduction

Simple forms Theseare usedif the speal<er is givinga summary,or overviewof the whole situation.Differentkindsof overviewall use the simpleform: i seewhat you mean. I never eat meat. I promise Nwont saya word to anybody" I playtennisat leastsnee a week all year round. It tal<esabout two hours,dependingan the traffic. lf you use anotherform, it addsextra meaning, so the simpleform is the basicform. lt is the most common form of the verb in English.

i , f . . , : : . : :, . : : ' . : - . : - : ;#

There is only one reallyimportantgrammarpatternwith Englishnouns- the differencebetweencountoble and uncountable nouns. Countablenounsare thingswhich exist in units: books,days,children or which we thinl<of in units: ideas,plans,opporrunities Becausecountablenounsare about units,you can have one - a book, an opportunity (the singulor). Or you can havemore than one - six days,threechildren(the plurol). Uncountablenounsare thingswhich we do not usually thinl<of in units: krcl<, happiness, water,sand Somewords havetwo differentmeanings, one countable, a n do n e u n c o u n t a b l e : l" Do you thinl<there is life out rhere in spacel 2. There'sa free spacenext to that redVolvo. I n ( l ) s p a c e= t h e s i n g l eg, r e a tc o s m o s . In (2) space= the marl<edareawhere you can leavea car in the car park. You can count the spacesin the car oark. So,it is not words which are countableor uncountableit is the particularmeaning of the word. Somewords havetwo very similarmeanings, but the grammaris different: l. I'veonly playedtwo sr ehreerimes befq:re. ?. l-{urryup - we haven'tmuch time" The train leaves at twenty Past. In (l) times = occasions" You can count how manytimes

Camembert,Roquefort,Brie,etc. In (3) you are contrastingone kind of cheese- strongwith another. . 'I

":: q d

- r

1}' I . r .

o".j I w f,

..f:*

l;','n1^:

i.-"in . r i

i..,t - r / i J f # . '

:** ^ . -

" o .

Two things are very important if you want to improve. Firstly,you needto hear and reada lot of English. lt doesn'tmatter if you don't understandeverything; if you understandpart of what you hear or read,that is enough to help you improve.Secondly,you need to noticethe language you meet.lf your teachersays,'You modeo mistoke,'you needto noticethat the expressionis mode o mistcke,not did o mistoke.lfyou do not notice somethint,you will not rememberit. With grammar,it is alsovery importantto noticethe examplesyou meet. Again,you needto noticewhole expressions, and record them in your notebool<exactly as you find them. Recordexamplesyou meet lil<ethis: It's tirne yr:u stood on your own two feet" I searchedhighand lsw for ir. CK, I can tal<ea hint, Not lilcethis: te stand on your own twO feet highand low take the hint Do not changethem so that they lool<lilcea dictionary. Changingthem makesthem more difficultto rememoer, and when you usethem later,there is more chancethat you will makea mistal<e. lf you write a translation, translatethe phraseas a singleexpression. Slowly,you will beginto seegroupsof exampleswhich are similarin some way.lf you can see a pattern,and you c a n d e s c r i b ei t ,t h e d e s c r i p t i o n i s a ' r u l e ' .A ' r u l e ' i s nothingmore than a descriptionof some examples which are similarin some way. But rememberthat exampleswhich are similarin one way may be differentin other ways,so your'rule' may be only partlytrue. Eventhe rules in grammarbooks are often only partlytrue. The real examplescome first;rulescome later,so the examplesare more important.

you havedone something. In (2) time = the abstractideaof time. You can measure

With vocabulary, noticeand record words in chunl<s collocationsand exoressions.

it, but you can'rcounr ir.

With grammar,notice and record the examplesin context, exactly as you find them.

l. I'm very fond of cheese. 2. Franceis sometimesdescril:edas rhe land of 200 eneeses" 3. You need a very srrongcheesefor this recipe.

158

In ( l) you are talkingabout cheesein general. In (2) cheese= differentlcindsof cheese.You can count

Noticingand recordinglanguage in chunl<s will help you learn more quickly,and make fewer mistalceswhen you use Englishyourself.


*l**: xp ffi1

(page 9)

Modifiersare words such as very,really,and quite.They are usedto'modify' - strengthenor weaken- adjectives. Really, very She'svery nice.

He's really bossy"

These two modifiersare usedto mal<epositiveor negativeadjectivesstronger.However,with 'extreme' adjectives- boiling,fantostic,delicious,huge,tiny,freezing, etc.- you can only use reolly.lt's very hugeor Itwos very fantosticsound very strange. It's reallyboilingtoday,isn't itl It's reallydelicious, rhis soup. Quite The meaningof quitedependsboth on the way it is stressedand on the context you hear it in. john's quite creative- he paintsand draws. fn the sentenceabove,creativewould be stressedand the sentencemeansyou thinl<that John reallyis creative. However,in the sentencebelow,quitewould be stressed and the sentencenow meansyou thinl<Peteis creative, but not particularlycreative. Pete'squite creative,but he's notVan Goghl a bit too She'sa bit too nice,if you lcnowwhat I mean. The structure a bit too + positiveadjectiveis usuallyused either to disagreeslightlywith what hasjust been said,as in this example: ,fr,:She'svery good'lool<ing,don't you thinl<l B: Yes,a bit too good-looking, if you ask me. I mean, she'svery big-headed about rt. or to add an extra comment to a statementwe nave alreadymade.For example: She'sreallytall<ative . . . actually, she can sometimesbe a bit too tallqative, now I come to thinl<of it! | mean, she just nevershutsup once she getsgoing!

