PLACES WITH LONG TRADITIONS

UNIT 1

Places with long traditions

VOCABULARY

BIRMINGHAM BY CANALS

1

Read the text and choose the answer (A-C) Read which best fits each gap.

Copenhagen and Amsterdam are both (1)____________as the Venice of the North, mainly because they have canals and are very pretty. However, there is also the Venice of the UK – Birmingham. It may not be the most (2)_________ city, but something you’ll often hear in Birmingham is the fact that it has ‘more canals than Venice’. However, italso has more trees than Paris and more parks than any other European city. It is Britain’s second-largest city and it is rich with history and culture like any other city. What makes it special is its canal (3)____________. It is different (4)____________ to other canal cities. In Venice, the canals are concentrated and easily passable by gondolas, while in Birmingham they’re (5)___________ across the city.

A trip along one of the canals is pleasantly quiet and (6)____________. Besides, you’ll get a much better (7)____________ of the city – not comparable perhaps to Venice, but certainly more complete. There are plenty of beautiful views. Colourful boats and historic canal architecture sit (8) ______________ with charming modern restaurants, bars and cafes.

2

1. A famous B known C similar 2. A attractive B nicest C pretty 3. A complex B arrangement C network 4. A from B compared C related 5. A spread out B extend C stretch 6. A relaxed B reckless C restful 7. A effect B impression C comparison 8. A alongside B combined C side-by-side

Match the adjectives in box A with the nouns in box B to make collocations and write them down. There may be more than one combination, but only use each word once. Then practise making sentences with the collocations you have made.

A 1. appropriate 2. annual 3. bustling 4. deadly 5. striking 6. entire 7. medieval 8. prestigious 9. shallow 10. picturesque

B a. place b. beauty c. fortress d. city e. infection f. landscape g. prize h. school i. life j. waters

It wasn’t an appropriate place for a wedding ceremony. _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________

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3

Use the adjectives from the box to complete the sentences.

1. The manager thinks your dress is not _______________ for the occasion. 2. Madonna performed onstage at the 37th _____________ American Music Awards. 3. If you are interested in the subject, then take some time and read the ____________ article. 4. They onlyfound ___________ pottery, mainly from the 13th-15th centuries, but not gold. 5. The view of the mountains and the village below was very ______________. 6. We all agree that it is a ______________ award and that he should be proud. annual / medieval / prestigious / picturesque / appropriate / entire

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WORD FORMATION Make adjectives from the words in capital letters to complete the text. Use the following suffixes: -able, -ing, -al, -ive, -ous

REMARK

FAME IMPRESS

CONTRAST

VARY FAVOUR

CULTURE

Edinburgh

Surrounded by stunning scenery, full of historic buildings and ____________ architecture, Edinburgh is the UK’s most visited destination after London. It has been the Scottish capital since the 15th century. There are two different areas, the Old Town, dominated by the ___________ medieval Castle, and the neoclassical New Town. Edinburgh Castle is an ____________ fortress which can be seen from all over town. The wonderful combination of these two ____________ historical areas, each with their own important buildings, gives the city its own unique character. ______________ wonderful attractions make an immediate and ____________ impression on the many visitors who travel there. In August Edinburgh becomes the ____________ centre of Europe, when the Edinburgh International Festival of Music and Drama is held.

1 UNIT

5

PHRASAL VERBS Match the meanings of the phrasal verbs with GET in the sentences (1-6) with the explanations (a-f).

1. She’s going to ask her boss for a pay rise as she doesn’t have enough money to get by. 2. Simon gets on very well with his brothers. They never argue. 3. I’ve tried to phone them several times this morning, but I can’t get through. The line is constantly engaged. 4. We´re going to New York on 15th March and we hope to get back on 21st April. 5. Toni’s very disappointed about breaking up with Diana, but he´ll get over it. 6. The thieves got awaywith stealing the jewellery as they were never caught.

a) return b) escape punishment c) succeed in contacting somebody by phone d) have a good relationship e) recover from f) manage financially

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PREPOSITIONS

Fill in the blanks with: at, during, for, in, on or while.

1. It´s Jack’s birthday _______ Christmas. 2. I fell asleep _______ I was at the cinema. 3. I fell asleep _______ the performance. I was asleep _______ about twenty minutes! 4. _______ the moment the children are watching their favourite show. 5. They both visited the resort _______ 1996. 6. I read some magazines _______ I was waiting to see the doctor. 7. I´ve got to go to the bank, but I´ll be back _______ ten minutes. 8. Kate has been in this business _______ more than ten years. 1

GRAMMAR

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense.