Presentsimpleand present eoiltinuoug The presentsimpleis the most common tense in English. The presentsimplehere is usedto talk about thingsthat the speakerseesas facts about life - thingsthat are always,normallyor usuallytrue:

The presentcontinuous,however,is usedwhen tne speakerseesthe actionor eventdescribedas only being temporary,as somethingalreadyin the processof being completed. She'sbeingreallynice at the momenr. (This is strange,becausenormallyshe'shorrible!) He'sworking this weel<end. (But he doesn'tusually, it's only a temporary arrangement.) Rememberthat the differencebetweenthe oresenr simpleand presentcontinuousis about how we see an event.Both forms can be used about the sameevent.for examPte: j a n e ' sl i v i n gi n G r e e c e . M a r i el i v e sl n G r e e c e " The differenceis probablythatJanehasa job in Greece for ayear,but Marie is marriedand hasa familythere. The fact that the two peoplelivethere is the same,out thdway the speakerseesthe situationis different.

You probablyknow the basicrulesfor how to make comparisonsusingadjectivesalready:we generallyuse adjective+ -er or more * adjective. For example: /4: Shallwe take the busi B: No, letk walk.lt'li be nicer, Everything's so much cheaperhere than it is in rhe UK. Most of the other peoplethere seemeda lst more experiencedrhan I was" I found this booh a iot mcre interestingthan the cither thingsI've had to readfor the course. Note: ln eonversation, the two thingsyou are comparing are usuallyobviousto the personyou'retallcingto. As a result,we tend not to comparethem both within the samesentence.This is why we don't say:Nq lett wolk. It'll be nicerthon tokingthe bus in the first exampleabove. The rules for when to add -er and when to add more are quite complex,Generally, words of three syllables take more,and most shorter adjectivesof one or two syllables take -er, but this is not alwaystrue. Participleadjectives (ones which end in -ing and -ed), for example,always tal<emore.- even if they havea short sound (e.g., bored, crowded)- and so do adjectivesendingin -ful and -less (e.9. helpful).Thereare also two very common irregulars: betterand worse.

I find my dad a bit dul,. (always,not iust at the moment) Do you get on with thern all right? (generally)

1s9


Grammar commentary

Rememberthat as well as makingadjectivesinto comDaratives. we can also use adverbsand advero phrasesto comparehow thingsare done.For example: N-lefinishedit mueh more quicklythan I thought he would. I get on with him,much,much better than I usedto" To comparethe first thing we are talkingabout netativelywith the secondthint we are tallcingabout,we use not os ... os for adjectives: He's not as old as most peoplethinl<he is. It's not as expensivehere as it is baclshome. To do the samewith adverbs,we use don't + yerb + cs + odverb+ os. I don't lil<ethis as much as I thought I would. Shedoesn'tcome over as often as she usedto. I don't get on with him as well as I did when we were younger. There are lots of common fixed phrasesfor making comparisons. We often usethem when we are answeringquestions. lt's a good ideato lceepa record of these everytime you meet a new one. Here are some typicalexamples: not as often as I used to not as often as I'd like to not as much as I usedto not as good as I thought it would be not as difficultas I thought it would be

U s i n ga u xi l i a ri e s{p a g e2 3 ) lf an auxiliaryverb is usedin the initialstatement,the responsewill usethe sameauxiliary: So+auxiliary+l ,4: I'm goingto stayin tonight and do norhing" B: Oh,so am l" A: l've just bool<edmy summerholidays. B: Oh, that's funny,becauseso havel. lf we want to atree with a negativestatement,however, the pattern is: Neither + positive form of the auxiliary + | A; I don't like thingsthat are too sweet" B: lrlo,neitherdo L F,l I can't stand sea wafer. B: Ch no,neither can l. lf no auxiliaryverb is presentin the initialcomment,we agreeby addinga'dummy auxiliary'do; So+do+l A: I prefer coffeewithour nrill<. B: Oh,so do l. A: I nevergo abroad. B: No, neitherdo l. Notice,that if the initialcommenthasmore than one auxiliaryverb,we agreeby usingthe frst of the two auxiliaries:

160

A: B: A; B:

I've beenthinlcingabout movinghouse. Oh, that's strange,becauseso ha.vel. I hayen! been feelingall that weli just lately. There must be somethinggoinground,because neither havei.

Finally, note that it is very common in spokenEnglishto simplyuse Oh,metoo to agreeto a positivestatement and Nq me neitherto agreewith a negativeone. A:

I love fish and ehips./ I'vebeenthere loadsof times now.i I can speal< a bit of Japanese. B: Ch. me too. ,f.\: I dont lil<ehim much./ | can'tstandthis l<indof music.i I haven'tseenher for ages. B: No, me neither.

ffi5 Wsulld {page31} Would(or'd) is usedwhen the speal<er wantsto makea statementsound more tentativeor hypothetical: Wor"rldyou mind if I left a bit early todayl I've gor a doctor's appointn-rent. (l understandit might not be possible.) It'd be great if you did come and stay in the sllmmer. (though,of course,I realiseyou might not be ableto) I'd quite lil<ethe greenone,if you can find it. (but dont worry if you can't) However,there are also lots of usefulexpressions using wouldwhich you shouldjust try and learnto use as w h o l ec h u n k s : That'd be greac. I w o u l d n ' tm i n d . I wouldif I could. I'd quite like to. It'd be nice if you could. I wouldn't do that if I were you. It is a good ideato listenfor and collectother expressionsusingwould.

Fast perfect eontinuous(page37) The pastperfectcontinuousis generallyusedto tall< about the backgroundto an eventin the pastor to explainwhy this event happened. lt usuallydescribesthe eventsor actionsleadingup to somethingwhich is the mainfocusof our story or description. We hadnkbeengettingon for a longtime, so we decidedto go our separateways. "A':So how come you didn't haveany money? B: Well, I hadn'tbeenworl<ingmurch, and I'd been havinga lot of problemswith my car. This contrastswith the pastperfectsimple,which is used to describea singleeventwhich then had a resultin the past.Look at these examples: He looked reallyweird and then I suddenlyrealised he'd shavedhis beard offl (just once!)


G r a m m caor m m e n i a ' v

I wasnt feelingwell . . . i'd had a ccld for monrns. (not'ld been havinga cold' - havinga cold is not somethingyou can do over and over again) Rememberthat the past perfect is alwaysconnectedto other eventsin the more recenr Dasr.

Second cmffiditigriaEs {pageBs} Secondconditionalsare usedto talk about situations which the speal<er seesas unlikelyor hypothetical. There are severalvery frequently used second conditionals. For example:

It is alsoworth rememberingthat there are lots of adjectiveexpressionswhich are followed by a prepositionplusgerund; I'm not very l<eenon eool<ing. You nrust be rired oL pegple_abg@ys a5kjlg you where you're from. There are two or three common verbswhich can be followedby gerundsand infinitives. Look at these examPtes: I elearlyremennberswli'nming in the seanear eur fl()use. (it happenedin the past) I rnustremembertq eailmy mum tonight. (in the future)

! wouldn't do that if i were you" I wouldn't bother if I were yoLt. I would if i eould,but I can't" It'd be grearif youlcould. it'd be tennibleif rhey did. I'd die if that happenedto me!

Haveyou tried askingthe guy next do6r? (Haveyou alreadytried this method of solvingyour problem?) .lust ery_rc_fqrgelabour it. (in the future)

One thing to rememberis that when we report first conditionals, they then havethe sameverb forms as secondconditionals:

I jr:srtotallyfqrgqr ro payrhe phone bill" (l should'vedone it, but didnt.)

Fle told rne rhar I could if I wantedto. (His actualwords: Youcon if you wont to.)

l'li neverforget climbingthat nrountainin peru. (l still rememberit and I expectro rememberit in the future.)

I alwaysusedro tlrinl<that if I neededher,she'dbe there fer me" (My actualthought:If I needher,she'llbe therefor me.) We also use the samegrammaticalstructure to talk about typicalthingsthat happeneda lot in the past.For example: When I was a l<id,if lt snornred, we'd ail gs our and have hugesnowballfights. lf my dad eve{-gor reafly angrywirh me, l'd run upstairs and then l'd hidc under rny bed.

TeEkEng abeut the fr"rte.lre {page49} When you are trying to decidewhich form to useto talk about the future,the most importantthing to think about is why you think the actionsyou're talking about are goingto happen.Here are some guidelines to help you: 'll - the normal, everyday, contracted form of will

Note that in these examples,if meanseverytime or whenever.

That'sthe phone"!'ll ger it. I thini<l'li havethe ehieken.

Whether you use a secondconditionalor not is very much a matter of choice.For example,logically, you would expect peopleto use one when talkingabout winningthe lottery,but actuallyyou often hear people sayingthingslike this:

'/l

if I win this weel<., you wor.l'tsee me baci<at wort{ next -When I win, Monday!or - evenmore optimistically! I'rn goingco tell my bosswhat he can do with his iob!

Goingto is usedwhen there is evidencenow for the future event- somethingyou can see or feel- or to talk about a decisionyou havealreadymadeon your own.

Gerund amdiriflnitive {pagerE6} Sadly,there is no easyway to learn which verbs are followedby gerundsand which by infinitives. The best thing to do is to try to learnusefulchunksthat you can use a lot. l'll try to do ir later" I nranaged to do it in the end. I n'lustremembento call her. i love livinghene. I'vefinallystoppedsmol<ing. I started doing it yearsago.

describesa decisionmadeat rhe moment of speaking. Going to * verb Ugh! | thinl<my roorh'sgoingto faii ourt. I'm goingto handin rny notieeat wsrl* next week.

Present continuous They'releavingnext weelqsomstime. i'm seeingher for lunchtornorrow. The presentcontinuousis usedto describeeventsthat havealreadybeenarrangedwith other people. Present simple fl{y classfinishesaround nine. Shearrivessn 2"dl-4arch. These eventsare seen as facts,particularlyfacts connectedto timetables- of movies,lessons, trains, boats,planes,etc.

tG I


q l r a r r T n a cr o m m e n l a r y

-"^l Morewaysof talking utui st) aboutthe furture(page I've got (somebody) (coming round). This structureis mainlyusedwith the verbs orriving, visitingand coming.Here are the most normal uses: I'vegot my murn arrivingtomorrow" I'vegot some frienelscominground later on-

We use the structure not. . . untilwhen we want to emphasise that we did somethinglater than usual. For examole: I oversieptthis monning.I didn'twalceup until ten! I didn't start learningEnglishuntil lastyear!so I'nr quite pleasedwith how well I'm doing.

I've got to + verb (or I have to + verb). This structureis usedto talk about thingsyou dont want to do, but feel are necessary. I've got to do some things for work. i've got to cal<emy kids te school tomorrow. It is also usedto explainwhy you can'tdo something. For example: ,,s,:Hey,we were wondering if you wanted to come out with us tonightl B: Ch, I'd love to, but I'm afraid I've got to worl< late today.l4aybenext time. I ' m s u p p o s e dt o b e - i n g , b u t . . . you Supposed to be is usedto describearrangements havealreadymadewith other peopleand which you haven'tchangedyet,but which you now feel could be changed. The structureis often usedwith a but-clause explaining that you no longerfeel like keepingto this plan. I'm supposedto be meetingsome friendstonight, but I don't reallyfeel lilcert any rnore. It is also usedwith a but-clause sayingthat you haven't definitelydecidedyet. l'm supposedto be goinground to see him later, but I'rn not entirelysure. You can also say I mightgo roundto seehim loter,or I might be goinground to seehim loter.