1. How many chocolates _____________________________ (you/eat) today? 2. She _________________(grow) fond of the town and now she ________________ (not/want) to leave. 3. We __________________(visit) the National Gallery this afternoon. _________________ (you/join) us? 4. I ___________________(be) to many job interviews, but I _______________ (not/get) a job yet. 5. She __________________(break) three records in the last four years. 6. Ann ___________________(make) a number of trips to the States this year. 7. Come on, let’s celebrate! Our team ______________ (win) the match. It is the second time this season that we ____________________(beat) our main rivals. 8. Susan __________________(want) to improve her

French and that’s why she ____________________ (do) a language course in Paris at the moment. 9. Marko __________________(go) swimming twice a week. How often __________________(you/go)? 10. She ________________(get) wet unless she __________________(take) an umbrella.

Discuss the difference in meaning between the pairs of sentences below.

1. a) What are you doing? b) What do you do? 2. a) What are you thinking about? b) What do you think about it? 3. a) He is rude! b) He is being rude!

Match the sentences in box A with those in box B.

A B

1. Where do you come from? 2. Where are you coming back from? 3. Do you see anything strange? 4. Mathew is seeing his friend from Australia tonight. 5. The Joneses are having breakfast. 6. My family has three houses.

a. Are they meeting in a cafe? b. No, it looks OK to me. c. From a meeting. d. Yes, I know you own a lot of property. e. They are eating now. f. From Spain.

Add since or for.

1. He has not been here _______ some time. 2. I have been looking for that key _______ the last half an hour. 3. I haven’t seen Peter _______ he left Rome. 4. They have made considerable progress _______ they invented the new machine. 5. She hasn’t been her usual self _____ the last few days. 6. It hasn’t rained _________ January.

Make sentences by putting the verbs into the present simple, present continuous or present perfect. Add any other words that you need.

1. When / we / board / plane?__________________________________________________ 2. I / keep / to a strict diet / these days __________________________________________ 3. population / our country / grow older / century _________________________________ 4. why / you / wear / your sister’s dress / today? ___________________________________ 5. you / ever / suffer / from toothache? __________________________________________ 6. at the moment / I / share / my bedroom / my brother _____________________________

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1 UNIT

LISTENING AND GRAMMAR

track 4

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7

Fill in the gaps with the verbs in the correct tense. Listen to the text to check.

Macy’s Department Store is known for the parade that ____________ place every Thanksgiving. Everyone __________ forward to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It _________ a long tradition in the United States and it__________ the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade always takes place in begin mark

fabulous New York City. It _________ by Central Park and ends in front of Macy’s. For 84 years, Macy’s______________ young and old with the parade of high flying balloons and decorated floats. Famous entertainers, dancers, the best high school marching bands and the employees of Macy’s who handle the balloons in the parade _________ together on this day to make this amazing parade a spectacular event. About three and a half million spectators along the parade route in New York City and fifty million TV viewers ___________ the parade.

There is a mistake in most of these sentences. If a sentence is wrong, correct it.

1. He’s caused trouble ever since I’ve known him. 2. I know Charlie for five years. 3. I’ve always wondered why she suddenly left school. 4. I won’t go until I‘ll find out the truth. 5. This is the first time I am in the USA.

delight 6. I want you to compare the present film with all the others you saw in your life.

take watch come look be

TRANSLATION AND MEDIATION

Alex is a friend of yours from England who came to visit you. Al Your mother is taking you and your friend to Smederevo, but she doesn’t speak English and she wants you to tell Alex something about the town. Translate her words into English.

Mother: Данас ћемо посетити Смедерево, које је удаљено 46 км од Београда. You: ________________________________________________________________________ Mother: Град је мешавина старог и модерног и привлачи велики број туриста сваке године. You: ________________________________________________________________________ Mother: Видећемо и живописну средњовековну тврђаву из 15. века, која се налази се на обали Дунава и доминира градом. You: ________________________________________________________________________

1

EXPAND YOUR VOCABULARY

IDIOMS WITH GET Match the idioms with get with the explanations.

1. get ahead 2. get a load off one’s mind 3. get down to doing something 4. get something into one’s head 5. get out of hand 6. get rid of

a. begin to do something seriously b. stop worrying about something c. remove d. become more successful than others e. have a fixed idea in one’s mind f. get out of control

2

Use some of the expressions from the box to complete the sentences.

had to ____________________.

2. She decided to ______________ her old clothes. She doesn’t need them anymore.

3. You have to practise playing the piano every day if you want to ________________.

4. Things _________________ at the party and juice was spilt all over the couch.

EVERYDAY LANGUAGE Common expressions

1. I’m sorry if what I said upset him, but I

with the word BRIDGE Explain the meaning of the word ‘bridge’ in the following sentences.

1. ‘A lot of water has passed under the bridge.’ 2. They often gather in his house to play bridge. 3. ‘Cross that bridge when you come to it.’ 4. Is it possible to bridge the gap between two generations?

FOR FUN

SOLVE THE RIDDLES

1. He has married many women, but has never married. Who is he? 2. If you have it, you want to share it. If you share it, you don’t have it. What is it? 3. Light as a feather, there is nothing in it; the strongest man can’t hold it for much more than a minute. 4. What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps? 5. What can fill a room but takes up no space? Breath Light A secret A river A priest