o*'bu *;th G1 r i n:;t?Tldins "'*rri"v Notice that when no auxiliaryverb is presentin the initialstatement,we respondusingthe dummyauxiliary do.lt is alsovery common to add a follow-upquestion or comment.For examole: r\r I went off to Margatefor the weel<end" B: Oh, did youi That rnust'vebeen nice. "&: Yes,it was lovely. ,s; I speal<pretty good Russian. ts: Oh, do youlWhere did you learnthat theni A; At university. I did French,Russianand Polish. Be careful not to confusehod as a past tense verb with the auxiliaryverb hoye.For example: Ar We had (mainverb) a great mealover atjims. B: Oh,didyoulWhat did he coolsi A.; I've (auxiliaryverb) got my new stereo at lastl B: Oh, haveyou?I'd betier come over tonight,then"

162

ffi13 Linleimgideas {page69} Lool<at these two ideas: It was very eold. We neededtwo pLllloversl We can linl<thesetwo ideasin one sentenceusinga soc/ouse. For example: It was so cold,we neededtwo pullovers! In spol<enEnglish, this is a very common way of explaining expressing causeand result,with the so-clause the cause.Theso-clause may come first or second: It was so hot, (that) | was sweatinglil<ea pig! I was sweatinglil<ea pig (beeause) it was so hot! It was so quiet in there,(that)you cor-lld've hearda pin drop. Ycrucould'vehearda pin drop (because)it was so quiet in there" Notice that in normal spol<enEnglish, you do not needto use the linlcingwords in braclcets, as they are implicitly understood. I

G'l4l Jutdginghlr appearances(pagero) HelShe/ooksis alwaysfollowed by an adjective: Shelool<sreallynice and friendly. He looks a bit stressed-outto rne. HelShelooks/ikeis followedby a noun or a noun phrase: Fle lool<sliicea dentistor a doctor or something. He lool<slil<ethe l<indof personwho'll help HelShe/ooksos if helsheis followed by a verb clause: He lool<sas if he'sabout to cry" Shelool<sas if she'sbeen running. Note that in everydayspoken English,os if is often substitutedby like: Shelooks as ifllil<eshe'sbeenworking all day. lf someoneseemsa bit depressed, it is somethingyou feel through knowingthem,not iust seeingthem. Daveseemsa bit down at the msment"ls he OK?

ffixpressions w;th rnodals (page74) There is a fine line betweenwhat is grammarand what is vocabulary. The expressions here are probablybest treated as bits of vocabularyand just learnedas whole, fixed expressions. are very Thesekindsof expressions usefulin everydayEnglish. Learningthem will help you understandthe meaninqsof the differentmodats.


Grammarcomnier,ia.

However,here are a few thingsto bear in mind: l. A4ustis usedto makeguesseswhich the listenerfeels fairlysure are true, becauseof the evidenceavailable. You rnustbe jol<ing!d tr00fcrrehatl You nrustbe A.inericanwith an accentlilEethar" 2. Similarly, must'veis usedto makeguessesabout the past,basedon the evidenceavailable. It must\yebeen nieegeffiingout of the city for a bit. You must'vebeen neallypieasedto see her again" Could'veis used to talk about thingsyou now feel were possiblein the past,evenif they didn't actually naPPen. I could'verold you rhat! I could'vehelpedyou if you'c{aslced.

4. Should've ls usedto tall<about what we thinl<would havebeena good ideain the past.lt can be usedto expressretret or retrospectiveadvice. You shoukl'vel<nownbetter. You shourld've tried to get rhe pric* down"

ffi't6 TeE[6nge stffifly{pageTE} Notice that when we give backgrounddetailsto our stories,we usuallyuse the past continuousor usedto f verb. A few yearsago,when chisfriend of rnine was ccmi4g home frorn worl<,. . . I usedto fivein this flat in down*rownFJewYorl<" and one day I was tAlqingthe suhwayLiprowrr. . . N-astThulrsday I was ridinghome on nry bike ... When we introducethe problem in a story,it is very common to switchto Dresenttenses.This makesthis part of the story soundmore dramaticand immediate. When all of a sudden,this big,scary-looking guy runs uF t0 me and tries to pinch rny bag. Then suddenNy this girl app€arsfrsrn nowhere,ann she'.qcrfi11gand screaming,so I asi<her whatis up.

paflttaipFes{pageTs} G T 7 Fr"esemt It is very common to join two ideastogether by using clausesusingthe presentparticiple(-ingclauses). It is possibleto add more than one clause,but we do not normallyadd more than three clausesat any one time: I was iust standingthere,.g4a!g!ng for rny bus,rninding my own business. Shewas drivingal*ng quite normally,singingalongro this songon the radio,feelin€pretry good,when all of a s u d d e n. - .

Fast slrnp$eand pasqe#mtis"ruieius The pastcontinuousis only usedif the speakerwishesto emphasise that the actiondescribedwas extendedover a period of time. As a result,the pastcontinuousis often

usedto describean actionwhich was alreadyin progress when it was in some way'interrupted': I was clrivil'lgthrough tawn when I gor stopped by this ppliceean I was just gettistgreaciytn leavewhen this br-iei< came flvingthreiughmy winelow! I met nryfirst wife while I vuaslivingin Far-is. Notice that the clauseshere are linl<edusingwhenor while.lncertaincontexts,verbs do not get extendedin tirne - they just happenonce.For example,it is correct to say: I was findingthe i*crure realiyinrer*stingunril he sta!'tedtall<ing abeut bio-physics! but not: *qcra**adln€the diamond when we were cleaningthe flat. You can only find a diamondonce!The differencern grammaris becausethe meaningof fnd changesslightly in these different contexts. The pastsimpleis usedto tall<about thingsthe speat<er seesas complete,finishedfacts.Thesemight be things that only happenedonce: ! found the diamondon the flosr! i crashedstraighuthrough the newsagent's rsindow" I broke my leg playingiootball. Or they might be thingsthat happenedover a long period of time but which the speakerwantsto tall< about by givingan overview of the facts. ! iivedin l*rlicanagua fcr six y*ars In the *igirties" I worlcecion a fa-rmfor a few years after I left sehs,el"

GB" smrnething/ er anldthins{pageE6} Or something is addedto positivesentencesand questionsto mean or something e/se/ikethat.Or anything is addedto negativesentencesor negativequestions. i thinl<he'sa lawyeror a ludgeor somerhing" Flaveyourgor a screwctrriven on somethingi ! didri'tevenl<issher or anyrhing! Didn't he evenphoneyorr or anytliingi This featureof spokenEnglishis not slangor'bad English'. lt is one of the wayswe express'vagueness' when we do not know precisedetails.

Frcsemtpcrfeet simrpieaffidBrestrrnt The presentperfectsimpleis a bit lilcethe pastsimplein that both tensesare usedto talk about thingsthat happenedin the past.The differenceis,however,that we usethe presentperfectsimpleif we seethese eventsas somehowconnectedto the present;perhapswe see a presentresultof theseactions,as in the examples. Ch, you'vehad your hair cut! lt letolcs great,much better than ie did.

r63


Grammarcommentary

I cant play basketballtoday.I've twisted my ankle. ls biacktea OK?We\e run out of mill<" We can also use the present perfect simpleto stressthat we havehad an experienceand can talk about it now if the listenerwants us to. Well, I'veworked in pubsbe{one,and I'vedone plenty of washingup in restaurantsand things. Oh, you piaythe piano!I'vejust started learningmyself! e.g.lost Note:When we use a finishedtime reference, Friday,in I 99 I , two weeksog4 when I wos ot high school, the presentperfectis never used. The present perfect continuousis used when we want to show that an action that started in the past is continuing now. I've beentrying t find a job for rnonthsnow! (And I still haven'tfound one.) My leg'sbeen feelingweird {or the last few daysnow. (And it's still feelingpainful.) The presentperfectcontinuousis also usedwhen we want to stressthat we see the Dastaction describedas havingbeen extended over a period of time, that we see it as havinghappenedagainand againand again.Notice that there is a presentresult. i've been waiting here for you fon hours - you eould at leastsayyou'resorry or something! Haveyou b,eendrinkinglYourbreathsmeilsvery odd! With certain verbs,there's often only a very subtle differencebetweenthe presentperfectsimpleand presentperfectcontinuous. l've been working here for about twenty years ilow. (But maybeI'm ready for a changenow I see my iob as only temporary.) !'ve worked here for twenty years now. (lt's just a fact about my life.I se my iob as permanent.)

I wish you hadn'ttold me about it. I can'tstop thinking about it now. I wish I'd seenit while it was out. l'll haveto wait till it comes out on DVD now. I wish ld beena bit more honestabout things.Things might'veworked olrt hetween us if I had been. When we talk about thingswe feel bad about or disappointedabout in the present,we use wish+ post simpleverb. I wish I could drive. I hate havingto rely sn my mum and dad to take me everywhere. I wish I was a bit slirnmer.I can'tget into my old summerclothesanyffiore. I wish i didn? haveto get up so early every day.I eould realNy do with a lie-int We also use wish+ youlhelshe+ wouldlwouldn'tto complainabout other people'sannoyinghabits. I wish you wouldn't smol<ein here! (You do it a lot and you're doing it now and it's driving me mad!) I wish it'd stop raining! (lt rains a lot and it's rainingnow and I hate it!) Note : Don't get wishmixed up with hope.We usually use hopeto talk about thingswe would like to happenor that we dont want to happen- in the future. lt's also got differentword grammar.Usuallyit's followed by the presentsimple,evenif we're talkingabout the future. I hope it stops raininglater. I hope she comesto the gametomorrow" I hope the exam next weel<isn't too hard.

Reletives elaLlses{page1CIZ} It is common to commenton the eventsdescribedin a sentenceby addingwhichwos + o desui|tive nounlodjective: It was freezingin Chile,whiqhwas a bit unexpected.

Notice that lots of verbs don't work well with the presentperfectcontinuous. I've alwaysliked this kind of foad./ I've alwaysbeen lil<ingthis kind of food. X You either like somethingor you don't. You can't like it over ano over.

I finallymanagedto asi<for a pay rise,whiehwas a real rveiehg_qffnny_shouldcrs. We can also add which meont + subject+ verb + object: It rainedthe whole time we were inThailand,which meaiil-J-didnlCe! nluch -hance to go I failedthree out of four o{ my tests that year,which meant I had tq re-take the whole vear'scourses.

\fifish {pasee7} We usuallyuse wishto talk about thingswe regret doing - or not doing- in the pastor to talk about waysin which we would lil<ethe presentto be different.When we are talking about thingswe regret about the past,we use wish + the post perfect.We often add a reason explaining why we feel like this. I feel dreadful I wish I hadnkeatenso much eanlier. now.

164

eoniunetisns(page105) Although ln spoken English,olthoughis followed by a main clause and usuallyintroducesa clausethat reducesthe strength of the statementwhich comes before it.


Grammarcommentary

I do like vegetables, aithoughI must admit that I'm really more of a meat person myself. It was lovely in Saudi,althoughthe heat did get a bit much sometimes. I reallylike my iob, althougha little bit more money wouldnt go amiss! Considering Considering is often followed by a how-clauseand adds the meaningwhich is strongewhen you think obout it: The food there was reallygreat,consideringhow cheapit wasl The party was pretty good, actually,consideringthere were only about twenty people there!

The past perfect simple is generallyused to tall<about the backgroundto an event in the past or to explainwhy this event happened. It is usuallyusedwith other pasttenses,and allowsus to jump further backinto the pastfrom the main point in time that we're talking about. My ieg was killingme, becauselU twisted it at the gym the day before" I had a dreadfulheadache,becauselU had a bit too much to drink the night before. I'd never done anythinglilcethat before so I was really nervousabout it. (Seealso G6.)

In spite of /n spiteof is followedby a gerundor a noun clauseand introducesan ideawhich has beenthoughtabout,but which doesnt affectthe statementthat comes before or after it. Shegot great gradesall through coilege,in spite of havingto dealwith all kindsof familyproblems. Pete'sSpanishaccentis almostunintelligible, in spite of havinglivedin Madridfor three yearsl

C o m pa ri n g Notice that in everydayspoken English,it is now very common to hear pluralnounsand pluraluncountable nouns precededby there'sinsteadof thereore. Evenwelleducated,carefulspeakerswill saythings like: It's a bit lilceCairo or somewhere,only there's a lot more cars on the road there. There'shundredsof sheepblockingthe road down by the farm. Business is OK, but there'snot as manytourists coming this year as there were last year. Thereare is also correct in these situations. .

l

We often make guessesabout things we think are true basedon the evidenceavailableto us,and use mustto show we are fairly sure,but not 100%certain that what we are sayingis true. It must be nice havinga bit more spacenow that you'vemoved house. It must'vebeen reallygreat in NewYork. Rememberthat the oppositeof mustfor guessingis not mustn't but con't: You can'tbe seriousl You cant earn much working in a burgerbar. It can't havebeen very well made if it only lastedthree weeks beforefallingto bits! (Seealso G 15.)

conditionals We use secondconditionalsto talk about waysin which we imaginethe present or future could be different. lf I had a bit more time, ld starr goingto rhe gym more often. lf I were you,I'd just tell her what happenedand hope she understands! We use third conditionalsto talk about imaginarypastsways in which the past could havebeen different,if the situation had been different. lf I'd known, I would've tried to talk to hirn about it. (But I didnt know,so I didnt talk to him.) lf she hadn'tbeenthere,I might'vedied! (But she was there and she helpedme.) However,past eventsdont only havepast results;they also often havepresent results.lf we want to talk about the imaginarypresent resultsof a past event,we haveto use a mixed conditional. Often,this is halfof a third conditional- to talk about the past- and halfa second conditional- to talk about the imaginarypresent: lf she hadnt encouragedme, I wouldn't be a teacher now. lf my mum hadnt been hitch-hiking that day,she and my dad wouldn't be marriednow lf I hadn'tmovedto Brightonwhen I did, I'd probably still be working in that factory" lf it hadnt beenfor him, we'd still be livingunder militaryrule today. Did you noticethat in the secondconditionalpart of the sentence, we often usethe continuousform?We do this when we want to talk about an imaginaryaction that we think might alreadybe in progressif the first half of the sentencehad actuallybeentrue. Mixedconditionalsare very common in both spokenand written English.The best way to deal with them when you meet them in future is to try to understandwhen each half of the sentenceis referringto and to try and work out if it's talking about an imaginaryor a real condition.(Seealso G7.)

165


[ r r A m m A rC O m r n e n t A r y

Secondconditisnalsfor nnaking ."ol ***i suggestions (page 122) Notice that the iF sentencestartershere are all second - the structurewe useto talk about things conditionals we see as beinghypotheticalor imaginaryat the time of speal<ing: It'd be great if the shops stayedopen a bit longer^, It'd be much better if there was agynp It'd be lovely if I didn't haveto set up so early! It is very common to find secondconditionalsbeginning with the sentencestartersgivenhere,so try and rememberthe whole phrasein eachcase. I

Do you want to come over later and eat sornething? B: Well, I was goin&ro suy in and rry and ger some worl<done,but i guessI could alwaysdo that tomorrow instead.

Oh, it's funnyyou shouidcalll I was goingto call you later,but you beat rne to it! One of the most common usesof this structureis when you phonesomeoneand they answer: Oh, I was just goingto ring you. Have you noticed that certain people alwayssaythis?

G?91 The passive(pasetzs)

ffisr StartlnE with wfiat {pagetBa}

It is not helpfulto think of the passiveas being'the opposite' of the active.We alwaysuse the passivefor a very specificreason.Eitherwe don't know who the doer of the actionwas:

When we want to emphasise what we are goingto say by addingwhotat the beginningof a sentence, the grammar of the statementchanges.Weoften use do as a dummyauxiliaryand we also add the verb is/wos.

lYy brother was l<illedduringthe civilwar. My car was stolenfrclrnright outsidemy house! or the actionwas done by a largegroup of people: The stadiumwas built in the thirties" (obviouslyby worl<men) At leastthree versiansof this songhavebeen recorded. (obviouslyby musicians and singers) Note that the activeecuivalentsof these sentencesuse theyas a'dummy subject': They built this stadiumhacl<in the thirties. They'verecordedat leastthree versionsof this song. We also use the passivewhen the doer of the actionis l<nown,but not relevantor importantat the moment of speaking: My ear'sbeingrepairedat the moment. Three of my teeth were lcnocl(edout last year when I was playingrugby. This model was developedin our Seoulteam. Passives are more common in formal,written English. I

Eoi'ls _ryqryqllrygfe This structureis often thought of as the'future in the past'and is commonlyusedto report our pastthoughts or words,particularlywhen they provedto be inaccurate rn some way: I theught it was gqingto rain,so i broughtrhe washing in - just in case. TheyU told me lwas gBrng_lq._be_lransfe_n:ed to lvlexico,but nothing ever came of it. However,it doesnt alwayshaveto havea past time reference.lt can be usedto tall<about thingsin the future that we've alreadydecidedto do, but now suddenlydecidewe might not do after all.

166

A;

I reallyneedto tal<ea holidaysoon. \I/hat I reallyneedto do is take a holidaysoon. I was thinl<ingof goingto Chinanext year,if I can afford it. What I was thinl<ingof doing next year is goingto China,if I ean afford it. There are lots of quite common sentencestarters that usethis structure.Try to learnthem and use them as whole phrases. V/hat I found reallyinterestingabout it was . " . What reallyannoysme about him is rhe way " . . What worries me most about the idea is . . . What I still don't understandis why . . "

GS3Fr,rturccontinuous{page143} This structureis often usedto tall<about an event in the future that we see as alreadyarrangedbut which now, becauseof what hascome up in the conversation, we also see as the baclground to another newer event, describedin the so-clause: A; We've run out of nrilk. B: Oh well,lool<,l'll be goingshoppinglater (l've alreadydecidedthis),so l'll get some,if you want. (new decision/offer) ,4,: I really love proper pesto sauce. B: Oh, do youl Well, lool<,i'll be goingbackto ltaly for a weelcin March(l've alreadydecidedthis),so l'll bringyou bacl<some of my mum'sspecial! (new decision/offer)


This sectionhelpsyou to record and translatesome of the most importantexpressions from eachunit.lt is alwaysbest to record words in phrases, rather than individualwords. Sometimesyou can translatevery easily. Sometimesyou will needto thinl<of the equivalent expressionin your own language. In eachsection,there is spacefor you to add any connectedexpressions or collocationsyou want to remember. .ll*.*, .i "J;." * " He'sgot a reallygood senseof humour. Hel quite conservative. He'sa bit of a worl<aholic. Shesa bit on the plumpside. Het quiteelderlynow Shecanbe a bit too nicesomeumes. He looks reallyinteresting. Hei a roral painin the neck. She'sextremelyambitious. He runshis own business. Sheworl<sin advertising. He'sunemployedat the moment. My brother works in lI Shet a retired doctor. I do a bir of tempingworl<somecimes.

L J J " ;: d He'sinfamous. It cost me an arm anda leg. We just dont see eyeto eye. l'm up to my eyesin work. It's on its last legs. not as often as lU liketo not as muchas I usedto It's better than my lastone. It wasn'tas good as I remembered. Cheer up! lt's not the end of the world. Haven'tyou heard? It's done a lot of damage. Oh, I am sorry to hearthat I'm afraidnot. smashed to pieces.

167


Expression organiser

, '#m$-* ffi I work out a lot. I reallylovegoinground junk shops. A coupleof times a year. How long did it take you to learn? How much does it usuallycost you? The thingis,... pop and R'n'Band that kind of thrng It's not reallymy cup of tea. I'm not reallythat keenon clubbing. What do you feel like doingtonight? She'sreally into keepingfit. I usedto, but I grew out of it. I just lost interestin it after a while. Oh well,eachto their own. Itl just one of those things.

Ur,*'td5 I spendmy weekendsmountaineering. Shespendsa lot of time helpingthe homeless. ls everythingall rightl I go ridingwheneverI can. He committedsuicide. There'sstill a lot of discrimination. It's male-dominated. You'retakinga real risk. Therersa lot of oppositionto the plan. I would if I could,but I cant. I'd quite like to go to the cinematonight. lf youd rather,wecould always... I can giveyou a lift, if you want. I wouldnt do that,if you paid me! That'd be great.


Expression organiser

tu$m$rl.* S Why did you decideto do that,then? How come you decidedto go there,then? It was a realweightoff my shoulders. It was total chaos. I d beenthinkingabout it for ages. Why on earth did he saythat? It's a piece of cake. Itl like gettingblood out of a stone. It's easiersaidthan done. I work as a bouncerat weekends. job. It'sa very demanding It was a mutualdecision. It was a very unpopulardecision. A friend of mine recommendedit. Good for you!

iS fu$r*$r* It's not allowed. He wasfined a thousanddollars. He cant handlethe pressure. I'm expectinga phonecall. I didnt want to makea fuss. It looksfine to me. Can you watch my bagfor a minute? I cant see it anywhere. It was great,much better than I'd expected. Quiet?lt's dead! That'sa good question. I haventreallythoughtabout it. I'd haveto think aboutthat. He'sfinallygivenup smoking. I fed up with doingthe samething everyday.

k

F

16ei


Expression organiser

,i-*$ri',i 3 What're you up to this weekendl I will if I get the chance. l've got to do somethingsfor school. It'll be niceto havea lie-in. I'vegot to catchup with my e-mails. l'll do it later,I promise. Tell me about it! I'm supposedto be goingout tonight, but I dont reallyfeel like it. I'vegot somefriendscomingover tonight. He'sstayingat a friend's. I'm goingawayfor the weekend. I'm goingon a guidedwalk. Ratheryou than me! Oh well,beggarscant be choosers!

*rri',t* We're havinga house-warming party this Friday. I went to a rave last weekeno. Theytried to gatecrashour party. l'll sort out the musicif you sort out the food. Did you havea hen night? It reallyruinedthe night. It led to callsfor tighter laws. I just couldnt believemy eyes. I just couldnt makeup my mind. It nearlyendedin tragedy. They'revery right-wing. They cameto power in the last election. They oughtto ban it. They reallyneedto crack down on it. They'verelaxedthe laws a bit.


Expression organiser

*s,i'i k I just had an earlynight. I didnt know a singlepersonthere. We had absolutelynothingin common. I was on the edgeof my seat. I fell asleephalfwaythrough. Shegetsvery well-paid. l'll haveto havea word with my boss. I bet he doesnt. Oh, did you?That must'vebeennice. Oh, are you?Anywhereparticularin mind? I was so angry,I could'vekilled him! I was so bored,I walkedout! You did whct last nightl You went wherelast night? I didnt get in until three last night.

'i *rr,:': * He lookslike'abit of a nero. Shelooksa bit dull. You lool<a bit down.Are you OK? He! a machoidiot! I bet he still liveswith his mum. Shecan be quite unpredictable. Thatl the worst chat-upline ever. My parentsdont reallyapproveof her. How long'veyou two beengoingoutl Are you pullingmy leg? It tool<me agesto come to terms with it. Their marriageis on the rocl<s. I tend to eat out most nights. I could'vetold you that. You should'veknown beccer.

171


Expression organiser

'&$s*$"* $.$ Did I ever tell you aboutthe time | . . I wasjust mindingmy own business,. .. when all of a sudden Well,what happenedin the end was . . . It seemsfunnynow,but it wasnt at the time. Sorry.I didn't recogniseyou. I think it's dyed. He seemslike a reallynice bloke. It's anotherone of his tall stones. He smokeslike a chimney. He was drivinglike a lunatic. I was so tired, I slept like a log. I'm dyingfor a coffee. I'm sickto deathof it. SheSetsawaywith murder.

#g*$l*-*k What was I thinkingofl They must havemoneyto burn. My dad groundedme for a week. We stopped off to get somethingto eat. We broke down on the way there. We took a wrong turn. I bumpedinto an old friend of mine. What a horriblejourney! I went travellinground Indiafor a year. I like to travel light. Shelooks aboutthirty-ish. It'sjust an urbanmyth. She'sgot reddish-brownhair. He was sort of smilingat me. a hammeror somethinglike that.


Expression organiser

'#g*$K $S Hello.Longtime,no See! I haventseenyou for ages. You haventchangeda bit. What'veyou beenup to sinceI last sawyou. He just doesnt get the message. It was a very controversialfilm. l've completelyforgottenyour name. I'vejust had an idea. Get to the ooint! I just dont seethe point. It was the high point of our trip. I wish youd told me earlier. I wish I hadnt saidthat. They hate each other's guts. We just hit it off at once.

-$& ffis*${* I went and sawthis great exhibition. I prefersculptureto paintings. It's OK if you'reinto that kind of thing. It's not worth the entrancefee. It's a bit too abstractfor me. I prefer his portraitsto his landscapes. Would you recommenditl It causesa lot of problems. I went to the opera,which was nice. I've beenmeaningto seethat for ages. Oh. that remindsme. ld liketo do that myself. It'swell worth a visit. I think it's reallyoffensive. I

It causedoutragein the media.

I

I I

i

173


Expression organiser

'i *s;i'rl * What did you think of it?Was it anygood? It was horrendous! It was a bit disappointing, to be honest. It was nothingspecial. Didn't you find it a bit over the topl I foundit a bit bland. It was reallygood,consideringhow cheapit was. He'snot exactlyEinstein, is hel Dont you think it's a bit over-rated? I was just deadtired. It's a bit like skiing,only not as difficult. It was a bit like his other book,only better. That must'vebeendreadful. You must'vebeenreallyannoyed. You must be exhausted.

*r:i'i I {., It'sa cult movie. It's a typicalHollywoodblockbuster. some ltalianguy I cant rememberoff the top of my head. It's on the tip of my tongue. It'll cometo me in a minute. It'sgot subtitles. They dubbedit into French. The dialoguewas brilliant. Whos in it? The specialeffectswere amazing! ld neverbeenthere before. It was the first time lU seenthat kind of thing. It's meantto be incredible. I wouldn't have,if it hadnt beenfor you.

l l I


Expression organiser

*y;i't .; y Itd be reallygood if they . . . What would be reallygreatis if they ... I dont reallyhaveany strongviewson that. That'sa difficultauestionto answer. Well, I agreeup to a point,but It's hardlysurprising, is itl They'vepedestrianised the town centre. There'sa one-waysystem. I hadto do a U-turn. The traffic is a nightmare. Personally, I thinl<it's ridiculous. It's reallygoneto the dogs. He'sthe blacksheepof the family. It's a very industrialplace. i

The shantytowns are awful!

I

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I dont l<nowhow you put up with it. They completelymessedit up. I wish you'd stop goingon about it! It'sa reallyawfulhairdo. and then to top the whole thing off Thatt the lastthing I need! It'sgood to get thingsoff your chest. Thingslikethat don't reallybother me. Oh well,dont let it get you down. It reallybugsme. Its a Catch22 situation. Its just the tip of rhe iceberg. i

Its a bit of a mixedblessing. I

i

I cant be bothered. It's no bother at all.Honestly.

:

175


Expression organiser

-$# &Jr*Ftr You'resucha pessimist! That'sa bit optimistic,isnt it? on the sour of the moment We're doingour flat up at the moment. He got reallybadlybeatenup. Itl badto bottle up your feelings. What ld reallyliketo do next yearrs... What I was thinkingof doingis. l'm happydoingwhat I'm doing. I just take thingsas they come. I cant reallysayyet. lt all depends. I can see myselfgoingabroadone day. They'vegot reallyhighexpectations. l'm reallydreadingit. I wish I didnt haveto. but I do.

'fu$s*$.x s*'# I'd hateto be stuck behinda deskall day. I get a companycar. I got six months'maternityleave. I haven'thad a proper contractyet. At leastyou know your job is secure. Do you belongto a trade union? They'vemadea reallygood job of it. Itt beenreallyhard work. I've beenrushedoff my feet all week. It's slave-labour! He's awful,a real slave-driver. She'svery domineering. He's not the most intelligentguy I've ever met. She'sa reallygood personto work for. He'salwayson the phoneto his girlfriend..

174 fl6


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